[shyamg28]

I gave my bike for servicing and picked it up yesterday evening. Drove around 25kms to meet a friend. As I neared the KR Puram underpass to crossover towards Old Madras road from outer ring road, my engine oil cap came flying out. I couldn't immediately notice it since I was riding in heavy rain so all I could feel was a warm sensation on the right side near my legs, typical hot engine feel. Turns out, all the hot engine oil was spewed over my pants and eventually, all the way till my helmet too. And it was pouring late night yesterday. So I'm quite sure there's water entry as well. I had to stop the vehicle and luckily the underpass was nearby so I was able to shield both bike and myself from the rain, but not after riding in rain for at least 5 minutes or so.

Called the SVC in charge and asked him to arrange pick up of the vehicle. They came in an hour on 2 bikes. He mentioned that it could've happened because of not properly tightening the engine oil cap.

Gentlemen, I paid a bill of Rs. 10k. And they forgot to shut an engine oil cap properly!!

So they pushed my bike using the Indian technique same as when you see someone being supported when out of petrol. SVC says to me "sir we will fill oil and return it to you". I was shocked even further. I asked him to ensure that there is no water ingress and worse, mud and dirt.

I'm yet to hear from them today. This is RE Jagadamba Automobiles Service Center, Whitefield.

Any advice on how I can hold them accountable and end of the day, ensure that my beloved motorcycle is not damaged, would be much appreciated.

Attaching the bill and some images for reference.









Droplets of oil on my visor. This is after I wiped it once.


I recently got a RideOnAir cushion. You can see the oil has spewed there as well.

[Balaji31582]

Sorry to hear that shyam. Please don't spare them. Its not like i am instigating you but we customers don't deserve this kind of treatment. This is one reason I don't want to own a RE again. I had similar experience in 2011 when my TBTS stay bolt got cut after giving it for service, the next day. It happened on an evening near a signal and so I and my wife didn't get into any mishap. I chased then till their higher officials but nothing worth to mention. From there on it was to a local bullet guru I started treating my Thunderbird.
Stop giving your bike to local svc unless it's in warranty period, else particularly for RE better find a local bullet mech who can spend the required time on your ride.

[shyamg28]

Originally Posted by Balaji31582

Sorry to hear that shyam. Please don't spare them. Its not like i am instigating you but we customers don't deserve this kind of treatment. This is one reason I don't want to own a RE again. I had similar experience in 2011 when my TBTS stay bolt got cut after giving it for service, the next day. It happened on an evening near a signal and so I and my wife didn't get into any mishap. I chased then till their higher officials but nothing worth to mention. From there on it was to a local bullet guru I started treating my Thunderbird.
Stop giving your bike to local svc unless it's in warranty period, else particularly for RE better find a local bullet mech who can spend the required time on your ride.

I don't disagree. We should hold them accountable.

I have started doing simple stuff like engine oil change, oil filter, air filter, chain tightening, brake pad change etc, myself for this reason. But this time I had to get my front disc and rear monoshock replaced. 40k kms and just returned post a 6k kms ride. Decided that this bike (MY BIKE) cannot be faulted So I was ready to invest in getting it back to proper shape.

And then they miss an engine oil cap. Ridiculous would be an understatement!

Latest update they say engine has been checked and it's fine. They're going to fill oil and give it back on Monday. Let's see.

[bj96]

Originally Posted by shyamg28

...
Latest update they say engine has been checked and it's fine. They're going to fill oil and give it back on Monday. Let's see...

Make them open a job card for this and mention what happened for future records if you have to deal with it later. Meanwhile, if they drain the sump (i assume oil tank is at the bottom like old engine) and refill with clean new oil it should be fine. To be safer demand to flush the tank with 3m flush or similar and change the oil filter also.

Exactly, this is the reason my ~16y old Electra didn't ever go back to RE authorised service station after completing first 3 mandatory free service and it is still running fine w/o any such silly mishaps.

I have learnt to service and fix almost all issues myself with the help of www and forums like this. No reason to visit the careless mechanics .

-BJ

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by shyamg28

I gave my bike for servicing and picked it up yesterday evening. Drove around 25kms to meet a friend. As I neared the KR Puram underpass to crossover towards Old Madras road from outer ring road, my engine oil cap came flying out. I couldn't immediately notice

I recently got a RideOnAir cushion. You can see the oil has spewed there as well.

