still puffin

[scdirtdobber]

Well,got a call from the service mgr at the Honda dealer in Lumberton,NC and he said he contacted Honda Coorp and according to them it is normal to smoke and it was ready for me to pick up.No need to cause more fuss,I picked it up today and put it in my building,I'm very dissapointed in the service I got.I called Honda myself and they said I could take it to another dealer for a 2nd opinion but they may charge to diagnose it,I expressed to them I did not want to go on a long trail ride and have to check the oil every hour worrying that it might get to low and cause further damage I would be liable for due to improper maint.They were no help at all.I can tear it down and re-ring it,I've done plenty but it's the principle of having a warranty or what ever it's called.I thought about trying a good synthetic oil with a JASO MA rating but not sure if it will help.

[Eviltanker]

Honestly, Don't worry about the smoke till it it does it all the time. I have an '06 and it has done the same as yours since new. I got about 500 hours on it now. Don't need to check your oil constantly but before each ride and poss. during a break and at the end of the ride. Mine doesn't need oil till I do my oil change (15hrs.) I've only seen the newer ones 05-07 do this for no reason.

[scdirtdobber]

I found another post on a different site with a guy having the same issue on his with 6 hours,must be a issue on those years.He was recommended to run Mobil 15w50 to stop it I hear alot of peaple using it alog with Rotilla on the 400's,these oils don't have the JASO MA rating or does it matter?

[Eviltanker]

I run Klotz MX4 15/50 still does it when hot and on decel

[scdirtdobber]

Thx,Guess I'll continue to run conventional oil.Did you ever take your back to the dealer due to the smoking?

[Eviltanker]

Nah, I work on Atv's and Bikes. I tore mine down and looked at everything and decided it must be the nature of the beast when I couldn't find anything wrong or out of spec. Just keep up your maintenance and all will be good.

[F-16Guy]

Drain the oil out of it and take it on a long trail ride. You have a record of attempting to get service for smoking. How will they know that something didn't let loose and cause excessive consumption? Your case is exactly why I hate dealers. They're all smiles and promises while you're writing the check, but all of that goes out the window the first time you need something.

[honda400ex2003]

i would make them fix it first then once it wears out again then yoiu can rebuild it. just my .02 though. steve

[MtnEX]

Originally posted by scdirtdobber
I found another post on a different site with a guy having the same issue on his with 6 hours,must be a issue on those years.He was recommended to run Mobil 15w50 to stop it I hear alot of peaple using it alog with Rotilla on the 400's,these oils don't have the JASO MA rating or does it matter?

The engine does not care what kind of oil it is as long as it can stand up to the heat.

It's the trans and clutch sharing the oil with the engine that creates the problem. Some oils will cause the clutch to slip... some will not. This is because of certain friction modifiers they add to thinner CAR oils that can cause the slipping.

Rotella 15w40 and 15w50 Mobil 1 don't contain these additives, or not enough to cause slipping.

Down here man, I highly recommend 15w or 20w.
It's hot and these are air cooled.
Very hard on the oil, so I think 10w would shear quick.
15w or 20w can stand up a little better.

[MtnEX]

Originally posted by 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

Smoking under pressure then....
I've seen that and know what you are talking about now.

I've seen them do it in both blue and white smoke... many of them in the 10 years they have been around...

Originally posted by scdirtdobber
Well,got a call from the service mgr at the Honda dealer in Lumberton,NC and he said he contacted Honda Coorp and according to them it is normal to smoke and it was ready for me to pick up.No need to cause more fuss,I picked it up today and put it in my building,I'm very dissapointed in the service I got.I called Honda myself and they said I could take it to another dealer for a 2nd opinion but they may charge to diagnose it,I expressed to them I did not want to go on a long trail ride and have to check the oil every hour worrying that it might get to low and cause further damage I would be liable for due to improper maint.They were no help at all.I can tear it down and re-ring it,I've done plenty but it's the principle of having a warranty or what ever it's called.I thought about trying a good synthetic oil with a JASO MA rating but not sure if it will help.

Yeah, warranty is indeed the principle...

I would take it to the next Honda dealer and see what happens... just keeping on pressing the issue.

I think the deal is that Honda probably is not going to just roll over on it. Not without being pressed a little.

I say that because if Honda fixed every smoking and rattling or ticking 400EX they have made, they would go broke on the machine.

To be honest with you, these issues is what kept me away from the 400EX from the get-go. Every one I saw it '99 was smoking and ticking out on the trail early on.

I saw the engine for what it is... basically an XR250 motor with a 400cc big bore kit. So I stayed far away.

Today, people don't see it that way, but that's really what the engine is, and what you have to see it for.

I finally bought one because they are still surprisingly solid and bulletproof. Many of them pass a little oil and make noise, but still keep on running forever.

With that said though, I have seen some that did not smoke and were quiet. And if mine were under warranty I would expect that too. And I would push until I got it.


I've seen many of them re-done though that just smoke or rattle again in a short time.

I'm not sure if it's the bike, or the rider, or their break-in procedure.

But I would keep pushing since it's new and under warranty. In the end, they have to repair or replace it, unless they can prove it was your fault. I'd make them repair or replace it now.