Of all the possible types of transport on our roads, today we can safely single out the scooter as the winner in the nominations “most economical”, “most maneuverable”, “most easily accessible”... and there will be no end to these “most” nominations.
Indeed, what vehicle can boast of so many fans, of all age categories, all over the world? Probably no one else. Understanding the need to shed light on a number of vital issues regarding scooter maintenance, let’s begin.
What kind of gasoline should I use?
This is the first problem that absolutely all scooter owners face. According to the passport, you need to fill it with an octane number higher than 90. In our area, you can most often find 92 or 95. In principle, 92 will be enough (it has the least amount of additives that are used to “catch up” octane number to required). The exception will be those scooters in which any gasoline below 95 is contraindicated, so it’s worth looking into your specific model once. Incorrectly selected gasoline can cause a number of problems: from contamination of the carburetor and fuel level sensor, and even to failure of the entire fuel system.
What kind of scooter oil?
2 stroke engine:
IN two-stroke engine The oil is dissolved in the gasoline being poured. The main task of which is to provide an oil film for rubbing parts and burn - leaving behind a minimum amount of combustion products.
You shouldn’t be “overthinking” with your choice. Among relatively inexpensive oils, you can easily find fairly high-quality specimens that can be safely filled. 
4-stroke engine:
When choosing oil for a four-stroke engine, you should consider:
- Scooter mileage
- Climate in which the engine will be used
- Engine speed
In the first case, if the engine resource is exhausted and time is approaching overhaul, - experts recommend mineral base and thicker oils.
I would combine the second and third options and draw the following parallel: if the motor constantly suffers from high speed or temperatures, you should fill in a thicker lubricating product, which will retain its properties when heated. Conversely, “low-viscosity” oils are poured into engines with moderate climates and non-sporting characteristics. An undeniable advantage of such a lubricant will be its high penetration ability (penetration into metal at the molecular level). This property will give the motor of your scooter a longer life, and you will have a minimum of hassle with repairs.
Co. all-season oils include those that are SAE classification denoted by two digits through W.
Additives in oil:
In fact, there are not many types of additives used in the production of oils for 2 and 4 stroke engines. We can list a few:
Corrosion protection — Special attention for protection during downtime, and throughout operation, of course.
Oxidation protection– we are dealing with the resulting property of the oil to neutralize the influence on lubricant high temperature and chemical processes occurring inside the engine, preventing the oil from “aging” ahead of time.
Reduced dispersion— saves rings from sticking by reducing the concentration of resins and, as a result, no contamination of spark plugs.
Neutralizer high blood pressure and wear- relate detergent additive, which will contain burnt particles in suspension (preventing them from settling on the walls throughout the entire period of oil operation), adds strength to the oil film, thereby reducing friction.
Conclusion:
Coming from the above (incomplete) list of additives used in two and four stroke engines scooters, we can conclude that it is very unwise to add additional additives. There is only one reason - everything the oil needed for good operational properties- was included in the recipe by the manufacturer. 
Lovers 4 stroke scooters They often use conventional automotive semi-synthetic SAE 10W-40 because their formula is largely identical, the benefit is that there is no need to buy oils for different purposes for a car and separately for a two-wheeled pet.
It would seem, what could be simpler? I drained the old oil and filled in new oil, but no... There are people who manage to mess up here too.
I won’t go far for examples: I had the opportunity to repair several scooters whose oil filter was simply clogged with debris. As a result, the oil could not flow through it to the rubbing parts and the engine seized. To my fair question to the owner: why didn’t you clean the filter when you changed the oil??? A typical answer followed, which frankly killed me: “why clean it?” “What filter is there?” (???).
I sometimes get the impression that many scooter owners compete with each other to see who can destroy their vehicle the fastest. And then they complain on every corner that the “Chinese” are shit a priori.
So, the most common mistake made when replacing motor oil- this is when, out of ignorance or on purpose, the oil filter is not cleaned.
Look, the owner of this scooter never cleaned the filter, and he changed the oil regularly: every 2000 km. As a result, the filter became clogged and the engine seized.
The second most common mistake I have encountered is when the oil is not drained through drain plug, and through the filter plug. By and large, this is not critical, but if you drain the oil through the plug, the oil does not completely drain from the engine, and when you fill it with fresh oil, it will mix with the old one, which will greatly worsen its performance.
When changing the oil in the gearbox, the situation is no better. Many owners do not even suspect that the scooter has a gearbox and the oil in it needs to be changed as often as in the engine. That is, every 2000 km.
Sometimes you open the gearbox of some old scooter, and instead of oil there is some kind of slurry there. What can I say - it’s slurry. They poured oil there at the factory, but no one has changed it yet.
