Oil Sight Glass Clouded Over

[Mitch1352]

What would cause this? There is nothing on the outside of the glass. It looks like the inside of the glass is either stained or discolored somehow. I just had a service done (54K) and the engine is in good order. I just can't check the oil level now. It is a '00 R11RT and I am the original owner.

[BFish]

are you sure it's not oil that is making it look "cloudy"?

[Unhofliche_Gesundheit]

have you perhaps used some chemical to clean the sight glass?

 

i dont know for a fact but i did read some speculation on this forum that that might be what causes the clouding.

to pull some chemical options out of the air:

engine degreaser. varsol. ammonia. bleach. ultrasonic waves ( )

[NonComp]

Did it happen suddenly -- was it that way when you picked the bike up after the service?

 

What kind of oil did they use when they did the service? Perhaps some additive has reacted with the plastic. Did they use some kind of engine flush product on the bike?

 

Is there a possibility that they ran the engine (by accident) with no oil in it after the service???? This is not unheard of...

 

If it was my bike, I'd be wanting to have a face-to-face Q and A session with the mechanic to find out exactly what was done during the service.

 

Is there a possibility that the oil level is actually off the scale (in other words, overfilled or underfilled)??

 

On the other hand, if it happened over time, then maybe you just need to have the sight glass replaced. Gasket does harden up over time and it might be a good idea to just replace the whole thing. They do have a history of popping out unexpectedly when they get old. Look for seeping around the gasket.

[Mitch1352]

It is not the oil itself...the glass was always clean-looking on the inside, with the oil level plainly visible. It did this before the service. I thought that it might be very full, since I have been on it daily for the last month, thanks to my new Russell Day Long. That being the case, I normally have to add just a wee bit of oil occasionally. I don't see the level dropping accordingly. The shop used regular oil, as they always do.

[NonComp]

Pehaps ethanol fuel, then? Ethanol is playing havoc with a lot of older bikes, gumming up valve stems, absorbing water, causing corrosion in fuel systems, disolving tank liners, etc. etc.

 

Fuel additives can cloud plastic instantly. For example, I measured out some fuel stabilizer using a plastic graduated cylinder and it clouded it instantly, just like you describe. It looks like it was stand-blasted on the inside.

 

Random testing has found that some fuel distributors are mixing excessive amounts of ethanol into fuel and not reporting it - 20% or more, when it is supposed to maximum 10%. Perhaps you got a bad load of fuel and it contaminated the vapors in the crankcase?

[NonComp]

If you think it might be overfilled, you can remove 4oz of oil by removing and dumping the oil filter. The rest of the oil will not drain when you do this (DAMHIK).

[Peter Parts]

NonComp... he knows stuff.

 

But here's a far cleaner idea. Put a 3/4 inch board* under the clutch-lever side of the centerstand. If overfilled, you should see the oil level, esp. cold.

 

Recent research has demonstrated that 6.7 out of 10 owners mis-fill 5 out of 26 times** by 8% to 12%. But I thought dealers were a bit better.

 

Ben

 

*carefully.... or have 3 strong people on the other side

**expected mis-fill rate = 13%

[Mitch1352]

Off to the shop in the morning to get this looked at. I hate having a sick bike...

[bmw_rider]

This group also likes visuals, can you get a good picture of the sight glass and post?

[boatzo]

If mine is over filled it appears cloudy and no line of oil level to go by. As has been said, that happens a lot and very easy to do. I'd chase that avenue first.

[Dewayne Harkov]

Just replace it the next time you change the oil. Not a big deal.

[Peter Parts]

Off to the shop in the morning to get this looked at. I hate having a sick bike...

 

Say Mitch, have you tried putting a board under one side of the centerstand to tilt the bike? Might take 90 seconds.

 

(Take care.)

 

Ben

[notacop]

Just replace it the next time you change the oil. Not a big deal.

 

A response from one who knows. Most excellent. The sight glas is cheap and takes one a few moments to replace. Can even be done without dumping the oil.

A 10 YO glass is probably due for an R&R anyhoo.

[Quinn]

Okay, quick and easy: Just start the bike and then turn it off. If you see an oil level line or change in color, then they overfilled it. Now, try for the opposite end. Ride it until hot, turn it off and check oil level on the side stand. If you see an oil level line or color change, then it's underfilled. New oil in mine can show as a yellowish color for several hundred miles.

 

---

 

 

[BFish]

are you sure it's not oil that is making it look "cloudy"?

 

stand by my original thought. try quinn's suggestion.

[Mitch1352]

The great folks at the shop checked it this AM. Drained out the oil, checked the glass (it is GTG, by the way), refilled it and refused payment. I love that bunch!!

[NonComp]

GTG = Good To Go?

