oil consumption ?

[buster001]

Hello All,
My question is this, 2014 Stelvio NTX 2100 miles and the bike has used two quarts of oil (Motul 10 w 60 ) is this normal on a new engine? First service done @ 890 miles. New to Guzzi.
Thank you in advance.
David.

 

[pyoungbl]

Using oil is NOT normal. My Stelvio NTX has never used oil between changes, now at about 16.5K miles. There is something wrong here if you are going through oil. The normal suspect is that the crankcase is over filled and the engine is then blowing the excess into the airbox...and later into the engine. Correct oil fill is about 1/2 way between full and add. Check with the dip stick just making contact with the block...not with the dip stick inserted all the way into the block. Now, if you are doing the above correctly and still needing to add oil you really need to have a talk with your dealer.

Peter Y.

 

[ghezzi]

Did you check your oil level after the first service or just assume it was done correctly?
Top it up and keep an eye on it.
Are you "dipping" the 'dip stick' or "screwing it in" to check the level.

Don't ride like a pussy or you will glaze the bores.
It can take up to 30k to fully bed in and before minor oil consumption will diminish.

on the other hand, if you have been riding real hard, it could have pumped up into the air box. This will also happen if you over fill the sump. Find the air box drain hose, it will exit behind/below your foot peg and is easily discernible by the fact that it will have a small plastic plug in it.
First timers, get a drain dish before removing the plug. DON'T PANIC!

I remove this plug after every hard ride.......................................................... just to see. Usually a few drips.

Finally, first ride after each oil change it may discharge a larger amount as Guzzi's are notorious for finding their own natural oil levels. Mine is about 10mm below the full mark.

 

[AlanNZ]

Using oil is NOT normal. My Stelvio NTX has never used oil between changes, now at about 16.5K miles. There is something wrong here if you are going through oil. The normal suspect is that the crankcase is over filled and the engine is then blowing the excess into the airbox...and later into the engine. Correct oil fill is about 1/2 way between full and add. Check with the dip stick just making contact with the block...not with the dip stick inserted all the way into the block. Now, if you are doing the above correctly and still needing to add oil you really need to have a talk with your dealer.

Peter Y.

Manual doesn't say not to insert dipstick fully Peter. I've been filling to near the top mark (per manual) but inserting fully - which could equate to the same level as half-way on the stick and not inserting fully?
Mine has not been using any oil at 11,000km now.
Alan NZ

 

[buster001]

Did you check your oil level after the first service or just assume it was done correctly?
Top it up and keep an eye on it.
Are you "dipping" the 'dip stick' or "screwing it in" to check the level.

Don't ride like a pussy or you will glaze the bores.
It can take up to 30k to fully bed in and before minor oil consumption will diminish.

on the other hand, if you have been riding real hard, it could have pumped up into the air box. This will also happen if you over fill the sump. Find the air box drain hose, it will exit behind/below your foot peg and is easily discernible by the fact that it will have a small plastic plug in it.
First timers, get a drain dish before removing the plug. DON'T PANIC!

I remove this plug after every hard ride.......................................................... just to see. Usually a few drips.

Finally, first ride after each oil change it may discharge a larger amount as Guzzi's are notorious for finding their own natural oil levels. Mine is about 10mm below the full mark.

I check the oil before each ride. I ride in the higher rpm's a lot of the time. I cruse 4500 to 5000 rpm.
I looked in the air box and it was bone dry, the drain tubes were also dry. The bike does not smoke, where is the oil going?
Any ideas.
Thank's
David

 

[pyoungbl]

Manual doesn't say not to insert dipstick fully Peter. I've been filling to near the top mark (per manual) but inserting fully - which could equate to the same level as half-way on the stick and not inserting fully?
Mine has not been using any oil at 11,000km now.
Alan NZ

Alan, it's not really clear unless you look at page 155 where it says "THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL CHECK MUST BE PERFORMED WITH THE ENGINE WARM AND THE DIPSTICK NOT SCREWED IN". This is easy to miss due to the fact that the owners manual is so thick and uses such small type. Man, I wish they would make something with larger type and that did not try to cover all markets at once!

Not trying to be a smart ass here.

Peter Y.

 

[canuck1969]

Manual doesn't say not to insert dipstick fully Peter. I've been filling to near the top mark (per manual) but inserting fully - which could equate to the same level as half-way on the stick and not inserting fully?
Mine has not been using any oil at 11,000km now.
Alan NZ

Alan, it's not really clear unless you look at page 155 where it says "THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL CHECK MUST BE PERFORMED WITH THE ENGINE WARM AND THE DIPSTICK NOT SCREWED IN". This is easy to miss due to the fact that the owners manual is so thick and uses such small type. Man, I wish they would make something with larger type and that did not try to cover all markets at once!

Not trying to be a smart ass here.

Peter Y.

Well holy crap batman....that's the first post I have seen that settle the argument.......never saw that in the manual. Good thing I was always keeping it at the full mark with the stick all the way in........

 

[buster001]

Manual doesn't say not to insert dipstick fully Peter. I've been filling to near the top mark (per manual) but inserting fully - which could equate to the same level as half-way on the stick and not inserting fully?
Mine has not been using any oil at 11,000km now.
Alan NZ

Alan, it's not really clear unless you look at page 155 where it says "THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL CHECK MUST BE PERFORMED WITH THE ENGINE WARM AND THE DIPSTICK NOT SCREWED IN". This is easy to miss due to the fact that the owners manual is so thick and uses such small type. Man, I wish they would make something with larger type and that did not try to cover all markets at once!

