Now I'm panicking!!

[MattW]

Until the engine has reached working temperature, the oil cooler thermostat doesn't open and the cooling circuit won't drain.
It doesn't matter how you check the oil as long as you do it the same way each time. As above certainly don't check it after starting and running it for a few seconds. This can easily take the sight glass oil level from full to empty and lead to unnecessary panic

Mine is parked on its side stand in the garage so before I use it I just wheel it onto the drive, put it on the centre stand and look at the sight glass.

 

[Bendy toy]

I don't have the centre stand fitted, so just hold it more or less upright before I start it from cold. If the glass shows oil, I'm good to go. If the sun is in my eyes I can't see a thing but go anyway.

Has the oil level light ever flickered? Oh yes scared the poo out of me and I ended up with the engine over filled and smoking from cold. In those days I was using the centres stand. I took off the oil level sender but all seem to be working fine. I put it all back and the light had never played up since and Ive never overfilled the engine again.

 

[JerseyNeil]

Cheers for that. I have just got to 11,000 miles and the 'oil thirst' varies a bit. Riding around a small rock in second gear and a fair bit of engine braking probably does not help. I'm not particularly bothered about this 'feature' but the cost of motorrad black gold does add up.............

 

[Bendy toy]

I use supermarket 10w40 semi synth and change it every 4K or 6K if doing longer runs.

 

[number44]

After my initial flap I dropped some oil in her today to see what it needed to take it back up to the level I got it back from BMW after the service last month (half way mark on the screen) 100ml. For 1000 miles that sounds fine.

 

[Beemerman59]

When I did my first service I put 4L of oil in as per the spec (plus a new filter). The level was above the top of the sight glass. I didn't touch it for 6K miles and it was still above the top of the sight glass. No smoking at all and with the engine running it was about halfway up. At the last service I put 3.75L in and it still reached the top of the sight glass so I'm leaving it be to see how it goes from now on.

 

[adventuredon]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread and risk abuse......The sight glass does my head in!!!! .I did my 48k service this week on the 2010. Drained the 3/4 sight glass of oil into a container which filled up to about 3.5 litres. So it matched my expectation. Left it a good while to drain completely. Replaced oil filter. Filled up withbetween 3.5 to 3.75 l new oil from 4l can. Easyily measured and watched...Remember that the manual says that its a 4 litre change. All good. I deliberately didn't pour all 4 L in as that might lead to overfilling and a need to redrain some. Sight glass showed half full after this. I wasn't bothered. Left it as opposed to filling with more as it is within tolerance of top and bottom in sight glass. Went for a 30 mile run yesterday, oil showed nought in sight glass after 5 minute on side stand and the rest of the day on centre stand. No oil in sightgalss. Not too worried as no oil leaks and I know I put around of 95% of the amount in. Today I went out for a 120 mile run. No oil leaks, no drips nothing. I got an oil level warning come on after 80 miles, for about 20 miles, then it disappeared again! Knowing that I put near the maximum oil in, i figured that the warning must be a failing sensor? Anyhow, parked up for a coffeee, on side stand, then centre stand and absolutely no oil was showing iin the sightgalss. Left it for 30 minutes and still no oil at all in sight glass. On ride home, no oil warning light showing. So whats that all about. Where does it manage to hide near on 4 litres....How do you put so much oil in and suddenly get nothing showing...

As an aside (possibly a different sensor failing?), My oil level on the dash has recently decided to only show dashes for about 20 miles before giving the oil OK signal. Can't see how a manual check can be related to a low level signal, unless I massivley did not pour nearly all of my 4 litre can of oil in!!

.And I don't want to be a panic merchant, but surely if you pour near on 4 litresin, you cannot get a low level warning on the dash!

 

[MattW]

5 minutes on the sidestand isn't enough.
Give it an hour on the sidestand .
It doesn't matter how long you leave it on the centre stand after the oil thermostat has closed - it won't drain any more oil out of the cooler.

In the end, it doesn't really matter how you check the oil as long as you do it the same way every time. And I mean EXACTLY the same way. I park my bike on its sidestand after a ride and check the oil the following morning (or next time I ride it) on its centre stand. It has at least 8 hours on its sidestand every single time I check the oil.

