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Issues with my Stelvio

stelvio1962

Tuned and Synch'ed
Joined
Oct 14, 2018
Messages
33
Location
South Surrey, BC
I am new on the site and I really need a bit of help, I am From France leaving in Canada, and always had a dream to own a guzzi ( I had before japanese and german bike) I bought a stelvio ntx new last august (2017, 2016 model. the bike has 13 000 k and I had a lots of issues...shaft drive leak, rpm sensor leak, auxiliary light died very quickly, huge vibration in the hand guard and now with the timing chain tensioner, started to make a noise on the right side. Dealer says we have to change it...bike is back at the dealer...not sure what i have to think about it !!! it is important for me to have a very reliable bike....
It will be very nice if you have any comments about it, thank you so very much for your help...
 
The RPM sensor leak is not uncommon but easily fixed. Not sure what the cause of the drive shaft leak is, but you are under warranty. Auxiliary light failure is also well documented here as is the fix. The chain tensioner is not common but it appears your dealer is taking care of you. Once these issues are corrected you shouldn't have any more. Guzzis tend to be very reliable. There may be odd issues early on, but once corrected shouldn't re-appear.
 
Thanks so much for your comments John, very helpful...
Anyone could give me a bit of information about the chain tensioner issue ?? what will be the reason of the failure ? bad part ?
Thanks again
 
Thanks so much for your comments John, very helpful...
Anyone could give me a bit of information about the chain tensioner issue ?? what will be the reason of the failure ? bad part ?
Thanks again

Probably a bad part. That happens some times.
 
Thanks Brian but I was not asking about the warranty ! I was asking if anybody has any information about the tensioner failure ??
Is there any relation with oil pressure ? or perhaps any " dirt " in the oil that could be a problem for the tensioner or just a bad part ?
Guzzi friends again thanks for your help.
 
Thanks Brian but I was not asking about the warranty ! I was asking if anybody has any information about the tensioner failure ??
Is there any relation with oil pressure ? or perhaps any " dirt " in the oil that could be a problem for the tensioner or just a bad part ?
Guzzi friends again thanks for your help.

No way to know until it is removed and inspected. Yours is the first one I've heard of failing.
 
John and Guzzi friends...perhaps you were perfectly right !!! the dealer change the chain tensioner (kept the bike for 1 week) ...same noise, nothing change ...again only when the bike is very hot, (perhaps it was NOT the tensioner) !!! took the bike this morning to go to work, the temperature was 2 degrees Celsius no noise...back home now the temperature is now 15 degrees Celsius and the noise is back big time!!! any idea what we should look at ???? please help....
will be back to the dealer tomorrow....
 
Hard to say without actually hearing the sound. Early 8 valves had an issue with rocker clearance, but a 2016 shouldn't. If the shop has a mechanics stethoscope they may be able to hear exactly where the sound is coming from. Engine sounds are difficult to isolate sometimes.
 
Guys thanks again for all your help...for info dealer change the chain tensioner, noise a bit better but still there in low rpm ....the noise is gone after 2500/3000 rpm..bike is back to the dealer, now the dealer don't know what to do !!! they told me that they will call Guzzi...
My question for you : if the noise is gone after 2500 rpm, do you think it could be an oil pressure problem ? do you think that if there is a oil pressure problem it could be an issue for the chain tesioner (tensioner to vibrate or make noise ) thank guys
 
Guys thanks again for all your help...for info dealer change the chain tensioner, noise a bit better but still there in low rpm ....the noise is gone after 2500/3000 rpm..bike is back to the dealer, now the dealer don't know what to do !!! they told me that they will call Guzzi...
My question for you : if the noise is gone after 2500 rpm, do you think it could be an oil pressure problem ? do you think that if there is a oil pressure problem it could be an issue for the chain tesioner (tensioner to vibrate or make noise ) thank guys


Can't say for sure. I know BMW tensioners are pressurized by oil, but I don't know about the Guzzi ones. When I did a roller conversion, the tensioners acted like they were spring loaded as they would push back out if not pinned but I can't be sure. Your dealer can tell you if they are oil operated or spring loaded. Later BMW tensioners have a check valve to prevent oil draining out. I would think Guzzi would use a check valve if tension is applied by oil pressure.
 