Hard luck shyam. I would like to add, it can be more than what meets the eye. Perhaps, they overtightned, the threads got stripped and for the time being, the cap held in place, and once the crankcase pressure exceeded during operation, the oil filler cap couldn't have handled and have given up, that's perhaps mine and one part of the theory and second one being negligence, there is two way about it, as this isn't a complicated part, all it takes is a few seconds to tighten it.


RE Service centers are mostly overburdened and terribly understaffed still, sadly, irrespective of what they advocate through their roadshow or over the www. Doesn't translate to everyday matters and that's were RE service is a pain in the posterior. I'd suggest you don't go for scene immediately, acknowledge it as a "rainy day lesson" repopen the job card, irrespective of what, push for an oil replacement, new oil filler cap, and a complete clean and polish of the bike, especially a spic and span job over the engine.

From my experience RE Showrooms don't learn, their incompetency is here to stay as strong as their brandishing, and that's a shame indeed.

Good luck.

Cheers!
VJ

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by shyamg28

Gentlemen, I paid a bill of Rs. 10k. And they forgot to shut an engine oil cap properly!!

This is not acceptable even by 3rd world country standards.

Bring down the fury of Kratos on these imbeciles and ask for nothing less of a full refund, escalate to kingdom come if need be.

I'd request the mods to make this a fresh thread as this is not something that should be left off lightly, what if your motorcycle seized mid overtake? what if the oil spilled on the road and caused yourself or some other unsuspecting soul to wreck? The possibilities are many and this should not be let go with just a slap on the wrist.

As for the motorcycle, drain the oil and change filters, run it on Lal Ghoda which is available for some 190/liter or something, run for 50 km's check oil and run for another 50 km's and change oil and filters, use your usual oil.

Hope that helps.
A.P.

[Engine_Roars]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

This is not acceptable even by 3rd world country standards.

Bring down the fury of Kratos on these imbeciles and ask for nothing less of a full refund, escalate to kingdom come if need be.

Hope that helps.
A.P.

Agreed. This is not one of those mistakes where you just can go back and undo. This needs attention & RE/Dealer should get the well deserved publicity. This deserves a separate thread.

[moralfibre]

Mod note: Moved posts a new thread.

[shyamg28]

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

Hard luck shyam. I would like to add, it can be more than what meets the eye. Perhaps, they overtightned, the threads got stripped and for the time being, the cap held in place, and once the crankcase pressure exceeded during operation, the oil filler cap couldn't have handled and have given up, that's perhaps mine and one part of the theory and second one being negligence, there is two way about it, as this isn't a complicated part, all it takes is a few seconds to tighten it.

Thanks VJ!
Can you elaborate a bit on this? The crankcase pressure bit.
I had some inkling of this myself without really understanding the theory though. Reason being, I drove about 25kms post pick-up from service. Of course it could still be that the cap was loose and it took that time to come completely unthreaded.

For now, I've decided to ask them to open a job card. Claiming a full refund at this point isn't something I'm looking for since they did what was asked in terms of disc replacement and rear monoshock replacement etc. I'll ensure that they replace the oil filter and oil itself for now.

Keep you folks updated.

[HEMIOrange]

Originally Posted by shyamg28

Thanks VJ!
Can you elaborate a bit on this? The crankcase pressure bit.

Its when during combustion cycle, gases go past piston rings and thus create crankcase pressure. Though there is a crankcase ventilation system for these gases to escape. It can either be that they forget to tighten it or over tighten it leading to breaking the thread. Visually inspect for any damages to the threads and if there are any ask the RE people to get it repaired on their own cost. As far as water ingress is concerned, get the clutch cover dismantled, get the interiors cleaned. I don't think a lot of water would have made its way through.

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by shyamg28

Thanks VJ!
Can you elaborate a bit on this? The crankcase pressure bit.
I had some inkling of this myself without really understanding the theory though. Reason being, I drove about 25kms post pick-up from service. Of course it could still be that the cap was loose and it took that time to come completely unthreaded.

