Have I ruined my engine?

[Rushy]

Thanks to everyone that responded, I'm very grateful.
In hindsight, it wasn't 10 mins it was more like 2 or 3.
However, even if it was as long as 10 mins, I can't see how that gets the dealer off the hook.
Many thanks
Gaz

It doesn't , its just a bit of helpful advice for the future

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

don't 1200's have oil pressure warnings? If so had it come on? If it hadn't then everything is fine. I imagine if it had lost oil pressure it would have sounded very rattly with the cam chain tensioners going slack.

 

[JPR]

DIPSTIK

I think the lesson to be learned from this story is, don't put carpet under your bike,cause youll never spot an oil leak.
Don't run an air /oil cooled bike for 10 mins,oh sorry, was it two, on the stand.
Don't come whinging on here cause you haven't got a clue.
Lets just blame the mechanic,OK ?

 

[NorthernBoy]

Lets just blame the mechanic,OK ?

I think that we are all agreed on that, yes. Not really any question that the mechanic is on the hook for this one.

 

[Kremmen]

I think the lesson to be learned from this story is, don't put carpet under your bike,cause youll never spot an oil leak.
Don't run an air /oil cooled bike for 10 mins,oh sorry, was it two, on the stand.
Don't come whinging on here cause you haven't got a clue.
Lets just blame the mechanic,OK ?

That's Fcuked it you mean i need to replace the Axminster in the lounge for lino

 

[JPR]

Youve got Axminster in the lounge ? Posh git.
Bet them folks in Low Halstow aint.

 

[Kaybe]

Who is this BMW Dealer?

 

[Myke Rocks]

Servicing a bike

Reminds me of when I was a very immature, spotty teenager. (A very long time ago)
I met an aquaintance in Belfast, who told me of his motorycle collection in the lower Falls area of Belfast. He took me to see the collection of sundry motorcyles, which were housed in the front room of his 2 up 2 down slum.
He and the lovely Maureen lived in the rear room.
I noticed a floorboard up in the middle of the room, and a bike sitting astride the opening.
I enquired why the floorboard was up.
The reply was: "That's where I change may oil!"
Myke

 

[Myke Rocks]

On a more serious note, though:

Read the prophets of doom in previous posts.
Your sump holds circa 4.5 litres of oil.
Have you ever poured 4.5 litres of oil onto the floor?
the mess is incredible. Your description suggests it is unlikely more than a litre ran out, or you would have noticed the total mess.
Since the engine will happily run with as little as half a litre of oil in it, and you stopped it without hearing any rude noises or seeing an oil light, why should it be damaged in any form?
Just tighten the filter, top it up and ride away.
Some of the doom mongers are also imagining the bike can suffer damage from ticking over from cold for 10 minutes.
Can't think why.

The engine has a large collection of fins to shed heat. At a tickover these are more than adequate to shed the heat generated by the minute quantites of fuel being injected to keep the engine running.

I was a judge of fact at a rally last weekend, and conditions were very foggy - & cold. I was on bike, with a front lighting load of 231 watts, which I kept on, facing oncoming traffic, whilst sitting at side of road for over 35 mins at a time, with engine running. (Arrived with hot engine.) After this time, temperature had just risen above mid point.

After 45 mins, at 3/4. Rode 200 metres. Temperature back down again.

So: Prophets of doom, Is my engine wrecked too?

Can't think why. Just parked bike up for winter. Will go out at end of February, switch on, hit starter button & go for a long ride, without checking oil level, which I haven't looked at for the last 2 months. Might kick tyres, but if bike is not all over the road, should be ok.

O Ye who are obsessive, relax a little & ride the damn things. Quit worrying & enjoy yourselves.
Myke

 

[GSmonkey]

It is a good point above re. volume of oil. I spilt about a litre of oil on my garage floor a couple of years ago. The mess was incredible! Two minutes isn't going to be enough to warm the engine and oil above design temperature. If you did have a very small volume of oil that heated up too much, you'd see a drop of pressure at the pump and the oil light would be on.

