still puffin

[scdirtdobber]

Thanks Steve,I'll post the outcome.Charles

[honda400ex2003]

Sounds like a plan thanks in advance for the info of what they did to fix it. steve

[MtnEX]

How low is your oil getting?
Are you for sure it is not over-full?
Check the breather catch bottle.
(left side, nearing airbox)

"When" is it smoking?

Start up / Idle / Accel / Decel / Always

White oil smoke makes me want to think it is valve related... guides or seals...




For the record man... after they fix it, don't baby it around for break-in. That's an ancient myth now. Break it in hard with acceleration and deceleration.

And don't wait that long on an oil change. 20 hours is too long on the break-in oil in my opinion...

Change it after the first hard ride or 5 hours... oil and filter... and make the first few changes short interval.

If there is anything in there to that puts break-in metals in the oil, they will be in the oil quick.

Everybody's drain intervals are going to vary some on what is 'normal'. But even like on lawnmower engines... I do the following...

5 hrs ....... oil and filter
25 hrs...... oil and filter
50 hrs...... oil and filter
100 hrs ... oil and filter

If the oil looks nasty at 100 hrs, I resume 50 hr intervals... if not I go to 100 hr intervals.

Not something I would do on a quad, but you see how my early drain pattern goes.


These methods have never failed me.

Baby one around or idle it a lot early and all you will get in return is a poor ring seat, more oil passing and less compression than you would have had.

[scdirtdobber]

No drop in oil level.1.8 quarts 7oz shy of 2 on the change,catch box clear,smokes only on decel,maybe between shifts and revving at idle,none at start-up and not a constant smoke.I think it was smoking when I got it,someone else noticed it before me with less than a hour on it

[scdirtdobber]

Well,It's at Currie Chainsaw Honda,The salesman drove it about 10 minutes and said it was fine,so I demanded I drive it some more and sure enough it started smoking.The head mechanic come out and held it at about 75% throttle for 30 seconds and let off it and it smoked and continued to puff each time he revved it.We go into his office and he said "it's normal" to smoke on decel?????? I told him I could understand if it was 10 years old with several thousand miles and not a month with 20 hours,he said he could take a new one off the showroom floor and it would smoke to? Seeing we had a old 300 that has been sunk,full of water,revved to the max and never saw a puff of smoke since we got it used in 1996 and the the guy we sold it to still rides it this very day.Our family has a total of 10 atv's including Hondas which all are over 5 years old and none smoke.He said he would call Honda and see what they want him to do and if they gave the ok to tear it down he would and call them back with the results,if they declined to repair it we would have to pay $60/hr just for the teardown.My wife who was PO'd told the salesman since the shop guy said it's normal to smoke did they want to buy it back,he said no due to such a large inventory.What a day! If I had not have payed cash for it and had financed it through Honda,I'd told them to cram it.......right along with the warranty.Service -before- the sale is always great

[honda400ex2003]

Sorry to hear that, i would break it in as described above. it seems to work really well. I rode in 3 different times for 15 minutes in a moto practice ride type riding. so imagine you are racing around on a track then let it cool for 3 times. steve

[scdirtdobber]

I've broke in several different ways,one I drove off the trailer and drove it 5 miles wide open non stop and runs great to this very day and that was in 98,some I drag raced the first day as well as some I took easy,all with the same result "no early smoking"I've owned 10 over the past 12 years,6 being new.I did not grand ma this one during break in hitting the rev limiter or let it idle alot ,I trail rode it with varying speeds.Smoke the first hour,maybe I'm wrong but seems to me it was defective from the start,the freaking reserve did not work this morning with 3/4 tank???

[honda400ex2003]

something is wrong anyway it must have got messed up at the factory to be like that already. lol, steve

[scdirtdobber]

I should have kept riding and fixed it myself when it started to constantly smoking than dealing with the dealer,I've done enough Honda's over the years to know how,most due to sinking and having to split the case to get the silt out ect,they think they have submarines around here

[honda400ex2003]

i have some buddies like that with their foremans. lol, we just put new bearings in one all around. lol steve