Oil Leak - Dealer Serviced

[kulwen]

Robert, my mechanic used to be a mechanic for the Honda dealer while he went to school for a better career. After schooling he moved on to be an aircraft mechanic, and does that full time. He works on bikes part time and I trust his service skills. The only think I need to keep in mind is I must order all the parts I need before I take the bike to him.

Mid-December was time for my 36K service. I day or two later he calls me to let me know I was missing a casket. That stinks, I called up Mondak Motors and got the part ordered. By the time we got the part he was out of town for a week over x-mas. No big deal, it was snowing anyway. I get my bike back early part of January, but still limited a bit due to ice. I could not take it anymore and took the bike out for a ride in the snow. After my short ride I could smell burning oil. This was not a big deal as the oil was just changed and some might have dropped on the pipes. Well, after two more rides and the smell still there I was getting worried. Started looking around the bike, and I have an oil leak on the right side. This sucks, I call Robert and my bike is at his place the next day.

After Roberts inspection he tell me it is not anything he did, but found the link. He can see the oil dripping down on the tensioner. No worries, I will just call up Sierra Yamaha in Chillcoot, CA and get it in under warranty. DOH, they closed their doors a couple weeks earlier. I know have limited options, Michael's Reno Power Sports (RPS), or Michael's Cycle Works in Carson City. Both dealerships I have not had much luck with. In addition, the stories I hear from other worry me. After a few calls RPS can get my bike in on 1/9. I inform them it is my main method of transportation and time is important to me. They seem to understand. I dropped the bike on 1/9 and was told I should be call at the end of the day on the 1/10. They never called.

I decided to give them the benefit of doubt and not pressure them. So, I called them on 1/13 and left a message. I was called back the same day and learned the parts are on order and it would be 7-10. In day 14 I call them for a status to learn the tech is working from home and they would call me the next day. I wondered how a tech works from home, but it is not my shop. I received a call back to tell me when they opened the engine they discovered another issue. I guess my bike had a valve to head clearance problem. I learned Yamaha considers this normal wear and tear, but they were pleading their case with Yamaha as it should not be normal wear and tear at 36K.

Three days later I learn Yamaha approved the repair under warranty. The parts for the engine work and parts for the recalled ignition are on the way from Yamaha. While talking to the dealer’s service rep he explained they don't tend to see the issue my bike has with GEN II engines and begins to explain the ticking issue from first generation bikes. This just does not make sense to me, but since I have not bothered to research the ticking issue as I have a GEN II bike I don't question it.

After much more time, I picked the bike up today, 2/18. I dropped it off on 1/9. Now the bike seems to be running fine in the short 20 minutes I have been on it today. However, things are just are not sitting right with me and the dealership. I did not complain at all and just try to make the best of it. However, after looking at the paper work things just do not make since.

Here are the comments from the paper work:

"Inspected bike for oil leak at r.h. side of engine. Oil leak is originating from r.h. side of cylinder head and traveling down engine near cam chain tensioner and dripping down r.h. side of engine. Need to replace head gasket. Upon removal of cyl. head gasket two of head bolts stripped and engine had to be removed to drill heads of bolts to remove cyl. head. NOTE-Customer installed accessory wiring was replaced as closely as memory."

Parts used on paperwork:

5JW-11193-00-00 Gasket, Head Cover 1 (1)

5JW-11181-00-00 Gasket, Cyclinder Head (1)

5JW-12213-00-00 Gasket, Tensioner Ca (1)

90119-10004-00 Bolt, with washer (10)

5JW-15456-10-00 Gasket, oil pump con (1)

5JW-11102-10-00 Cyclinder Head Assy (1)

5JW-12129-00-00 Seal, Valve Stem (16)

5JW-12121-01-00 Valve, Exhaust (8)

5JW-13440-00-00 Oil Filter (1)

10W40 Bulk Actevo 10w40 (5)

The notes don't mention anything about ticking or a valve to head clearance issue. But, it does mention two bolts were stripped. Do you guys read it the same as I do that the bolts were stripped by them, not when the bike was taken in?

I could be completely off base as I trust the dealer. It just seems odd that the notes do not mention something they told me was being covered by Yamaha.

Thoughts?

If you lived in Reno, NV would you consider taking your bike two hours away to Sacramento, CA for dealer work?

John T.

 

[exskibum]

If you lived in Reno, NV would you consider taking your bike two hours away to Sacramento, CA for dealer work?

I used to live in Gardnerville and bought my '05 from Michael's in Carson City. I do most of my wrenching myself, but did have my '97 Blackbird in to have some relatively minor issues addressed and get a new rear tire mounted at Michael's back in '05 (around the time I bought my FJR). I was not impressed. They also sold me a silver ('03) top case when I bought the FJR. Unfortunately, I didn't take it out of the box for a year and they would do nothing for me in terms of exchanging it for a correct galaxy blue box or any other accommodation or assistance on it (why I still have a silver top box). Other issues as well. The work on the XX was just shoddy. Several things not even checked (including specific issues I'd made sure were on the work order), left a vacuum line from tank disconnected so it wouldn't run above idle when I tried to pick it up the first time (they claimed they test rode it??), shoddy teenager like work in scratching wheel up, high prices for that work and for the tire, etc. This was a Friday or Saturday just before closing, and I even had to tell the kid what he likely got backwards in hooking up the XX tank after he had it off.

Other issues over a couple years, too (including a switch up with Yamaha on my YES warranty -- they sent my info to Cypress as having purchased a quad instead of an FJR -- WTF???). I was drifting away from them for their seeming lack of concern about a customer who spent a fair amount of money with them between FJR, accessories for it, parts and other misc. riding gear, etc. I started to go to Reno Honda (?? -- anyway, the Honda dealer in Reno) for some stuff, began mail ordering Yamaha stuff elsewhere, and I finally moved back over the hill here in Sept. '06 so that I never deal with Michael's anymore and don't miss them.

So . . . to answer your question, I would ABSOLUTELY go to Roseville Yamaha and talk to Zac (FJR owner Cisco on this forum), the service manager. If you're going to spend money or get warranty work done, you might as well get it done right and have a service manager who not only runs a competent shop, but actually cares about satisfying customers.

 

[Big Sky]

If the head was off, where are all the new head bolts listed? These are not re-usable and must be replaced.

Edit: Note to self: look carefully before shooting off mouth.

 

[kulwen]

I my 36 mile trip to work today my engine light came on, twice. The first time it was on for about a mile while I found a safe place to pull over then it went off. seven miles later is it came on again for three miles, then went off.

I pull into the dealership parking lot at 8:45 the service adviser and another guy look at me, then went into the building. What the heck!!!! He knows who I am and I just picked the bike up yesterday and he walks off.

Once they call me I will post what they say the problem was.

 

[kulwen]

I go to pick my bike up and learn they can not find any reason the engie light would come on.

On my way back to work I reach down to turn off the heated grips and the knob is loss and the whole unit pushes down into the panel. I look closer and I am missing the screw that hold the panel beside the glove box. I take it back and ask them to put the screw in it. 15 minutes later they bring my bike to the front and tell me they added the three missing screws. What the heck!!! I only saw one missing and they added three. What other screws am I missing?

Any thoughts what might cause the engine light to come on after they work they performed?