I had a similar thing on a Honda, albeit a sump plug seal. He fixed it, then wanted the price of the labour, seal and oil to fix. Told him to feck right off - never went back there again. I'd think you'd get a better level of support from your dealer.

But I wouldn't worry about your engine.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

"........It had clearly been dripping down from around the oil filter" THAT was the problem and surely it should be brought to the attantion of the dealer. Let him determine how much oil you lost and what was incorrectly tightened - filter? drain plug? etc

 

[HondaMan]

Read the prophets of doom in previous posts.
Your sump holds circa 4.5 litres of oil.
Have you ever poured 4.5 litres of oil onto the floor?
the mess is incredible. Your description suggests it is unlikely more than a litre ran out, or you would have noticed the total mess.
Since the engine will happily run with as little as half a litre of oil in it, and you stopped it without hearing any rude noises or seeing an oil light, why should it be damaged in any form?
Just tighten the filter, top it up and ride away.
Some of the doom mongers are also imagining the bike can suffer damage from ticking over from cold for 10 minutes.
Can't think why.

The engine has a large collection of fins to shed heat. At a tickover these are more than adequate to shed the heat generated by the minute quantites of fuel being injected to keep the engine running.

I was a judge of fact at a rally last weekend, and conditions were very foggy - & cold. I was on bike, with a front lighting load of 231 watts, which I kept on, facing oncoming traffic, whilst sitting at side of road for over 35 mins at a time, with engine running. (Arrived with hot engine.) After this time, temperature had just risen above mid point.

After 45 mins, at 3/4. Rode 200 metres. Temperature back down again.

So: Prophets of doom, Is my engine wrecked too?

Can't think why. Just parked bike up for winter. Will go out at end of February, switch on, hit starter button & go for a long ride, without checking oil level, which I haven't looked at for the last 2 months. Might kick tyres, but if bike is not all over the road, should be ok.

O Ye who are obsessive, relax a little & ride the damn things. Quit worrying & enjoy yourselves.
Myke

Well said

If it were me, I would certainly drain the oil myself to check what's left in there. If you let the dealer collect the bike does anyone really think they are going to phone you up and say, 'ah yes sorry there was only quarter liter of oil left in so we have put a new engine in just to be on the safe side' Not on your nelly, they will fix the leak, then just top it up and tell you they put quarter liter in.

I would want to know just how much has leaked and I bet its far less than you would imagine. I doubt a carpet could absorb 2lts of oil without you noticing when you pushed the bike out.

oh, and as for writing to the dealer etc, whats the point. life's too short. Some muppet made a mistake, no damage done, mental note not to bother using a dealer again and carry on. It will take less than 30 mins to fix, go and get some oil from dealer F.O.C, top it up and get riding

 

[nix]

The above two posts have hit the nail on the head and I would do exactly what they recommend.

As for running a modern bike from cold ticking over for 10 minutes in mid winter, any suggestion of damage is frankly showing a complete lack of knowledge. I might be a bit worried if it were a BSA Goldstar.




Nick

 

[mechcanico lee]

As a few posts say a bit of oil spilled doesnt half make a mess, its probably not lost as much as you think, plus letting the bike tick over for a few mins wont bother it in this cold weather , an air cooled engine could tick over for ages in this weather without it getting to hot,
AND lets wack the monkey mechcanic for leaving your oil filter slack !!! am not saying bad workmanship doesnt happen but i have known genuine oil filters to leak from the rolled seam when the filter has been manufactured.......it doesnt happen often but i have had it a good few times.

Some folk may only change there oil in there car or bike once or twice a year or thereabouts, myself i may change oil and filters 40 times a week in various vehicles so the laws of averages fortell that i will see more problems than the average weekend warrior mechcanic.

