Lots of Oil in the air filter box California 1400

[shane160657]

Just went to have the 10,000 k service done on the cali and the mechanic stopped when he saw this
(see pics) the air filter box full of oil, not a little bit.... I mean a lot of oil
The importer of Moto guzzi in Australia, haven't heard of anything like this on a Cali only on a couple of Griso's
Anybody have similar issues with there cali's
(the pic of the rag is what fell out of the airbox when it was opened)

 

[kiwi dave]

How was/is your oil level? Typical when there is too much oil.

 

[shane160657]

How was/is you oil level? Typical when there is too much oil.

Guzzi mechanic Emptied about 3.5 liters out at the change, seems about right, I don't touch the bike, while under warranty leave the to the guzzi guys,

 

[roadventure]

Just went to have the 10,000 k service done on the cali and the mechanic stopped when he saw this
(see pics) the air filter box full of oil, not a little bit.... I mean a lot of oil

If you are at your 10K service that means that your oil was changed at least once previously according to the MG service intervals. And, since you are permitting your dealer to do all service while under warranty then is seems logical that your dealer overfilled the oil at the previous oil change. Hopefully that is the only problem.

 

[kiwi dave]

Guzzi mechanic Emptied about 3.5 liters out at the change, seems about right, I don't touch the bike, while under warranty leave the to the guzzi guys,

3.5 litres is too much. I only add 3 litres each oil change. What does your dipstick say?

 

[shane160657]

If you are at your 10K service that means that your oil was changed at least once previously according to the MG service intervals. And, since you are permitting your dealer to do all service while under warranty then is seems logical that your dealer overfilled the oil at the previous oil change. Hopefully that is the only problem.

That's what I'm starting to think, the first oil change was at a dealer that is no longer a dealer (that's another story)

 

[shane160657]

3.5 litres is too much. I only add 3 litres each oil change. What does your dipstick say?

The bike is at the dealer for the service, he wants to make sure the service is done properly and the oil levels are correct, then we can, monitor the oil levels and air box for any troubles, so I'm not sure what the dip stick level was

 

[kiwi dave]

What I'm saying is not to trust your dealer to get it right, but for peace of mind check it yourself. I would recommend that you only run your oil level between the two marks on your dipstick.

The manual specifies far to much oil, and it will result in excess oil in your airbox if the dealer is following these specifications. Same thing happened to me.

 

[shane160657]

That looks like the consensus, I'm getting the feeling the manual might be a bit out.........

 

[shane160657]

That looks like the consensus, I'm getting the feeling the manual might be a bit out.........

Well I've covered another 8000 k and the bike has pumped out half a liter of oil through the drain pipe from the air box , (the dipstick is on the minimum mark) and is still pumping, it pumps about 5mm after gentle suburban riding, if its hard acceleration and some twisty bits (scrap a board every now and then) it will pump 100mm at least, if the weather is hot and its freeway riding at say 120k's it will also pump 100mm or more
the plugs are clean and the exhaust has no unburned oil in them
the dealer can't find anything obviously wrong as per the last service,
the next stage is to take a photo of the oil that has pumped out, and they will email the pic to Moto Guzzi for an answer or suggestions as what to do next
before i go down that road do people here have any suggestions
also is there a way of routing this oil back into the engine instead of it dumping into the air box

 

[kiwi dave]

That don't sound right. Yes, take the photos and talk to your dealer, the importers, and Moto Guzi. Something is very wrong here.

Another thought. You are talking about the amount of oil in the tube when you talk about 100mm etc. That's probably not much oil in the whole scheme of things, but it ain't normal either. Perhaps your bike is just taking a little longer to bed its bits in.

 

[Trout]

also is there a way of routing this oil back into the engine instead of it dumping into the air box

Yes & No. There is always a way to do something but in this case the time & trouble would not be worth it.

You could build a little "catch can" & route the vent hose into that. Remember that the catch can will also have to be vented to allow for the pressure to escape, in other words another hose out of the can & tied to the frame. The oil caught in the can could then be put back into the engine manually.

Curious if you are checking the oil with bike standing up? If it is on the side stand you will get a false reading.

 

[Guzzi_Lou]

As mentioned, there's a clear drain tube from the hole in the air filter box all the way down to under the bike. If you get on your back on the ground, you'll see it pretty well directly under the air filter. It's got a plug on the end ... you may want to pop the plug off & drain that every now and then ...

 

[Touringman]

Guys, please remember some important info to assist in "solving" the "too much oil" problem on our 1400s.

1. Even after the most meticulous oil change procedure there will ALWAYS be oil left in the nooks and crannies of an engine. Exactly how much depends on the engine.

2. The ONLY time an engine will take the manufacturers recommended QUANTITY of oil AND be at the OEM level will be on the initial fill from the assembly stand. After that there is ALWAYS some oil left in the engine. Remember that big oil cooler we have on our bikes...yeah? How much of that 4.0 liters does it hold?? Did you or the dealer drain it? I'm guessing not.

3. NEVER check or drain oil while the bike is on the kickstand. It is ridden in the vertical (canyon carving excepted) and needs to be checked in the vertical. Doing otherwise will give you a false reading, UNLESS you check the correct level vertically first and then "mark" the dipstick so you have a reference point while the bike is on the sidestand.

