Question: Servicing

**Jcxss** · 20th April 2009, 09:57

Hi there,
I am new here but just wanted to ask a question about oil change, so I sent my BMW F650GS to Mt Eden Motorcycles for an oil change but when it came back there was very little oil in it. This is my first time sending my BMW to Mt Eden(got told it was way cheaper and it was) but aren't they suppose to be charging me for a new bottle of oil and putting it in my bike for me or do I have to tell them to do so?

**The Stranger:Me** · 20th April 2009, 10:03

O...K... with an oil change they should remove the old oil from the engine and put the correct amount of fresh oil into the engine.

Hard to imagine any other reasonable interpretation of an "oil change" in this context.

**Paladin** · 20th April 2009, 10:29

Originally Posted by Jcxss

Hi there,
I am new here but just wanted to ask a question about oil change, so I sent my BMW F650GS to Mt Eden Motorcycles for an oil change but when it came back there was very little oil in it. This is my first time sending my BMW to Mt Eden(got told it was way cheaper and it was) but aren't they suppose to be charging me for a new bottle of oil and putting it in my bike for me or do I have to tell them to do so?

Just to check....... after the service, when you checked your oil level, you WERE checking with the bike standing up vertical weren't you? With the correct volume of oil in, ie not overfilled, the oil level sometimes can not be visible in the oil level window until the bike is properly vertical! My DR is like that!

**sunhuntin** · 20th April 2009, 10:49

my viragos the same... the wicked lean on the stand means it looks beyond empty until its stood upright. unfortunately, that means it takes two people to check the oil as its bloody hard to squat on the ground, looking in the little window while holding the bike upright and worrying about dropping it on yourself.

**Paladin** · 20th April 2009, 10:50

Originally Posted by sunhuntin

my viragos the same... the wicked lean on the stand means it looks beyond empty until its stood upright. unfortunately, that means it takes two people to check the oil as its bloody hard to squat on the ground, looking in the little window while holding the bike upright and worrying about dropping it on yourself.

Stick a little block of wood under the sidestand = only 1 person required!

**Hitcher** · 20th April 2009, 10:54

Check that they put the right amount of oil in. Mrs H once had a Marauder under-oiled at a routine service because the garage in question read the wrong number and didn't allow for the filter capacity. It was light by a couple of hundred ml. A Suzuki dealership should have known better, but hey, what the heck.

**Paladin** · 20th April 2009, 12:00

Originally Posted by Hitcher

Check that they put the right amount of oil in. Mrs H once had a Marauder under-oiled at a routine service because the garage in question read the wrong number and didn't allow for the filter capacity. It was light by a couple of hundred ml. A Suzuki dealership should have known better, but hey, what the heck.

+1 on wot Hitcher said, but..

run the engine for 3 mins, then turn off, let it stand for 3 mins upright then look in the oil level window. This will ensure the oil has filled the oil filter area, but engine oil compartment drained down. If it then comes up low, then you know they put the lesser amount in having forgotten that new oil filter had been put in and they needed to allow for the extra 100/200ml or whatever it is your bike requires.!

**sunhuntin** · 20th April 2009, 12:05

Originally Posted by Paladin

Stick a little block of wood under the sidestand = only 1 person required!

yeh, i managed to do similar with a sneaker, but it wasnt perfectly even. lol.

**Paladin** · 20th April 2009, 12:19

Originally Posted by sunhuntin

yeh, i managed to do similar with a sneaker, but it wasnt perfectly even. lol.

Yeah its all good unless a strong wind blows up in the wrond direction!

Then it could be falling on top of you heehee - have avoided this fate so far, but me being me, am sure I'll manage it someday soon - can't go more than a couple of weeks witout damaging me or the DR or both it seems LOL!

**Frodo** · 20th April 2009, 19:54

Originally Posted by Paladin

+1 on wot Hitcher said, but..

run the engine for 3 mins, then turn off, let it stand for 3 mins upright then look in the oil level window. This will ensure the oil has filled the oil filter area, but engine oil compartment drained down. If it then comes up low, then you know they put the lesser amount in having forgotten that new oil filter had been put in and they needed to allow for the extra 100/200ml or whatever it is your bike requires.!

If this is a single cylinder F650 GS, the motor has to be hot. Running for 3 minutes will not do it. Then check the level. If not hot enough, the oil level will appear low.

Don't know about the twins.

**AllanB** · 20th April 2009, 20:03

Some makers also specify the 'full' oil level to be half way between the upper and lower mark.

Also check your invoice - it should state the specific amount of oil you have been charged for.

**Paladin** · 20th April 2009, 20:13

Originally Posted by Frodo

If this is a single cylinder F650 GS, the motor has to be hot. Running for 3 minutes will not do it. Then check the level. If not hot enough, the oil level will appear low.

Don't know about the twins.

Interesting info!

**Jcxss** · 22nd April 2009, 08:15

Yup, it was running hot and was on its centre stand in a flat place. I was shocked that the oil lvl was below min, thought I was looking at the glass wrong or something, opened the cap and sure enough was very little oil in there! Was good that I checked. Anyway Shell's 4 stroke motorcycle oil is awsome, very smooth =)

**Paladin** · 22nd April 2009, 08:25

Originally Posted by Jcxss

Yup, it was running hot and was on its centre stand in a flat place. I was shocked that the oil lvl was below min, thought I was looking at the glass wrong or something, opened the cap and sure enough was very little oil in there! Was good that I checked. Anyway Shell's 4 stroke motorcycle oil is awsome, very smooth =)

This is silly but will tell anyway..... once on my old KLX I went out to check the oil in the afternoon and i couldn't see it in the window when the level had been fine the previous morning. I couldn't figure it out until the penny dropped. In the afternoon the sun was behind me and the way the reflection was on the little window, it looked like you couldn't see the level! I turned the bike around so sun not on it an voila there was the level!