What do the operating and maintenance instructions say?

I have never come across an analog joystick that requires oil! (is it a purely mechanical analog joystick?)

Isn't it already filled and sealed?

Or, is there a dipstick?

The purpose of the oil is to create resistance to the mechanical input or dampen the movement of the joystick thereby making the operation and the output signal smoother and more uniform. The oil is not mandatory but recommended. Any silicon-based oil will do.

I did a little research and found that a silicone oil having a viscosity of about 300,000 to about 900,000 cstokes is recommended. I would check with the manufacturer for their recommendation.

Again, the joystick can be operated without the oil but you may experience a "tremor effect" associated with any un-dampended joystick.

Fill er up!

If the instruction manual says fill oil,then fill oil.U may also contact yr customer or rather the manufacturer for clearification. Patrick Whowha

instruction manuals are the best in this case. We do carry a line of analog joystick which are NON CONTACT type. It provides excellent results with long life, no pot to wear out. you may contact me for further discussion at 905 693 2991 Joe

As previously mentioned, the oil is probably a dampening mechanism;like an oil filled guage dampens vibrations.If this joystick is in a high vibration environment,or very loud environment, it could prevent spurious movement of the crane, which could be disasterous in certain circumstances.The radio dial on old radios had a heavy tuning wheel,to make it easier to resolve a channel in close proximity to other channels.Some weigh scales also have oil in them, it is called a dash pot.This allows the needle to settle quickly to a stable reading.Some old electrical relays also had dash pots, so oil for dampening is a very mature technology.The joystick you mention must be very sensitive for dampening to be required.The upside of this is very good tactile feel when making minute adjustments.The actual element internally that produces the signal in not relevant.It can be a simple potentiometer,or a quadrature generating pulse generator, either optical or magnetic/hall effect.

Ths long and short of it is this:If it came with oil, and it is leaking, and there is not a provision for adding oil, it has a defective seal somewhere.Replace/repair it.If it has a fill port, consult the manual for instructions.

HTRN

Thanks for the information!!!