Oil Leak

[Roundabout]

I took my Tri-Glide in to the dealer for it's 5K maintenance about a month ago. After my first ride a few days later I smelled oil burning and sure enough the next morning there was evidence of oil drops on the garage floor. I took the trike in to a local factory-certified shop (not a dealer) and they told me the oil filter and the plate it sits on were both loose. After they fixed that I then took the trike on an extended ride a day or two later and discovered it was still leaking fluid. This time the local shop said the drain plug on the transmission was loose and the dealer clearly had not replaced the drain plug seal/gasket during the 5K maintenance. He also said the work the dealer had performed was sloppy and the bottom of the trike was covered in oil. A few more days have passed since he fixed that and the trike still appears to be leaking. I am getting very concerned and would like to take the trike back to the dealer but I don't trust them since this is not the first time they have goofed. I live in central Texas and can go to any of the dealers between Austin and San Antonio. If anyone has received good service from one of the dealers in this area I would appreciate hearing about it.
Thanks.

 

[Gorilla]

I took my Tri-Glide in to the dealer for it's 5K maintenance about a month ago. After my first ride a few days later I smelled oil burning and sure enough the next morning there was evidence of oil drops on the garage floor. I took the trike in to a local factory-certified shop (not a dealer) and they told me the oil filter and the plate it sits on were both loose. After they fixed that I then took the trike on an extended ride a day or two later and discovered it was still leaking fluid. This time the local shop said the drain plug on the transmission was loose and the dealer clearly had not replaced the drain plug seal/gasket during the 5K maintenance. He also said the work the dealer had performed was sloppy and the bottom of the trike was covered in oil. A few more days have passed since he fixed that and the trike still appears to be leaking. I am getting very concerned and would like to take the trike back to the dealer but I don't trust them since this is not the first time they have goofed. I live in central Texas and can go to any of the dealers between Austin and San Antonio. If anyone has received good service from one of the dealers in this area I would appreciate hearing about it.
Thanks.

sorry no help but welcome aboard

 

[trikermutha]

I took my Tri-Glide in to the dealer for it's 5K maintenance about a month ago. After my first ride a few days later I smelled oil burning and sure enough the next morning there was evidence of oil drops on the garage floor. I took the trike in to a local factory-certified shop (not a dealer) and they told me the oil filter and the plate it sits on were both loose. After they fixed that I then took the trike on an extended ride a day or two later and discovered it was still leaking fluid. This time the local shop said the drain plug on the transmission was loose and the dealer clearly had not replaced the drain plug seal/gasket during the 5K maintenance. He also said the work the dealer had performed was sloppy and the bottom of the trike was covered in oil. A few more days have passed since he fixed that and the trike still appears to be leaking. I am getting very concerned and would like to take the trike back to the dealer but I don't trust them since this is not the first time they have goofed. I live in central Texas and can go to any of the dealers between Austin and San Antonio. If anyone has received good service from one of the dealers in this area I would appreciate hearing about it.
Thanks.

U paid to have the 5k service done then let them fix it because now it will cost them time and money to fix it..I know that you have to take it back but they need to fix there mistake and maybe let them know you are not happy with there service and let the manager/owner know..U may get free oil change or something out of them ??

 

[msocko3]

I'm wondering if the Indy the OP took it to is taking him for a ride. I can get by with a oil filter possibly being loose but the adapter plate has me scratching my head. Then they say on a 2nd visit the drain plug was loose and the O-ring wasn't replaced by the original servicing dealer. I'm betting something may be going on with a leak at the adapter plate which is causing the oil to coat the bottom of the trike and the mechanic is taking pot shots in the dark because he feels the need to come up with a cause instead of troubleshooting.

 

[VaThumper]

I had leaking problem on 2010 Triglide and it turned out to be the trans case bolts were loose. Loc Tite on threads and retighten and all is right with my universe again

 

[Greydog]

A common cause of oil leaks is failure to replace the old O-ring on the derby cover with a new one after changing the primary oil. Also sometimes that O-ring is not properly seated and gets crushed when they put it back on. Check the bottom of the derby cover to see if it is dripping from there.

