2015 YAMAHA YZF-R3 engine

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND ADJUSTMENT
6-1
6
EAU17245
Periodic inspection, adjustment, and
lubrication will keep your vehicle in the
safest and most efficient condition
possible. Safety is an obligation of the
vehicle owner/operator. The most im-
portant points of vehicle inspection,
adjustment, and lubrication are ex-
plained on the following pages.
The intervals given in the periodic
maintenance charts should be simply
considered as a general guide under
normal riding conditions. However, de-
pending on the weather, terrain, geo-
graphical location, and individual use,
the maintenance intervals may need to
be shortened.
WARNING
EWA10322
Failure to properly maintain the vehi-
cle or performing maintenance ac-
tivities incorrectly may increase
your risk of injury or death durin g
service or while usin g the vehicle. If
you are not familiar with vehicle ser-
vice, have a Yamaha d ealer perform
service.
WARNING
EWA15123
Turn off the en gine when performin g
maintenance unless otherwise
specified .
 A runnin g en gine has movin g
parts that can catch on body
parts or clothin g an d electrical
parts that can cause shocks or
fires.
 Runnin g the en gine while ser-
vicin g can lead to eye injury,
b urns, fire, or car bon monoxi de
poisonin g – possi bly lea din g to
d eath. See pag e 1-3 for more in-
formation a bout car bon monox-
i d e.
WARNING
EWA15461
Brake discs, calipers, drums, and
linin gs can b ecome very hot d uring
use. To avoi d possi ble burns, let
b rake components cool before
touchin g them.
EAU17303
Emission controls not only function to
ensure cleaner air, but are also vital to
proper engine operation and maximum
performance. In the following periodic
maintenance charts, the services relat-
ed to emissions control are grouped
separately. These services require
specialized data, knowledge, and
equipment. Maintenance, replace-
ment, or repair of the emission control
devices and systems may be per-
formed by any repair establishment or
individual that is certified (if applicable).
Yamaha dealers are trained and equipped to perform these particular
services.
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PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND ADJUSTMENT
6-8
6
EAU19643
Checking the spark plug sThe spark plugs are important engine
components, which should be
checked periodically, preferably by a
Yamaha dealer. Since heat and depos- its will cause any spark plug to slowly
erode, they should be removed and
checked in accordance with the peri-
odic maintenance and lubrication
chart. In addition, the condition of the
spark plugs can reveal the condition of
the engine.
The porcelain insulator around the
center electrode of each spark plug
should be a medium-to-light tan (the
ideal color when the vehicle is ridden
normally), and all spark plugs installed
in the engine should have the same
color. If any spark plug shows a dis-
tinctly different color, the engine could
be operating improperly. Do not at-
tempt to diagnose such problems
yourself. Instead, have a Yamaha deal-
er check the vehicle.
If a spark plug shows signs of elec-
trode erosion and excessive carbon or
other deposits, it should be replaced. Before installing a spark plug, the
spark plug gap should be measured
with a wire thickness gauge and, if
necessary, adjusted to specification.
Clean the surface of the spark plug
gasket and its mating surface, and
then wipe off any grime from the spark
plug threads.
TIPIf a torque wrench is not available
when installing a spark plug, a good
estimate of the correct torque is 1/4–
1/2 turn past finger tight. However, the
spark plug should be tightened to the
specified torque as soon as possible.
Specified
spark plu g:
NGK/CR8E
1. Spark plug gap
Spark plu g g ap:
0.7–0.8 mm (0.028–0.031 in)
Ti ghtenin g torque:
Spark plug: 13 Nm (1.3 m·kgf, 9.4 ft·lbf)
UB02E0E0.book Page 8 Thursday, January 15, 2015 3:39 PM

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND ADJUSTMENT
6-9
6
EAU62632
Engine oil an d oil filter car-
tri dgeThe engine oil level should be checked
before each ride. In addition, the oil
must be changed and the oil filter car-
tridge replaced at the intervals speci-
fied in the periodic maintenance and
lubrication chart.
