Oil light coming on for a while..

[semmyroundel]

I recently have done an oil change and used a K&N filter, I don't think that is the problem, but the following happens:
After starting the bike and running a few hundred yards, the oil light comes on and stays on for a few miles, eventually extinguishing.
This has never happened before, and at the time of writing this, it stopped happening. I'd like to understand why it happened though.
Any ideas?
PS. correct amount of oil, (Castrol Racing 10-40) same as I always fill it with, sight glass bang in middle...

 

[~TABASCO~]

What I might suggest.. Check the wires and plug to the oil level sensor. Make sure a rock has not hit the wires to cause a "check fault" with the ECU.... If that looks good and it keeps happening I would pull that sensor and make sure the 'float' is not stuck in the cage or hung up for some reason.... clean and take a look at it and make sure its 'free' in the cage... If everything looks good, reinstall it..... If there is an issue replace it....
If the issue keeps happening, I would probably suggest replacing that sensor........ IMOP.... (but I'm not standing there looking at "everything")

Sounds like its a wire / plug issue of some sort... Ive seen someone damage a wire before and it does this same thing you said. If the wire is damaged it's not "special" wire.... Just solder in a fresh piece of wire and seal it with shrink wrap (the water proof kind) It will work good as new again.......

 

[Jlq1969]

correct amount of oil,

If this is the first time it happens to you, and it coincides with the oil change...what correct amount of oil are we talking about?

 

[Sierra1]

The "correct" amount of oil isn't always the correct amount of oil. This is a very common question and has been discussed to great lengths. I put the entire jug in when I do an oil change and worry not. Otherwise, my oil light comes on, and stays on, if I only put the "correct" amount of oil back in.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Add 200-300 cc and see if the light goes out.
It is for oil depth on the Tenere case, not oil pressure.

fwiw - You aren't the first and won't be the last.

 

[Thrasherg]

Remember that it’s an oil level light, not an oil pressure light! So the filter is unlikely to have any effect, and the light coming on doesn't mean the engine is about to seize up! As stated it could be a wiring issue (but odd that it should occur after an oil change), more likely it just needs a little more oil adding..

 

[RCinNC]

The oil level sensor is like a float valve in a toilet. They look like this:

I think that in some cases the floats get sticky and don't move as freely in their cage as they should, and that they have to get submerged deeper in the oil in the sump in order to float and break the connection. That's probably why some members have to add more oil than others in order to get the low oil light to go out.

It's a pain in the ass when you have idiot lights coming on, but fortunately with the S10, you do have the sight glass to double check the oil level to make sure it it's full and that it's some sort of sensor error. I'd try Sierra1'a and Checkswrecks' suggestions about adding a little more oil and see if it solves the problem.

 

[WJBertrand]

Is this the first time you’ve used this filter? Perhaps the K&N filter holds a bit more volume than what you’ve used before? That would cause your running level to be lower and you’ll need to compensate with an additional couple ounces of oil. Once the oil warms up and expands, the volume is adequate to trigger the low level sensor off.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Is this the first time you’ve used this filter? Perhaps the K&N filter holds a bit more volume than what you’ve used before? That would cause your running level to be lower and you’ll need to compensate with an additional couple ounces of oil. Once the oil warms up and expands, the volume is adequate to trigger the low level sensor off.

That's pretty close to what I was thinking.

 

[semmyroundel]

Thanks for all your suggestions people.
As I said in my #1 post, it's suddenly stopped happening, however for your info: when testing in the sight glass, it's bang in the middle, I always refill using the tried and tested "measure the exact amount of oil after fully draining" then put that amount in, but I think that the "sticking float" scenario is the most likely answer here, and will not worry about it, I may even put a little more oil next time so that the level is nearer the high point of sight glass limit, thus encouraging the float to rise a little.
I didn't know before but do now, that it's not a pressure sensor, and so will stop panicking about the oil light coming on if it does again.

 

[Sierra1]

I subscribe to: a little overfilled is better than a little underfilled.

