Mr_D Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Can someone please tell me how to check the Oil Level. There is a site window in the side of the Crank case. Should the bike be on the sidestand or on the Center stand. This may seem simple to most riders with any amoutn of riding experince, but the Oil Level light stays on consitantly at road speed but all goes out under aceleration. I just changed the oil 3 weeks Before Pigstock and have put less than 500 clicks on it since then. I hope somepone can help me make sense of the Oil Level light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blaine Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 If your oil level is good and you have no leaks,it sounds like your oil light sending unit is faulty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_D Posted October 12, 2011 Author Share Posted October 12, 2011 Since the dash board Light calls it an Oil Level Light. Would it be Possible for that light to come on in an overfill situation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blaine Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Since the dash board Light calls it an Oil Level Light. Would it be Possible for that light to come on in an overfill situation? I don't think so.The light sending unit is activated by oil pressure.Low or no pressure causes the light to come on.Unless the sending is faulty.When the unit is faulty,it can't sense oil pressure to shut the light out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Looking at the year of your bike I think you might be in the same boat I am with a '99 Virago. The older, seasoned, bikes do not pressure sensors but rather a float sensors. Oil light An irritating thing that happens with some Viragos is this: the oil light comes on when you know you have enough oil in the bike. Often it happens when you are starting out. First of all, let's be clear that the oil light indicates oil level in the crankcase (engine sump) not a lack of oil pressure. The best and most positive way to check your oil level is by looking at the level window (sight glass) on the left side of your engine toward the front. With the bike on the centerstand You'll have to get down on your knees to do this. The level window has an upper and a lower line, and if you see oil there, you have oil, regardless of what the oil light is doing. A note of oil level: Go for a ride. Let your bike sit a while. Check your level window. Top up to near the top line, as needed. As oil expands, the level sometimes goes a little higher than the top line, to where the whole window is full. This is not a problem, but overfilling by a quart or so, is. As for the oil level light, it is turned on by a sender which resides in the bottom of your engine just to the rear of the oil filter cover, and under a little cover of its own. The switch is actually a little float which goes up and down in a tube. When the float hits bottom, a contact is made and the light goes on. The tube has little holes in it so that it fills, and unfills, slowly. This is to prevent the float from bobbing up and down every time you lean the bike in a corner or hit a bump. For reasons I can't fully explain, the float sometimes gets sticky and stays too low, or the tube fails to fill, turning the light on when in fact you have plenty of oil. Possible things to do if you have this problem: 1. Change your oil. Fresh oil may unstick things. 2. keep your oil level high in the level window. Low oil will contribute to the problem. Note that running the bike on the side stand may well turn the light on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tomahawk Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 http://www.ebay.ca/itm/83-1983-YAMAHA-X ... 5890180757 Not expensive to replace Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tomahawk Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 Since the dash board Light calls it an Oil Level Light. Would it be Possible for that light to come on in an overfill situation? One forum suggests filling to the top of the site glass not the line. So an overfill shouldn't make it light. I would bet it is stuck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peabody Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 I have a 97 Virago, does the same thing regardless of their being proper oil within. Generally, at start up but if I don't see it on when warming up, it usually comes on and goes off within the first mile or two. I trust what I can see through glass rather than the light on the dash but your confusion was mine when I first bought this bike. Safe riding! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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