Losing Coolant

[omslaw]

I have an '04 with 'just shy' of 10K miles. I've been losing coolant...but can't see where. My bike is mostly stock; besides cosmetic mods, I have a K&N filter and bolt-ons installed.

I just got done pulling the plugs, they look fine; no white, crusty stuff on them. Exhaust smells like exhaust, not sweet smelling...like coolant. Oil looks normal, not 'cholocate milk' looking. There are no visible leaks (oil and/or coolant) anywhere.

I started the bike cold and let it run until the fan came on (about 10 mins), coolant level in bottle raised 1 1/2" to 1 3/4"; no bubbles visible.

I wanna say head gasket, but what else could it be?

Thanks!

 

[Schism]

HELP ME OUT- I JUST DEALT W/ MINE A FEW DAYS AGO. IS IT PISSING OUT OF THE BOTTOM AT A HIGH RATE WHEN ENGINE IS WARM? IS IT A SLOW LEAK? DID YOU HAVE THE FLUID FLUSHED RECENTLY?

I FLUSHED MINE RECENTLY AND HAD TO MANY AIR BUBBLES IN HER + A DEFAULT WATER PUMP. THERE IS A PURGE VALVE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PUMP THAT WILL PISS IT OUT IF SOMETHING IS WRONG i.e. air bubbles trapped and so forth I AM NO MECHANIC BY ANY MEANS, BUT I AM VERY FAMILIAR W/ THE COOLING SYSTEM NOW.

 

[Schism]

TAKE PLASTICS OFF BOTH SIDES AND RUN THE BIKE FOR 3-4 MIN. THEN VISUALLY INSPECT ALL OF THE HOSES TO SEE IF THERE IS A LEAK.

 

[omslaw]

I have seen NO leaks. When I had it running today with the plastics off, I was looking for ANY sign of a leak...I saw NOTHING.

It has not been flushed since buying her new on 30 April 2004. That is one of my winter projects.

 

[Schism]

I WISH I KNEW WHAT IS GOING ON BUT I DON'T. SORRY I COULDN'T HELP!

 

[Steve K]

I have an '04 with 'just shy' of 10K miles.  I've been losing coolant...but can't see where.  My bike is mostly stock; besides cosmetic mods, I have a K&N filter and bolt-ons installed.

I just got done pulling the plugs, they look fine; no white, crusty stuff on them.  Exhaust smells like exhaust, not sweet smelling...like coolant.  Oil looks normal, not 'cholocate milk' looking.  There are no visible leaks (oil and/or coolant) anywhere.

I started the bike cold and let it run until the fan came on (about 10 mins), coolant level in bottle raised 1 1/2" to 1 3/4"; no bubbles visible.

I wanna say head gasket, but what else could it be?

Thanks!

Omslaw,

Having read this and your other thread (Topic: Blown Head Gasket!?!?, WTF???), are you SURE you are loosing coolant?  

How much are you adding?  How often?

The coolant tank is often refered to as an expansion tank, simply because water expands as it is heated.  So checking the next morning (cold engine) and seeing it as fallen 1/4" is to be expected.  The same as seeing it rise a little when the engine is started and left to run for 10 minutes.

All your other checks suggest no coolant is getting into the oil of vice-versa which is good news.

So unless you are adding a pint of coolant a week/after every ride/after every gear change, I don't think you have anything to worry about.

If you do check the level, make sure the engine is cold, (it's one less thing to affect it.)

I've got 23,000 miles on my 2003 and find I need to add about half a cup of water to the tank about once a year.  The rest of the time I watch the level change and think of it as 'normal.'

I hope that's all you are seeing.

Steve

 

[jwcfbd]

a few years ago I started smelling burning coolant. I looked around and found that the over flow line from the filler neck had a small split in it where it turns down from the neck. When it warmed up the coolant would leak out of the hole and run down the engine and burn off. It left no coolant on the ground so until I smelled it I had no idea it was leaking other than a loss of fluid.

 

[omslaw]

Steve,

Thanks for the reply. 2-3 months ago, I added coolant to the bottle, while cold, to the Full mark. During normal riding, I do observe the level rising, which is expected...as you also said.

However, it's now (when cold) just above the 'low' mark on the bottle. My buddy, who also has an '04, has never added a drop and his is still at the 'full' mark.

If this is normal...OK, but I would have expected a 'sealed system' to not lose that much.

--Omar

 

[omslaw]

a few years ago I started smelling burning coolant. I looked around and found that the over flow line from the filler neck had a small split in it where it turns down from the neck. When it warmed up the coolant would leak out of the hole and run down the engine and burn off. It left no coolant on the ground so until I smelled it I had no idea it was leaking other than a loss of fluid.

Hmmm. Ya know, I didn't look that closely at the overflow line...

Thanks for the suggestion...I think I'll pull the plastics this weekend and take a look at it!

Thanks!

--Omar



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[Steve K]

Steve,

Thanks for the reply.  2-3 months ago, I added coolant to the bottle, while cold, to the Full mark.  During normal riding, I do observe the level rising, which is expected...as you also said.

However, it's now (when cold) just above the 'low' mark on the bottle.  My buddy, who also has an '04, has never added a drop and his is still at the 'full' mark.

If this is normal...OK, but I would have expected a 'sealed system' to not lose that much.

--Omar

Omar,

The overflow tank itself it not sealed or pressurised.  (Unlike the cooling system).

This means if the tank is full (I mean full and not just at the upper limit line), it can overflow out of the overflow pipe at the top of the tank onto the ground.  And if the water in the tank is warm enough, and the air outside is dry enough, evaporation can also take place via the overflow pipe.

Still sounds like your system is pretty much working as designed, which you have to admit is great news...

Three weeks ago I travelled 2,300 miles in a week through France to Spain.  My tank dropped from full and would need about an eggcup full to top up.  It's not work the effort of getting an eggcup wet :-)

The important thing is it is still above the minimum mark and continue to check it as often I check the other fluid levels.

FYI, The pipe from the overflow (bottom of plastic tank) routes around the back of the engine to just above the radiator cap.  When the water in the system reaches a pressure greater than the spring in the cap, it passes the seal and runs via the pipe into your tank.  When the system cools down, it 'sucks' water backout of the overflow tank into the system so the system should always from full of liquid without bubbles.

For a laugh, you could always tell your friend with the 04 something is wrong with his tank as they are 'designed' to loose a few drops.  Suggest to him his overflow pipe could be kinked :-)

Regards,

Steve

 

[CorrodedAlien]

Hmm it is spitting, not swallowing.... Sounds familiar, even hiding the fact that she is spitting it out. Hmmm

 

[omslaw]

Crap! I shoulda known.... I better go look in the 'waste chemical bucket'.

 

[LadyHawk]

If you are running hot too, be sure the cap is on correctly and tightly. If not, when it gets hot, you'll lose fluid and overheat.