Poor MPG and a oily, rich smell from the exhaust.

[Tiger-G]

Hi All,

Wonder if anyone can point me in the right direction on this one please ??

I've been getting 41mpg out of my 06 '955 on the last few fill ups, even though I've been riding like a big girl's blouse, and there's been a rich / oily smell from the exhaust for ages now. It also uses a bit of oil.

Would a faulty O2 sensor throw up an engine light or fault code ??

What is the most common cause of oil usage on the Tigers ?? Is it piston rings or something in the head ??

Oh....and as some of you may remember, I had a load of trouble with the bike not starting due to an ECM relay, wiring issue before Xmas, and I've got the TOR map on it.

Cheers,
Graeme.

[Timbox2]

Too vague, How much is a bit of oil?

How many miles has engine done? Generally Tigers dont use much oil but on the early engines the breather seal can go in the Generator cover, an 06 bike though normally has the later breather system without that seal?

O2 sensor would only normally throw a MIL light if actually disconnected, wiring broke etc. 41MPG is low, mine dont get that low even ragging it. Think you need to pull the plugs and have a look, possibility of injector issue. Tune ECU may point to it if you start bike from cold and watch the readings on the diags screen.

[HockleyBoy]

My 06 had recently got down to mid 30s mpg. Pulled the K&N air filter and the Iridium plugs (filter was clean and the plugs fairly new) and replaced with an OEM paper filter and standard plugs and my fuel  consumption went back up into the mid 40s.

No idea why.

[Timbox2]

My 06 had recently got down to mid 30s mpg. Pulled the K&N air filter and the Iridium plugs (filter was clean and the plugs fairly new) and replaced with an OEM paper filter and standard plugs and my fuel  consumption went back up into the mid 40s.

No idea why.

No idea either, but interestingly, a few years back when I had the first Girly I remember chatting to a Triumph Old Timer at Bevans in Cardiff who said they tried K&N's in a few 955's and always had slight running issues and reverted to std filters. But Saying all that, my current bike has a K&N,  runs well, and rarely drops below 50ish MPG unless Im really spanking it.  Thats the beauty of the 955, they are all different, and some days so is mine

[Sin_Tiger]

Special 

[Tiger-G]

Too vague, How much is a bit of oil?

How many miles has engine done? Generally Tigers dont use much oil but on the early engines the breather seal can go in the Generator cover, an 06 bike though normally has the later breather system without that seal?

O2 sensor would only normally throw a MIL light if actually disconnected, wiring broke etc. 41MPG is low, mine dont get that low even ragging it. Think you need to pull the plugs and have a look, possibility of injector issue. Tune ECU may point to it if you start bike from cold and watch the readings on the diags screen.

It's got about 47,000 miles on it now. Hmm, difficult to quantify how much oil it's using, but I would guess it's going from the fully topped up, to the minimum mark on the dipstick every 500 miles.

I wonder if the O2 sensor is goosed after 10 years ??

[Bixxer Bob]

It's not the O2 sensor that's the cause, although burning the oil may have screwed it.  I've not know a 955 ever burn oil due to engine wear so as Tim says, you are probably looking at the stator oil seal.  A quick check is to look in the airbox.  If the breather pipe from the engine is pushing oil into the airbox and thereon into the engine, the stator seal has gone.  There's a very good write up on how to change it by Evil Betty ion the How To section.

If oil is in the airbox and has clogged the air filter that will explain your rich running but anyway, while in the airbox, whip it off and check the corrugated IACV pipes for leaks.  If air is getting in there it'll screw up the fueling and you'll run rich. 

[Timbox2]

It's not the O2 sensor that's the cause, although burning the oil may have screwed it.  I've not know a 955 ever burn oil due to engine wear so as Tim says, you are probably looking at the stator oil seal.  A quick check is to look in the airbox.  If the breather pipe from the engine is pushing oil into the airbox and thereon into the engine, the stator seal has gone.  There's a very good write up on how to change it by Evil Betty ion the How To section.