I recently disassembled the gearbox of an old Honda and instead of oil there was a slurry that looked very much like dung... The bearings were naturally “to-go”, it’s good that I looked there in time, otherwise it would have rolled rear wheel together with the axle in front of the scooter, and the owner is in a ditch...
Look at the fluid in this gearbox... I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s still the original factory oil...
Actually, the oil change itself, both in the engine and in the gearbox, consists of two main stages: preparatory and, strictly speaking, the replacement itself.
Preparation
To ensure that all the used oil leaves the engine without any residue, the engine should be thoroughly warmed up before changing the oil. Or, what would be best, start changing the oil immediately after a 5-10 km trip.
Second preparatory stage is that we need to prepare in advance a flat area on which to install the scooter in the most level position possible and prepare a suitable container for used oil.
The tools you use also play an important role. Don't skimp - buy a new head with a knob. You will only need two of them: for 17 and 10. Those who neglect this point pay dearly later, and out of their own pocket.
Changing engine oil
Draining used oil
We place the scooter on the center stand; if it is crooked, we straighten it. On the left side in the direction of travel of the scooter, at the very bottom of the engine, look for the drain plug, place a previously prepared container under the plug and unscrew the drain plug with a 17mm head.
While the oil is draining, go to right side scooter - unscrew the dipstick and plug oil filter, which is located at the very bottom of the engine.
We put a good 17 socket on the plug, unscrew it and remove it with all its contents from the engine.
This is the oil filter. Immediately after unscrewing it, while the point is still important - throw all this junk into clean gasoline, give it a good shake, and then blow it out and dry it.
After the oil filter plug is removed from the engine. In order to remove remaining oil from the engine, pump the engine several times with the kickstarter.
Then we wait about five minutes - wipe the drain holes dry, for greater reliability, apply sealant to the plugs and screw them into place.
Filling the engine with new oil and checking its level
Depending on the design of the canister, pour oil into the neck either directly from the canister itself or through a funnel. The funnel must be clean!
Oil level control
The oil level is checked as follows: pour the first portion of oil into the engine, approximately 600-700 ml, wait a couple of minutes until the oil spreads evenly over the crankcase, without twisting it, insert it all the way into filler neck control dipstick, take it out and look at the level.
The oil level must be within the control area.
- If the level is lower, add a little oil, wait a couple of minutes and take a measurement.
- If the oil level is higher than normal, drain it or, better yet, pump it out using a syringe with a tube from the neck.
The control area is indicated by red arrows. In my case, the oil level is exactly in the middle of the control section and is indicated by a blue arrow. Ideally, the oil level should be near the upper boundary of the control section. But this is ideal, but in practice - average level is quite acceptable and does not in any way affect the reliability and durability of the engine.
Changing the oil in the gearbox
At the very bottom of the engine, on the left side in the direction of travel, we are looking for the drain and filler plug of the gearbox. Filler plug be on the side or on top, and the drain is always at the bottom.
Place a container under the drain plug and unscrew both plugs.
We wait about ten minutes until the old oil drains from the gearbox.
We wipe the drain hole and plug dry, apply sealant to the plug and screw it into place.
Let's take the oil. I take a liter canister, it’s cheaper and lasts for about 10 replacements. If you change the oil infrequently, buy a special tube branded oil for scooter gearboxes. There is more than enough of it for one replacement, and without unnecessary headaches, pump it into the filler hole using a special spout.
Like this
For those who prefer to save money, there is only one thing left to do: pump oil into the gearbox in small portions using a regular syringe. Unfortunately, there is no other way to fill the gearbox with oil because the filler hole is too small.
Checking the oil level in the gearbox
We pump oil into the filler hole, also known as the control hole, until it begins to flow out of it. As soon as the oil starts to flow, stop pouring, wait a couple of minutes for the excess to drain, and tighten the plug.
On some models of scooters there is a control hole through which we can determine required level There is no oil and instead there is a filler located on top of the gearbox and a drain. In this case, the recommended oil level should be marked on the engine crankcase. What simplifies the work: you measure required amount oil and pour it through the filler hole into the gearbox.
Almost every scooter owner will sooner or later be forced to change the engine oil in the engine of their two-wheeled friend. And the question of what kind of oil to pour into a scooter is quite relevant.
Surely every scooter owner knows that according to the type of engine, scooters are divided into two-stroke and four-stroke. For each type of engine, specialized oils were created that match the characteristics required in a particular case.
Nowadays, buying oil for a scooter is not difficult; in almost every car store you can choose oil, based on both price and physical properties. The selection of oil for a scooter should be approached responsibly, because the service life of the engine of a two-wheeled vehicle largely depends on it.
What kind of scooter oil is there?
Since scooter engines can be two-stroke and four-stroke, motor oils are also divided accordingly into two-stroke (2T) and four-stroke (4T). In the designation, the number means the number of strokes in one cycle of the motor, and the letter (T) means the stroke.
