Oil Smells Like Fuel

Xclimation

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Depending on the oil your using....I use The Shell Rotella T6...It has a smell that can sort of smell like it has gas in it. In my case, it doesn't just has a smell like it. Some other synthetic oils have that smell as well.
 

EricV

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Dry Sump! The sight glass is not a consistent method for checking oil level. It's only accurate under very specific circumstances.

You are reading way too much into this. And the mechanic is full of shit. Or by great mystery of the universe has info that no one has ever heard before. :rolleyes:
 

Sierra1

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Every so often I make sure there's oil in the window. . . . does that count? I've never needed to add oil, in between changes, to a bike that was made in Japan. (not naming names :rolleyes:)
 
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RonH

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Imagination running away. Just ride and don't worry. Gas is not in your oil.
 

Tigerkf

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Jlq1969,
I'm not sure what you're referring too, I checked the oil level the same way both times after riding for more than 50 miles in 90 degree weather. The second time I checked the oil there was more oil. As in it was higher on the glass then when it was checked after the previous ride. I've had more than a few gasoline engines in my time and I have yet to check the oil in one and find half a quart more the next day. Not sure what's going on but it is different from what this bike has done since I got it.
 
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Jlq1969

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Jlq1969,
I'm not sure what you're referring too, I checked the oil level the same way both times after riding for more than 50 miles in 90 degree weather. The second time I checked the oil there was more oil. As in it was higher on the glass then when it was checked after the previous ride. I've had more than a few gasoline engines in my time and I have yet to check the oil in one and find half a quart more the next day. Not sure what's going on but it is different from what this bike has done since I got it.
 
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Jlq1969

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A Friend, one night appeared with a red spot on his penis. He went to a doctor and told him it was melanoma and that the penis had to be removed before it spread throughout the body. Doubting, he went to see another doctor and he said that the red spot, was from a indelible lipstick. Just get away from that mechanic who wants to change your ecu.:):)
 

Tigerkf

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Thanks for the links!
 

gv550

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What everyone is trying to say here is that inconsistent oil level readings is normal for any bike with semi-dry sump, and ECU holding an injector open after the key is off is not normal and 99.999% impossible for any bike. The only way to determine if too much gasoline is getting into your crankcase is by having it analyzed (Blackstone Labs), and it costs less than an oil change.
Ride more, worry less.
 

HeliMark

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So to update you guys, I changed the oil and noted the oil level as mid glass. I went on a ride and it appeared that the oil level rose a little but was still an acceptable level. I did another ride and let the oil settle. The oil is now above the glass. Houston we have a problem! I spoke with a guy, a friend knows, at the dealer and he said the mechanic said there is a known problem where the ECU still sends power to an injector with the key off. Their solution will be to replace the ECU. Thank goodness I bought the extended warranty. I wish it were something simple but I don't think it is! I will be taking it to the dealership tomorrow!
If in fact there was a problem like that with the ECU's, statistically, a number of members here would have/had that problem. Not one that I am aware of does, or on the ADV website. I think you are getting the "I know someone, who knows someone, who knows this guy", that had a bad ECU. Going to have a couple of them when you build a bunch of bikes.

You are chasing the oil level. BTDT, along with a number of members here. Go ride 20-30 miles, and read it like the manual says. Several times I drained out oil doing what you are, only to add the oil back.
 

EricV

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And just to add another tid bit of info since you've been messing around with oil levels. Yamaha uses an oil LEVEL sensor for the oil light, not an oil PRESSURE sensor. So if you think you have too much oil and drain some out, then go for a ride and the oil light comes on, the bike isn't going to burn up. The oil level is low. What this means is that the oil level in the sump is low, not the oil level in the engine.

On this engine design, the engine has only about a quart of oil in it at any given time. The rest is in the sump. And it's being pumped thru the engine any time the engine is being run. So if you have a little less or a little more oil, it just means that the total volume of oil being circulated thru the engine is a little less or a little more. The engine always has the same amount of oil actually in it.

When you drain the oil, there are two drain plugs. One is the engine and it will never drain more than about a quart. The other is the sump, where the bulk of the oil is stored. This is how dry sump and semi-dry sump engines are designed.

The shop seems to be taking advantage of you to run up a bigger bill. And most certainly the ECU claim is bull. Modern injectors don't work that way. Certainly not the injectors on the Super Tenere. I've been on this forum almost since it started and had two Super Tens, a '12 and a '15. With a total of about 150k miles over both of those bikes and in all those years of being active on this forum and ADV and the community in general, as well as the long distance riding community, I have never, ever, heard of a problem with the ECU on any bike causing an injector to be "held open" after the key is off. I'm sure someone, some where, once upon a time, actually had that problem, but it was probably on a ancient Bosch mechanical injection system on something weird like a Saab. And it was probably being diagnosed wrong then.
 
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ballisticexchris

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After reading your post Eric, I'm beginning to wonder if there is a possible ignition switch problem. I have never seen it on a Japanese bike but it is known to happen on some of the European bikes such as KTM.

And yes the oil level. Really really strange the way the lubrication system works on the Super Tenere. I pretty much gave up on trying to get the oil level perfect between the lines in sight glass. 3.8 quarts/3.4 liters and call it a day.

