Did oil change & checked level properly; NO oil showing on dip stick - any ideas?

[mgardiner2673]

Need some help, friends. Just changed the oil in my 2018 Spyder F3-S. Owner's manual explains the entire oil check routine which I followed to the letter. Owner's manual also says that my bike requires 5 US quarts with just an oil and filter change. After the oil change, I went far a test ride, 9 miles, and upon return I let the bike idle for 10 minutes. After shut-down, I immediately checked the oil level. There was no oil showing on the end of the dipstick. Anyone have any reason why? I have since re-checked the oil with the same problem. It's almost like my manual is incorrect when it says 5 quarts of oil.

 

[Mikey]

I will bet if you put a half a qt in it and take it out around the block and come back shut it down and check the oil, you'll be close, you may need to put a splash more but check it out!! do what the book said and trust the stick not the book!

 

[Ex-Rocket]

Just a thought. The dipstick is hard to read, cause the oil color kind of blends in with the color of the dipstick. I would check the oil again according to the book. After taking your bike for a ride, turn off and let set for a few seconds and then check the level. Be sure to screw your dipstick all the way in. Pull out dipstick and have a piece of paper towel handy and touch the paper towel to the dipstick and see if any oil shows up on the dipstick. If not add maybe a half quart and repeat the process. Hope this helps.

 

[mgardiner2673]

Thank you Ex-Rocket. All replies help and are welcomed. Ideas come from all sources. Thanks again!

 

[Allen42]

I like the "touch the towel" idea to find the wet spot. What happened to the dipsticks of old with the little holes in them? They were so much easier to read.

 

[Snowbelt Spyder]

No, your manual isn’t wrong. When I went from the 998 to the 1330, I discovered exactly what Rocket was saying. New oil is so clear, it doesn’t show very well on that dipstick color. It can be over that upper bead onto the cable, and look like it’s not even showing. Look for oil in the little holes in the beads. Plus, I don’t know who came up with 9 miles, but that’s hardly far enough to get the oil up to the proper temperature for an accurate reading. Don’t be afraid to go a little further. As long as there are no leaks, you KNOW that you have 5 quarts in there.

 

[Deanna777]

I agree with what Ex-Rocket says.

Deanna

 

[lvmyspyder]

Lot of good information on this thread. Make sure when you check it, you screw the dipstick down like it is when you ride. Then check it. As some of the riders here have said, that clean oil is hard to see on the stick. You might try one of those darker blue or darker shop towels. Just press it on there and see where the oil is in relationship to where you put that dipstick if that makes sense.

 

[mdawg]

@mgardiner2673 : Were you ever able to get any oil to show up on your dipstick? If so, how much oil did you end up using in total? I am facing the same issue as you described on my 2022 F3-S I recently purchased from an individual. There is no oil on the dip stick AT ALL after changing the engine oil and engine oil filiter and following the manual exactly as you did (5 quarts). I've eventually added a total of about 5.6 quarts of oil, and I don't get even a hint of oil on the dip stick after riding for almost an hour and immediately checking the dip stick upon turning off the bike. There is nothing on the dip stick. This is completely different from my 2015 F3 and my friend's 2023 F3 Limited. On those two bikes, we both clearly see oil on the dip stick even when checked cold.

 

[Peter Aawen]

See all the earlier replies about checking your oil level.

If you KNOW that you put in the correct quantity of oil with the oil change, or even just got close (with saaay, anything even vaguely near 5 quarts) then unless there's a big puddle of oil on the ground under your Spyder where you did the job &/or or evidence of a major oil leak when you ride, then I'd STRONGLY recommend that you DO NOT ADD TOO MUCH MORE OIL until you work out what you are doing wrong or not seeing during your checking process!!

Over-filling these things can be expensive, and because of their dry sump system, over-filling can be waaay more destructive than running them a little (or even a lottle!) low on oil - with this sort of dry sump system, the reservoir and oil pump system WILL give you adequate oil pressure to lubricate things properly until they are quite low on oil and the pressure drops, at which time you should see an oil warning light!! So if you haven't seen an oil warning light on the dash, chances are that you've either misread the dipstick or haven't followed the correct checking procedure, and without any other signs to indicate there being extremely low or no oil in the engine &/or reservoir, that's far more likely than it is that you're likely to damage anything by running it as it is!

So, how confident are you that you got at least something near 5 quarts of oil in the engine during that oil change?

