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3rd gen got hot after oil change

14K views 55 replies 11 participants last post by  kerwinsee 
#1 ·
So as stated in the title, just changed the oil, it has 7800+km on it. Im still trying to know what the previous oil was but right now i used Castrol Power 1 semi synthetic 10-40. It seems the bike is running a lot hotter than before. Today is supposed to be cooler than usual but the bike is running really hot, i can feel it in my legs. What are the possible reasons for this? Thanks guys
 
#2 ·
You know, assuming your oil light is not on, its ntootoverfilled, and mechanical issues, its really not possible.

All else being equal....a 10/40 oil of brand x vs a 10/40 oil of brand y will show zero change.

When you say , "Its running hotter", how are you determining that?
 
#3 ·
Well i use the bike daily, and even when wearing shorts, on the way to the gym 4 blocks away, i don't feel my legs getting hot, after the oil change, i can feel the hot air in my face while stopping at a corner, and today i wore jeans and my calves and legs feel really hot. I used 4 liters of oil as indicated on the specs, used a new filter from kawasaki, and didn't change anything else. I think the previous oil was mineral, right now semi synthetic.
 
#4 ·
Same thing is happening with my '10

I changed oil at beginning of season, and recently Kawi did it for the 18,000 km maintenance (I went to them after low-siding, just to check everything else out).

They advised me that unless the light is on, it's "normal" for it to run hot like you're mentioning. I don't like it, but I've started to tolerate it.

But since deciding to sell the bike, I haven't ridden it much, so I can't vouch if it's still doing it. I was noticing it during hot riding days a lot more than usual, so maybe it had something to do with it.
 
#6 ·
must be coconut oil there bro? lol..
anyway mine was different experience i was running hotter on mobil 1 compared to amsoil.. but thats different story other than oil change did you mod other things to the bike?
the 4th gen is notorious for being hot, compared to my 3rd gen from before..
 
#7 ·
LOL I need to check that out, might be palm oil from our grocery store, must've mixed that up. Haha but jokes aside, it is really noticeable, during full stops, if i lean over, i can feel the heat coming up the front of the tank. Also, the fan comes on earlier than usual.
 
#8 ·
Without a temp gauge you don't know if it's actually running hotter or not. Maybe you sat longer than usual or the wind is blowing a different direction. Could be humidity or something changing the perceived effects of heat.

On bikes I've had with temp gauges, I've never seen a temp change between different brands/types of oil.

If you don't like feeling engine heat, drive a car.
 
#12 ·
That's not even the point. The point is i rode for maybe 2months on this almost daily, and right after the oil change, on that same day, and up until now, it is running hotter, which is why i came to the forum to ask what might be causing it because it is sudden and very noticeable.
 
#9 ·
If I decide to keep my Z, I'm debating on perhaps running thicker oil on my next change, like a 50w. Cause I'm running 10w40 now, so perhaps a heavier weight will keep it "cooler" longer, especially since peak season here is 30+ and an I4 tends to run hotter than most other bikes, from what I'm told.

I just don't get how my 2003 SV650 HAD a temp gauge, but my 2010 Z doesn't... Seems that should be a more of a standard feather than a gear indicator.
 
#11 ·
3rd gen is the first Z to not come with a temp gauge.

Running thicker oil will just reduce power and could cause engine damage. The bearing tolerances are designed for 10w-40.
 
#13 ·
If you're determined the oil makes it hotter, change the oil.

There is no reason for that to be the case, but if it will make you happy go for it. Let us know if you can tell a difference afterwards.
 
#18 ·
No, that's why i asked if it is possible for oil change to have a big effect on temperature since it happened right after changng oil. If it does not, then i'll have to look for other reasons, maybe i did something wrong or maybe something else is acting up.
 
#22 ·
So I did a long trip, 140km 1 way, and then back, displayed my bike on a show, and it seems the engine really does feel hotter since even my friends noticed when they approached me, cooling is fine, so I dunno what's up but it's not severely bad, didn't give me any problems, and overheat warning didn't come on, noticed my tires are showing the fly though so time to change. Thinking of going Pirelli Angel GT, it currently has Angel ST, but I'm thinking of going 190/55 this time instead of 190/50. Pirelli is pretty expensive over here, tires cost like 19k+ at 1:49 conversion.
 
#23 ·
I still think you will end up chasing your tail until you have proof it really is running hotter.

Asking a friend sounds good, but its still asking them to use a memory compared to todays reality. Of course it feels hotter, today, as I never looked before sort of thing...

So, how can we gather info we no longer have a way to obtain?
 
#24 ·
Trail tech makes a universal temp gauge. You can cut a radiator hose and put it in line. Then you will know what the temp actually is.
 
#25 ·
I didn't ask them, they just said "hey how come you're bike feels hotter." While standing very near my bike. My other friend who also borrows my bike from time to time also said the same thing. I remember my fan never comes on for rides to the gym, because it is only 4 blocks away, but now it does.
 
#26 ·
#29 ·
Yes it is driving me nuts. Now it could be a coincidence, maybe like others pointed out, there's a change in climate/humidity, but that is quite the timing if the climate changed after the oil change. Which is not impossible, but unlikely, and lately weather has been cooler than before.
 
#28 ·
I did adjust the idle, but that was before i changed the oil, i also added 0.5 fuel to low, medium, and high, on the ejk fuel controller. But that didn't change the temp. Now the thing i changed at the same time with the oil, was i added a mud guard on my bike, removed the rear brake and attached it there. I don't think i touched anything else when changing oil. So maybe it really is a coincidence, but remember i rode the bike all the way to my friend's shop and it didn't feel hot, made it idle a while and still doesn't feel hot at all, after the oil change, it felt hot a minute after starting, and it's the same up until now.

After adjusting the fuel i noticed that i no longer have backfires so it used to be leaner, which would mean that it should've ran hotter than now.
 
#32 ·
I decided to revive this after a while, now I've done some riding since the last post and I've been thinking, I heard people around here saying to watch out for fake Castrol products, is it possible that I have bought fake oil and that is the cause for the heat?
 
#33 ·
How much does castrol oil cost? Maybe 4.00. per quart if you are not trying hard?

If I were goign to make a fake product, Id choose something that cost over 5.00. per quart. How about you?

Would it make much sense to put 3.00 per quart oil into a container that sold for a whole 5.00 per container?
 
#35 ·
This is the Philippines, and i've asked around and they all say watch out for fake castrol products. I don't think you need a temp gauge to say that something is running hotter than before. Radiator and fan are working properly. The thing is, again, ever since i bought the bike, the only thing i did was change the setup on the the fuel controller, but that didn't change the heat i can feel between my legs and on my calves, i used it a long time before i changed oil, around 1000km after changing the setting on the controller before I changed oil, now on the way to the shop, it still felt the same, right after i changed the oil and filter, and started it up, my legs felt hot.
 
#36 ·
Price here is 250 pesos per liter, which translates to around $5, exchange rate is 1:48.40. Also, in case you didn't know, a lot of people here in the Philippines make less than $4/day at their jobs, so if they want to change oil, so go figure with the fake stuff.
 
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