Burning Oil
Seasoned HDF Member
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From: England
Here is the thread I was thinking about but unfortunately there is no conclusion.
Drinking oil . - Harley Davidson Forums (hdforums.com)
Drinking oil . - Harley Davidson Forums (hdforums.com)
HDF Community Team
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From: San Diego, CA
John
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Tourer
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From: Illinois
When I overfilled the oil tank on my Iron 883, I bought a plastic hand syphon pump from my local pet shop to remove the excess oil from the tank, these are made for emptying fish tanks, it only cost me Ł3.00. I've also used mine for emptying the fuel tank, it works a treat.
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From: Santa Ana, CA
When I got my 2003 five or so years ago it used to burn some oil but the motor was pretty tired. In my research on the subject I recall HD saying 1qt per 1000 miles was within spec which I thought was crazy. I just didn't worry about it as the motor weeped oil in a few spots pretty good but never had any significant leaks. On an older bike, valve seals, rings, head breathers, and base gaskets all leaking a little will add up.
Last edited by OCSpringer; Aug 7, 2024 at 01:43 PM.
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From: shore of Gitche Gumee
When I got my 2003 five or so years ago it used to burn some oil but the motor was pretty tired. In my research on the subject I recall HD saying 1qt per 1000 miles was within spec which I thought was crazy. I just didn't worry about it as the motor weeped oil in a few spots pretty good but never had any significant leaks. On an older bike, valve seals, rings, head breathers, and base gaskets all leaking a little will add up.
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Joined: Dec 2011
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From: San Diego, CA
If I used a quart every 1000 miles I'd dump that vehicle in a New York minute, and bad mouth the brand for the rest of my life. Of course, you may have a leased car, that seems most common today. In that case, just the added cost of a leased vehicle. You'll be done with it soon enough.
If you own it, that consumption is completely unacceptable on a modern car with 45K, no matter what the dealer says. I'd leave it in front of their service department and walk away.
I've read that my little 3.0 Ford Vulcan V6 can easily go 300,000 miles, and so far, it looks that way to me at 240K, with almost no oil consumption to speak of. Your post makes me glad I hold onto my vehicles and meticulously maintain them. Sounds like newer isn't always better.
John
If you own it, that consumption is completely unacceptable on a modern car with 45K, no matter what the dealer says. I'd leave it in front of their service department and walk away.
I've read that my little 3.0 Ford Vulcan V6 can easily go 300,000 miles, and so far, it looks that way to me at 240K, with almost no oil consumption to speak of. Your post makes me glad I hold onto my vehicles and meticulously maintain them. Sounds like newer isn't always better.
John
Last edited by John Harper; Aug 7, 2024 at 06:28 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2017
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From: England
When I bought a BMW new in 2000 it used some oil, well it used enough that I thought it was alarming in those first bedding in miles.
I overheard a conversation by a chap with his BMW said it used "some" oil for the first 1,000 miles, it used a little less in the next 3 or 4,000 miles and then it didn't use or lose any oil after that.
Mine settled down exactly the same and that was how it was for 122,000 miles until I sold it after 10 years.
I overheard a conversation by a chap with his BMW said it used "some" oil for the first 1,000 miles, it used a little less in the next 3 or 4,000 miles and then it didn't use or lose any oil after that.
Mine settled down exactly the same and that was how it was for 122,000 miles until I sold it after 10 years.
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Tourer
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From: Illinois
This thread went sideways and I'll update it once I do another oil measurement but as car goes yeah they burn oil.
Audis and BMWs are notorious for that. The dealers will tell you it's normal they burn a quart between oil changes.
I bought a Volvo S60 back in the day, and it was one of the first 1000 or so that came off the assembly line. That car would burn oil like crazy and it had a faulty oil pressure/level indicator. To make things worse, in the later model they removed the dip stick. Eventually, there was a class action against Volvo. For my car, they monitored it closely and replaced the piston rings for free at like 80k miles. Some people got new engines, some cash...
It's not the end of the world and it's a habit for me to check oil levels for all of vehicles on every 2 months; almost before each ride on my bikes
Audis and BMWs are notorious for that. The dealers will tell you it's normal they burn a quart between oil changes.
I bought a Volvo S60 back in the day, and it was one of the first 1000 or so that came off the assembly line. That car would burn oil like crazy and it had a faulty oil pressure/level indicator. To make things worse, in the later model they removed the dip stick. Eventually, there was a class action against Volvo. For my car, they monitored it closely and replaced the piston rings for free at like 80k miles. Some people got new engines, some cash...
It's not the end of the world and it's a habit for me to check oil levels for all of vehicles on every 2 months; almost before each ride on my bikes
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Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2020
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From: NC
Also check your primary, if the oil seal on the crank shaft is bad engine oil can leak into the primary and primary oil level will be high, also the primary oil should look fairly clean as there is no combustion going on in there, so if its black there is a good possibility that engine oil could be leaking past the crankshaft oil seal, as far as adjusting the oil level, if you can drain your oil pull the hose with the cap left on to the oil bag, with the cap on the oil should come out slow enough to drain some out.
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Tourer
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From: Illinois
OK I drained about 4/5s of a quart. Went for a ride and checked the oil right after I turned the engine off. It was right in the middle between the 2 marks.
Hard to say if it burnt 1/5 of a quart or not, but I'm happy where it is now and even if it did, it wasn't much.
Checked the transmission oil too and it's fine. It looked clearer than the primary's.
Some lessons learned, thank you gents
Hard to say if it burnt 1/5 of a quart or not, but I'm happy where it is now and even if it did, it wasn't much.
Checked the transmission oil too and it's fine. It looked clearer than the primary's.
Some lessons learned, thank you gents