Hi all.

A friend of a friend has an `07 Heritage Soft Tail. Not a mark on it, so guessing less than 20,000 K`s on it. He runs HD oil in it. We went on a 200K ride on the weekend. 5 K's from home, his oil light is on. He keeps riding (as ya do??!) and after a couple of K's the light goes out and does its thing as normal. This is it's first ride after a home oil change. The oil is at the right level on the dip stick.

I imagine a twin cams oil pressure light don't come on unless there's trouble?? My shovel oil pressure light doesn't play up, and a twin cam has to be better.

When we got to his place, he told me what had happened. I looked around, found the oil pressure switch and  pulled the wire off it. Earthed the wire out and the oil pressure light comes on up as it should. Took it off earth and it goes out.

Thinking the next step would be a new switch and see what happens???

He's worried about it. Just trying to help him out. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks,

           Rick.

 

I would have stopped the bike there and then. The light comes on for a reason. When you start the bike can you see oil being returned to the tank?. If it is the switch he is lucky he could have done some serious damage.
A dickhead bloke I know was riding to darwin when the oil light came on. He stopped and checked, had oil in the tank and thought it's nothing and kept riding. His oil pump had shit itself, a couple of ks later it stopped, seized motor....

I wouldn't be riding until the fault was identified... Hopefully it is the switch. I run a pressure gauge of mine just for that reason.

Thanks AJ56.

I'll get him to check the oil is returning to the tank. By the time he told me what had happened, the oil pressure light was out and appeared to be working as it should.

Perhaps get him to have a gauge fitted??

New switch and a gauge??

If the oil is returning then yep fit a new switch. The gauge is an added bonus. Atleast you know that you have pressure.

if the oil pump was not working when riding the hyd tappets would start to get rattle (ticking sound ) as no oil presure & would bleed off while riding  you would hear it if your exh pipe's are not too loud, otherwise it might be & air lock in the system or a bad oil presure switch i hope he did not undo the allen head presure plug under the crankcase when draining the oil , only drain the oil tank only & fill the new oil filter with oil before fitting it up

Thanks all.

I'll make sure he only drains it from the oil tank, check return oil and if it looks good, I'll try a new switch.

G'day Dave. Looking forward to catching up again mate.

See ya........