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theredark
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« on: August 19, 2015, 05:20:31 PM » |
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Good evening all.
Today rode home from work and hit heavy stop and go traffic getting off highway (about 20 min in 85 deg. heat) The fan kicked on normally. Then the overheating light came on. First time ever. I couldn't pull over until I got off the exit but as I exited the highway a guy yelled I was leaking coolant like crazy. I immediately pulled off into a parking lot and checked. I was losing coolant out of the overflow tube from the coolant tank. When I pulled the side cover and checked it, the reservoir was completely full. I siphoned off a half inch or so, let the bike cool and resumed my ride home. No more light, no more coolant leak. However when I got home I noted that now there was no more coolant in the reservoir. Does this sound like the thermostat? Or is there some other less difficult thing to check? Should I just refill the reservoir to the full line when cold and see how it goes? I hadn't checked the fluid for a couple weeks but it had been right between the add and full lines.
Thanks,
Brad
2000 Interstate
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2000 Black/Red Interstate
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Bighead
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« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2015, 06:03:32 PM » |
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Sounds as if it could be a stuck thermostat but if it emptied the tank it opened I would top it off and not ride to work but local for a while and let it get up to temp and see if it may do it again. If it does I would replace the thermostat. I had my light come on once two years ago in about 106 deg temps in Arizona. Guild level full and no leak but never again.
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1997 Bumble Bee
1999 Interstate (sold)
2016 Wing
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Hook#3287
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« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2015, 07:22:59 PM » |
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I can't remember this happening to anyone else. Maybe has, I just don't remember it.  Did you check the radiator level after it cooled? Assuming the pump is working correctly, if that happened to me, I'd change out the thermostat. If it stuck once, it could do it again. |
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The emperor has no clothes
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« Reply #3 on: August 19, 2015, 07:26:20 PM » |
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I can't remember this happening to anyone else. Maybe has, I just don't remember it. Did you check the radiator level after it cooled? Assuming the pump is working correctly, if that happened to me, I'd change out the thermostat. If it stuck once, it could do it again. Also remember to remove the set screw from your cap before you go to take it off. |
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F6Dave
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« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2015, 08:31:52 PM » |
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Did it flicker or stay on steadily? Flickering could be caused by a bad indicator unit. Lots of posts on this.
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Bighead
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« Reply #5 on: August 19, 2015, 09:45:51 PM » |
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Did it flicker or stay on steadily? Flickering could be caused by a bad indicator unit. Lots of posts on this.
I would say it was on steady as he was losing fluid. |
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1997 Bumble Bee
1999 Interstate (sold)
2016 Wing
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theredark
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« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2015, 12:26:34 AM » |
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Yeah, the light was on steady. By the time I got home it had emptied the reservoir. I will check it again this morning.
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2000 Black/Red Interstate
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trout dude
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« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2015, 04:47:34 AM » |
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Like Bighead said stuck thermostat. Same thing happened to mine also about 4 years ago. Changed it out and no more problems. Cheap and easy fix.
Dennis
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Tfrank59
Member
Posts: 1364
'98 Tourer
Western Washington
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« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2015, 07:44:24 AM » |
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Yeah, it's either got to be the thermostat or water pump, so let us know what you learn.
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-Tom
Keep the rubber side down. USMC '78-'84
'98 Valkyrie, ‘02 VTX 1800, '96 Royal Star, '06 Drifter, '09 Bonneville, '10 KTM 530, '04 XR 650, '76 Bultaco, '81 CR 450, '78 GS 750...
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Gryphon Rider
Member
Posts: 5227
2000 Tourer
Calgary, Alberta
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« Reply #9 on: August 20, 2015, 08:33:57 AM » |
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There are only two things it could logically be, a thermostat failed shut, or a blockage in your cooling system. When water pumps fail, they don't fail by not pumping without other indications, but manifest as coolant leaking out of the pump's weep hole. If the hole is dry, the pump has not failed. The first thing I would do is drain the coolant, looking for contamination (which might indicate another problem), then replace the thermostat. You can test the old one in a pot of water with a thermometer. The thermostat should be fully open by 180°F. This is more to confirm the diagnosis of a bad thermostat than to decide on replacement, because if you are going to go to the trouble of getting to the thermostat, the price of a new thermostat is worth it to not have to do it again in a couple of years. As far as blockage goes, if the coolant and the inside of the radiator look good, blockage probably isn't the cause.  |
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« Last Edit: August 20, 2015, 08:35:56 AM by Gryphon Rider »
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Paladin528
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« Reply #10 on: August 21, 2015, 10:32:54 AM » |
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Tat is NOT a reservoir. That is an overflow tank. It should be filled to the LOW mark when COLD. When the fluid in the Radiator and engine is HOT it expands and increases the pressure in the system to Greater than around 15psi. This forces the fluid from the radiator cap back to the Overflow tank.
When the bike begins to cool the overflow fluid will flow back into the engine and the level should again be at the low mark. If the tank was too full to begin with it will dump the fluid overboard.
you should never siphon off the fluid when the bike is hot. Let the system do its thing.
You should recheck your coolant level when the bike is cold and ensure it has not taken air into the system.
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Paladin528
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« Reply #11 on: August 21, 2015, 10:36:18 AM » |
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on another note. I had the same issue (without the fluid loss) when stuck in traffic in 85+ degree weather. The light did come on and my oil temp gauge read about 225 so I know she was hot. Got my self in th eclear and breezed it out and the light went off about 20 seconds later.
IMHO the radiator core on the I/S is too small.
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knockdolian
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« Reply #12 on: August 21, 2015, 11:40:36 AM » |
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Hi all, if I may add an opinion. As stated it is an expansion tank. When the coolant gets hot it expands and fills the tank. If you had too much in there to start with or it got very hot as you described the tank will fill then overflow. As the engine cools the coolant retracts pulling what is left in the tank back in to the system. That's why the coolant level in the tank is kept low. If the water pump failed the bike would heat up and cook very quickly. The thermostat holds coolant in the engine until it gets up to working temperature. Then it opens and coolant goes around the system through the radiator. If the thermostat is stuck shut again it will overheat very quickly with no coolant going through the radiator. What you described sounds to me to be exactly what is supposed to happen. of course I could be wrong  |
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