 

[eagle1]

don't forget the TFE paste that goes on the plug threads. just thinking

 

[ejjr]

The mother ship needs to hear about this shoddy work. Harley doesn't want this kind of thing happening in a certified shop and I'll bet they will investigate and make it right.

 

[Roundabout]

Thanks for the "welcome aboard" and all the responses, although I really was looking for a recommendation for a good dealer service dept. in central Texas. There are 5 dealers within a 100 mile radius of me so I guess I'll just have to pick one. I'm surprised there aren't more Tri-glide owners on this forum that are in my area.
As far as the independent mechanic - he came highly recommended and apparently he knows what he is talking about. I took the Trike for another ride yesterday evening and when I got back I put several clean sheets of paper under the frame and just checked on it a little while ago. NO OIL - Yee Hah!!!
As far as the dealer with the sloppy work - I will never go back there for service. With four other dealers to choose from that is exactly what I am going to do - choose one of them. If you think the oil leak was a problem, the previous time I took the trike in (1K mile checkup) I had to have it towed back after the 1st ride. Turns out they had left the fuel line inside the gas tank only partially connected and after a few bumps the clamp came off. The gas tank had been replaced because the original had a small ding in the paint. At least they did replace the tank for free and I can appreciate that doing that was not a small thing. I understand those things cost more than a few bucks. But the bottom line here is after having the Trike in their service department 3 separate times I ended up with 3 separate problems I didn't have when I took it in. The first time was when one of the chrome fender strips fell off somewhere on the highway, who knows where. That was during the first hundred miles.
Thanks for the advice to contact the mother ship. I will do that after I decide what I'm going to say. I really don't dislike the dealership, just the service dept. This is the first Harley I have ever owned and my experience with the service dept. has really took some of the stuffing out of the pride and joy of being a new owner. I still love the Tri-Glide and they can't take that from me. :Biker:

 

[ejjr]

I'm glad you will be contacting HD. It would be unfair to the company if you didn't. So many times people will have a bad experience with a product/service and instead of giving the manufacturer a chance to fix things, they tell everyone within ear shot how bad the company is. Things like that have a definite effect on the bottom line and I'm sure HD will have something to say about re certifying that mechanic or shop if its a shop wide problem.

I had similar problems with Honda/Motortrike dealer and never really got any satisfaction until I found a great MT mechanic who fixed things. Turned out I just traded the Honda for my ever lovin Ultraglide with a Hannigan Trike kit from this great dealer. Dropped some serious cash on the HarleyHannigan but the point is I spent my cash with the guy who treated me right.

 

[Roundabout]

but the point is I spent my cash with the guy who treated me right.

Exactly.
In my case the salesman is/was a great guy and if I were to ever buy another HD I wouldn't have any problem talking to him. My beef is with the service dept. and when I talk to someone at HD headquarters I want to make that clear. Not sure how well it would go over if I were to buy things from one dealer but get all my service done at another? :Shrug:

 

[BlueTrinity]

You like the dealer and the salesman, just don't like the service department. A good question might be, is the owner and salesperson aware of your problems.

If not, I'd talk to the owner personally. You bought the bike from him (or her) and there's no way they want an unsatisfied customer.

I've learned over the years that the reason for the "hatred" of certain dealers is almost always because someone doesn't like his prices (bikes and/or service) and he won't bargain.

I've visited a lot of those dealers and I try to meet the owner at every dealer I visit. They are all fine people and you'll find a lot of loyal customers dealing there.

My point is simply that you shouldn't assume that the dealer himself knows you have a problem or are unhappy. If you discuss it with him, I think you'll be surprised how quickly things get fixed correctly.

That said, in the unlikely event he tells you he doesn't care what you think or do, call the MoCo directly. I'll guarantee you they will get your problems resolved, even if it's at another dealership.

Good luck!

 

[Roundabout]

I'd say the voices in your head very definitely have some good ideas! I have spoken with the salesman but I didn't even think of talking to the owner. That is a much better idea than storming off to another dealer and far more tactful than going directly to the top. You'd think I would've remembered that from my military days. Thanks for the discreet reminder in civil protocol.

