First Gen Oil Indicator

[RePeter]

I have a friend who is visiting with his 87 Venture. He dropped the bike on the kick stand side a couple of days ago. No apparent damage, so he rode it for an hour after. Everything was fine.

 

Today he was heading to my house and the oil level indicator came on along with the flashing red light. His oil level is at the top of the sight glass and was changed about 1000 miles ago.

 

Does anyone know where the sending unit is for the oil level warning or have any ideas?

 

Thanks ..... Peter

[dingy]

Picture attached.

 

It is on bottom of oil pan. The part with the cable going into it in picture.

 

It is normal for a first gen light to come on when accelerating hard. Should go out in about 15 seconds though.

 

There is a wire conector on left side. Near air ride adjustment, behind side cover. Should be a single wire. Butt style connector. Black with Red tracer.

 

Gary

[RePeter]

Thanks Gary,

I can only see a white wire that is a single with a butt connector. Could that be it?

 

If I unplug it, what should the indicator do?

 

I am suspecting the sender unit, do you know if you can check it with an ohm meter?

 

Peter

[MiCarl]

The sender grounds the indicator lamp circuit when the oil level is low. With enough oil you should read an open (infinite ohms) between the sender lead and ground. With low oil you should read near 0 from the sender lead to ground. Of course if it's unplugged the lamp should be off.

 

If the wire to the sender gets pinched it can also supply the ground and turn on the indicators.

[RePeter]

Thank for the info.

 

We'll work on getting covers off to see if we can find the connector to do some testing. It looks like the wire from the sender disappears inside the frame right next to the exhaust pipe. Can't really see where it goes. It may have rubbed through somewhere and grounding.

 

I'll post our findings once we know more.

[mbrood]

although a bit more work... removed, the service manual check is:

http://www.bergall.org/temp/venture/oil-level.jpg

[RePeter]

Darnedest thing. My friend left for Edmonton where he was going to spend 2 weeks sitting around. He thought he would do further testing there.

 

He fueled up on his way out of town and the oil indicator went off. He said it never lit up again all the way to Edmonton, about 12 hours north.

 

I guess we'll see what happens on the way back.

 

Thanks for your help!

[6m459]

The oil level sender on my red bike came to me with similar issues.

 

I had just done an oil change when I concluded that the problem was the sender unit. I didn't feel like draining the oil again, so I unplugged the wire going to the level switch and jumpered the free end of the bike side of the connection to ground near my left foot to stop the alerts at the dash.

 

I plan to take the sender unit out for repair / replace at the next oil change and have been riding the bike keeping extra vigilant visual check of the oil sight glass. I am sure it would run forever this way if I get lazy.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Brian H.

[Keemez]

Had this happen to me today too- gave me a start cuz I was riding down a gravel road in pretty warm conditions. Stopped right away and saw that there was still oil in the window, so I nervously pressed on.

 

For those of you who have been through here before- was the sender faulty? What was the ultimate repair? I've done as a couple others did and grounded the lead for now/til next oil change.

[Yammer Dan]

If oil level is at top of sight glass it is overfull and will end up in air box and on ground.

[friesman]

Had this happen to me today too- gave me a start cuz I was riding down a gravel road in pretty warm conditions. Stopped right away and saw that there was still oil in the window, so I nervously pressed on.

 

For those of you who have been through here before- was the sender faulty? What was the ultimate repair? I've done as a couple others did and grounded the lead for now/til next oil change.

 

 

Hmmm Ive had mine act up a couple of times now, and the common denominator with your experience is a gravel road. Once with mine I know I got a bump on the oil pan so I wondered if a stone bumped something and pinched a wire, the light stayed red for a day or 2 and then went off. Just last weekend I was coming off a gravel road and the light came on but I didnt feel anything hit the bottom of the bike, the light stayed on until I accelerated very hard out of a dead stop and right hand corner. So now its got me wondering if I have something in the oil pan moving around and making contact with the sensor. (last oil change I did find what looked like a part of a gear tooth stuck to the magnetic oil plug, I think it was still in there from when we replaced the output gears a while back....at least thats where I am hoping its from ....)

 

brian

 

I do know the particle is NOT from drilling holes in the oil filter though...... Right Rick?

[rbig1]

well it my turn to have this light. went over a bunch of tracks:doh: now light is on will try and find wire and disconnect. if im reading this right ground wire light goes out correct

[pmelah]

well i already had this didnt know about any fixes was going to research on here but it went out before i got on here im guessing it may be just from sitting for 4 yrs with no one to ride it and just had to get the kinks out in the ride

[mraf]

Basically the oil light is nothing more than a float in a bowl of oil. It will hangup and activate the oil light sensor. Another bump down the road will put it out. Kind of a crappy oil light notice. Its nothing more than a fill reminder not a oil pressure engine failure soon light. Mine did the same thing just two days ago. If its hanging up alot somethings faulty in there.

[twigg]

If oil level is at top of sight glass it is overfull and will end up in air box and on ground.

 

This!

 

I keep mine at halfway maximum. It rarely needs much topping up, and there is plenty of oil in there when the level is approaching the bottom of the glass.

[pmelah]

Whoops I over filled mine was not watching cranked it up and it did just that in the air box and on the shop floor what a mess to clean up now its half way in the sight glass on the center stand