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Help!! "service" + oil lamp light

N

Ninja

Tuned and Synch'ed
Joined
Jun 7, 2010
Messages
62
Location
Royston, Herts
Bought my Griso1100 a week or so ago and all been hunky dory until today. Out for a trundle and stopped for a coffee and a smoke. Went back to bike a turned on to finf "SERVICE" on the LCD and the oil can warning light... I assumed it was warning of needing a service :oops: after all, only just bought from reputable dealer who specifically said they'd check levels etc.

Anyway, plodded home and checked manual. :eek: Looks like it was oil warning after all :? Checked dipstick (bike upright and dipstick not screwed in) and no oil. Yikes. Screwed it in and there was 1/4" on the dipstick.

Rand dealer, who were quite suprised and said it could have been missed. Fairy muff. I drove in and they gave me 2l of fully synch 10/60.

Went and topped bike up - 1/2 way between min and max and turned bike on - no warning! Fantastic! Went for a trundle, stopped at pub for quick Coke and a smoke. Turned igntn on only to find oilcan and "SERVICE" again!

Dipstick showed oil just above 'min'. Warning disappeared after switching off and on.

So - any ideas whats going on?

No sign of oil leak. Bit oily round outside of wot I assume is airbox, but not like 2l stuck around it.

Should I just top up a tad more and keep an eye on it? Does the warning light come on at around min level?
 
My Bellagio played funny buggers with the oil light from 10,000 k's or so.

Basically doing what you described, oil + service lights both on sometimes, switch on switch off and warnings would go away. Is a worry 'cos you don't really know if she's got a problem or not (and one always wonders that it could be a MAJOR problem) My problem was solved by fitting a new oil switch (not very expensive). Too easy.

You can confirm by removing the wire to the switch and alternately grounding/open circuit with the wire.

You could also try draining the oil into a clean container and measuring the volume to confirm that what you see on a da stick is a whats in a da sump.
 
Thanks - sounds like you're right - been scouring the manuals and found this text box:

"If the engine oil pressure LED “ ” and the icon “ SERVICE” come on during engine normal operation, it means that the engine oil pressure sensor is faulty. In this case, check the engine oil level, see page 56 (CHECKING AND TOPPING UP ENGINE OIL LEVEL); if the level is not correct, contact a Moto Guzzi Authorised Dealer."

It could just be a poor electrical contact maybe. But I can't find where to find the sensor - could someone point me in the right direction, please?

Thanks
 
Should be front left of the block, just in front of the left cylinder as I recall. It is not measuring oil level but oil pressure out of the oil pump.
 
Ninja

Because your bike was delivered to you with such a lot of oil "missing", if it was me I'd return the bike and demand a refund. Needing 2 litres of oil is bad. Why was the level so low in the first place? If I found a bike's oil level so low when looking to buy it, I'd walk away.

You don't say if the bike was new or used, but either way it wouldn't be a bike I'd want.
 
Thanks for the info, GuzziMoto.

Graham - Cripes, worried now (but thanks all the same!). The bike is an '05 1100 with 16,000miles. I bought it a couple of weeks ago. One owner before me, full service history from the reputable dealer it was bought from.

When I talked to the dealership I bought it from, they said that checking oil level was the most important check they'd do, but did accept maybe they didnt check it.

So - firstly oil level. With bike level (brick under side stand and the missus holding it on it's 'balance' point) and dipstick NOT screwed in - no oil. Screw dip stick in and ~1/4" showing on dipstick. The dealer gave me 2l of AGIP 10/50W fully synth and it took about 3 quarters of a litre.

But, the coincidence is, the warnings displayed show there's a pressure sensor fault - it wasn't warning about the oil level.

So, my naive conclusion is that while oil level was low, was probably ok, but I'm gonna need a new pressure sensor.

Would my conclusion be safe, or should I be more worried? Advice and opinions welcome!
 
Hello

I can't explain the missing oil, except there is a drain for the air box, on the starboard side of the bike, just near the back end of the transmission. It is capped. I would pull the cap and see how much oil drains out.

Then;

I have seen a situation on both my Griso and Norge where: If you press the started before the light show and needle swing is complete, you get an oil lamp and service wrench indicator. Turn the bike off, turn on again and wait for the light show to complete and the indications go away. The only think I can think of is that the computer did <<NOT>> complete the check of the sensors before the bike started and therefore got a "false positive" from the oil sensor.

(sorry just re-read and see that I left out a very important word... )

Just my experiences.
 
ive just written you a reply but its gone into thin air.
First you need to read up on code number for menu then you can go to fault display and be sure if its oil pressure switch .The code is on this site with a list of fault numbers.( you done already)
I found in the first few months its easier to check engine oil level when cold with dipstick unscrewed .
I have had the oil sensor switch go many times and only change when service dued because i find it a pain getting tank off but thats my personal choice .
Its all a worry the first few mths untill you read up on all the information at hand then guzzi ownership is a joy.
Wish i could explain in detail but i can hardly read and write .All the best
Your dealer is tops but this time hes let you down ,get him to check oil level with you watching and with this engine only use 10/60
 
Hi, Thanks for your input Sam and Johnno, very much appreciated.

I'll check out the codes and also the airbox/drain for oil in there. The warning didn't come on today, so fingers crossed it'll stay that way! Sounds like it is the sensor playing up - I'll keep a close eye on the oil level and mention it to the dealer when I go for a service (or sooner depending on what happens!). And yes, they are a good bunch at the dealership, they've gone above and beyond with this deal (ignoring the oil level!).
 