 

[ejjr]

I'm sorry, I thought you had already spoken with the owner. Trinity is definitely right. Go there before you talk w HD. The owners don't want unhappy customers out there for sure. Let us know how things turn out......ride safe!

 

[Bruce]

I also could smell oil burning at about 6500 miles, come to find out it was tranny fluid that was getting on the exhaust. After looking around I found two bolts that hold the oil/tranny pan on, ( next to the tranny drain plug ) were loose enough to take out by hand. After cleaning everything up and re-tightening all the bolts to the correct specs. the problem was solved. I've had 12 harleys and this is the first time this has happened.
Just for the heck of it check the 12 bolts that hold your oil pan on.

 

[fordman55]

The best way I have found to know where to get the best service/repairs. I have access to 16 harley shops in a 50 mile radius of my home. After taking my bike to the dealership where I purchased the bike I was not very satisfied with the work, so I took a weekend and traveled to all 16 dealerships and looked for the oldest tech. I found a guy that was 67 years old and had been a Harley mechanic for 45 years. He assured me that there was nothing he didn't know about Harleys, past and present. He said he always does side work at his home and would be happy to work on my bikes when needed. Not only has he done excellent work but he charges less than half what the dealership charges for labor. He said he does not plan to retire unless his hands fall off. I hope that is true, mechanics like that are hard to find.

 

[Roundabout]

The best way I have found to know where to get the best service/repairs. I have access to 16 harley shops in a 50 mile radius of my home. After taking my bike to the dealership where I purchased the bike I was not very satisfied with the work, so I took a weekend and traveled to all 16 dealerships and looked for the oldest tech. I found a guy that was 67 years old and had been a Harley mechanic for 45 years. He assured me that there was nothing he didn't know about Harleys, past and present. He said he always does side work at his home and would be happy to work on my bikes when needed. Not only has he done excellent work but he charges less than half what the dealership charges for labor. He said he does not plan to retire unless his hands fall off. I hope that is true, mechanics like that are hard to find.

I agree but I decided to act upon what I thought was good advice from other members of this forum. I re-contacted the salesman whom I like from the dealership and he asked that I talk to the Service Manager. Better yet, he suggested HE contact the manager first. Within minutes the manager phoned me and offered to have someone come pick up the Trike and assured me it would not leave the service dept. until any and all leaks were fixed. They picked up the Trike today so I'll be anxiously waiting for good news. It's about 115 miles one-way from the dealership.

 

[Pup]

I took my Tri-Glide in to the dealer for it's 5K maintenance about a month ago. After my first ride a few days later I smelled oil burning and sure enough the next morning there was evidence of oil drops on the garage floor. I took the trike in to a local factory-certified shop (not a dealer) and they told me the oil filter and the plate it sits on were both loose. After they fixed that I then took the trike on an extended ride a day or two later and discovered it was still leaking fluid. This time the local shop said the drain plug on the transmission was loose and the dealer clearly had not replaced the drain plug seal/gasket during the 5K maintenance. He also said the work the dealer had performed was sloppy and the bottom of the trike was covered in oil. A few more days have passed since he fixed that and the trike still appears to be leaking. I am getting very concerned and would like to take the trike back to the dealer but I don't trust them since this is not the first time they have goofed. I live in central Texas and can go to any of the dealers between Austin and San Antonio. If anyone has received good service from one of the dealers in this area I would appreciate hearing about it.
Thanks.

I reccomend HOG Alley in Georgetown. I have been going there for around 21 years and have always had great service there. Where in Central Texas are you? I'm in Copperas Cove.

Pup

 

[Roundabout]

I'm in the Hill Country so Georgetown would be a bit far. The closest dealership to me is in Boerne. I've visited them and have bought some merchandise there but have not had any service performed there.

 

[Roundabout]

My daughter had minor heart surgery so I haven't been able to respond since taking the TG back to the dealer. I am happy to report after riding the TG home and after a couple of rides - there are no leaks. They had to replace the oil drain pan gasket and the transmission side cover gasket. In addition, they had to flush the bottom frame out twice because oil had seeped inside (it's hollow). All work, including towing, was free of charge.
Many thanks to those who suggested going back to the dealership and simply stating my beef. Turns out all I had to do was talk to the salesman again.