No oil consumption

Discussion of Genuine Scooters and Anything Scooter Related

Moderator: Modern Buddy Staff

Post Reply
User avatar
Knox
Member
Posts: 33
Joined: Fri May 30, 2008 10:25 pm
Location: S. Denver Colorado
Contact:

No oil consumption

Post by Knox »

I rode almost 100 mile yesterday and today, and really though I'd need to add some oil. The level hasn't changed (noticeably). So my question(s): Is there a problem, is low oil consumption normal and if my delusions are true would the motor even run if it wasn't drinking oil?

I know - but remember I'm a newbie here.
User avatar
ericalm
Site Admin
Posts: 16842
Joined: Sat Jun 10, 2006 3:01 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contact:

Post by ericalm »

Oil consumption on all of these engines is pretty low, but you'd kill your engine trying to run without any.

I'm pretty surprised at how infrequently I need to top off the Buddy's oil. In fact, I've gotten lazy about checking the level.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
User avatar
Knox
Member
Posts: 33
Joined: Fri May 30, 2008 10:25 pm
Location: S. Denver Colorado
Contact:

Post by Knox »

Thanks for the feedback - I'm very surprised how low this actually is. I guess if it's running without oil the motor will surely let me know. :shock: [/i]
BGK
Member
Posts: 244
Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:07 pm
Location: Minneapolis

Re: No oil consumption

Post by BGK »

Knox wrote:I rode almost 100 mile yesterday and today, and really though I'd need to add some oil. The level hasn't changed (noticeably). So my question(s): Is there a problem, is low oil consumption normal and if my delusions are true would the motor even run if it wasn't drinking oil?

I know - but remember I'm a newbie here.
In 100 miles you'd use just an ounce or so. Keep an eye on it every 5 tanks of gas or so. The oil light typically works and warns you a good distance ahead of time (unless you are on a cross country trip or something where you'd be out in the middle of nowhere).
User avatar
MarsR
Member
Posts: 351
Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2008 3:32 am
Location: Utah Valley

Post by MarsR »

ericalm wrote:Oil consumption on all of these engines is pretty low, but you'd kill your engine trying to run without any.

I'm pretty surprised at how infrequently I need to top off the Buddy's oil. In fact, I've gotten lazy about checking the level.
It looks to me like he has a 50cc engine that I would guess is a 2-stroke? If so, it should be burning some oil at least, although I have no idea how much these things burn. A 50:1 mix in a lawn mower doesn't require a lot of oil in the mix, but I would think that for a gallon, it might at least be noticeable? I could be totally wrong and rough house has a 4-stroke or has a large enough reservoir that usage on a gallon is not really noticeable. Maybe I should just stick to topics where I know what I'm talking about... :?
MB#1749 RBC#8

"I have GOT to get me one of THESE!"
--Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith), Independence Day
User avatar
illnoise
Moderator Emeritus
Posts: 3245
Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:23 pm
Location: Chicago, IL

Post by illnoise »

Yeah, it's a 2-stroke, so it's burning off oil with the gas.

I don't know what the mix ratio is, but 2% (1:50) is fairly typical, which would mean (if my math is right) roughly 2.5 oz per gallon of gas.

A liter bottle of oil is 33.8 oz, so it'd take over 9 gallons (several fillups) to consume an entire bottle of 2-stroke oil. (I don't know how much the reservoir holds, but you should know roughly how much you poured in, if it wasn't a whole bottle.

So it's not getting consumed very quickly, but the level should noticeably drop over a couple fillups. As Eric pointed out, if there's something wrong and the oil's not getting mixed in, that's very bad, so if you don't see it dropping at all, get it checked out ASAP.

Bryan
2strokebuzz: When news breaks, we put it under a tarp in the garage.
Groovealufagus
Member
Posts: 111
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2008 6:22 pm
Location: Denver, CO

Post by Groovealufagus »

If it was topped off when you got the Roughhouse, you can count on getting close to 800 miles on that full container.
don'tmesswithmyscootscoot

Post by don'tmesswithmyscootscoot »

is all this talk just for 2 strokes or do we with 4 strokes need to check it that often as well?
User avatar
illnoise
Moderator Emeritus
Posts: 3245
Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:23 pm
Location: Chicago, IL

Post by illnoise »

don'tmesswithmyscootscoot wrote:is all this talk just for 2 strokes or do we with 4 strokes need to check it that often as well?
2-strokes mix special oil with the gas that lubricates the crank/cylinder, and it's burnt off as the fuel ignites, so the oil needs to be topped off regularly (or in the case of old bikes, measured and mixed in with the gas at each fillup). If no oil is getting mixed with the gas, it's a very big problem.

4-strokes lubricate the cylinder and crank with the engine oil. Over time, a little bit seeps through the rings and burns off, so it could get a bit low, especially on a worn-out engine, but on a newer engine, it's very unlikely you'd need to worry about it between service intervals, even if the level did drop a little, you're still probably OK.
2strokebuzz: When news breaks, we put it under a tarp in the garage.
User avatar
rablack
Member
Posts: 113
Joined: Fri Aug 18, 2006 3:33 pm
Location: Houston, Texas
Contact:

Post by rablack »

I get 600 - 800 miles per bottle of oil on my 50 cc Buddy.
Scooterist, lawyer, double bassist www.traveler-music.com
don'tmesswithmyscootscoot

Post by don'tmesswithmyscootscoot »

thanks for the info... I am still getting used to all the new quarks of scootin'.
User avatar
MikieTaps
Member
Posts: 2462
Joined: Wed May 14, 2008 3:38 am
Location: Bellevue WA "the dirty eastside"
Contact:

Post by MikieTaps »

i thought they covered this in the manual...
here it is,

"drinking rider slippery in oil"

Translates to :

When you are riding your buddy dont drink oil... :wink:

It might be different in the new manuals, eric, do you have yours yet?
Image
Image
Post Reply