Embarrasing Question-How to fill oil?

[OldSuperSport]

I have a new 2004, but the dealer did not have an owners manual to give me with it, and my service manual has not arrived yet. I am doing my 100 mile break in oil change, I drained the 4 qts of oil (right???) and used ugly backyard method to get the original factory filter out of the recess its in, and put on the new factor filter "hand tight" plus a little rbecause hands dont fit under there. I have found the oil sight glass on the right side and I wan to fill oil to the middle of that? I think. Now where do I put the oil in at. I have a gallon of 20W50 just waiting to be poured. I see the oil fill on the parts list diagram on the right side valve cover but do i have to remove the body work to get to it? I hope not! :confused:

[georgeorge]

you need to remove that little cover by your right knee, then remove the silver plastic cover on the top of the head. It's the plastic part that says HONDA on it. The oil fill is under that piece. Careful pulling it off. pull it off at the end closest to the seat then slide it toward the front of the bike to unlatch it at the front.

Brian

[georgeorge]

by the way to remove that little cover by your right knee, take any tool and press the middle of the rivot IN and it will release. Once it's off you'll understand how it works.

Brian

[OldSuperSport]

I took off the 4 inch plastic access panel... and I thought maybe the silver Honda cover came off but it feels like its going to break (been there done that). I see a pin with a grommet down in the slot in the silver cover at the back. Should I lift the silver cover off that pin then slide forward.
Thanks

[georgeorge]

yes exactly. Pull it off at the seat end and slide it towards the front fender.

Brian

[Mellow]

I took off the 4 inch plastic access panel... and I thought maybe the silver Honda cover came off but it feels like its going to break (been there done that). I see a pin with a grommet down in the slot in the silver cover at the back. Should I lift the silver cover off that pin then slide forward.
Thanks
Yes.. you got it.. the rear part of it pulls out but make sure you don't pull to hard or you might break the tab on the front of it.. It is probably harder to take off the first time.

[OldSuperSport]

Just one more thing...its under the major side fairing section with a foam piece between them. It sure looks like the fairingahs to come off but I'll go try what you say.

[georgeorge]

It's a tight squeeze....but it goes. lift it right into that foam.

Brian

[OldSuperSport]

OK I got it off, and yes now I see how it works. I just hate breaking things I havent seen before (it happens to me too often).

So now its 4 gts right? or is it until I see it in the window. then crank to fill filter. And how about the tightness of the spin on. I sure would want that falling off!

[georgeorge]

technically it's 4.1 qts. but 4 would be close enough. You're supposed to run the motor for a couple minutes, then wait 3 minutes to read the sight glass. The instructions on that are in the owners manual.

Brian

[OldSuperSport]

Thanks for being online tonight. I have bad things happen when I leave a job half finished, I dont need any of that.

I went out and put about 50 miles on bike last weekend in the nice 45-48 degF weather we had. This is my first "new" bike and I'm going to do it right. I have found several things wrong tonight with the factory/dealer work. The engine guards' plastic covers dont have any bolts holding them on! and one of the seat adjustment bracket bolts is twisted off, and the right side fairing is not fully engaged (with the next panel) in the front under the light. But I can put all that back to rightness, right after the dealer gives me my list of bolts I'm about to email him. He still owes me a manual.

I hope to contribute some good service database threads and info here in the next few years. Thanks, for the help

[georgeorge]

Man, I think I'd be pissed if my new bike got delivered to me like that.

Brian

[georgeorge]

It's not THAT bad.....come on Charlie......relax....take a deep breath...have a beer....whatever it takes......A little patience is all that's required.

Brian

[OldSuperSport]

I'm not really mad, its just converstion. The first time I've taken parts off to do service work and I'm finding missing or broken parts, thats all.

[joseph6490]

George,

Where do you get an oil filter wrench for a 2003 ST1300?

Joe

[Pred8tor]

I'm not George, but I got mine at Advance Auto. Took in a new Honda filter and picked out a wrench that fits on the end of the filter (end cap). Pretty inexpensive. I've heard they are available at Autozone as well.

[Mellow]

Be sure and get a metal one if you can.. I have a plastic one and it used to get stuck on the filter and not easy to wiggle off.

[joseph6490]

Thanks.

Joe

[basco]

Be sure and get a metal one if you can.. I have a plastic one and it used to get stuck on the filter and not easy to wiggle off.

Metal ones aren't that easy either. Taking it off and removing the filter from the wrench is difficult sometimes. Putting it on and removing the wrench is easy. Just give it a little twist the other way and comes right off.

[Pred8tor]

I take the wrench off after loosening the filter, but before it comes off the engine. Hand remove it the rest of the way. I've got a metal one, and it works well.

[yoitsmatt!]

i just did my first service and i think the hardest part was getting that silver cover off without breaking it! i modified mine by removeing the front gromet hole(theres no stud for it) and then it cleared the plug boot much better i worry that plastic/heat/age will make this a part i would have to replace if im not careful in the future.

I guess i really should go over my bike and check it real well , so far im very happy with how well this dealer has prepped my bike, you know what they say "its not really yours till you work on it!"

[crazykz]

I had to try a few different filter caps until I found one that fits the filter perfect. The OEM ones kept slipping off the OEM filter. I finally ended up with a metal one from Vector. Drag Specialties sells this one repackaged as theirs.

I got it at my Honda dealer. If you go there have them fit it to an OEM filter and make sure there is no slop at all in it.

Curt

['04 ST1300A in NJ]

:confused: Just bought a new 2005 Honda CR-V & did an oil & filter change. Didn't expect a Honda car oil filter to be as tight as the original one on the ST. It almost was. Used channel locks to get it off. Access was difficult & end cap wrenches (plastic or metal) just slipped. From now on it will be easier.

[BigBadblue]

What blew me away is the same filter wrench fits my OEM ST1300 filter AND the OEM filter for my 5.6L Nissan Armada. The Nissan filter is just a little bit longer. Seems like a small filter for 5.6L, the engine does hold 7qts though.

[STnAV8R]

"Oh ... and my first time, the hardest part is getting that little silver cover BACK on. Off was tough, but putting it back was a royal pain."

TIP - I sprayed some silicone on the rubber grommets and it slides back on a whole lot easier, plus easier to get off the next time.

My plastic end cap filter wrench just spins on the Walmart filter, but fits great on the PureOne filter. And the metallic blue PureOne looks so much better underneath my '04 ;)

[Medicine Bear]

Same here. Thanks to SheRob for helping out. See Caption 87 - that's me in the red shirt wondering what the hell I did wrong and SheRob in the cap getting it right.

Fred:03biker:

[nurseBob]

After the second oil change, I looked at everything and decided portions of the silver cover served no purpose beyond making re-installation a near impossibility. So, I removed most of the plastic projections on the rear. The fit is still snug; nothing's going to fall off, but re-attaching the cover is about 100 times easier, removal is simpler too...