Keeping it simple, shyam, when the engine is running, we know the engine is basically a reciprocating pump (piston thumping up and down) which creates positive pressure inside the crankcase, along with all spinning items. If a crankcase case is completely sealed and pressure kept rising, it will blow off the seals and gaskets of the engine, hence a pipe called breather hose is present on all engines.

Now, in your case, the spillage was due to pressure and reciprocating components, such as clutch basket and components. What happens when a car tire gets stuck in water and you floor the gas pedal? The tire whips the water like a jetski, right. That's exactly why the engine spewed oil when it found a hole big enough for it to escape.

Originally Posted by shyamg28

For now, I've decided to ask them to open a job card. Claiming a full refund at this point isn't something I'm looking for since they did what was asked in terms of disc replacement and rear monoshock replacement etc. I'll ensure that they replace the oil filter and oil itself for now.

Keep you folks updated.

Wise decision Shyam. If this is an SVC that you frequent for your motorcycle services, I'd suggest keeping track of the job card and work done comes in prime and handy, just as you've chronographed in your earlier posts which definitely comes in handy when logging them on forums like this. Goodwill goes a long way, though what has happened to you could have been seriously worse, ill will towards them will only aggravate the issue and you losing on crucial things eventually.

Explain them what you've gone through, do use this forum as a backdrop for your predicament and what you've logged here. Insist on getting the engine oil, oil filter, new oil filler cap along with a thorough flush of the engine (extremely prime), whilst you personally oversee the procedure. I also see that they've changed what you've requested, so it's only prudent to give them a chance to mend their ineptitude.

Good luck.

Cheers!
VJ

[am1m]

Deja vu.

A prominent RE service center in Indiranagar, Bangalore where I bought my TB used to do stuff like this frequently. I'd get my bike back after service with the fuel line not connected (presumably after carb cleaning), without a proper wash, with some issue or the other. Once the speedo was smashed! Obviously they parked the bike outside and someone happily dropped something on it. I switched centers and only a marginal improvement. To be fair, the service centers outside Bangalore where I've gotten my bike serviced while on long rides seem better. Makes me wonder if the issue is the sheer volume of bikes in Bangalore and the service centers not being able to keep up. In such a scenario, centers are bound to start employing less than competent or badly-trained mechanics just to keep up with the business.

RE really needs to pull-up it's dealers on servicing. The brand's marketing is top-notch, they've even started making better bikes like the Interceptor (of course notable failure - the Himalayan as indicated by the several complaints of chassis failure on this forum). But looks like the service hasn't improved since 2007 back when I bought my bike. Something like this, is just a matter of following a checklist, a basic service center system. I do hope they fix this.

[DDIS_RE650]

This is unacceptable and can cause 3rd degree burn, incase rider is casually attired like in shorts, open face helmet and open toe shoes. It may also cause damage to pedestrian or pillion rider. It is sheer negligence, the role of supervisor is to do one round of quality check for critical part. This must be escalated to RE official even though they are not much of help. Motorcycle can be repaired or junked but any physical damage to human body caused by someone's negligence is not pardonable.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by shyamg28

For now, I've decided to ask them to open a job card. Claiming a full refund at this point isn't something I'm looking for since they did what was asked in terms of disc replacement and rear monoshock replacement etc. I'll ensure that they replace the oil filter and oil itself for now.

Keep you folks updated.

What an absolutely appalling incident ! Im glad that you are OK and nothing worse happened to you. Do talk to the Area Service Head (contact details will be displayed in the SVC) and write an email to Royal Enfield with the list of details. Tomorrow if something goes wrong, the job card and paper trail will help smoothen things out. Hopefully, it doesnt get till that stage and the technicians learn their lesson and dont repeat it in future.

[Sran]

Originally Posted by shyamg28

Attachment 2222604

Ask them to pay for the jeans also. It's ruined. Take it in writing that anything happens to the engine afterwards regarding engine and clutch plate, it is going to be their responsibilty. Email the full ordeal to RE as a trailing mail to put it in record.

I don't expect anything from RE because even after being an Indian company they got the Indian map wrong on their website. After a complaint they removed the map instead of putting up the correct map. If they can't get their own country's map right, imagine the level of apathy RE bosses might have towards their consumer base.