I had my bike apart doing some maint. and farkle installs. Changing the air cleaner for the first time, I noticed milky oil in the bottom of the air box after I took the air filter out. The puddle was probably 3/16" deep. I soaked it up with paper towels and did some poking around. The oil is coming from the left side throttle body intake pipe only. The inside of only one of the throttle body air intake pipe's from the air box was oily. The right side dry as a bone. The pipe was oily but not milky. I guess the milky oil in the bottom of the air box was from either water coming in through the air cleaner intake or just condensation. I am not sure if this is anything to worry about. I am leaving for a rally Thursday (Cape Fear 1K) and don't have 3 weeks for Bob's BMW to hold my bike hostage. I don't see a crank case vent on the intake pipe or any other source for oil that makes it an easy explanation. So I am guessing oil is getting past the rings and blowing through the throttle body and into the air box? Anyone who has some knowledge and diagnosis to offer please reply. I can't imagine it's anything for immediate concern. The plug is dry and clean on that cylinder. Either way I'm riding Thursday-Sunday about 3000 miles total.
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2011 R1200RT 14k miles OIL IN AIR BOX?
- Thread starter Inga2011
- Start date
billy walker
BMW Rider
R1200RT oil accumulation in air box
Do you park your bike on the side stand for extended periods of time? Your guess sounds like a good one. If you side stand it try using the center stand and see if the problem goes away.
Do you park your bike on the side stand for extended periods of time? Your guess sounds like a good one. If you side stand it try using the center stand and see if the problem goes away.
billy walker
BMW Rider
R1200RT oil accumulation in air box
A number of BMW engine configurations allow for the possibility of engine oil seepage past the rings on the left bank when parked on the sidestand. This will not automatically happen on all engines subject to this issue but it is a well known occurrence in the BMW world. The fact that his right-side did not have this occur was the reason for my response. It is possible my answer has zero to do with it however.
A number of BMW engine configurations allow for the possibility of engine oil seepage past the rings on the left bank when parked on the sidestand. This will not automatically happen on all engines subject to this issue but it is a well known occurrence in the BMW world. The fact that his right-side did not have this occur was the reason for my response. It is possible my answer has zero to do with it however.
DROOT153718
New member
There is a drain in my R1100RT air box for accumilated oil.
I drain it now and then. No big deal.
The bike has no PCV valve in the intake.
The white is probably accumilated condensed moisture from the engine.
Some atomized oil in the vapor condensed in the air box.
Drain it and ride. Keep an eye on your oil level and enjoy.
I don't know if my camhead has a drain in the airbox.
David
Edit: I just looked at my bike and could not see a drain. It looks like the vent hose is the lowest part of the air box so stuff should drain back into the motor.
The vent hose is why your oil is on the left side, probably not a problem with throtte bodies.
I drain it now and then. No big deal.
The bike has no PCV valve in the intake.
The white is probably accumilated condensed moisture from the engine.
Some atomized oil in the vapor condensed in the air box.
Drain it and ride. Keep an eye on your oil level and enjoy.
I don't know if my camhead has a drain in the airbox.
David
Edit: I just looked at my bike and could not see a drain. It looks like the vent hose is the lowest part of the air box so stuff should drain back into the motor.
The vent hose is why your oil is on the left side, probably not a problem with throtte bodies.
Last edited:
I overfilled it at my 2nd oil change a little(1K mile service done by dealer 2nd service by me). After warm up i found the level high at the top if the sight glass and drained the excess. I am not sweating it. Just thought it was unusual, maybe its not.
I typically put it up on the center stand in the garage. I'm not worried. Fact is I put in a new K&N filter ($52 reusable vs. $24 for a one use paper element) and getting ready to ride Thursday to Union City,TN. Overnight there for the start of my rally. Stopping 32 hrs later in at the finish (hopefully) of the Cape Fear 1K in NC then back home to MD Sunday. Should be a glorious 3k mike weekend.
Thanks all. I still would like to know the cause and if it's normal or unusual. My motto, Run it til she pukes!
billy walker
BMW Rider
True enough the vast majority do not have that issue.
deilenberger
A bozo on the bus
I'd have to look at the parts website, but if the camhead is like the hexhead, the crankcase vent goes to the left (port) side of the airbox (off the back of the left head) via a 1" diameter rubber hose (about 5" long.) If the engine was overfilled enough (BTDT) oil will vent to the airbox through that passage during high speed runs. Just due to the locations of the airbox throttle-body outputs and the vent - that side seems to get a bit dirtier than the starboard side.
I had what appeared to be an engine oil leak, showing up across the top of my transmission, ending up on the rubber boot at the front of the paralever swingarm. Dealer wanted to split the bike and check the rear seals.. I thought otherwise. Ended up removing the air cleaner and finding what you did - a small puddle of oil laying in the recesses in the bottom of the airbox. Used the same sort of technique (paper towels and some very long forceps) to sop it up. Oil leak went away and never came back. Have no idea how the oil managed to get from inside the airbox to the top of the transmission, but - it did.
Moral of the story is - don't overfill the oil. And AFAIK - none of the hexheads have the drain hole in the airbox that oilheads have. Would be difficult to place anyway since at least on my R12R - the bottom of the airbox is anything but flat - it has valleys and peaks in it that would require multiple drains. It's easy enough to clean out through the air-cleaner opening.
I had what appeared to be an engine oil leak, showing up across the top of my transmission, ending up on the rubber boot at the front of the paralever swingarm. Dealer wanted to split the bike and check the rear seals.. I thought otherwise. Ended up removing the air cleaner and finding what you did - a small puddle of oil laying in the recesses in the bottom of the airbox. Used the same sort of technique (paper towels and some very long forceps) to sop it up. Oil leak went away and never came back. Have no idea how the oil managed to get from inside the airbox to the top of the transmission, but - it did.
Moral of the story is - don't overfill the oil. And AFAIK - none of the hexheads have the drain hole in the airbox that oilheads have. Would be difficult to place anyway since at least on my R12R - the bottom of the airbox is anything but flat - it has valleys and peaks in it that would require multiple drains. It's easy enough to clean out through the air-cleaner opening.
