Help! Where is this oil coming from?

[HDH]

While I have the plastics removed from my 2011 RT for the 18k service I noticed that there's oily dirt behind and underneath the left side cylinder. It's not dripping and probably just a sweating gasket but the bike is just 2 weeks out of the factory warranty!

 

 

 

Here is the same area after I cleaned it.

 

 

What do you guys think? Just let it sweat or take it to the dealer and see if I can get it fixed under warranty?

The bike has 18k miles on the odometer and is 3 years and 2 weeks old. I do all my own maintenance and document everything with receipts, pictures and service reports.

 

The good thing about the RT is that it protects the rider very well in cold weather. The BAD thing about the RT is that all these plastic panels cover up the engine and make it hard or impossible to see if there's an issue like this oil leak.

[eddd]

 

Hard to tell from the pictures exactly where it is coming from. It would be worth your while to check with the dealer since you really have nothing to lose and the leak obviously would have begun during the time the bike was still in warranty.

 

It looks to be a very small leak. A small amount of oil can cover a large area when spread by gravity and wind currents. Even if it is small, it is no less irritating on such a high dollar machine.

[HDH]

Hard to tell from the pictures exactly where it is coming from. It would be worth your while to check with the dealer since you really have nothing to lose and the leak obviously would have begun during the time the bike was still in warranty.

 

It looks to be a very small leak. A small amount of oil can cover a large area when spread by gravity and wind currents. Even if it is small, it is no less irritating on such a high dollar machine.

 

After I cleaned it I rode it before and after I did the TB synchronization with the plastics off. I did not see any oil and decided to put the plastics back on. This weekend I'll stop by the dealer and let them know what I found. Can show them the pictures as proof. We'll see what they say.

As you said, it is very annoying on such a high dollar machine.

[duckbubbles]

How many miles since it was clean? That might be classified as a seep rather than a leak. About the only way to pinpoint the source is constant inspection. You may get some dye penetrant developer and spray it on the area. It will draw out the oil from seams and give a surer indication of the location.

 

You might just try re-torquing the bolts that you can get to.

 

Frank

[dirtrider]

Morning HDH

 

Pictures you posted are difficult to tell oil stains from other shadows & water marks.

Can you repost the pictures with arrows pointing to the areas that you see oil?

 

I think I see some oil coming from around the starter area. If so that usually points oil seeping inside the trans front housing. That can be from front trans seal, rear main seal, balancer shaft seal, or engine block porosity. (balance shaft seal would be top on my list here).

 

Even a small oil seep is not something you want to see as they usually get worse & (IF) inside the trans front housing will eventually foul the clutch.

 

 

If you are still in warranty (or close) get that oil seep on record with BMW.

 

If you just can't find the source of that oil seep-- you might get some oil leak dye from a GOOD auto parts store, then ride the bike just a bit, then use a black light to track the oil seep source from dye tracks.

 

[Guest Kakugo]

On Triumph's, oil seeps like that happened all the time. We usually didn't bother until they turned into Exxon Valdez style leaks.

 

This one looks exactly like that my brother had on his brand new Suzuki. In his case it was a slightly loose oil sump bolt: dealer re-torqued all sump bolts and away it went.

 

If the bike is just two weeks outside of warranty, and given the fact it's not an item you can ruin through "improper maintenance procedures" or "careless use" it can probably be fixed under warranty.

[dirtrider]

Morning Kakugo

 

The big difference is that your Triumph's didn't have a clutch like the BMW dry clutch. The BMW dry clutch just doesn't play well with oil.

 

 

[Dave_in_TX]

My guess is that it's the cam chain tensioner bolt; I had that problem on mt 2011 RT. According to a thread on AdvRider, it's happened to several others.

[HDH]

Morning HDH

 

Pictures you posted are difficult to tell oil stains from other shadows & water marks.

Can you repost the pictures with arrows pointing to the areas that you see oil?

 

I think I see some oil coming from around the starter area. If so that usually points oil seeping inside the trans front housing. That can be from front trans seal, rear main seal, balancer shaft seal, or engine block porosity. (balance shaft seal would be top on my list here).

 

Even a small oil seep is not something you want to see as they usually get worse & (IF) inside the trans front housing will eventually foul the clutch.

 

 

If you are still in warranty (or close) get that oil seep on record with BMW.

 

If you just can't find the source of that oil seep-- you might get some oil leak dye from a GOOD auto parts store, then ride the bike just a bit, then use a black light to track the oil seep source from dye tracks.

