[[email protected]]

Hi. I did my first oil change yesterday (2506 miles) including oil filter and DCT filter. I kept it on the center stand (can you actually change it when on the side stand?) so perhaps not all the oil drained out. I filled it with 4.9 quarts and checked it twice - once after a 30 minute ride and once after it sat for a few hours and did a 5 minute idle warmup. Both checks the bike sat 3 minutes to settle. The oil reading was toward the bottom of the dip stick so I added the remainder of the 5th quart - so 5 quarts in total. Still only half way up (if I'm reading it right!!).

I have Three marks on my dipstick (see picture). You can see where my oil is after adding 5 full quarts and checking after 5 minute idle. Question:
1) what is the min and max indicators - between 2 & 3 (my assumption)? between 1 & 3? between 1& 2?
2) my oil is reading halfway between 2&3 and 3/4 between 1&3 - Am I way over full? Perfect? Need to top off a bit more?
3) If I'm overfull - do I really need to drain some out or is it ok to ride?

Thanks much!! Rob

 

[INTHEWIND]

Hi. I did my first oil change yesterday (2506 miles) including oil filter and DCT filter. I kept it on the center stand (can you actually change it when on the side stand?) so perhaps not all the oil drained out. I filled it with 4.9 quarts and checked it twice - once after a 30 minute ride and once after it sat for a few hours and did a 5 minute idle warmup. Both checks the bike sat 3 minutes to settle. The oil reading was toward the bottom of the dip stick so I added the remainder of the 5th quart - so 5 quarts in total. Still only half way up (if I'm reading it right!!).

I have Three marks on my dipstick (see picture). You can see where my oil is after adding 5 full quarts and checking after 5 minute idle. Question:
1) what is the min and max indicators - between 2 & 3 (my assumption)? between 1 & 3? between 1& 2?
2) my oil is reading halfway between 2&3 and 3/4 between 1&3 - Am I way over full? Perfect? Need to top off a bit more?
3) If I'm overfull - do I really need to drain some out or is it ok to ride?

Thanks much!! Rob

Don't make that mistake of overfilling, you put 5 quarts of oil in the bike and that is what it holds.
You will be just fine, don't over think it. :smile2:
The oil level changes if you look at it wrong. LOL
The oil level will actually go down on the stick the longer it sits after shutoff.
When checked over night on the center stand, the oil level will be between the stick bottom and the first lower mark.
I know all this because my dealer overfilled my bike by 1 quart, it drove me crazy until I drained the oil out and put in the proper 5 quarts.
When you check it on the center stand, start the bike on the center stand.


This would be also a good time to initialize the DCT too. I do it after ever oil change. Cheers

 

[AZcruising]

"Mimimum" indicator is "2"... "Maximum" indicator is "3"

Like you, just did an oil and filter (2) change last week (my second change) on my Tour DCT. 5 quarts added, oil level smack in the middle between 2 and 3... Perfect!!!

Ride and enjoy...

 

[hojo in SC]

Can I post this here; Max has covered some interesting findings;

 

[[email protected]]

Thanks guys!! Feel better having the confirmation that things are good. Good to know about the different sticks for the DCT vs manual.

 

[DDL]

It actually does not surprise me about different lengths and markings between manual and DCT. Because so much in the DCT depends on the oil to work, it may have a little bit higher mark and be longer because "how low" you are on oil becomes more important than just being low. If you are so low on a DCT that it is not even showing on the longer stick at all, you may be causing damage to what makes all of the shifting and clutching happen. The manual only has to have the correct oil pressure to have it pumped though everything for bathing moving parts. The oil light really only measures the oil pressure, not the level. The pressure would drop due to sucking air bubbles in the pump triggering the light unless you are having oil pump failure or oil pressure sensor failure. Low oil level increases the likelihood of getting some bubbles sucked in because near surface bubbles are closer to the sump to be sucked in.

 

[spork]

So, for me: I drained the oil and replaced the filter (this was at the end of the year so I was going to do it anyway (I change yearly regardless of miles)), added the right amount of oil, and forgot about it.

I'll check levels before I go on a big trip and at the end of the year, but Goldwings aren't known to burn oil. If after a few monthly spot checks you aren't noticing a big drop in oil levels I'd just leave it as a bi yearly check to verify that consumption hasn't changed.

 

[davepierce]

On page 3-12 of the service manual, you will see that draining the oil calls for having the bike on the side stand to ensure all oil drains out. When checking the oil level, page 3-11 tells us to put the bike on the center stand.