My ténéré's oil temperature can flirt with the
130 degrees mark of the temp indicator.

First l drive bike from cold about 10 kms to warm up then l let idle for about 5 minutes.
Looking at the temp l see 125° and still rising,
l decide to get some speed and see how fast temp goes down with airflow at about 100 kms/h
from 130° it goes to 120° the first 1000 meters
then 110° the next kilometer,
then it remains 110° for the rest of the COLD winter day trip(my hands were freezing as my red nose!).

Does anyone know if this is normal on a 3AJ ?

And are the engine alu protection vent holes playing a role for oil temp?

Matt

On a cold day my 3AJ is lucky to get above 80 after 20 motorway miles. However, my temp gauge is an aftermarket jobbie, with a sensor in the sump plug.

In a recent trip to morocco I never saw more than 120.

Maybe your sensor/gauge need replacing?

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Barry
3AJ Tenere

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Barry
XT600Z 3AJ Tenere (rebuild in progress)
SRX600

Don't worry too much about it, IF the gauge etc. are ok and the temp. would be 130 degrees it's no problem at all. Even 150 would be ok for normal engine oil.
If you think that your bike gets too hot, or at least hotter than it should get, check the air/fuel mixture.

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Fred, XTZ660, Holland.

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Fred, XTZ660, Holland.

On a related note: Just went from Moyale to Addis Ababa. Got to Addis in late afternoon, got stuck in traffic, and the engine was overheating. I killed it, waited 15 minutes, and then checked into the nearest hotel a quarter of a mile later. Couldn't get the oil cap off after half an hour of trying. Next day I had to use a wrench to get it off. Once open, I noticed something pretty interesting: the dipstick had melted off completely. Of course, the threads were malled too, so I'm not even sure the lid is going to work anymore.

My question is this: after changing the oil (don't have a spare filter), ehecking for the dipstick, cleaning the fins/air filter, adjusting the air/fuel mixture, what else should I do? Also, I'm having a bugger of a time finding another cap and I'm afraid the old one won't reliably make it to Cairo. The Yamaha dealer in the states is oblivious to my European tenere. Any ideas/contact info on where to get a cap for an 86 Tenere (with the right-side mounted oil tank, just under the seat)? Or maybe a way to fix the threads on the old one?

Thanks,

Brian

Thanks for the advice,
I'll check the mixture, cause my temp seems a bit high still.
Yesterday I was riding to town again, it was raining during all the way and, the highest temp I noticed was 150° with slow speed, high speed averaged 110°.
City driving + using of clutch seems to make temp rise quickly.

To answer nishiki, I've had exactly the same problem as you with the stick melting,(I even posted a topic about it on here, but with no reply of anyone having had the same thing, so I thought my bike had some special kind of problem.)
Though now I think it has much to do with city driving&clutch + maybe something else ?!

Anyhow, my stick melted in Paris so it's of course related to traffic jams, still surprised me though cause I've never had the same thing on my previous ténérés and bikes.

You'll find the remainings of the stick on the little metal filter cage in oil tank + in bottom of tank.
Be sure to clean it, and carefull with the O rings sealing M6 bolts on conection while taking cage off, they tend to damage.

I think its impossible that any melted plastic has made its way thru engine, but check what you find in oil tank.

When you order new stick, don't forgett to order the seal, it comes sepately.
I think the best is to order it from South Africa or why not Europe, for example moto ward in UK.
Maybe you could use some kind of rubber and a little liquid gasket on the contact surface to make a temporar cover and fasten it tight with duct tape or something else.

http://www.motoward.co.uk/ UK
http://www.yam93.com/ France
http://www.yamaha.co.za/ South-Africa

I wonder if the overheat problem can have something to do with a compression leak in engine, making hot gas flow out around piston and heat oil up, it would be logic, but I doubt it cause my engine clock is only at 30 000 kms.
If you want to be sure, make a compression test as well.

Otherwise what first worried me was all the other plastic parts of the engine, why shouldn't they have malted as well?!
As the anti return oil valve etc..though later, I've seen no signs of other damage than the stick, so I made the conclusion its just the stick that is made of some cheap crappy plastic material..

I've heard rumors of wünderlich in Germany, selling metal sticks, so maybe it's a common problem after all..

Post here if you find anything new,

Matt

Kedo,and off-the-road sells these little babies, impervious to heat and alien death rays

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Laromo \ '02 KTM 300 EXC "Jake"
'05 KTM 640 ADV "Fatman"

Great discovery laro, I didn't know they existed..
Can be a great solution to replace plastic stick.

Cheers,

Mattias

Guys,

l found the problem,
lt was an unbelivable and very simple one,
the - cable to the electric temp indicator had a weak contact, this seems to disturb exactitude of indication!
l tightened it and today l had problems getting more than 90° !

Matt

That's why I said : IF the gauge is ok.

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Fred, XTZ660, Holland.

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Fred, XTZ660, Holland.

Hi

Yea, I´m glad it wasn´t worse, temp seems stable now.
My XTZ just gets better n better!

I still think one should avoid heavy traffic jams with these bikes, cause it can make them overheat for real.
Thanks for the advice.

Matt