Regular octane gas causes low oil pressure--
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 3,302
Likes: 275
From: Milton, Delaware
Regular octane gas causes low oil pressure--
A friend of mine rode up to the finger lakes region of NY over the weekend to meet a buddy who was coming down from Canada.
Canada looks at his oil pressure gauge and sees that oil pressure has dropped from 50 psi to 15 psi. He gets worried and pulls over. When my friend pulls up he gets told that not only has the oil pressure 'gone away' but the engine is making 'rattling' noises. They pull out cell phones and find a Harley dealer (oh yeah, a 2010 EGUC with 7000 miles). Explain the situation and get told that 'Sorry, it's a holiday weekend, we're going home'.
They manage to find another dealer 38 miles away who told them to bring it in and they'd look at it. So they get it towed in. Canada tells the svc writer the story and mentions that he filled it up with regular instead of premium at the last gas stop. Svc writer sells him a can of octane boost and then checks the oil (which was synthetic and had about 200 miles on it). Says "I can smell that your oil has been burned up by the hot engine, which was caused by the regular gas", and sells him an oil change.
So, he got back on the road which is good but I'm really not sure that the oil change was necessary. I think they did that to make a couple of bucks. $135 for an oil change and a can of octane boost.
I told them to just continue their trip and think of it in the light that the dealer was willing to stop what ever they were doing and look at his bike. If they hadn't he would have been stuck paying for a motel room for 2 days to be told the same thing. In the long run it's not that much money but I still think the oil change wasn't necessary. (The octane boost took away the 'rattling'.)
Canada looks at his oil pressure gauge and sees that oil pressure has dropped from 50 psi to 15 psi. He gets worried and pulls over. When my friend pulls up he gets told that not only has the oil pressure 'gone away' but the engine is making 'rattling' noises. They pull out cell phones and find a Harley dealer (oh yeah, a 2010 EGUC with 7000 miles). Explain the situation and get told that 'Sorry, it's a holiday weekend, we're going home'.
They manage to find another dealer 38 miles away who told them to bring it in and they'd look at it. So they get it towed in. Canada tells the svc writer the story and mentions that he filled it up with regular instead of premium at the last gas stop. Svc writer sells him a can of octane boost and then checks the oil (which was synthetic and had about 200 miles on it). Says "I can smell that your oil has been burned up by the hot engine, which was caused by the regular gas", and sells him an oil change.
So, he got back on the road which is good but I'm really not sure that the oil change was necessary. I think they did that to make a couple of bucks. $135 for an oil change and a can of octane boost.
I told them to just continue their trip and think of it in the light that the dealer was willing to stop what ever they were doing and look at his bike. If they hadn't he would have been stuck paying for a motel room for 2 days to be told the same thing. In the long run it's not that much money but I still think the oil change wasn't necessary. (The octane boost took away the 'rattling'.)
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 784
Likes: 56
From: Eastern Iowa
200 miles on an oil change and you were told the oil was burned by the hot engine, caused by regular gas?
I think you were scammed!
I use the highest octane when ever filling but at times, the station doesn't have High Test.
Never had a problem with an occasional lower grade of gas in my Ultra.
I do carry a bottle of gas additive, just in case.
Never noticed that it helped.
It just made me feel good.
I think you were scammed!
I use the highest octane when ever filling but at times, the station doesn't have High Test.
Never had a problem with an occasional lower grade of gas in my Ultra.
I do carry a bottle of gas additive, just in case.
Never noticed that it helped.
It just made me feel good.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,191
Likes: 12,774
From: South Carolina
The reason dealers can get away with that kind of ridiculous stuff is that too many people have no knowledge of the workings of their motorcycle.
Regular gas causing low oil pressure...for cryin out loud...
Regular gas causing low oil pressure...for cryin out loud...
Last edited by Dan89FLSTC; Jul 7, 2014 at 05:32 AM.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 6,322
Likes: 2,500
From: Tennessee
Low octane gas causing low oil pressure?
And y'all believed that?
That's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time!!!!
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 932
Likes: 14
From: CENTRAL IL
first thought the same thing , gas won't cause low oil pressure. However after thinking about it lower octane could cause it to run hotter, which would raise the temp on the oil. When you said the bike was rattling (preignition, spark knock) and had low oild pressure I wonder just how hot the engine did get, it may not have been absolutely necessary, but an oil change might not have been a bad idea. Personally if I get caught in stop and go traffic where I know the engine has been run hot I'll change the oil even if the mileage is low on the oil change. If the oil has a burnt smell I don't blame the dealer for suggesting it. Synthetic resists heat better but an oild pretty cheap insurance for your motor if its got overheated.
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Stage IV
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: nevada
Hi There, I only have a 2001 883 hugger but the manual says for me to only use the lower octane gas and my instructor also told me not to use high octane ( I was going to use it cuz I was under the impression that the higher octane the better ) because the higher octane will make my bike run to hot. I know this prob doesn't help much but I just wanted to tell you what I learned.
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Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 150
Likes: 2
From: Kansas
Check your invoice and make sure they didn't charge you to check your blinker fluid and muffler bearings
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 11,228
Likes: 3,052
From: St.Louis Mo.
lower octane does burn hotter and may have thinned out the oil because of higher engine temps. resulting in lower oil pressure. just like when your oils cold the pressure is higher. i don't think a change was needed, unless the oil really did smell burnt.