To check the en gine oil level
1. Place the vehicle on a level sur- face and hold it in an upright posi-
tion. A slight tilt to the side can
result in a false reading.
2. Start the engine, warm it up for several minutes, and then turn it
off.
3. Wait a few minutes until the oil set- tles, and then check the oil level
through the engine oil level check
window located at the bottom-
right side of the crankcase.TIPThe engine oil should be between the
minimum and maximum level marks.
4. If the engine oil is below the mini-mum level mark, add sufficient oil
of the recommended type to raise
it to the correct level.
To chan ge the en gine oil (with or
without oil filter cartri dge replace-
ment) 1. Place the vehicle on a level sur- face.
2. Start the engine, warm it up for several minutes, and then turn it
off.
3. Place an oil pan under the engine to collect the used oil. 4. Remove the engine oil filler cap,
the engine oil drain bolt and its
gasket to drain the oil from the
crankcase.
TIPSkip steps 5–7 if the oil filter cartridge
is not being replaced.5. Remove the oil filter cartridge withan oil filter wrench.
1. Engine oil filler cap
2. Engine oil level check window
3. Maximum level mark
4. Minimum level mark4 21
3
1. Engine oil drain bolt
2. Gasket
2
1
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PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND ADJUSTMENT
6-10
6
TIPAn oil filter wrench is available at a
Yamaha dealer.6. Apply a thin coat of clean engine oil to the O-ring of the new oil filter
cartridge.
TIPMake sure that the O-ring is properly
seated.7. Install the new oil filter cartridgewith an oil filter wrench, and then
tighten it to the specified torque
with a torque wrench. 8. Install the engine oil drain bolt and
its new gasket, and then tighten
the bolt to the specified torque.
TIPInstall the new gasket as shown.
1. Oil filter wrench
2. Oil filter cartridge
1 2
1. O-ring
1. Torque wrench
Tightenin g torque:
Oil filter cartridge: 17 Nm (1.7 m·kgf, 12 ft·lbf)
1
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PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND ADJUSTMENT
6-11
69. Refill with the specified amount ofthe recommended engine oil, and
then install and tighten the oil filler
cap.
TIPBe sure to wipe off spilled oil on any
parts after the engine and exhaust sys-
tem have cooled down.NOTICE
ECA11621
In or der to prevent clutch slip-
pa ge (since the en gine oil also
lu bricates the clutch), do not
mix any chemical additives. Do
not use oils with a diesel speci-
fication of “CD” or oils of a hi gh-
er quality than specifie d. In
a ddition, do not use oils la beled
“ENERGY CONSERVING II” or
hi gher.
 Make sure that no forei gn mate-
rial enters the crankcase.10. Start the engine, and then let it idle for several minutes while checking
it for oil leakage. If oil is leaking,
immediately turn the engine off
and check for the cause.TIPAfter the engine is started, the engine
oil pressure warning light should go off.
NOTICE
ECA20860
If the oil pressure warnin g lig ht flick-
ers or remains on even if the oil level
is correct, imme diately turn the en-
g ine off an d have a Yamaha d ealer
check the vehicle.11. Turn the engine off, wait a few minutes until the oil settles, and
then check the oil level and cor-
rect it if necessary.
1. Engine oil drain bolt
2. GasketTightenin g torque:
Engine oil drain bolt: 20 Nm (2.0 m·kgf, 14 ft·lbf)
Recommen ded en gine oil:
See page 8-1.
Oil quantity:
Without oil filter cartridge replace-
ment:1.80 L (1.90 US qt, 1.58 Imp.qt)
With oil filter cartridge replacement: 2.10 L (2.22 US qt, 1.85 Imp.qt)
2
1
UB02E0E0.book Page 11 Thursday, January 15, 2015 3:39 PM

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND ADJUSTMENT
6-12
6
EAU20071
CoolantThe coolant level should be checked
before each ride. In addition, the cool-
ant must be changed at the intervals
specified in the periodic maintenance
and lubrication chart.