If oil is in the airbox and has clogged the air filter that will explain your rich running but anyway, while in the airbox, whip it off and check the corrugated IACV pipes for leaks.  If air is getting in there it'll screw up the fueling and you'll run rich.

But, his bike is an 06 and Im not sure he will have the stator seal??

[Tiger-G]

It gets it's annual service in April, so will have a good look at it then. Thanks for the info  :icon_wink:

[Chris Canning]

April  it isn't even March 

[Tiger-G]

April  it isn't even March 

If it's been smelling like that for at least a couple of years, I don't think another month is gonna make a difference, lol 

I wonder if all that trouble I was having with it over the winter with the ECM relay and low voltage has affected the TOR map ?? It also feels like the TOR map is more torquey in the mid range, wonder if that affects fuel economy when just pottering around ??

[MattDaleEvans]

Hi Tiger G - been away from this site for a while........ and my 07 955i Tiger suffers similar oil consumption issues. It has always taken a good pint every 4/500 miles at best. Which is just about bearable - even on a long Spanish run. I have owned it from new and ran it in very carefully from the very start. Its now got 26k on it. I think its either glazed piston barrels or oil seals in the engine \ valves as I have reports from biker friends behind me of the odd puff of smoke out the back of it when giving it the full beans......... and I have tried all sorts of different oils! There is definitely no oil leaks elsewhere and I've changed the stator & rectifier along with the massive wiring modification with better fuses and thicker gauge wires as known on here and there is no oil in the cases or air box. In fact your troubles with your electrics makes me think our two bikes were probably built at the very same time by the same bloke! I have had all that! Definitely do the wiring mod chap and put in a voltmeter as mentioned by the great folks on here. A new battery every couple of years is preventative of any electric issues as I have found in my 10 year ownership of it from new - new battery is just £35. I have also changed my coils recently & plugs & air filter & fuel filter to eliminate further running issues - it was a little stuttery last year which was annoying more than anything. Genuine coils were £100 each once but are now just £30! Problem gone. In further love of the bike I have put on a new sprocket set and DID chain & brake pads all round this winter (first ever set). Recently I got the TuneECU read with the online program on my laptop and I'd suggest plugging yours in too to look over and check but I don't personally change anything from its standard settings for fear of blowing it up! Anyway mine is running OK now (other than losing all lights in the dark when switching from full beam to dip - it comes back on after a few moments though - usually just after shouting 'oh f@@k'! - oh and a sticky 1st\2nd gear change when in heavy traffic from time to time)  However I will not let this bike go though! They are a great model! Ah, also change the radiator cap if you are getting loss of water......... I could go on & on.......... I'm sure you and all others will fully understand............. My next move is to put in an oil treatment which states improvement to oil consumption issues........... Its Qtec stuff I have at work which has been successful on cars........  I'll let you know how I get on..........

[Timbox2]

Hmmmm, did Triumph cock up when they did the engine/tranny mods on the 06 bikes? Ive now seen a number of issues, clutch and oil consumption notably, on 06/07 bikes which the earlier ones rarely seem to have.??

[MattDaleEvans]

Yes - totally agree Timbox2 - my brother has a late 2005 model and has never had such oil consumption issues - the engine cases are different which makes me think there is something specific to the later 06/07 955i ones - let's see if others come forward........ He also always beats my 45-50 MPG too! Only by a couple of miles........and he's not always slip streaming me! I personally find his is a smoother ride around too - similar mileage on his as mine and tyres, kit, etc. Always gives us plenty to talk about in the pub afterwards when we ride out.......  ;0)

[John Stenhouse]

I wonder if its connected to how the bike was broken in. You say you rode yours carefully during it's running in period. I have heard, and yes this is just anecdotal, that BMW suffer the same oil usage issue if they were run in too gently, those bikes that were thrashed didn't use anywhere near the amount that the gently run in ones did.