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New member with an oil change question...

CharlieAllnutt

New member
The scenario: A 2004 R1150RT, recently purchased new, had the 600-mile maintenance and currently has 4150 miles total. This morning it showed oil about halfway up the sight glass while on the sidestand with a cold engine.
Curious about the actual amount of oil in the engine, I drained it and only got approx. two liters or less. I called the dealer to ask if this wasn't a bit skimpy and could the engine "retain" oil in the cooler or anywhere else. Or could it have used that much oil since the 600-mile maintenance? They said these engines use a lot of oil during break-in period. I knew that, but that much??
Anyway, I replaced the filter and added 3.75L (.9909 gal) and now the sight glass is full of oil top-to-bottom with a cold engine. The dealer recommended draining about one liter, but I don't know about that. The 3.75L is what the manual says.
Any thoughts.....anyone.....anyone??
 
Go out and ride it, until it's good and hot. Return home, let it rest on the side-stand for about 10 minutes or so.

Then....put it up on it's center-stand for about 30 minutes, then check the oil level. As long as the oil level is in or about the center of the site glass, you're good to go. If it's covering the entire sight glass....drain some out. If it's near the bottom or you can't see any oil at all....add some til you can see it.

After doing this procedure several times, you'll get a "feel" for how to do it. :thumb
 
When you drain the oil you may not always get all of it out. Therefore, I use 3.5 qts as a starting point when I change the oil. Then I go for a ride to get it warmed up. I park it on the side stand for at least ten minutes before putting it on the center stand. If the oil is near the dot, I stop. Below that I add a few ounces. From the bottom of the circle to the top is only about 16 ounces.
 
Peter

Can anyone tell me what kind of screws or bolts are holding the lower cowl on my 2004 R1150RT?
I have to remove the cowl to get at the oil drain plug.
 
When you drain the oil you may not always get all of it out. Therefore, I use 3.5 qts as a starting point when I change the oil. Then I go for a ride to get it warmed up. I park it on the side stand for at least ten minutes before putting it on the center stand. If the oil is near the dot, I stop. Below that I add a few ounces. From the bottom of the circle to the top is only about 16 ounces.

With my R1100RT, I start with 3.25 litres, even though I often leave the bike draining the final drips for hours before refilling. After riding it, then I'll add more if needed. For me, 3.25 litres is about right.

Can anyone tell me what kind of screws or bolts are holding the lower cowl on my 2004 R1150RT?
I have to remove the cowl to get at the oil drain plug.

If my memory is correct, it is a #3 allen key.
 
Can anyone tell me what kind of screws or bolts are holding the lower cowl on my 2004 R1150RT?
I have to remove the cowl to get at the oil drain plug.

amazing. you must have done a ton of back-reading to tag onto a barely related 8 year old thread to ask your screws question.

wouldn't it have been easier to just go ahead and start a new thread? or, try fitting an allen head to one of the screws you can access easily, and then use that for the bottom ones? (external sizing is consistent for all body panel screws, but screw length does vary- so be sure to make note of which screw came from what location; using a piece of cardboard that mimics the screw positions is a good way to do that.
 
Pter

amazing. you must have done a ton of back-reading to tag onto a barely related 8 year old thread to ask your screws question.

wouldn't it have been easier to just go ahead and start a new thread? or, try fitting an allen head to one of the screws you can access easily, and then use that for the bottom ones? (external sizing is consistent for all body panel screws, but screw length does vary- so be sure to make note of which screw came from what location; using a piece of cardboard that mimics the screw positions is a good way to do that.

The site has been giving me trouble. couldn't star a new thread. sorry about that.
Can't even get the search box.

Peter
 
Those are called "Torx" screws, and the size you need is T-25.

After you get used to them, they are actually easier to deal with than the older Allen button-heads.
On a robotic assembly line, they are easier to align and torque than Allen button-heads.

It isn't absolutely necessary to pull the bottom cowling to pull the plug and the filter, but yes you'll have a lot more room to work down there if you do.

Yes 2 liters is a bit low. My "natural level" (also an '04 RT), hot and after sitting for about 10 or 15 minutes, is about halfway between the center dot and the top of the red circle (NOT the top of the window). Doing a fresh change, two quarts doesn't even bring it into the sight glass yet.
 
Those are called "Torx" screws, and the size you need is T-25.

After you get used to them, they are actually easier to deal with than the older Allen button-heads.
On a robotic assembly line, they are easier to align and torque than Allen button-heads.

It isn't absolutely necessary to pull the bottom cowling to pull the plug and the filter, but yes you'll have a lot more room to work down there if you do.

Yes 2 liters is a bit low. My "natural level" (also an '04 RT), hot and after sitting for about 10 or 15 minutes, is about halfway between the center dot and the top of the red circle (NOT the top of the window). Doing a fresh change, two quarts doesn't even bring it into the sight glass yet.