 

[mdawg]

Thanks for the response Peter. I am 100% confident that I added 5 quarts of oil during my oil change. I bought the 6 qt. oil and filter change kit from Lamonster and used 5 of the 6 quarts. I then rode 10 miles and let bike idle for 10 minutes before shutting it down and checking the dip stick within 20 seconds. No oil on dip stick. I am fully inserting and closing the dip stick during the checking process per the manual. I then immediately added 0.5 quarts from the 6th quart in the kit and restarted bike and let it idle for 10 minutes. I shut it down, checked the dip stick within 20 seconds, and again no oil except for a small amount on the "bottom side" of the three "bulbs" on the dip stick. I then immediately added about 0.1 quarts more and repeated the 10 minute idle process and checked and no oil on dip stick. I stopped adding oil at that point. The next day, I took it out for a 50 minute ride and checked the oil immediately upon return (I didn't do the 10 minute idle this time). No oil at all at this time... not even a hint on the bulbs. I'm expecting to see oil all the way around the dip stick just like I see on my 2015 F3 (like I would see if I stuck my finger into a vat of oil and pulled it out), but I'm not. There are no puddles of oil anywhere under the bike nor on the engine. There is no warning light. Bike does not smoke from burning oil.

 

[Dasmoetorhead]

Just throwing this idea out here because everything else has been covered.
Could you possibly have the 1 in a million SHORT Dipstick?
Measure it and I'll compare mine to yours.

 

[Dasmoetorhead]

Here's the dipstick out of my F3S

 

[Poasttown]

Is it possible to measure how much oil you drained out? I’m not sure this will tell you a lot but might be interesting to know.

Poasttown 2019 F3L

 

[JayBros]

This thread is interesting because it harkens back to the introduction of the 1330 ACE engine in which there was confusion about how to properly check the oil and read the dipstick. What's so difficult about reading a dipstick? The terrible editors and proofreaders of the 2014 RT Operator's Guide began with a picture of a V-Twin dipstick, that's nothing like the dipstick in the 1330 engine. Yes, the dipstick part numbers for the RT and F3 are different. Why? Don't know and haven't physically compared side by side. Topping it off, there was also some confusion about the actual quantity of oil needed to bring the level to the full mark on the correct 1330 dipstick. A BRP representative explained the post ride idle check rationale was to allow the scavenge pumps to return all the oil to the dry sump oil tank so one can get an accurate reading within the two minutes recommended for checking the dipstick. The final answer from the BRP rep was 5 qt poured into a drained engine (crankcase and clutch cover, aka transmission plug, removed and changed oill filter) and checked at the 10 min idle time or two cyclings of the cooling fans would bring the oil level to the middle bulb (Min level) on the dipstick. Since motor oil not only lubricates but also helps cool an ICE, that amount of oil needed to bring the level on the dipstick to the full mark without overfilling assists in both lubricating and cooling, although how much it helps with the latter is probably insignificant.

How did I solve the top off problem without overfilling it? Over the years and good number of oil and filter changes my roadster's been through I began with 5 qt plus 4 oz and carefully added an additional 2 oz until I reached 5 qt and 14 oz that brings it just to the Full bulb on the dipstick. YMMV. For s&g's today, I checked the oil level on a cold engine that was last ridden 48 hours ago, something I've never done before. The oil level was a bit more than 1/3 above the Min bulb but not yet halfway to the Full bulb. No thread highjack intended.

 

[Bangorbob]

So, 5 Qts and 14 oz is 2 oz shy of 5.5 qts.

 

[TheMariner]

I dunno what BRP genius decided to make the level indicator moulded on the end of the dipstick 'fresh oil' colour.

I followed the manual's instructions for checking the level but just couldn't reliably read the oil level, so I gave up. I now just pour in the manual's recommended volume of oil... 4.7L (5qt US) when doing engine oil and oil filter replacement.

 

[EdMat]

For s&g's today, I checked the oil level on a cold engine that was last ridden 48 hours ago, something I've never done before. The oil level was a bit more than 1/3 above the Min bulb but not yet halfway to the Full bulb. No thread highjack intended.

Do that 4 times with at least 2 days between test and I bet at least 1 time it shows no oil on the dipstick.

 

[PURPLEON3]

I dunno what BRP genius decided to make the level indicator moulded on the end of the dipstick 'fresh oil' colour.

I followed the manual's instructions for checking the level but just couldn't reliably read the oil level, so I gave up. I now just pour in the manual's recommended volume of oil... 4.7L (5qt US) when doing engine oil and oil filter replacement.

I have commented on this dipstick color in my oil change videos, lol

 

[JayBros]

Here's the dipstick out of my F3S
View attachment 211786

Just measured mine, 2014 & 2018 RT have same PN, and mine is only 11 1/8" measured same way as Dasmoetorhead's. 2018 F3 and 2022 F3S dipsticks have same PN.