OK now oil activated. From BMW experience, the left side on R1100 and R1150 engines would rattle on start up until the chain tensioner pressurized. Never caused a running problem. These tensioners did not use check valves. The left side would drain down, but the right wouldn't because of its position in the cylinder. The fix was to install a R120 tensioner on the left side. R1200 tensioners had check valves.

My guess in your case is the replacement tensioner also has a defective check valve, just not a bad as the one it replaced. Also it wouldn't hurt for the dealer to put a pressure gauge where the oil pressure sending unit is to verify the engine is producing pressure to specification.
 
Thanks again John, the bike is bike at the dealer...again..but this time Moto Guzzi in involve, I contacted the head office in California to help the dealer to go to the bottom of the problem, and you are right oil pressure could be the issue....will let you know, thanks again for all your help....
 
Bike is back and one more time they change the right chain tensioner ! feel like a bandage solution...that is now 2 tensioners in 1 month...why they do not try to understand...the reason why !!! Guzzi head office says that is OK for now.. the bike run good for now, hopefully it will stay that way...thanks guys (still thinking about a oil pressure problem)
 
Hi guys, the bike run very well but new stuff happened since the bike is back from the dealer..
When i start the bike, motor cold, there is a big "bang" for 1 or 2 seconds ...that is what you call backfire ?? any idea PLEASE, thanks so much.
 
Define "Bang"...as in it is backfiring out the exhaust. If so, I would suspect that they may have skipped a tooth on the cam chain somehow when they were changing the tensioner and now your timing is off. Not sure how they would have done that unless they were also changing the guides as the tensioner is nothing but a cylinder...unless they rotated the engine when they pulled the old one out. Did they just change the tensioner or the actual cam chain guides and the tensioner. I have never heard of a tensioner failing or a chain guid for that matter on a newer Stelvio.

If you mean a chain rattle for the first 2 seconds on startup, that is normal. It is the tensioner building up pressure. More pronounced with the roller bikes for some reason.

What was the original issue. Constant noise, or just at startup?

Where in Canada are you located.
 
Thank you so much for your answer, the problem started with a tapping noise when the motor hot under 2000 rpm on the right side...going up on the rpm the noise was gone, the dealer had no idea and they change the tensioner , few days later same noise was back, they decided to change again the tensioner ( I am not a tech, but ride motorcycle for many years and never heard about tensioner problem like that) have the bike back for 5 days ( use the bike to go to work, 100 k per day) seems that the noise is gone for now, but I have that big "bang" when starting the bike (only when the bike is cold) seems that is coming from the exhaust..(never had the issue before ( 1 year / 14000 K ) also the clutch is a bit more noisy than before but I guess dry clutch it is normal, and I have also a little leak on the rpm sensor (waiting for the new gasket ), I had an amazing tech in Cillawack BC before but unfortunately they closed the store, and where I am going now with all my respect I am not sure if they really know what they are doing, they have great difficulty to answer my questions.. I am in White Rock (near Vancouver) BC, again thanks for your help.
 
Are you sure the tapping was not coming from the gearbox. Does the tapping go away when you pull the clutch in?? If it is the gearbox, that is normal. It is just the constant meshed gears rattling around. If the tapping comes back again check to make sure it is actually coming fro the engine. A screwdriver pressed up again the engine with your ear on the handle will tell you where the sound is internally.

If it was the tensioner you would expect it to be the same up the entire RPM band unless the cylinder the plunger sits in is out of spec. The right side tensioner is nothing but a plunger that pushes out under oil pressure. If the cylinder is out of spec then it could bypass oil. Let's hope that is not the case and they fixed the problem, but I am a little suspect.

The backfire in the exhaust is not normal at all. That is a sign of a timing issue. If you could record the sound in a video may be a little easier to figure out what it is but that is still something that should be discussed with the dealer and Guzzi since it is under warranty. The phase sensor (RPM sensor) leak is normal. Usually just tightening the two bolts cures the issue. If that does not, a new o-ring will help but will happen again. A little bit of RTV on the oring and re-install the sensor cures the problem. Just make sure the shims that are there are put back in.
 
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