Oil Changes - SCAG - Kawasaki

33123 Views 5 Replies 4 Participants Last post by herler, Dec 13, 2012

GreenBlade

Discussion Starter · Dec 12, 2012

First time having to do it & I'm a little confused.

Usually have someone do it for me, but saving money.

I have a TigerCat with a Kawi 691FX engine. It says in the manual add 1.9 if filter is not removed; 2.2 if it is.

I bought 2quarts because my SCAG dealer said that I wont use all the 2. They said add 1.5, run through, settle, check & add if needed.

I did replace the filter & I have added all the 1st & most the 2nd. The gauge reads right in between "ADD" & "FULL", which is what the manual says it should, but all the little holes do not have oil on them. I always thought all the holes had to be filled with oil.

Let me know what you guys do & what you think I should do. Just learning!

Save

1 - 6 of 6 Posts

Ridin' Green

· #2 · Dec 12, 2012

Small engines depend on oil and air for cooling (outside of LQ engines), so I always fill the crankcase to the full mark on the dipstick, but not over. Too much oil can be about as bad as not enough. 2 quarts isn't that much oil to depend on for both lubrication and cooling, so I use as much as I can without going over. Plus, a lot of new engines (and some not so new engines) typically use some oil so having it full to the top mark is a good idea.

Make sure you don't screw in the dipstick when checking the level on a Kawi. It should rest on top of the tube, not down in or screwed in.

Save

GreenBlade

Discussion Starter · #3 · Dec 12, 2012

bump
Posted via Mobile Device

Save

Ridin' Green

· #4 · Dec 12, 2012

Every Kawi engine I've owned has had an add and full mark on the dipstick. Most of Kawi's engines for the last several years have had plastic dipsticks, and they don't have any holes in them. Ignore the holes. They have nothing to do with how much oil it should have. The full mark or the upper end of the checked area is the go by, not the holes.

Your dealer told you that you wouldn't need/use all of the 2 quarts of oil based on not changing the filter. If the manual says to use a certain amount, go by that, not what your dealer tells you. He doesn't have to pay any repair bills for you, so what he would do personally doesn't really matter.

Save

Chris Feenan

· #5 · Dec 12, 2012

I wonder if you screwed in the filler cap when you checked the level, as has been suggested - a common mistake I am sure. If you did, it would say your level was OK, even though it is really a bit low.

You may also not have drained all of the old oil. Did you warm the machine up first ? The oil drains slow thru that tube. No big deal if you left a bit of old oil in there, but that may explain why your level reads OK even tho you didn't add 2.2. qts yet. The .2 qts is only 6.4 ounces (half a beer bottle) but you should add it if it looks like it needs it. Why not go up to "full" ?

Save

herler

· #6 · Dec 13, 2012

Another point of general contention is that the machine needs to sit at a certain angle to provide good drainage for the old oil to seep out, but perfectly level to provide an accurate level reading... As for the level being between Add and Full is fine so long the dipstick was seated and NOT turned in is correct, it also helps greatly to keep a quart of oil in the truck and check ALL engine oil levels OFTEN (at least daily, assuming the machine is being used, this includes the truck).

Save

1 - 6 of 6 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month