Question about oil

**jelvis** · #1 14 Sep 2005

Hi, my bike uses a lot of oil (1 l / 1500 km) after a revision done at 48000 km. I'm searching for the exact problem of my bike.

Situation: last week after a good ride of 200 km, I came home, checked the oil and filled the oil to the max level. This morning, after I drove 6 km to the store and back, I couldn't spot any oil on the stick, so I filled it up to the maxlevel. This afternoon, I drove 300 km, came back home and the oil was 5 cm above the maxlevel.

Is it possible my oilpump broke down?
Other tips? Possibilities?
Thanks!!!

**Forschmiedt** · #2 14 Sep 2005

Make sure you always check the oil the same way - run the bike and shut it off standing straight up, check the oil with it straight up, not on the sidestand.

I have found that the oil will show low if the bike is shut off while on the sidestand then checked. If the engine is run on the sidestand, more oil will stay in the sump.

What revisions were done?

**Grant Johnson** · #3 14 Sep 2005

What model of bike???

**jelvis** · #4 14 Sep 2005

I do check the oil on the right way, that's not the problem ufortunately.
It's a yama xt600e 1999

**FredXTZ** · #5 15 Sep 2005

XT600e's should not use oil. Although I wished my 660 only used 1 l. every 1500 km.
Are you sure that you let the bike idle for at least 2 minutes before checking oil level?
And officially you should dride more than 10 km. before checking. Not 6 km.

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Fred, XTZ660, Holland.

**jelvis** · #6 15 Sep 2005

I do check the oil the right way. Is it possible that the 4km (10 km - 6 km) make that big difference?

**FredXTZ** · #7 15 Sep 2005

There is only one way to find out.
Ride for at least 15 km.
Idle for at least 2 minutes.

Another thing : never check level or add oil when cold. If you put too much oil in, it will disappear and it will appear that the engine consumes oil.

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Fred, XTZ660, Holland.

**jelvis** · #8 15 Sep 2005

what does 'idle' means? (in nederlands mag ook)

**FredXTZ** · #9 16 Sep 2005

idle means no throttle, about 1200 rpm.
In Dutch : stationair draaien.

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Fred, XTZ660, Holland.

**DAVSATO** · #10 16 Sep 2005

my 1997 xt600e doesnt lose a drop of oil EVER.

are you checking the level under the same conditions each time? i do mine after a good run, wait 10mins for everything to settle down a bit then check the level with the bike upright (although upright or on the sidestand doesnt seem to make much difference, there is a huge difference between cold and warm oil levels!)

**jelvis** · #11 16 Sep 2005

In july I made a big trip in 5 days riding 1500 km, after I got back home, I checked the oil and had to fill the bike up with 1 liter of oil.

Presuming that I did not always checked the oil the right way, there is no possibility that there's a difference of 1 liter oil between warm and cold oil.

Or am I wrong?

**FredXTZ** · #12 17 Sep 2005

Wrong. Sometimes [not always] you will not detect any oil. There's only one correct way to check oil level. See my post of 14th September.

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Fred, XTZ660, Holland.

**Gullman** · #13 18 Sep 2005

Just to confirm what the others are saying - I check the oil when I get back from a run.
A short warmup just gives you a misleading level.
I had a couple of frights when I first got my XT600e a few years ago until I started checking the level after I had been out on the bike. 4-5 km is not far enough to get a reliable oil level in my experience.

Cheers