 

What was the problem?

[Jerry Duke]

Sounds like they overfilled it....

[AndyS]

Did the 'Great Folks At The Shop' do the service & oil fill in the first place?

 

Andy

[NonComp]

Did the 'Great Folks At The Shop' do the service & oil fill in the first place?

Yes, the OP stated that in an earlier post.

[AndyS]

Well, if it was the same shop, maybe, I wouldn't give them such an accolade of 'loving that bunch'. At least they made good what seems to be an ovefill and I wouldn't expect to pay for putting it to the correct level.

This isn't meant to be a put down of a dealer (any dealer), just that I would expect them to make good - free of charge - anyway.

 

Andy

[bmw_rider]

What does it look like now?

[NonComp]

The OP seemed to be suggesting that he has added oil periodically since the service, so it may just be a case of the oil dance vs. no oil dance prior to checking the level as opposed to a dealer screw up.

[Peter Parts]

Yup, running engine for 3 seconds (or slipping a board under one side of the centerstand) would have saved a lot of people a lot of time. For sure, your dealer would agree most of all.

 

Odd that the dealer over-filled. But then anybody here who hasn't?

 

Ben

[Mitch1352]

I had to pass by there anyway, so I let them check it. Just a bit too much oil added during my service. It is g2g now. I didn't add any since the service, which is why it made me wonder. I am nowhere near being a mechanic, so I leave technical stuff to the shop. When I say they are great, I mean that they put my bike on the rack immediately, no waiting, and I was out in about 20 minutes. I may be overly cautious about my bike, but that is just me.

[NonComp]

The full line is actually center of the site glass. However, boxer engines seem to tolerate oil levels pretty much anywhere within the visible range of the site glass.

[Paul Mihalka]

"The full line is actually center of the site glass."

If I remember well, that is not correct. The full measure is the top of the glass, really the top of the red circle. When the level is down to the bottom of the glass, it takes 1 pint (1/2 quart) to bring it back to the top of the window. Official oil quantity with filter change is 4 quarts. That brings the oil to the top of the window with barely a space showing on top. I did a few oil changes in 175K miles of R1100RT and 70K miles of R1150R.

Before somebody asks, I never had any oil in the air filter housing, the sign of overfilling.

[boatzo]

Mitch,

 

I think it is great to hear that a dealer was so responsive to your needs, kudos to them. Any one can make a mistake and to respond and correct it with out making a bunch of excuses is commendable. I have over filled mine on occasion and as Ben asked, "any body out there that hasn't"?

 

Glad you got it resolved.

[NonComp]

At the risk of starting another oil dance debate, I believe that the owner's manual specifies that full is in the middle of site glass. I'm not at home right now, so I can't look it up (I'm supposed to be working .

 

But in my experience, if you put a correctly measured amount of fresh oil in the bike with a new oil filter, warm the bike up, shut it down, let is sit on the side stand for 10 minutes, then put it on the center stand and check the oil, you will find that the oil level is in the center of the site glass.

[Peter Parts]

snip I am nowhere near being a mechanic, so I leave technical stuff to the shop. snip

 

Mitch1352 -

 

If you are unable to perform "entry-level" mechanical diagnostics like running for engine for 3 seconds or putting a board under the centerstand and looking at the oil glass, you can't ride a motorcycle safely, not even a brand new BMW.

 

You may well risk your life by being unable to sense bike problems, emerging failures, low air pressure, and weakness (not to mention counter-steering!!!!) if you persist in avoiding taking a hold of knowing about foundational bike systems.

 

Does that sounds judgmental? I'm not saying you need a Ph.D. in engineering. Maybe you can drive car with Mitch1352's unwillingness to encounter technology, but not a bike.

 

Buy a book by Hough or others. My 2-cents of advice, and well worth it.

 

Ben

[NonComp]

For Pete's sake, Ben, get off the soap box!!! People come here for help, not to be preached at.

[oldyam]

Ben

 

I take it youre having a bad day !!!!

 

There really was no need for such an obnoxious post.

 

Some people are happy to ride rather than wrench ....... each to their own prefference.

 

[Quinn]

Well, now you know what overfilling with new oil looks like...saves you the panic next time.

 

 

---

 

 

 

[tallman]

Riding and wrenching are two separate skills.

 

I'll leave it at that.

 

And yes, from the start it seemed obvious to me that we had an overfilled level.

No big deal.

He found it and dealt with it.

Kudos.

Better than some who prosthletize.

 

[Mitch1352]

Don't get on the Canadian guy's rude behavior too bad...as we say in the South "he ain't from 'round here". I know enough about the way my bike runs, sounds and feels when I'm riding to know or sense if "something is rotten in the state of Denmark". It is easier for me to stop by the shop and have them diagnose a potential problem that it would be for me to start rooting around inside and breaking stuff. If I don't support my local dealership, then what happens when they close?

