Coolant change needed??

Hi guys,

I was just wondering what the 'normal' experience with the coolant temperature reader on the dials was?

Mine is behaving in somewhat of a weird manner (I think).....

When I'm riding along, I can watch it get higher and higer (starts around 78, will climb up to 88-90) and then suddenly drops back down to the 78 mark. I suppose in a way, this can be likened to a buffer where it fills up and fills up, and then empties (yup, I'm a geek)...

What's really made me think somethings not quite right is that this morning, wiht it being -2(deg) on the motorway, doing a steady-70ish with no acceleration etc. I had 'readings' of between 80 and 95 degrees! No way it should have hit 95 imo...

So, how do others temperature guages behave? Could 'fouled' coolant be responsible for this?

Cheers,

Al.

[jambo]

Coolant should be changed every 2 years. As it gets older the main change is that the corrosion inhibitors become less effective. Provided there is the correct amount in there and it's not contaminated with anything nasty it should still do a decent job of transferring heat to the Rad.

Make sure the level is ok for the expansion tank (can be tricky to see), check the fan is working properly. The Haynes manual should have checks for the cooling system. I wouldn't fuss much but my zx6 goes into town every day so I'm used to ignoring big numbers

Changed my coolant a few months ago....fairly easy job...

with repsect to the readings, I thought it cycled up and down due to the thermostat opening, hence the engine getting a nice cooldown from the cooler liquid from the radiator...

mine did it before the coolant change, and after...

Riding along sees 80 ish, then up to 90 in small increments, then down to 80 again...

I thought this was normal....?

Mine reads anything from mid eighties to mid nineties.

Will depend on your riding and coolant volume.

On the K3 it's a pain in the rs. The header is ok, get to that easy by lifting the seat off and tank up.

If you have to drain and refill though, the pressurised cap is tucked just under the inside edge of the right fairing.

Now you can probably jimmy it if you want, but you'll probably damage the finish.

You need to take the front fairing and screen out to get at a pressurised cap on the top of the rad. Totally cr4p design.

Cheers

Originally Posted by Cam_73

Mine reads anything from mid eighties to mid nineties.

Will depend on your riding and coolant volume.

On the K3 it's a pain in the rs. The header is ok, get to that easy by lifting the seat off and tank up.

If you have to drain and refill though, the pressurised cap is tucked just under the inside edge of the right fairing.

Now you can probably jimmy it if you want, but you'll probably damage the finish.

You need to take the front fairing and screen out to get at a pressurised cap on the top of the rad. Totally cr4p design.

Cheers

Just use a bottle with some plastic tubing to fill it up - you can get the rube into the top of the rad, and fill it up that way - no need to remove the fairing and screen...

Admittedly it is a little fiddely, but far easier than removing the plastics IMO...