 

[EricV]

It's important to remember that the sight glass check must be done under very specific routine to be consistent. The owner's manual covers it. You can't just dump oil in and look at the sight glass and expect a relevant value. Dry sump engines suffer from this oddity, it's not a huge deal.

It's also very common in cold weather for the oil light to come on in that first start of the ride, then if you shut it down and fire it back up, no light and it often won't come on again. Warm oil flows better, so the oil level where the sensor is gets fooled with cold oil. When I parked outside I was more likely to see this phenomenon than when I parked in the garage, for example.

 

[StefanOnHisS10]

It's important to remember that the sight glass check must be done under very specific routine to be consistent. The owner's manual covers it. You can't just dump oil in and look at the sight glass and expect a relevant value. Dry sump engines suffer from this oddity, it's not a huge deal.

It's also very common in cold weather for the oil light to come on in that first start of the ride, then if you shut it down and fire it back up, no light and it often won't come on again. Warm oil flows better, so the oil level where the sensor is gets fooled with cold oil. When I parked outside I was more likely to see this phenomenon than when I parked in the garage, for example.

Welcome back Eric!

 

[Jlq1969]

It's important to remember that the sight glass check must be done under very specific routine to be consistent. The owner's manual covers it. You can't just dump oil in and look at the sight glass and expect a relevant value. Dry sump engines suffer from this oddity, it's not a huge deal.

It's also very common in cold weather for the oil light to come on in that first start of the ride, then if you shut it down and fire it back up, no light and it often won't come on again. Warm oil flows better, so the oil level where the sensor is gets fooled with cold oil. When I parked outside I was more likely to see this phenomenon than when I parked in the garage, for example.

Welcome Back!!!

 

[bimota]

It's important to remember that the sight glass check must be done under very specific routine to be consistent. The owner's manual covers it. You can't just dump oil in and look at the sight glass and expect a relevant value. Dry sump engines suffer from this oddity, it's not a huge deal.

It's also very common in cold weather for the oil light to come on in that first start of the ride, then if you shut it down and fire it back up, no light and it often won't come on again. Warm oil flows better, so the oil level where the sensor is gets fooled with cold oil. When I parked outside I was more likely to see this phenomenon than when I parked in the garage, for example.

welcome back eric

 

[semmyroundel]

It's important to remember that the sight glass check must be done under very specific routine to be consistent. The owner's manual covers it. You can't just dump oil in and look at the sight glass and expect a relevant value. Dry sump engines suffer from this oddity, it's not a huge deal.

It's also very common in cold weather for the oil light to come on in that first start of the ride, then if you shut it down and fire it back up, no light and it often won't come on again. Warm oil flows better, so the oil level where the sensor is gets fooled with cold oil. When I parked outside I was more likely to see this phenomenon than when I parked in the garage, for example.

Yes indeed, and I followed that to the letter
" I come to you from Tupelo Mississipi, write songs that'll sing like a bird, play licks on my guitar like you ain't never heard"

 

[wera688]

yes the oil light sometimes happens, usually on a cold morning for maybe a mile at start up, especially if you're going uphill. It's not a big deal, especially if you know you have plenty of oil in the engine. It goes off soon enough. You can always stop, turn off the engine, turn it back on and it's usually gone off and won't come back on.

 

[semmyroundel]

Thanks all, it comes and goes, so as it's generally cold at the moment I guess it'll happen.
It always goes away after a while and it's not pressure related as you say so I'm not bothered now.

 

[sky4]

I subscribe to: a little overfilled is better than a little underfilled.

the light will be up your ass every cold start if you're on the low side! that thing is super sensitive. being a dry sump system i would agree, probably would take a lot to overfill in any meaningful way.

 

[OldRider]

the light will be up your ass every cold start if you're on the low side! that thing is super sensitive. being a dry sump system i would agree, probably would take a lot to overfill in any meaningful way.

Can you explain what you're saying?