ok it's been about 10 hours so i decided to do the oil change myself rather than letting suzuki do it for some $$$...it's not my first time i've done it to banshees blasters etc...but this z400 has got me stuck...first of all the manual says 2.2 qts of oil...what is the .2 ??? i'm not good with measurements..i know .5 would be 1/2 so is .2 a little less than a quarter??? next i put the oil in to my best measurement knowledge and i let it idle for about 10 minutes then i shut it off for about 30 minutes so the oil could drain down...i checked the oil (not threading the stick back in) and the oil barely even touches the end of the stick..i know the tank has over 2 qts in it and i didn't see any leaks...so what's the deal here??? finally do any of you guys have trouble getting a one qt bottle in to fill the oil tank up?? i tried the funnel and syphon trick but had no luck...i just took the whole front fascia off...any help would be greatly appreciated

Jeff

 

Yes the Z is kinda weird when it comes to oil changes. It has the two drains (one under crankcase and other under oil tank). I know what you mean with the dipstick. When you change the oil, it looks like it would be extremely low by looking at the stick, but you really aren't. When you start the engine up, some of the oil goes into the engine, and out of the tank, which is why it looks low, but it is all really there. You are right when you say that it is hard to put the new oil in! I don't know why they made it so hard!

 

i understand what you mean...it never really occurred to me that the oil would be sort of spread around between the tank and the crank case...but how do you know if you've put enough in it or not...is the screw on the side of the case a good way to check?

 

I just changed the oil in my Z for the first time and I added two quarts plus 4 ounces and it is spot on.. When you check the oil make sure you let it idle for a few minutes, then shut it off for a few and then check it..Change the o ring on the oil filter cover, and when you take the old oil filter out there is an o ring inside, make sure it is still there before you install the new filter..