Speak to your bike dealeship see what they say, myself i would see if the filter is slack , tighten it if it is ,top up with oil and see how it sounds, theres probably nowt wrong with it, if the filter was slack , go to the dealer and tell the mechcanic to get his/her act together.

 

[mechcanico lee]

Read the prophets of doom in previous posts.
Your sump holds circa 4.5 litres of oil.
Have you ever poured 4.5 litres of oil onto the floor?
the mess is incredible. Your description suggests it is unlikely more than a litre ran out, or you would have noticed the total mess.
Since the engine will happily run with as little as half a litre of oil in it, and you stopped it without hearing any rude noises or seeing an oil light, why should it be damaged in any form?
Just tighten the filter, top it up and ride away.
Some of the doom mongers are also imagining the bike can suffer damage from ticking over from cold for 10 minutes.
Can't think why.

The engine has a large collection of fins to shed heat. At a tickover these are more than adequate to shed the heat generated by the minute quantites of fuel being injected to keep the engine running.

I was a judge of fact at a rally last weekend, and conditions were very foggy - & cold. I was on bike, with a front lighting load of 231 watts, which I kept on, facing oncoming traffic, whilst sitting at side of road for over 35 mins at a time, with engine running. (Arrived with hot engine.) After this time, temperature had just risen above mid point.

After 45 mins, at 3/4. Rode 200 metres. Temperature back down again.

So: Prophets of doom, Is my engine wrecked too?

Can't think why. Just parked bike up for winter. Will go out at end of February, switch on, hit starter button & go for a long ride, without checking oil level, which I haven't looked at for the last 2 months. Might kick tyres, but if bike is not all over the road, should be ok.

O Ye who are obsessive, relax a little & ride the damn things. Quit worrying & enjoy yourselves.
Myke

Great post Myke , i always like your optimism

Shit happens just ride the frekin thing haha

 

[Red Rock]

I'm in the glass half full camp too. - The bike didn't seize and it ran normally during your warm up. That's gotta tell you something hasn't it? It must have had enough to keep it lubricated...Now it's cooled down, any imminent danger has passed. I recon if anything was going to happen it would have done so quickly and spectacularly before you turned it off.
Stick some more oil in and get going.

Take a trip back to the dealer with the recorded mileage as it is now and on the invoice to let them know what's happened, but I recon all they'd do is add oil as long as it runs.

 

[harry]

Before you get riding,don't forget to clean the oil off your back tyre which was pushed over the soggy carpet

 

[Gazzza]

Thanks to everyone that responded
Dealer apologised, collected the bike, confirmed oild filter was loose and cause of leak,(also found another oil leak ?a pipe?? that they concede should have been spotted during the service but didn't so will fix free of charge), confirmed there was some oil still visible in the window so amount lost was less than I suspected (as many of you suggested) (visible oil in window confirmed by my father in law who was there when the bike was collected and the van driver pointed it out to him, so not just the dealer fibbing), engine unlikely to be damaged, will return my bike on Tues. Will provide an update after I get it back if anything interesting to report.

Many thanks to all
Gaz

 

[EasySushi]

Can not believe some of the replies on this forum, the guy asked for some help and yet again many have come up with doom and gloom scenario’s, and referring to the guy as a fool for even contemplating leaving his bike running for 10 mins.

Infact you can run you bike longer then 10 minutes on the center stand, it will take that long just to get normal operating temp. People who start and ride first thing in the morn will be causing excessive wear on engine components because the oil has not been given sufficient time to heat and circulate, meaning the oil and protective additives will not be protecting as efficiently.


Glad to hear all worked out for the best Gazzza


Happy Christmas


Ty

 

[John Armstrong]

Infact you can run you bike longer then 10 minutes on the center stand, it will take that long just to get normal operating temp. People who start and ride first thing in the morn will be causing excessive wear on engine components because the oil has not been given sufficient time to heat and circulate, meaning the oil and protective additives will not be protecting as efficiently.

Which contradicts the manual. Who do we believe, you or BM?