Checking Oil Level ??? Duh....

[blackattak]

OK I have to admit, I drive the thing & let the dealer check fluid levels. However rather than carry the litre of Oil with me I decuded to check the oil level myself. Let it idle for at least 10 minutes in the garage giving it a little throttle now & then. Unconnected the oil sensor etc & unscrewed the oil cap. Cleaned it & reinserted without screwing back in. There does seem to be oil between the H & L mark on the dipstick when I clean it again but not real easy to tell (using 0/30 oil). Am I missing anything ?

I have never had to add oil to my sled yet during the season but as I said it was always checked at the dealer. I also figure the oil light would come on if needed as it had in my Rx-1. If it is Ok then I don't have to keep the oil in the trunk. With my RX-1 (03) we had overfilled it once & it resulted in it burning some oil & have been told the trick is to never OVERFILL the system. Don't want to make that error again.

Thanks

 

[apltx08]

Sounds right the way you describe it, I always check mine after my daily ride, park it and let it sit for a min or 2. You shouldn't have to carry oil around '05 and up do not or hardly consume oil compared to the '03/'04 did YAM updated the rings in '05 so oil consumtion is a thing of the past if you sled was BROKEN in properly.

 

[blackattak]

Broken in the way they suggest. Not the ride like you stole it method. There is some oil on the dip stick just a film when redipped after it is cleaned off completely. Not easy to see oil on the stick with the color of the oil & dip stick being so similar.

 

[Iceman57]

I wouldn't use the oil light as your method on when to add oil. Yes the oil light will illuminate when the oil reaches a certain level but the oil level would be lower then I would want to wait to all oil if needed. I check mine after every other ride but I have not needed to add any oil to my engine after 3700 miles.

 

[blackattak]

My question is, or observation is, that there is not a LOT of oil on the dipstick, only a light film after reinsertion, but definitely some oil on it by touch & there when I wipe it off again. Just not a big clump or amount of it. I presume that is what I need to look for (a tin film on a clean dipstick after re inserting it). Only big amount is on the bulb as it rapidly drips off the bottom of the dip stick.

 

[Iceman57]

I just raise the dipstick high enough to wipe it off without removing it from the reservoir and lower it back down so it is sitting on top of the opening (do not screw it in when checking oil) and then pull it back up and check the oil level. If the oil is relatively clean it may be hard to see unless it’s in the right light. You won't see a lot of oil on the dipstick due to the low viscosity; most of the oil will run off when the dipstick is raised up out of the tank.

 

[blackattak]

Only about 900 miles on this year & that was my issue, clean oil was hard to see but when wiped the clean stick had oil residue on it again. Only way that would be the case is if levels were OK (I believe).

 

[Riceburner]

Darren,

It is just a light film and hard to see with the beige stick.

I carry no oil with me. I do keep a quart in the truck.

10,000 K on the Warrior, 5,000 On the Supercharged RX1, 7,000 on the Apex and none have used a lick of oil.



Dave

 

[blackattak]

Things are OK with the oil then. We just got 1 1/2 feet of powder down. Went out & rode up the street to the trail & broke tril for 10 km ( 6miles) to gas station & then returned widening out the trail. Love my Slydogs in the powder. 20 km & no worries of getting stuck.

Did break a path around a small play park next to my home & managed to get it stuck there twice in a few hundred yards. Not much room to keep up speed without hitting the neighbors fence ( no speed= buried) & some large powder drifts. No traction & this thing didn't like plowing snow. Fine when cruising though. Good time & better now that I don't think about the oil thing.