Oil Warning Light

[windchaser1942]

I have googled this subject and looked in the Bin o Facts yet haven't found a cause.

I bought my bike an 06 in July 08. Changed oil immediately but not the filter. Rode the bike about 4000 miles and changed the oil PLUS the filter last weekend. Used Yamaha oil and filter.

I rode the bike immediately after that about 100 miles. No incident. Later I did a follow up check for any sign of a leak: found none.

The next day I again rode the bike about 50 miles at normal highway speeds in beautiful weather...close to 70 degrees. Parked the bike for an hour and half. Restarted the bike for the homeward trip. Everything on start-up is normal. About a mile and half down the road while traveling close to 70 mph the Oil Light comes on. I immediately cut the engine and coasted to side of the road. Checking for the sign of a leak I found nothing. The sight glass indicated oil according to specs. At the time I noticed the oil light being on the performance of the bike was completely normal...no noise, no smoke out out of the exhaust....nothing.

Finding no likely cause I restarted the engine. The light was off and the bike ran normally. For the remainder of the ride home I rode the bike rather "gingerly" and watched constantly for a reacurrence of the problem. It's gone! Since that time I have riden the bike probably another 10 or 15 miles and nothing is out of order.

Could this be a problem with the Yamaha Oil Filter? A faulty sensor? Or, is it related in any way to the ignition switch recall which I recieved in the mail yesterday?

Input is appreciated...thanks in advance.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

I have googled this subject and looked in the Bin o Facts yet haven't found a cause.I bought my bike an 06 in July 08. Changed oil immediately but not the filter. Rode the bike about 4000 miles and changed the oil PLUS the filter last weekend. Used Yamaha oil and filter.

I rode the bike immediately after that about 100 miles. No incident. Later I did a follow up check for any sign of a leak: found none.

The next day I again rode the bike about 50 miles at normal highway speeds in beautiful weather...close to 70 degrees. Parked the bike for an hour and half. Restarted the bike for the homeward trip. Everything on start-up is normal. About a mile and half down the road while traveling close to 70 mph the Oil Light comes on. I immediately cut the engine and coasted to side of the road. Checking for the sign of a leak I found nothing. The sight glass indicated oil according to specs. At the time I noticed the oil light being on the performance of the bike was completely normal...no noise, no smoke out out of the exhaust....nothing.

Finding no likely cause I restarted the engine. The light was off and the bike ran normally. For the remainder of the ride home I rode the bike rather "gingerly" and watched constantly for a reacurrence of the problem. It's gone! Since that time I have riden the bike probably another 10 or 15 miles and nothing is out of order.

Could this be a problem with the Yamaha Oil Filter? A faulty sensor? Or, is it related in any way to the ignition switch recall which I recieved in the mail yesterday?

Input is appreciated...thanks in advance.

Happens occassionally. I wrote asking the same thing a couple years ago when my bike was new. Well checked out and has something to do with the oil sensor and going around a curve JUST SO... the light goes on. You can pull over and check (as you did) turn off the ignition and on again and should be fine. I wouldn't ignore it just in case something is bad though. PIA but no biggie.

For the price of a filter replace the thing and the light won't go on as often. (kidding).

EDIT: here is a link to one thread I found:

linky

 

[user 213]

The oil light is an oil level light, not an oil pressure light.

Did you add 4 liters of oil? IOW, 4.25 quarts. It doesn't take much to trigger the low level light. You're probably on the edge of the normal spec. If you only added 4 quarts, toss in another 8 ounces of oil and the sight glass will be to the high end of the glass, and you will then have the correct amount of oil in the engine, and not see the light again.

And FWIW, no, it has nothing to do with the filter or ignition switch recall. It's a really simple sensor, so it's unlikely that the sensor itself has a problem. Especially on a newer bike.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Here's another one: going back to work now...

Linky #2

 

[Dusty]

Glad to see this post!

Last summer after our group's first day of riding 11hrs from Ontario to Southern Kentucky we booked into a hotel for the night. It was one HOT day of riding (over 100 deg.) at least for us Canucks! <_<

Next morning we started our bikes (I'm the only FJR), left the hotel and immediately went right to the "on ramp" to 80MPH. My oil light went on after about 2min of riding so I shut it down and coasted to the nearby off ramp. One of my buddies on his GoldWing followed me. I checked the sight glass and it was at the lower limit (lower set of dots), so I had him go back to the gas station and get some oil.

Put about 3/4 quart of 10W30 (the only oil they had) in and said "if this kills the engine - screw it! :angry: " No problem with the light after this and changed the oil/filter after getting back home within a week.

I did change the oil prior to leaving on the trip and had accidently overfilled the engine, so I backed out the drain plug to dump some excess and may have taken a bit too much out. Now I make sure I fill the CC to the top set of markings - no oil light since. :yahoo: :yahoo:

I'll have to share this with my riding buddies. They've been at awe with my FJR's performance compared to their Yamaha Ventures, Road Stars, and Gold Wings but they were starting to think it lacked reliability or worse, that it is an oil burner... NOT! :clapping:

 

[Ignacio]

I have googled this subject and looked in the Bin o Facts yet haven't found a cause.

Because it's the in the New Owners Read This section. #20

 

[Toecutter]

I have googled this subject and looked in the Bin o Facts yet haven't found a cause.

I get 163 hits when I Google: oil light site:fjrforum.com

Gotta be some answers somewhere in there....

 

[windchaser1942]

I have googled this subject and looked in the Bin o Facts yet haven't found a cause.

Because it's the in the New Owners Read This section. #20

I agree...I had read this in my search but I was still looking for a "cause" as I had been very precise in following the suggested steps. Yet, it was the first time I had changed this filter. Reading an excellent article written by Mark Lawrence at calsci.com about oil and filters was helpful but still didn't address the "why" of the light coming on. I had also emailed him with questions. However, there has been some great post on this issue and others have provided links. I'm satisfied and "very" appreciative to all who posted a reply.......great community!