As far as his comment on tire pressure, the electronic guage that I use before every ride tells me what is what with my rubber. My only problem is getting air inside the tire...what an intellectual and technical challenge But it doesn't matter...the tire is only flat on the bottom...

[Peter Parts]

...as we say in the South "he ain't from 'round here".

snip

 

Just what do you mean by that?

 

Ben

[4wheeldog]

...as we say in the South "he ain't from 'round here".

snip

 

Just what do you mean by that?

 

Ben

 

If you have to ask.........

[Paul Mihalka]

At the risk of starting another oil dance debate, I believe that the owner's manual specifies that full is in the middle of site glass. I'm not at home right now, so I can't look it up (I'm supposed to be working

 

I also don't want to continue another oil thread and keep kicking a dead horse, but there is a lot of misinformed internet conversation out there. With the correct amount of oil fully filled motor, like after a oil/filter change, the oil level is at the top of the red circle in the window. The correct amount of oil in a R1100 is 4 quarts, not 3.5 or 3.75 like some say on the internet. If anybody wants to discuss it please read the manual first. The picture is from a current R1200 manual, but it has been like this since BMW invented the oil window in the 1985 K bikes.

 

 

 

 

 

[Quinn]

Paul, thank you for authoritive information. Nothing like facts to ruin a good opinion, superstition discussion.

 

---

 

 

[tallman]

Paul,

You scan?

RTFM folks.

Some feel that their bike may run better w/their oil level at point X.

That's OK, but this should clear things up.

BTW, those of you riding flying brick K1200 RS/GT bikes may want to check your oil level this week, after all, the season did change and your level may be 1/128th of an inch different than when the last season change happened.

Mine never varies.

[boatzo]

Well said Tim, always RTFM after all else fails. And thanks Paul for that post. Now for reality, I like to keep my oil level right around the center of the glass so that I can SEE the level with out a bunch of fooling around. If I put in 4 qts, the glass is full and I do not know if I have oil or not. Same is true on my LT where the glass is much more difficult to see. Although, the LT on the side stand will show a line. Glad the OP got it resolved.

[Paul Mihalka]

"Paul,

You scan?

"

 

How do you think I got all my 50 year old pictures into the confuser?

Seeya in 5 days!

[NonComp]

Paul, what you said is absolutely correct. My (Canadian) R1100 Service and Technical Booklet puts the oil capacity at 3.75 litres (with a new BMW oil filter change) which converts to .99 US gallons.

 

The only problem is that, that puts the oil level on my sight glass at exactly the center of the glass. On my recent oil change I measured the oil out with a graduated measuring container -- just because I was curious.

 

As you rightly point out, any level between the lowest and highest marks is acceptable. My r1100 Riders Manual (1996) shows a very similar picture to the one you reproduced from the r1200 manual, so I won't bother reproducing it here.

 

All I can tell you is that the oil level is sitting right at the center mark on my bike right now.

 

Someone smarter than me once posted "See oil = ride" on this forum.

 

Edit: I should point out that the descrepancy between the two measurements may result from whether or not you do the oil dance prior to measuring the oil level.

[Peter Parts]

...as we say in the South "he ain't from 'round here".

snip

 

Just what do you mean by that?

 

Ben

 

If you have to ask.........

 

Yes, brother 4wheeldog, I think it refers to the warm Southern hospitality famously shown to people believed to be of the same ethnicity, race, and political convictions.

 

Ben

[Mike]

...as we say in the South "he ain't from 'round here".

snip

 

Just what do you mean by that?

 

Ben

 

If you have to ask.........

 

Enough. Let's get back on track.

[johngugel]

My '96 had a foggy/dirty oil sight but was on the outside. The technician cleaned it during the next service when most of the fiberglass was removed. I would be interested to know what could cause this condition on the inside of the sight.

[AndyS]

Hi John, welcome to the board.

One of the many things that could cause it would be water build up in the oil (on a bike that is ridden short distances and doesn't get up to high enough temperatures to boil of the 'mayonaise'),

Also changing between different oils can cause a kind of distortion in the colour.

Most problems are from mis reading the oil level (ie with it being too full or too empty) and assuming that the glass was somehow hicky.

 

Andy

[4wheeldog]

Just a thought for Peter Parts........A sense of humor will get you a lot further amongst "Different" people than a thin skin. Good luck.

[NonComp]

Just a thought for Peter Parts........A sense of humor will get you a lot further amongst "Different" people than a thin skin. Good luck.

Mike the moderator has spoken. There's no bonus points for getting the last word in. Could we please not go there?