4. Trust but verify. "The dealer changed my oil." Ah, yes...but WHO at the dealer did the job? The seasoned bike mechanic with 20+ years of experience or the sales managers snot nosed nephew, they hired last week?

Personal experience...when I changed my oil and filter at 6000 miles, I was able to squeeze in only about 3.4 liters to bring the level up to the upper horizontal mark on the dipstick. I made sure the engine was HOT before beginning the procedure. After about 30 minutes of draining with the bike vertical, I rocked the bike over to the side stand and back the other way and let it drain for another 15-20 minutes. Until there was no oil dripping from the drain plug. No oil blowby anywhere after the change.
Hope this helps! Good luck.
Kirk

 

[shane160657]

Yes & No. There is always a way to do something but in this case the time & trouble would not be worth it.

You could build a little "catch can" & route the vent hose into that. Remember that the catch can will also have to be vented to allow for the pressure to escape, in other words another hose out of the can & tied to the frame. The oil caught in the can could then be put back into the engine manually.

Curious if you are checking the oil with bike standing up? If it is on the side stand you will get a false reading.

Always have the bike vertical and level to do oil checks, with the dip stick not screwed in

Yes & No. There is always a way to do something but in this case the time & trouble would not be worth it.

You could build a little "catch can" & route the vent hose into that. Remember that the catch can will also have to be vented to allow for the pressure to escape, in other words another hose out of the can & tied to the frame. The oil caught in the can could then be put back into the engine manually.

Curious if you are checking the oil with bike standing up? If it is on the side stand you will get a false reading.

 

[shane160657]

As mentioned, there's a clear drain tube from the hole in the air filter box all the way down to under the bike. If you get on your back on the ground, you'll see it pretty well directly under the air filter. It's got a plug on the end ... you may want to pop the plug off & drain that every now and then ...

That's where I empty the oil out from after every ride, I've been under the bike that many times its starting to look like an old friend

 

[shane160657]

Guys, please remember some important info to assist in "solving" the "too much oil" problem on our 1400s.

1. Even after the most meticulous oil change procedure there will ALWAYS be oil left in the nooks and crannies of an engine. Exactly how much depends on the engine.

2. The ONLY time an engine will take the manufacturers recommended QUANTITY of oil AND be at the OEM level will be on the initial fill from the assembly stand. After that there is ALWAYS some oil left in the engine. Remember that big oil cooler we have on our bikes...yeah? How much of that 4.0 liters does it hold?? Did you or the dealer drain it? I'm guessing not.

3. NEVER check or drain oil while the bike is on the kickstand. It is ridden in the vertical (canyon carving excepted) and needs to be checked in the vertical. Doing otherwise will give you a false reading, UNLESS you check the correct level vertically first and then "mark" the dipstick so you have a reference point while the bike is on the sidestand.

4. Trust but verify. "The dealer changed my oil." Ah, yes...but WHO at the dealer did the job? The seasoned bike mechanic with 20+ years of experience or the sales managers snot nosed nephew, they hired last week?

Personal experience...when I changed my oil and filter at 6000 miles, I was able to squeeze in only about 3.4 liters to bring the level up to the upper horizontal mark on the dipstick. I made sure the engine was HOT before beginning the procedure. After about 30 minutes of draining with the bike vertical, I rocked the bike over to the side stand and back the other way and let it drain for another 15-20 minutes. Until there was no oil dripping from the drain plug. No oil blowby anywhere after the change.
Hope this helps! Good luck.
Kirk

the last service at the dealer, Pretty much the same as you outlined, but I think I may have to start doing the services myself on the guzzi club service days just to be sure, just that this time we need to let the dealer handle it for warranty issues and see how it pans out

 

[Azguzzi]

Just went to have the 10,000 k service done on the cali and the mechanic stopped when he saw this
(see pics) the air filter box full of oil, not a little bit.... I mean a lot of oil
The importer of Moto guzzi in Australia, haven't heard of anything like this on a Cali only on a couple of Griso's
Anybody have similar issues with there cali's
(the pic of the rag is what fell out of the airbox when it was opened)

View attachment 9344 View attachment 9345 View attachment 9346

My bike has about 7,500 miles on it. After the last ride I was cleaning it and found oil drips on the left side pipe. It was dripping off the intake runner cover. Pulled that off and found the intake runner covered in oil and grime. Took it to our new dealer. Old guy cashed it in after 40 yrs. They can’t say for sure but suspect it came from the air box. Thought the old dealer may have oiled the filter to much. I bought this bike new. It has a a paper filter . No oil required. Old deal was a master mechanic.

I checked the air box drain under the bike. It’s covered in oil and dirt but the tube is not full. Plug is still installed. No sign the new dealer touched it.

I guess I need to open up the air box and have a look for myself.

 

[Curt Russell]

I had Todd do my last oil change when he did the fueling mods. Remembering he told me never to put more than 3 liters in it when doing oil changes. Since it’s against my nature to run a bike low on oil I questioned him on this and he told me that the 1400 tends to soak the filter and air box with oil if you put in more than 3liters. Since the manual says otherwise, I’m sure there is a bunch of bikes out there oozing from the air box.

 

[kiwi dave]

Concur with Todd 100% on this.