 

The top 2 pictures show the oil build up. Bike is bone dry and clean so all the wet and dirty areas are oil. I'll post a picture with arrows to point to the area where it seems to be coming from.

The bottom picture is the same area after I cleaned it. The drops are water drops from cleaning.

I don't think it comes from the starter area. The leak is in front of the starter. It almost looks that it is coming from the gasket between the cylinder and the crankcase.

[HDH]

My guess is that it's the cam chain tensioner bolt; I had that problem on mt 2011 RT. According to a thread on AdvRider, it's happened to several others.

 

I checked out the thread and it could be from there. I'll have to ride it for a while and then remove the Tupperware again to see if it's from there. It's coming from the back side of the cylinder or a little higher up.

[HDH]

Morning HDH

 

Pictures you posted are difficult to tell oil stains from other shadows & water marks.

Can you repost the pictures with arrows pointing to the areas that you see oil?

 

 

D.R.;

Here are some pictures with arrows:

 

 

 

Thanks for everyone's help!

[dirtrider]

Evening HDH

 

[HDH]

Evening HDH

 

 

Yes there is a little oil there but I assume that is run off from the area up higher at the back of the cylinder. Gravity and wind move it down and backwards. I don't think that the oil would move up and forward. Haven't done any endo's (stoppie's) on this bike (yet ;-) )

[Guest Kakugo]

Joking aside it looks like the seepage comes from the cylinder block base area and has crept its way backward. Doesn't look like it comes from around the clutch housing, which is good news.

 

Now it's a matter of understanding exactly whence it comes from. If it comes from one of the assorted bolts in that area, it's just a matter of fitting a new o-ring or crush washer and tightening the bolt to specs. Had that happen on a Honda, of all bikes.

 

If it comes from the cylinder block itself, it's more complicated. It could be just a matter of retorquing the bolts holding the cylinder to the engine block or it could be a case of cylinder off to change the gasket.

 

Since you cleaned the whole area, you may want to add a dye to the oil (available in most auto part shops), ride the bike normally for a few days, then removing the fairing again (sigh!) to see if the leak came back and to get an idea of where it comes from.

[HDH]

My guess is that it's the cam chain tensioner bolt; I had that problem on mt 2011 RT. According to a thread on AdvRider, it's happened to several others.

 

Dave_in_TX, you were right. After riding the bike for 2 days I took it to the dealer. Without looking at the bike or the pictures the service manager told me immediately that the problem would be the chain tensioner bolt.

I went home removed the plastics and noticed that the area on the top and behind the cylinder was wet again. Everything else was still bone dry. Now that I knew where to look I could see clearly that it is coming from this chain tensioner bolt. See pics:

 

Here you can see that the same area on top show oil again (bottom area is dry)

 

Here a picture from above left cylinder and throttle body. The tensioner bolt is in the center. You can see it's covered in oil and this is the culprit.

 

This is a print out of the chain tensioner bolt detail that the BMW service manager gave me:

 

It's a PITA to get to and I'll have to remove the throttle body. The BMW service instructions even mention to do a TB synchronization after the job has been completed.

 

Everybody who responded to this thread: THANK YOU!

 

This is an easy fix that I'll finish today. It's annoying but not as annoying as the 2014 wethead RT drama. That will be fixed as well but it sucks that they can't ride while the snow if finally gone! This is one of the reasons that I never buy a new model when it is just out.

[HDH]

OK, so I'll finish this thread with a follow up on how I finally solved it:

 

Instead of removing the throttle body, which is a major pain if you don't have the tool for the clamps. I've done it many times on my hexhead GS but I came up with an idea that worked without having to remove the TB.

 

1) - I removed the plastic cover that protects the cam (pulley) for the TB. This to create a little extra space. Just slide it upwards.

 

2) - I took an old 12 point 15mm wrench and bent it with some heat.

 

 

3) - Now the wrench fits in the tight space and over the bolt. With an adjustable wrench on the 15 mm wrench I was able to tighten the bolt 90*.

 

 

After a test ride the bolt was dry and I put the plastics back on. I'll order the ring # 2 and whenever I need to remove the TB's in the future, that's when I'll remove the chain tensioner bolt(s) and replace the rings.

[brbo]

Thanks for all the pics - good info to have..

 

Cheers

[HDH]

Thanks for all the pics - good info to have..

 

Cheers

 

You're welcome!