The engine is closely connected to the transmission. And it doesn't matter manual box gear or automatic, all moving mechanisms require lubrication for long-term operation. The oil that is poured into the transmission and gearbox is called transmission oil. This type oils are different from motor viscosity and a set of certain additives.
Scooter oil 4T
4T oil is intended for four-stroke scooters. It is poured directly into the engine, thereby lubricating the rubbing surfaces. And wondering which is better 4T, it should be clear that best option, how four stroke oil no, because this type oils are specially adapted for such engines.
The engine oil must be changed regularly. Typically, recommendations for changing the oil are given in the instructions supplied with the scooter by the manufacturer.
An oil change is necessary due to the fact that during operation, fuel combustion products and tiny metal particles appearing as a result of friction of parts against each other enter the oil.
Scooter oil 2T
The main difference between this motor oil and 4T is that the additives included in its composition provide low ash content and smoke during combustion. The thing is that 2T oil is not constantly in the engine, but goes there mixed with fuel and evaporates during the combustion process along with exhaust gases. For this reason, it is not recommended to use 4T oil in two-stroke scooters, as a lot of carbon will form, which will adversely affect the durability of all components. The same is true if the owner of the scooter wonders which better oil for scooter 4T– under no circumstances should you pour 2T oil into four stroke engine, it is simply not intended for this and has slightly different characteristics.
Transmission oil
This oil is intended for gearboxes, and in in this case gearbox Gear oil differs from motor oil in a different viscosity and a set of other additives.
When changing oil, it is very important to fill it strictly according to the level, since overfilling can lead to troubles due to the fact that when heated, it increases in volume and can simply squeeze out gaskets and seals, which will subsequently cost expensive repairs.
All types of oils are, among other things, divided into synthetic, semi-synthetic and mineral.
Synthetic oil
Synthetic oil provides rubbing mechanisms with more high-quality protection through education protective film. The consistency is the least viscous of all types of oils. It is also worth noting that when heated, it practically does not change, which is important for the long-term operation of the mechanisms.
Semi-synthetic and mineral oils
Such motor and transmission oils are used along with synthetic ones for two main reasons:
- The price of such oils is slightly lower than that of synthetic ones.
- With some wear, the engine requires a more viscous oil and in this case semi-synthetic and mineral oils. Therefore, looking for an answer to the question, what kind of oil to put in a scooter, the engine of which has operated for a long time, preference should be given to semi-synthetic and mineral oils.
Scooter owners are often concerned about the question - Is it possible to cast car? Manufacturers strongly do not recommend making such a replacement, since oil intended for motor vehicles is somewhat different from special motor oil. But at the same time, many scooter owners claim that they use car oil in the engines of their two-wheeled friends quite successfully. Therefore, it is impossible to unequivocally answer the question “is it possible to pour car oil into a scooter,” but it is better not to risk it and use the oil recommended by the manufacturer in the scooter.
Tool and material: 17 (or 19) spanner, 1 liter container, preferably wide so that it doesn’t tip over, funnel, some gasoline, rags.
Although there is nothing supernatural in this, we will describe the process for beginners.
First you need to warm up the engine for 5-10 minutes. This will thin the oil, making it easier to change, and will also lift and mix dirt (if any) with the oil.
It is also advisable to clean the area around the filler and drain holes of any dirt. The filler is located on the left side, next to the generator flywheel. There are usually two drain holes - one at the bottom of the engine, the other on the side, on the left (see photo).
Unscrew the cap (also known as the dipstick) of the filler hole. Without this, the oil will not drain. Next, slowly unscrew the nut drain hole. It is better to unscrew the bottom drain to rinse the metal filter. Be careful - there is a spring on the nut, which can jump, and a filter, do not lose them. Remember how they are located. You'll have to get a little dirty, it's not fatal)). While the oil is draining, wash the nut, filter and spring with gasoline. As soon as it drains, you can still rock the moped to the sides and drain it a little more.
Tighten the nut with the filter and spring. Let's start filling in new oil.
Using a funnel, fill the crankcase with oil. Be careful here - you need to pour slowly, and of course, leave room for air to escape. At the same time, we make sure not to overfill the crankcase. The first 700 ml can be poured safely, then more carefully - different mopeds require from 800 to 1000 ml of oil. It is necessary to eliminate both shortage and excess of oil. Excess can be removed using an empty tube from under transmission oil, - these tubes, as a rule, have a long spout, which is just suitable for our case. Check the level using the dipstick.
Ready. Check the level periodically, top up if necessary.
See the manual for replacement intervals. If it is not there, usually the first oil change is done after the first 300 - 500 km. The second after 1000. Then every 2000 - 4000. (On my Baotian every 3000 km).
