ER6-F Oil warning light mystery

[Keithy]

Had a red warning light a couple of weeks back as I rode through town, assumed I needed to check the coolant because when I got moving, keeping the revs low, it clicked off.

Got home and checked everything, all levels ok, rad in tip top nick, nothing obviously wrong. Hmmm, odd. Just been out and when I got fouled up in traffic, once again the light pops up. Clear of traffic and everything is fine once more.

Got home, checked the warning lights on the panel and, donut alert, it’s actually the oil warning light

Here’s the thing, I had checked everything including the oil level.

Having got home the bike is on a stand and the oil is bang on the top marker.

So, faulty sensor, crappy oil (only done 3k), squinty eyesight, sloping house/garage/stand, any other suggestions?

What to do?

[xX-Alex-Xx]

Change the oil and filter and see if it comes back.

You not check the level with the bike on the wheels?
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DILLIGAF

[MCN]

[xX-Alex-Xx]

[WD Forte]

what's an erf6f?
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bikers smell of wee

[jeffyjeff]

make sure the oil in your bike does not smell of fuel.
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History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[Keithy]

[sickpup]

The ER6 runs a pressure switch so it could be cheap oil thinning at high temps, the wrong grade oil or you have a crank shell problem

[WD Forte]

Not knowing the year and more precise details of the model & spec
other than its a filthy smelly biker machine
I did a wee bit googling

If the ER6F ABS wiring diagram I looked at is relevant and to be trusted,the oil light has multiple purposes.
it's also used to signal problems with the cooling and battery.
If this is correct you may barking up the wrong tree looking
at oil pressure
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bikers smell of wee

[WD Forte]

[F18]

So is it an OIL light ? (oil low pressure)

Or is it, like another kwak I know, a warning light for which you have to search for a oil can symbol (low oil pressure) or maybe in this case the 'something else' ?
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Summer is just around the corner

[Keithy]

Update.

Off the stand the oil level was a bit, ‘Maybe yes, maybe nah’ so put a teeny bit in first thing. Ride across town, then 15 miles out was a-OK.

Today was a ‘slow riding’ (low speed handling) half day so quietly dreading it, not least because going slow seems to throw up warning lights.

Needless to say the old warning lights popped up throughout the course of the morning, but they seemed to take it in turns, first we would get an oil light, then a temp light, then an oil light, and so on, so it looks like like @F18 and @WD Forte are on the right track.

[doggone]

It's not indicating your oil level but your oil pressure.
It would need to get desperately low for the pump not to be able to draw oil and keep pressure adequate.
So suspicion falls on oil pump but a common reason for odd oil light behaviour is a faulty sensor.
Usually this just screws into the engine case like a spark plug, if you can locate it make sure the lead(s) to it are clean and dry.
They are not expensive to replace and it would be worth doing that before going further.

[F18]

Sounds fbar'd - old oil (thin), not enough of it; coolant overheating (int.)

Does the fan even work (does it have a fan) ?

Who knows. If it was mine I'd be digesting the handbook to see what exactly it says about these lights.
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Summer is just around the corner

[stinkwheel]

If it's like other kawasakis I've had, the oil sensor is a sprung plunger that earths the signal when there is low pressure.

So if the outside of it is shorting to anything, the light will come on. If anything is pressing against the outside of it, the oil light will come on a low revs but the plunger will tend to be forced out by the oil pressure at higher revs.

Had this on my KLE500. Oil light would intermittantly flicker in town. It turns out when I bolted the belly pan on tightly, it moved the header pipe of the aftermarket exhaust across slightly and pushed it against the back of the pressure switch. A coule of washers under the belly pan fixed the issue. So find out where the pressure switch is and make sure nothing's touching it.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[stevo123]

not helpful now but maybe in future: Orange lights are for information. Red lights are more serious and require attention at that point in time.

[Keithy]

Did actual proper mechaniky stuff yesterday and took bits off the bike. The rad, which on cursory inspection looked low, was actually spot on. No damage, no leaks, hoses ok. Oil also ok. No wires hanging off or owt either.

@Stevo123, thanks, aware of that, hence both of these being problematic.

[Ste]

[Keithy]

Quick update should anyone be interested or having the same issue. I dropped the bike in for MoT, service and a bit of fault finding.

The fan is borked, basically the fuse was blown, replacing the fuse results in it blowing again in 5 mins. Apparently the wiring is fine and the fans smells like toast when I make it, burnt.

New fan in the £200 region and, shock horror, on back order.

Flea-bay ahoy!

[WD Forte]

So, what are saying
The non working fan caused it to overheat and the
light was an indicator of this?
or is this some new problem?

I'd have the fan apart to see if its just worn out brushes
and a new set and clean up would sort it
before spending any dosh.
You buy a second hand one and it may be nearly as bad
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bikers smell of wee

[Keithy]

Yup, the duff fan was causing the overheat. The warning light was varying between oil pressure/temperature so not really helpful as there is no ‘fan is borked’ light.

As a replacement is on the way I’ll get the borked one and see if my neighbour, who - from a mechanical and engineering perspective - runs rings around me, has any idea.

I seem to be in the business of collecting spare bits ATM.

[stinkwheel]

If it's the brushes, you can often cut/file down spare washing machine motor brushes to the correct dimensions. Wear gloves though because the graphite dust doesn't wash off.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.