Oil leaking from swing arm on my new 2024 GSA :(

[snerkler]

I've just been into my garage and noticed a small pool of oil under the swing arm, on further investigation it's coming from a small rubber nipple kind of thing on the under side of the swing arm. On cleaning it up the rubber nipple pushed inside which allowed more oil to come out (I've pulled it back out now with some pliers).

Can someone tell me what this is, why it's leaking and whether the bike's safe to ride to my dealer (20 miles away) or whether it's a case of having to call out BMW Emergency please? I bought the bike new in June 2024, it had the running in service done at 748miles and it's now done 998miles.

Facebook replies suggest it's a water drain but it's definitely viscous like oil

IMG_8182 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr
IMG_8185 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr
IMG_8186 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

 

[Rossyuk39]

I've just been into my garage and noticed a small pool of oil under the swing arm, on further investigation it's coming from a small rubber nipple kind of thing on the under side of the swing arm. On cleaning it up the rubber nipple pushed inside which allowed more oil to come out (I've pulled it back out now with some pliers).

Can someone tell me what this is, why it's leaking and whether the bike's safe to ride to my dealer (20 miles away) or whether it's a case of having to call out BMW Emergency please? I bought the bike new in June 2024, it had the running in service done at 748miles and it's now done 998miles.

Facebook replies suggest it's a water drain but it's definitely viscous like oil

IMG_8182 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr
IMG_8185 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr
IMG_8186 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

Yes it is a mod BMW did after market, I had that on my 2015RT, it is meant to vent, you could always drop the FD & give it the once over to ensure there’s nothing amiss. I change my FD oil every 6K & “service” the splines etc

 

[leadfarmer]

Call your dealer

The rubber drain is to let water out of the swing arm (driveshaft housing) there should not be oil in there at all

If there’s oil in there it’s most likely engine oil (shared with the gearbox) which means it’s come through the output shaft oil seal

Less likely, but it could be final drive oil that has come through the FD oil seal (it will smell of cat piss in this case) it does look fairly viscous in the photo, maybe they over filled it

Either way, get your dealer to fix it

 

[snerkler]

Call your dealer

The rubber drain is to let water out of the swing arm (driveshaft housing) there should not be oil in there at all

If there’s oil in there it’s most likely engine oil (shared with the gearbox) which means it’s come through the output shaft oil seal

Less likely, but it could be final drive oil that has come through the FD oil seal (it will smell of cat piss in this case) it does look fairly viscous in the photo, maybe they over filled it

Either way, get your dealer to fix it

Thanks, is it safe to ride there, or do I need to call BMW emergency to pick it up? If it's leaking engine oil I don't want the engine to seize.

 

[leadfarmer]

Thanks, is it safe to ride there, or do I need to call BMW emergency to pick it up? If it's leaking engine oil I don't want the engine to seize.

In reality it’s probably safe to ride as it’s to the side of the tyre, assuming the engine oil level is OK

BUT ! I wouldn’t ride it, get them to fetch it, that way they can’t say you shouldn’t have ridden it with an oil leak

 

[jonnie comet]

Thanks, is it safe to ride there, or do I need to call BMW emergency to pick it up? If it's leaking engine oil I don't want the engine to seize.

There is only ONE answer. First thing in the morning, RING (not txt/email/whatsapp/etc) RING BMW. That is one expensive bike, don't take a blind bit of notice of anyone else (no disrespect to previous posters).

 

[Anthony Byrne]

As above the small rubber nipple is a recent mod to allow moisture out from the drive shaft, that's reason for all the recalls etc over the past year or so.

Oil shouldn't be there, if its final drive oil it will smell. So chances are it is the oil from the engine.

Hoping it gets sorted for you fast, a right pain in the backside

 

[Victor c]

If you want it sorting within a reasonable time, then call BMW Assist, rather than the dealer. They will have a tight timeline to sort the issue (72 hours springs to mind), where as, if you take it into the dealer, they could take weeks to get round to looking at it.

 

[snerkler]

Just done an oil level check (get the engine up to temp then leave it stood for 5 mins) and it looks like it's been overfilled. Would this explain it, not sure why it would get into the swing arm though?

IMG_8188 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

 

[leadfarmer]

That wouldn’t worry me, it’s just a tad generous

The crank case has a breather and if I remember rightly so does the FD housing

It will be a seal gone or badly seated for whatever reason, either way, it’s new and it’s under guarantee

 

[Pukmeister]

Let the dealer take it back and fix it under warranty. An oil seal is leaking somewhere, and it shouldn’t !

 

[snerkler]

Update this morning, nothing’s leaked overnight.

 

[Santa-2512]

Update this morning, nothing’s leaked overnight.

Have you run or moved the bike?
It may not show until one or more conditions are met

Just phone assist and get it fixed

 

[snerkler]

Dealer picking the bike up at lunchtime today.

 

[G&T]

We’ll all be glancing at that bit of floor now

 

[snerkler]

So the outcome is gearbox seal has gone. The good news it's an easy fix, the bad news the dealership has never fixed one before and so don't have the necessary tool so have had to order it from Germany which takes 2-3 week In the meantime I'm getting a loan bike.

 

[GSMarky]

So the outcome is gearbox seal has gone. The good news it's an easy fix, the bad news the dealership has never fixed one before and so don't have the necessary tool so have had to order it from Germany which takes 2-3 week In the meantime I'm getting a loan bike.

That's a result of sorts then and sounds like your dealer is looking after you. Hopefully you'll get a decent loan bike!

 

[leadfarmer]

So the outcome is gearbox seal has gone. The good news it's an easy fix, the bad news the dealership has never fixed one before and so don't have the necessary tool so have had to order it from Germany which takes 2-3 week In the meantime I'm getting a loan bike.

Ask for a 1300

 

[autogs]

Ask for a 1300

No he said decent

Sent from my SM-A226B using Tapatalk

 

[leadfarmer]

No he said decent

Sent from my SM-A226B using Tapatalk

Oh yeah, he said decent, not fantastic