EAUN0690
To check the coolant level1. Place the vehicle on a level sur- face and hold it in an upright posi-
tion.TIPThe coolant level must be
checked on a cold engine since
the level varies with engine tem-
perature.
 Make sure that the vehicle is posi-
tioned straight up when checking
the coolant level. A slight tilt to the
side can result in a false reading.2. Check the coolant level in the
coolant reservoir.TIPThe coolant should be between the
minimum and maximum level marks.
3. If the coolant is at or below theminimum level mark, remove the
left side cowling and coolant res-
ervoir cover to access the coolant
reservoir. 4. Remove the coolant reservoir cap,
add coolant to the maximum level
mark, and then install the reservoir
cap. WARNING! Remove only
the coolant reservoir cap. Never
attempt to remove the ra diator
cap when the en gine is hot.
[EWA15162]
NOTICE: If coolant is not
availab le, use distille d water or
soft tap water instead . Do not
use har d water or salt water
since it is harmful to the en gine.
If water has been used instead
of coolant, replace it with cool-
ant as soon as possi ble, other-
wise the coolin g system will not
b e protecte d a gainst frost an d
1. Maximum level mark
2. Minimum level mark
3. Coolant reservoir
1. Left side cowling
2. Bolt
1
2
3
21
2 2
1. Bolt
2. Coolant reservoir cover
2
1
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PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND ADJUSTMENT
6-15
6
EAU21385
Checking the throttle grip free
playThe throttle grip free play should mea-
sure 3.0–5.0 mm (0.12–0.20 in) at the
inner edge of the throttle grip. Periodi-
cally check the throttle grip free play
and, if necessary, have a Yamaha deal-
er adjust it.
EAU21402
Valve clearanceThe valve clearance changes with use,
resulting in improper air-fuel mixture
and/or engine noise. To prevent this
from occurring, the valve clearance
must be adjusted by a Yamaha dealer
at the intervals specified in the periodic
maintenance and lubrication chart.
EAUN0701
TiresTires are the only contact between the
vehicle and the road. Safety in all con-
ditions of riding depends on a relatively
small area of road contact. Therefore, it
is essential to maintain the tires in good
condition at all times and replace them
at the appropriate time with the speci-
fied tires.
Tire air pressure
The tire air pressure should be
checked and, if necessary, adjusted
before each ride.
WARNING
EWA10504
Operation of this vehicle with im-
proper tire pressure may cause se-
vere injury or death from loss of
control.  The tire air pressure must be
checked and a djuste d on col d
tires (i.e., when the temperature
of the tires equals the am bient
temperature).
 The tire air pressure must be
a d juste d in accor dance with the
ri din g speed and with the total
1. Throttle grip free play
1
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PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND ADJUSTMENT
6-35
63. Remove the license plate light
bulb socket (together with the
bulb) by pulling it out.
4. Remove the burnt-out bulb by pulling it out. 5. Insert a new bulb into the socket.
6. Install the socket (together with
the bulb) by pushing it in.
7. Install the rear fender lower panel by installing the bolts and screws.
8. Install the mudguard by installing the quick fasteners.
EAU24351
Supportin g the motorcycleSince this model is not equipped with a
centerstand, follow these precautions
when removing the front and rear
wheel or performing other mainte-
nance requiring the motorcycle to
stand upright. Check that the motorcy-
cle is in a stable and level position be-
fore starting any maintenance. A
strong wooden box can be placed un-
der the engine for added stability.
To service the front wheel
1. Stabilize the rear of the motorcy- cle by using a motorcycle stand
or, if an additional motorcycle
stand is not available, by placing a
jack under the frame in front of the
rear wheel.
2. Raise the front wheel off the ground by using a motorcycle
stand.
To service the rear wheel
Raise the rear wheel off the ground by
using a motorcycle stand or, if a motor-
cycle stand is not available, by placing
1. Bolt
2. Screw
3. Rear fender lower panel
1. License plate light bulb
2. License plate light bulb socket
3
2
1 2
2
121
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