81 XJ750 Oil Light

Slightly stale thread but it's the first post I came across when researching the oil light. Not sure if this will help anyone, just thought I'd add to the narrative.

I bought one in 2022 that had been sitting in a shed for 33 years. It had 25,500 miles. I replaced the oil and filter at that time and replaced the oil, filter, and clutch discs at 27,500. The oil and filter were changed again at 31,000. I always use the Rotella 15W40 oil.

I was riding it this morning and the oil light came on (I was going between 70-75 mph shortly before that). At this point I was 22 miles from home. The oil in the window was like Guinness but not creamy. I added about 1/2 quart of some energy conserving 10W30 ($9/bottle at little convenience store) and started it up, the oil light stayed on all the way home.

I changed the oil and filter when I got home, the oil was dark but I could see through it and there was only a small amount of black stuff on the drain plug magnet. I would have thought I'd get more than 1,300 miles on an oil change....

I started it and rode it 15 miles to work with no issues and no oil light. I'll monitor it and see if I need to use some Seafoam in the future.

 

I gave up on that temperamental oil level light long ago. Sometimes it worked and others it became a nuisance to the point bypassing it just to stop the WARNING from blinking. There are a lot of things I like about the SECA... that ATARI is not one of them. Too many ingredients in the gumbo.

Checking the oil window is a long running habit of mine so I really don't need some light nagging at me because that internal reed switch won't close properly. I just grounded the wire and ride off into the sunset. The root cause is the magnet used to trigger the reed switch gets weak over time and doesn't have the pull needed to close the contacts thus triggering the light, the float itself is most likely okay and doing its job.

 

The 900 engine (and possibly the 750) have an oil pressure gallery that's plugged at the left side; perfectly possible to put an oil pressure switch in there.
I'd much rather do that than have no warning at all.
Never liked the oil level light idea.

 

Good point and I'm going to look at this for an honest pressure gauge.

As far as the ATARI goes on the 750 there's really no high-tech magic inside that box, instead of red warning lights like a Plymouth K-Car for example they spell out the problem on an LCD and blink a red warning light. Bulb minders are nothing more than a current loop and the gas gauge uses the same circuit as a cheap-azz cassette deck with the 5-LED Vu lights. Sure it was high-tech for the 1980's but so was the ColecoVision and the Coleco Electronic Quarterback football game had far more smarts under the hood. I only tolerate the Yamaha ATARI box because it's part of the bike theme however consideration is being given to some of the modern aftermarket bike displays with the GPS speedometer and I may simplify things in the near future... this includes a real oil pressure gauge/readout and WB02 package.

 

As long as the oil warning light doesn't start coming on frequently and/or for no apparent reason, I'll keep it as is just in case it does work as it's supposed work.