As long as you follow the same regime, the sight glass works just fine but don't expect it to give you a sensible reading after five minutes on its sidestand at a caff if you usually park it on its centre stand as soon as you get home.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

In the end, it doesn't really matter how you check the oil as long as you do it the same way every time.

Matt is right, just check it the same way every time. I check mine from cold every time (I always leave it on the centre stand) I go out in the mornng and as long as there is oil in the window, she is good to go. I don't worry too much about whether has moved since the last one as there is plenty sloshing around in there. It's worked well for 120k.

Also, when you service and change the filter, just shove the full 4 litres in. Having a little bit too much will not affect anything.

I would top it up with your extra quarter litre and see what happens.

 

[Bendy toy]

The oil level in the sight glass is NOTORIOUSLY inaccurate. Many factors contribute to the different levels.
You only have to do a search on here to see how inaccurate it can be.
So don't check it cold.
I'll repeat that Cold checking is no good.

The consensus on here is, as I've described above, ride it, sidestand for a few minutes, then pop her up on the main stand for 1/4 - 1/2 hour and check the level then.
If it's a little low THEN, then top up with the oil of your choice - usually halfway up the sight glass (is where I keep mine) 100ml at a time.
Cold no good,
just idled on mainstand - no good,
cold on sidestand then main stand no good.

All this faff when a dipstick (costing pennies to manufacture) would solve the problem. All it would need is a hot line and cold line. Job done.

The BMW oil level sensor is a sliding float with electronic pick-up. Check the electrical connectors are all clean.

The Aprilia style level tube works well.

 

[MattW]

A dip stick wouldn't solve the problem. It's a 'user' issue, not an engineering problem.

The 'perceived' issue is inconsistency with oil level in the glass which is actually due to an inconsistent approach to checking levels. A dipstick would give just the same problems if the user was similarly inconsistent.

If you want to fix the 'problem' ask BMW to redesign the oil cooling system so that there are no oil traps and it reliably drains completely into the sump at engine stop.

Or just check the level using the same method each time. It's really not that difficult.

 

[Bendy toy]

The dipstick could be long enough to give readings cold (high level) and hot (low level). That's not possible with a dinky little sight glass but could be ok with an Aprilia style sight tube.
But even that won't solve the side stand or sloping ground issue. Yet another that's solved with a central dipstick.

 

[Alan R]

The dipstick could be long enough to give readings cold (high level) and hot (low level). That's not possible with a dinky little sight glass but could be ok with an Aprilia style sight tube.
But even that won't solve the side stand or sloping ground issue. Yet another that's solved with a central dipstick.

But it doesn't have a dipstick, nor will it ever have one. Wistfully wishing it so and constantly suggesting that a dipstick would be preferable helps no one. Let it go Bendy, let it go.
Alan R

 

[Mad_Accountant]

I think you will find you are actually over full and above the the sight glass.

You can prove this by leaning the bike the other way and having an assistant look at the sight glass for you.

I could be totally wrong or you could be pleasantly surprised. (I haven't read the whole thread so this could be old news. I can assure you I have made exactly this mistake myself)

 

[MattW]

The dipstick could be long enough to give readings cold (high level) and hot (low level). That's not possible with a dinky little sight glass but could be ok with an Aprilia style sight tube.

This wouldn't fix the actual problem (not that there really is one) which is that the oil cooler and thermostat hold oil back if the bike is allowed to cool down on its centre stand and that people panic if they park up at a cafe and see nothing in the sight glass.

But even that won't solve the side stand or sloping ground issue. Yet another that's solved with a central dipstick.

If people think they'll get a sensible oil level reading on sloping ground or on the sidestand then they really should just admit they're clueless and take the bike to a dealer.

 

[Wapping]

It's a 'user' issue, not an engineering problem....... just check the level using the same method - as explained in a few simple words in the owner's manual - each time. It's really not that difficult.

Fixed.... But spot-on anyway. It really is incredibly easy and needs no 'improvement' by bikers.

 

[adventuredon]

Mattw did you even read the post. It wasn't left for 5 minutes and then checked. Usually, as many stated, I check it at the same place. When cold on centre stand in the morning. But having just drained it and refilled with very nearly the max amount and then getting an oil warning on the dash whilst out riding, I had to check it when hot after standing on side for more than 30 minutes and saw nothing. It hasn't gone anywhere. Just hiding...but where and if you simply read the manual, it should be checked when hot as the level is different when the substance is cold.
..

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