Ninja

Sorry to press this point but you've bought a bike which has been running with 2 litres of its life blood missing for maybe quite a while. The dealer sounds like a galoot and so does the previous owner for allowing the oil level to drop to that extent. My strong advice is to return the bike and demand a refund while the issue is hot. Actually the dealer failing to notice the missing oil is a strong point in your favour now.

All the issues relating to warnings and possibly faulty sensors etc. are red herrings compared to the real issue - a bike which has been running with 2 litres of oil missing.

Remembering bikes without oil, here's one I've experienced. In about 1975 I took a friend to collect his brand new Honda CB500/4. Before starting the engine we checked the oil level. Nothing showing! He rejected that bike and took another one. The dealer had failed to add the oil when doing the pre-delivery check and we couldn't be sure if the engine had been started like that.

And another oil tale. I once was keen to buy a used Lancia car. During the test drive the oil light came on during maximum braking so I stopped to find nothing showing on the dipstick. The dealer sent a rescue vehicle to return the car to his yard. Naturally I walked away from that one.

When checking any prospective vehicle, checking the oil should be top of the list. It isn't conclusive if the oil level and cleanliness are fine, but it is if they're not.
 
Hi Graham,

Thanks for taking the time to reply - I appreciate it and if I need to return the bike, then I'm glad I know about it!

It wasn't short of two litres of oil though - it took roughly 3/4l to fill it to 1/2way up the dipstick. Before adding oil, there was NONE shown on the dipstick with the dipstick not screwed in and about 1/4" or so showing with the dipstick screwed fully in.

Is this a big reason to be worried?

My dealer gave me 2l and said there'd be some over, so I still have an empty bottle left + a bit.
 
Ninja

3/4 litre missing is a lot better than 2 litres! But it still shows an ignorant or careless previous owner, not to mention a less than impressive dealer. Surely a competent dealer wouldn't buy-in a bike with a low oil level.

Now I'm no expert on Grisos, but I understand they have the same engine as a Breva where the oil level is checked with the bike upright - not too easy on a Griso - and with the dipstick just pushed in. If the level is checked with the bike on the sidestand plus the stick screwed in a very erronious reading will be obtained. The level may seem OK but really will be far too low. How long has the bike been run with a low oil level anyway? You'll never know.

When I ran my Breva without a centrestand I marked to dipstick to enable checking on the sidestand too. I did a post about that.

These engines and associated electronics can do strange things when the oil isn't managed properly. Rather than try to sort things out yourself I recommend seeking a return/refund, or failing that, demand the dealer sort things out for you.
 
Wow, I would not be nearly as worried as that over 3/4 of a qt.
The level of the oil is important, but bad things don't usually start happening unless the oil pressure drops (when the light comes on). In my experience you can run a bike a little low on oil forever, as long as the oil is relatively fresh and the level is high enough that the pressure does not drop.
I am not saying that low oil levels are a good thing, just that if I were the OP I would be more worried about WHY the oil level was low then that it was low. Is the bike burning oil? Leaking?
In the end it is not my money at stake, so everyone has to decide for themselves. I would not be demanding my money back just yet. I would be looking into what is wrong (if anything is indeed wrong). Maybe get the shop to do a little troubleshooting on their dime, compression test, etc., to confirm the health of the motor.
 
years back my griso used alot of oil in the early days and from what i remember bottom mark on dipstick to top mark was just short of a ltr,i wouldnt worry but i would keep an eye on level and make sure no smokin .
Your dealer is normally very good and easy to talk too.They helped me when my griso was drinking a ltr every 600 miles,now that was a worry.Pleased to report 26 000 miles later still runnin brill and just top up every now and then.
 
Thanks Guys,

I checked the oil level again this afternoon and was where it was last time, so thats good!

I'll probably never know why the level was low, but maybe the previous owner checked the level with the dipstick screwed in or something. I think the motor feels good (difficult to tell after turbine smooth 180bhp zx10r!), but will keep the dealer informed - i need to go see them in the next few days anyway.

The oil lmap and "service" warning on the lcd came on again today. I've re-read the manual and sure it's a warning of the sensor failing. I think it only does it when it's hot, so thats sort of consistant.

All a bit of a worry though!
 
I wouldn't mind betting that the oil level had previously been set bu screwing in the dipstick, the way it used to be done on all Guzzis. This would give a level about 15mm lower than it should be.
 
Yeah, I agree Brian, so I'm going to just let it lie I think. I'm pretty sure the oil pressure sensor is acting up when it's hot too, so I'll get that sorted at some point, but I'll keep an eye on the level to be safe!
 
Ninja said:
Yeah, I agree Brian, so I'm going to just let it lie I think. I'm pretty sure the oil pressure sensor is acting up when it's hot too, so I'll get that sorted at some point, but I'll keep an eye on the level to be safe!
Click to expand...
sometimes its just the connector on oil sensor the connector on some are quite loose
Your worrying just like most of us did after jap bikes ,a few mths down the line youll be enjoying to the full
 
I was just about to post a similar problem, but then I saw this thread. What a great forum, everything you need to know. Now I'll head back out to the garage and try on/off a couple of times, check the oil level (again) (recently changed it with AGIP 10w60 and UFI filter @ 4200 miles).
 
OK, problem gone -- did a rapid key on/off-on/off, and then the service and oil lamp lights did not light up.

I feel better now :cool:
 
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