Where did it all go?
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Tourer
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 323
Likes: 0
From: Mountaintop, PA
Where did it all go?
My wife and I went for a ride yesterday and about 15 minutes into it the bike started to make a clicking noise. We looked it over and it looked ok but went home anyway. On the way back the oil light flickered so I check the oil (hot and cold) and there was none on the dipstick. No leaks, no smoke...where did it go? The manual says not to mix oils so should I only put in the same thing I had before? I am about 1000 miles short of my 10K service so I just want get some in it so I can get a few rides in before then. Any thoughts on this scenrio. Thanks.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 56,052
Likes: 88,864
From: Western South Dakota
Just change your own oil now, it's not a complicated job.
When you take it in for it's 10 K service tell service and they will deduct it from your bill.
BTW you can mix dino and syn.
Syn 3 is not a full synthetic to begin with.
When you take it in for it's 10 K service tell service and they will deduct it from your bill.
BTW you can mix dino and syn.
Syn 3 is not a full synthetic to begin with.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 816
Likes: 4
From: Stone Harbor, NJ
My wife and I went for a ride yesterday and about 15 minutes into it the bike started to make a clicking noise. We looked it over and it looked ok but went home anyway. On the way back the oil light flickered so I check the oil (hot and cold) and there was none on the dipstick. No leaks, no smoke...where did it go? The manual says not to mix oils so should I only put in the same thing I had before? I am about 1000 miles short of my 10K service so I just want get some in it so I can get a few rides in before then. Any thoughts on this scenrio. Thanks.
My first thought is your rings are shot. Oil leaking around the rings and blowing out the exhaust might not burn real blue like you might imagine, because the volume of oil through to the cylinders is very low, but over time.....POOF! No oil on the stick.
I would definably add a quart (really you should but enough to fill it to the fill line). But I would be more likely to take it right to someone (dealer or not) to figure out where the oil is going- because 10K seems a little soon to need rings. But then again, maybe you ride it like you stole it!
Just my first thoughts,
USMAMULE
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 6,642
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From: Ogden, UT
Good question about where it went. Have you checked all other fluid levels?
The moment you saw no oil on the dipstick you should have picked up any available oil ASAP and put it in, at that point it does not matter what, just that it has something in there to lube it.
The moment you saw no oil on the dipstick you should have picked up any available oil ASAP and put it in, at that point it does not matter what, just that it has something in there to lube it.
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Joe Kucinski
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
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From: TEXAS
I typically add about 1/2 quart in between scheduale changes and I have no leaks or smoke.
Just add a similar or same oil for now then change it as schedauled. If you have 20w-50 synthtic add that or if you have conventional oil just add that . It doesn't have to be the same brand.
That being said, if you can easily get the same oil brand then you might as well use it.
Just add a similar or same oil for now then change it as schedauled. If you have 20w-50 synthtic add that or if you have conventional oil just add that . It doesn't have to be the same brand.
That being said, if you can easily get the same oil brand then you might as well use it.
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 404
Likes: 0
From: L.A. (Lower Alabama)
You could have burned it without seeing clouds of smoke, that would have been 2.5 qts in 4000 miles, probably not visible. But it could be in the primary. When the seal goes on the output shaft, that is the usual result. An o-ring for the drain and a derby cover gasket will tell you. Take off the derby cover and check the level I/A/W your manual. Or drain it and measure. Should be a quart.