Flickering Oil Light
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Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: Algonquin, Il
Flickering Oil Light
I have a 2000 Road King Classic and my oil light has been flickering while riding. I changed the oil and filter last night and didn't help. Light comes on when ignition is turned on and goes off upon starting. Seems like it flickers more as it heats up. It never stays on just barley flickers 5% of the time. Had the cam tensioner shoes changed at 20,000 miles and have put on about 3,500 miles since. Could be the oil pressure switch, oil pump or a short in the wire?
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 765
Likes: 0
From: Alleghany Co., NC and SW Florida
Check the two oil hoses between the engine and transmission (under the cover) and make sure one of the clamps isn't loose, allowing air to be sucked in.
Won't show a sign of leakage but will cause air to play havoc with oil pressure readings.
Common with installation of oil temp gauge when the hose method is used and the hose has a loose clamp.
Won't show a sign of leakage but will cause air to play havoc with oil pressure readings.
Common with installation of oil temp gauge when the hose method is used and the hose has a loose clamp.
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Oklahoma
I wouldn't start it again without using a gauge.
You need to verify if low oil pressure is the problem and the only way is with a gauge.
You can buy a cheap manual under dash automotive gauge at any parts store and it will come with the fittings you need to tap into system.
Remove the oil pressure sender and install the gauge.
Fire it up and check the pressure at idle. It should be around 30psi cold.
Let it run until it warms up and watch the gauge. It should never drop below 12-15psi even idling while hot. The oil pressure sender won't even turn the light on until the pressure drops below 6-8psi and that's not enough.
If you just had the cam tensioners replaced and they didn't properly align the oil pump it will kill the gears and housing. They also should have diassembled the pump and cleaned and inspected it too. At the very least a stray piece of the old tensioner material may have blocked the pressure relief valve open slightly.
If the oil pump is gone then running it further can and will eat lots of other parts too from the shavings off the gears and housing.
If you catch it early then a new pump and support plate is probably all you'll need but some things need to be checked first.
Check the crank runout before you do anything else.
It needs to be less than .005 ( regardless of what Harley says) and that spec is only good enough if you're gonna run chains.
If you were ever gonna run a gear setup then it has to be under .002 and preferably under .001
If it hasn't had "the upgrade" then now is the time to do it. All 99's, most 2000's and some 01's had bearing problems in the cam chest which is addresed in a service bulletin.
Harley-Davidson Service Bulletin M-1100
http://www.google.com/url?sa=U&start...SnX9lFLilwCPgw
Hope it's just a sender but I wouldn't take any chances.
Geno
You can buy a cheap manual under dash automotive gauge at any parts store and it will come with the fittings you need to tap into system.
Remove the oil pressure sender and install the gauge.
Fire it up and check the pressure at idle. It should be around 30psi cold.
Let it run until it warms up and watch the gauge. It should never drop below 12-15psi even idling while hot. The oil pressure sender won't even turn the light on until the pressure drops below 6-8psi and that's not enough.
If you just had the cam tensioners replaced and they didn't properly align the oil pump it will kill the gears and housing. They also should have diassembled the pump and cleaned and inspected it too. At the very least a stray piece of the old tensioner material may have blocked the pressure relief valve open slightly.
If the oil pump is gone then running it further can and will eat lots of other parts too from the shavings off the gears and housing.
If you catch it early then a new pump and support plate is probably all you'll need but some things need to be checked first.
Check the crank runout before you do anything else.
It needs to be less than .005 ( regardless of what Harley says) and that spec is only good enough if you're gonna run chains.
If you were ever gonna run a gear setup then it has to be under .002 and preferably under .001
If it hasn't had "the upgrade" then now is the time to do it. All 99's, most 2000's and some 01's had bearing problems in the cam chest which is addresed in a service bulletin.
Harley-Davidson Service Bulletin M-1100
http://www.google.com/url?sa=U&start...SnX9lFLilwCPgw
Hope it's just a sender but I wouldn't take any chances.
Geno
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 765
Likes: 0
From: Alleghany Co., NC and SW Florida
The reason I suggested that is that the oil pressure (and warning light) behave normally untill they warm up a bit then go to a zero reading and oil light flickers when the hose is loose. What papaseven said makes sense too, IF it isn't a loose hose or bad ground on the sending unit.
Big Kahuna HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,881
Likes: 34
From: USA
You need to verify if low oil pressure is the problem and the only way is with a gauge.
You can buy a cheap manual under dash automotive gauge at any parts store and it will come with the fittings you need to tap into system.
Remove the oil pressure sender and install the gauge.
Fire it up and check the pressure at idle. It should be around 30psi cold.
Let it run until it warms up and watch the gauge. It should never drop below 12-15psi even idling while hot. The oil pressure sender won't even turn the light on until the pressure drops below 6-8psi and that's not enough.
If you just had the cam tensioners replaced and they didn't properly align the oil pump it will kill the gears and housing. They also should have diassembled the pump and cleaned and inspected it too. At the very least a stray piece of the old tensioner material may have blocked the pressure relief valve open slightly.
If the oil pump is gone then running it further can and will eat lots of other parts too from the shavings off the gears and housing.
If you catch it early then a new pump and support plate is probably all you'll need but some things need to be checked first.
Check the crank runout before you do anything else.
It needs to be less than .005 ( regardless of what Harley says) and that spec is only good enough if you're gonna run chains.
If you were ever gonna run a gear setup then it has to be under .002 and preferably under .001
If it hasn't had "the upgrade" then now is the time to do it. All 99's, most 2000's and some 01's had bearing problems in the cam chest which is addresed in a service bulletin.
Harley-Davidson Service Bulletin M-1100
http://www.google.com/url?sa=U&start...SnX9lFLilwCPgw
Hope it's just a sender but I wouldn't take any chances.
Geno
You can buy a cheap manual under dash automotive gauge at any parts store and it will come with the fittings you need to tap into system.
Remove the oil pressure sender and install the gauge.
Fire it up and check the pressure at idle. It should be around 30psi cold.
Let it run until it warms up and watch the gauge. It should never drop below 12-15psi even idling while hot. The oil pressure sender won't even turn the light on until the pressure drops below 6-8psi and that's not enough.
If you just had the cam tensioners replaced and they didn't properly align the oil pump it will kill the gears and housing. They also should have diassembled the pump and cleaned and inspected it too. At the very least a stray piece of the old tensioner material may have blocked the pressure relief valve open slightly.
If the oil pump is gone then running it further can and will eat lots of other parts too from the shavings off the gears and housing.
If you catch it early then a new pump and support plate is probably all you'll need but some things need to be checked first.
Check the crank runout before you do anything else.
It needs to be less than .005 ( regardless of what Harley says) and that spec is only good enough if you're gonna run chains.
If you were ever gonna run a gear setup then it has to be under .002 and preferably under .001
If it hasn't had "the upgrade" then now is the time to do it. All 99's, most 2000's and some 01's had bearing problems in the cam chest which is addresed in a service bulletin.
Harley-Davidson Service Bulletin M-1100
http://www.google.com/url?sa=U&start...SnX9lFLilwCPgw
Hope it's just a sender but I wouldn't take any chances.
Geno
Stage II
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
need help
hey i'm new to the forum i have a 01' roadking that has less then 2000 miles. its been parked for a year i turn it on ones every other full moon. so now that would like to ride it's giving me a hard time with the oil light, it stays on when it's on idle i already change the oil sensor and the bypass spring and did a oil/filter change but still the light stays on. someone have a idea that can help me fix the problem?
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