I really dislike these stories of shops taking advantage of customers that are not privy to what is really going on in the shop.
 
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EricV

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I'm not sure how you connected oil level oddities with the ignition switch. There have been a couple very rare ignition switch problems on Super Tens, that related in no way to oil level oddities. One was the key being slightly in park position and another was not quite being in the 'on' position, so no power to the starter switch. Cycling the key switch carefully corrected the immediate issue. I vaguely recall someone replacing an ignition switch, but not why. FJRs had some bad ignition switches that would fail and not allow the bike to be started. There was a factory letter for those and there is a published work around for the FJR for emergencies.
 
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ballisticexchris

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I was thinking the fuel smell in oil might be from the fuel injectors cycling even after the ignition switch is off. Oh and the oil capacity is 3.4 liters not quarts. LOL
 
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RonH

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All the emissions regulations ect implemented I don't believe an injector could possibly be fooled into continuing to supply fuel to the extent of leaking into the oil. Send the oil to Blackstone as mentioned. My guess is zero fuel in the oil. Like Eric said, 10yrs and millions of miles, to my knowledge from reading not one rider has ever had fuel in the oil on a Super Tenere.
 

taskmaster86

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At this point, I would add 6 ounces of gumout multi-system tune up to your fuel in an attempt to clean and/or lubricate a possible leaky injector.
Run that entire tank of fuel, re-fill and ride another full tank of fuel then take an oil sample and send it off to blackstone.
Then you will know for sure if you have fuel in your oil and you can investigate further.

Replacing your ecu would be dubious at best. If anything, send your ecu out to get tuned by Anthony Corcella but that is a seperate issue.
 

Boris

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The oil smelling of petrol I get it’s a concern. I struggle to get the in depth and detailed conversation/s about oil level and checking it. It all seems OTT and over thinking to me.

I’m with Chris, at oil change time, put in the recommended amount, or a little more if you excessively drain the oil to get as much out as possible. Then just ride it.
 

jeckyll

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The oil smelling of petrol I get it’s a concern. I struggle to get the in depth and detailed conversation/s about oil level and checking it. It all seems OTT and over thinking to me.

I’m with Chris, at oil change time, put in the recommended amount, or a little more if you excessively drain the oil to get as much out as possible. Then just ride it.
Agreed.

2 additional comments:

1. My bike 'uses' a bit of oil. Not sure if carbon build up or what, but it's steady and not excessive ( I have a 2008 KLR that had the ovalized cylinder bore and was using 1 liter every 1000 km before I put a 685 kit in it and solved that issue, that was excessive). I will typically add a bit of oil once on a road trip of over 5000 km, and less than a liter.​
2. Because of this, I've gotten very used to the behaviour of the indicator light. Once it gets 'just a bit' low, the oil light comes on, then goes off after the oil warms up. If I don't add oil that day or the next, the oil light will come on and stay lit. Discovered this on a road trip, and was around gas stations, so no big deal, picked up some 20w50 and topped it up.​

My point, on this bike, with the dry sump, there is no need to stress about the oil level. Check it, see oil? Good. Have the oil light come on and then go off after riding a bit, time to get ready to add some oil.

Have a great day :)
 

Tigerkf

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Man, you guys are reading all kinds of stuff into my comments! I never said I wanted to replace the ECU. I said a guy at a dealer I talked to on the phone said the mechanic told him IF the ECU were sending power to an injector with the key off then they would replace that ECU. He was probably spitballing why the oil smelled like fuel! He said the mechanic said it was a known problem. He did not say, nor did I, that the known problem was specifically related to the S10 or Yamaha in general. If I took it to the dealer he would have tested the injector with a volt meter with the key off.

I merely started this post because a search did not get a sufficient result and I thought someone may immediately know the issue. When I combined several of the comments I came to a conclusion of my own. This may change in the future as things develop. I've decided that since the glass level is a problem then I will ignore it. I've also decided that some gas intrusion into the crankcase is normal hence the smell.

I do know that whether you measure a certain amount of oil in quarts or liters it's still the same amount, right? For example 1 kilo equals 2.20462 lbs, different units of measurement but still the same weight! I can look up the conversion and just made my statement in quarts.

There were a few helpful comments without then sarcasm and "better than thou attitude" so thanks for that. To the rest of you who insist on trying to appear as you are the smartest person in the room and that I'm a blooming idiot, learn some social skills! My concern is not the advice given but the manner in which it was given. It's amazing how people talk to others when hidden behind the veil of the keyboard. I would chock this up to the lack of social skills our kids learn today but I'm sure some of the people who posted are as old as I am so......

I now know that other people have had an issue with the oil level changing in the sight glass. Without knowing this, anyone who is at least slightly mechanically inclined would be concerned. Imagine checking the oil in your vehicle and it not showing or well above the hashmarks on the dipstick. That's a concern! Most people would expect that the sight glass was put there for a reason and that it would give you an indication of proper oil level. If merely being in the window were sufficient, why add the marks beside the window? Since this problem exists I will ignore that in the future.
 
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