Why is My Yamaha Grizzly Low on Oil?

Got a Yamaha ATV that’s consuming a lot of oil but not actually leaking any fluid? Could the problem be a bad oil ring? Not necessarily. Some machines consume oil faster than others.

Partzilla’s Yamaha ATV expert John Talley livestreams Q&As on our YouTube channel every Friday at 3pm Eastern. In this session, John addresses a viewer’s question about fast engine oil consumption from a 2008 Yamaha Grizzly ATV that isn’t leaking any oil.

Yamaha Grizzly Oil Consumption Q&A

I have a 2008 Grizzly that I noticed was low on oil, but has no leaks. Could it be a bad oil ring?

John Talley: Well, it depends on what length of time it was low on oil. I mean, every combustion engine I’ve ever built to ride or ridden, the majority of them lose X amount of oil over time. Some machines burn more than others … Some engines have a propensity to burn a little bit more oil than others. On the 08 Grizzly, I believe it is one of those machines. This is just a daily riding ritual that you need to do, which is checking the oil to make sure it’s ok, and keep up with its per hour and annual service. Now, could it be a bad oil ring? Possibly, but unless you’re blowing a smoke screen, like its crop dusting out the back, I wouldn’t be too concerned about it. Just check it every time before a ride. If she still feels strong, let her burn a little bit of oil. I really wouldn’t open up the engine unless I had to.

Watch the video below to see how to change the oil in a Yamaha Grizzly ATV.

Want to see more live repair questions answered? See more motorcycle and ATV repair questions answered here.