Torx screws do not belong on an 1150 fairing part. The fiche for an 1150RT belly pan (and the 1100RT) calls for the exact same BMW part : 46 62 2 307 956 FILLISTER HEAD SCREW - M5X16 A4/80 SW

This is an M5 allen head screw and you need a 3mm metric allen key or better yet a ball end driver to remove and install them. Maybe someone installed Torx screws on your bike but they don't come like that stock.
 
Many 1150s came with T25 fairing bolts; what the fiche says doesn't change that fact. We should answer questions based on our actual knowledge, OK?
 
The picture at the top of this article shows what we're talking about:
http://www.instructables.com/id/When-a-Phillips-is-not-a-Phillips/
The 1100s and some very early 1150s came with Allens, later ones use Torx.
Those that use Torx still have 3 mm Allens at the rear-most body panel attachments points; these are just quarter-turn Dzus-type fasteners. (Wish we could put those everywhere else too!) And if you want to remove an RT glovebox, you'll still need a 3 mm Allen driver for the bottom-most inner screw (under the tank, near the air snorkel intake).
The parts fiches that we see on-line from places like A&S and Max's are not the latest greatest updates from the Factory - if you go to the Authorized Dealer's parts counter, you may need to specify exactly which version you want. It was easy to get used to the Torx, and now I prefer them over the Allens.
 
All the torx screws on my '04 RT are T15.
There are 4 long ones; the one behind the mirror and the three that go into the foot peg plate.
I found that buying a high quality torx bit saves a lot of grief. I got a Snap-on. Costs like fury but it fits great.
 
It's not necessary to remove the bottom cowl to change the oil filter or remove the drain plug so it doesn't matter what type or size screw it is.
 
Many 1150s came with T25 fairing bolts; what the fiche says doesn't change that fact. We should answer questions based on our actual knowledge, OK?

Well, that actually was my actual knowledge. Not as extensive as yours obviously. :brow

This is interesting becuase I have never seen Torx screws on an 1100RT or 1150RT other than on the TPS. Always thought that was odd.

Anyway I stand corrected but just so you know, I did go to the trouble of checking the RealOem and Max fiche for both models _before_ I posted. There is no mention of a Torx screw in those locations for either bike. I guess the factory changed screws along the way and the fiche does not reflect that.

My bad.
 
Unless you wrote the fiche, it isn't your knowledge. It's just the fiche. Like Wikipedia, or what some dude said on some forum; it's what some other source says (and you don't know if it's right or wrong) but it's not your actual knowledge. Nothing wrong with citing it, but if you at least say, "According to XXX, this is like this" then people won't think you are personally attesting to its veracity.

"This part does not belong on this bike" - incorrect
"The fiche does not show this part on this bike" - true (but meaningless).
 
All the torx screws on my '04 RT are T15.

That's actually T25 for the fairing screws, (unless they've been changed).

These days I need Torx sizes 20, 25, 30, 40, 45, 50 and occasionally 55! Might be a 15 in there somewhere, too. Very few allens on the new bikes.
 
Unless you wrote the fiche, it isn't your knowledge. It's just the fiche. Like Wikipedia, or what some dude said on some forum; it's what some other source says (and you don't know if it's right or wrong) but it's not your actual knowledge. Nothing wrong with citing it, but if you at least say, "According to XXX, this is like this" then people won't think you are personally attesting to its veracity.

"This part does not belong on this bike" - incorrect
"The fiche does not show this part on this bike" - true (but meaningless).

I think he gets it.
 
They said these engines use a lot of oil during break-in period. I knew that, but that much??

Having owned both a 2003 and 2004 R1150 GS Adventure, at the same time, the time for a full break-in varied from motorcycle to motorcycle. The 2003 took about 15K kilometers for oil consumption to nearly cease; the 2004 was almost immediate. Unfortunately, the latter was written off by a cell phone yapping inbred.


Anyway, I replaced the filter and added 3.75L (.9909 gal) and now the sight glass is full of oil top-to-bottom with a cold engine.

I remember doing exactly that and that is where the oil level was after having circulated the oil once and letting the engine cool. There is quite a difference between the cold and hot engine oil level indications.
 
If it's [the oil] covering the entire sight glass....drain some out.

I'm currently in this situation. I put in the amount recommended at a full change and the level is a tad high. What's the best way to get a little bit out? Were it a car I'd slide a thin hose down the dipstick tube into the pan and suck it out with a syringe. No dipstick tube on these babies. The only thing I can think of is loosening the bolt and letting some oil drain out around it, then starting it again. Shouldn't be hard, just messy. Just wondering if anyone has a better method. Is there a crankcase vent somewhere that could serve this purpose?

'The new guy'
 
I'm currently in this situation. I put in the amount recommended at a full change and the level is a tad high. What's the best way to get a little bit out? Were it a car I'd slide a thin hose down the dipstick tube into the pan and suck it out with a syringe. No dipstick tube on these babies. The only thing I can think of is loosening the bolt and letting some oil drain out around it, then starting it again. Shouldn't be hard, just messy. Just wondering if anyone has a better method. Is there a crankcase vent somewhere that could serve this purpose?

'The new guy'

If you know for a fact it's just a tad just forget about it.
 
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