Oil Warning Light

[EggRider]

I went through a ford using a scenic route home from work and got some water where it shouldn't be causing me to have to wheel my S out of the middle.

After a few coughs and splutters, got the thing started and home, but at the expense of the oil warning light remaining on permanently.

There is plenty of oil in the bike and I have drained out excess water by removing the drain plugs that I am guessing are on the lower edges of the airbox. For info, they are located on the underside of the plastic boxes that are to the rear of the inlet/injector manifolds.

Anyone got any ideas if I can fix the light myself, or is it a "get the bike taken to a dealer on a truck job"

[EggRider]

OK Managed to answer my own question, but as stupidity may be catching, just in case anyone else decides to go scuba diving with their 'S' here's the solution

1) Don't drive through a ford in the first place

2) If you were stupid enough to drive through a ford, drain the water out of the airbox using the spring clipped plugs located behind the inlet manifolds on either side and let the bike drain for a while before attempting to start.

3) Pray you have a good battery as it will take a few attempts

4) If the oil warning light stays on and you definetly have lots of oil then, locate the sensor that is slightly above and behind the oil sight glass, unclip it, dry it out, clean the contacts and apply a little WD40 before clipping it back together. Note as this is near the hot exhaust and mounted on the hot engine, you might want to let the bike cool down before you do this.

[Gromit]

The same thing can happen if you've washed the bike whilst the engine's slightly warm - reckon the moisture in the sensor causes a bad earth, fooling the oil pressure circuit.

[Jason M]

When it realy really rains hard for a few hours my neutral light comes on permanently!

Electrics ehm don't you just love um. Still rather have these conventional ones than the new fangled networks on the new BMs though.

BTW - regarding driving into deep water, a couple of riders I was with in Thailand did a trip into Cambodia on an R850 and a 1100GS. They went into deep water when their bikes were very hot and both bikes fractured the rods in the starters and had to have them welded before they would start!

Jason

[guised]

On the subject of fords. Went through one the other day when I was also taking a fairly weird scenic route (read lost). It was only shallow but I'd forgotten about all the slimey algae crap at the bottom. The slide was lurid and spectacular, and although I'd like to claim skill in saving an embarrasing fall I was actually very lucky.