Not trying to be a smart ass here.

Peter Y.

I read that but it doesn't apply to my 2014 does it? My dip stick does not screw in.
The manual says ride 10 hwy miles then check the oil. How long should I wait?
Thank's'
David.

 

[canuck1969]

Screwed in, pushed in, same difference when it comes to the guzzi. Need to read between the lines. You should see the service manual :unsure:

For your purpose if the level is going down with whichever method u are using u have a problem. To be loosing 2qts there must be a leak somewhere. Look over the entire bike. Either way it should not be burning oil. Mine has not burned a drop on 28000kms.

 

[buster001]

Update,
Took bike to dealer and was told the newer stelvios will use oil at first but oil consumption should taper off around 6000 miles.? Basically just ride it, everything is fine.
I have always been told you can't break-in an engine with fully syn motor oil. Is this still true? Are moto guzzi engines broken in at the factory? Should I put 20w50 dino oil in for one or two thousand miles to seat the rings???
Need some in put please.
Thank You,
David.

 

[john zibell]

You can break the engine in with synthetic oil. Key features, don't over fill. Next don't baby the engine. Put some loads on it, vary rpms. Pull some long hills, ride the snot out of it. If after that you are still burning/loosing oil, have a leak down test performed. There has to be reason for the oil consumption. BTW, which dealer are you going to?

 

[buster001]

John,
Thank you for your reply, I will do as you suggest. Does this mean keep in the high rpm's?
Thank's again.
David.
P.S. My dealer is Riders Hill in Dahlonega, Ga.

 

[john zibell]

John,
Thank you for your reply, I will do as you suggest. Does this mean keep in the high rpm's?
Thank's again.
David.
P.S. My dealer is Riders Hill in Dahlonega, Ga.

It means vary the rpms. Pull loads with high combustion pressure, don't lug, but make the engine work. If after 500 or so miles of this oil loss continues, do the leak down test.

 

[buster001]

John,
Thank you for your reply, I will do as you suggest. Does this mean keep in the high rpm's?
Thank's again.
David.
P.S. My dealer is Riders Hill in Dahlonega, Ga.

It means vary the rpms. Pull loads with high combustion pressure, don't lug, but make the engine work. If after 500 or so miles of this oil loss continues, do the leak down test.

Thank's John,
I put 150 ride it like you stole it hard miles on today in the mountains. :evil:
David.

 

[bikegeezer]

Manual doesn't say not to insert dipstick fully Peter. I've been filling to near the top mark (per manual) but inserting fully - which could equate to the same level as half-way on the stick and not inserting fully?
Mine has not been using any oil at 11,000km now.
Alan NZ

Alan, it's not really clear unless you look at page 155 where it says "THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL CHECK MUST BE PERFORMED WITH THE ENGINE WARM AND THE DIPSTICK NOT SCREWED IN". This is easy to miss due to the fact that the owners manual is so thick and uses such small type. Man, I wish they would make something with larger type and that did not try to cover all markets at once!

Not trying to be a smart ass here.

Peter Y.

I read that but it doesn't apply to my 2014 does it? My dip stick does not screw in.
The manual says ride 10 hwy miles then check the oil. How long should I wait?
Thank's'
David.

Correct. It doesn't apply to any push-in dipstick. If you remove the plastic dipstick adapter (which makes filling oil a lot easier), you'll see the threads for the screw-in type dipstick. And with those, you just lower the stick till its cap touches the threads. With the push-in stick, you push in till it's seated...just like the dipstick on your car. The service manual is one of the worst cut & paste jobs I've seen, with a lot of things carried forward from previous manuals, and half the text in Italian.

Stu O

 

[johnno]

I had an exdemo griso that drank oil ,I then rode it quite hard and gave it revs this helped to reduce the amount of oil used .
I also did a leak down test which was fine .
In the end I did 33 500 miles on the bike ,this problem tends to happen when bike is run in to slow and careful ,hope this helps

 

[buster001]

I had an exdemo griso that drank oil ,I then rode it quite hard and gave it revs this helped to reduce the amount of oil used .
I also did a leak down test which was fine .
In the end I did 33 500 miles on the bike ,this problem tends to happen when bike is run in to slow and careful ,hope this helps

Johnno,
Does that mean I am stuck with an oil burner? At this point its using a liter every 500 miles.
Thank's.
David

 

[john zibell]

A liter every 500 miles is excessive. There is a serious problem. Have you had a leak down test performed?

 

[buster001]

A liter every 500 miles is excessive. There is a serious problem. Have you had a leak down test performed?

I did ask about a leak down test they said they would do it if I could leave it , but it may be a while before they would have the time to do it. They are way behind and covered up with work :!:
David.

 

[johnno]

a litre every 500 miles was what my griso was doing and even the dealer did not believe me until he did the checks and leak down test.himself.
If you've done over 1200 miles I would say that your not going to improve much if any at all .
I ended up with 1000 miles per litre which I could live with .
My bike never shown any signs of burning oil or blowning any out ,it just simply used it .
Hope this helps but you must get a leak down test done just in case there is something else wrong with yours also I had friends follow me to check that I had no clouds of smoke coming from bike at any stage like riding slow,fast,quick pick up of revs etc,etc