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Cooling issues
Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:10 am
by storysunfolding
My Vision is starting to give me troubles.
As the bike heats up the level in the coolant reservoir goes from about halfway to overflowing. I'll cut it off, and the level will drop to a quarter of a bottle.
I tried flushing the system, refilling it and bleeding the air out of the system. That didn't help. I've been told to suspect a bad coolant cap, a blockage in the radiator/system or a worn impeller. However, I don't know how to figure out which one is wrong.
Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 2:43 pm
by niterider
Do you have a temp gage? Is your cooling fan comming on???
Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 2:44 pm
by storysunfolding
Yes- not reading in red
Yes
Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 2:48 pm
by niterider
Does it go down below the minimum level line. Also have you checked the rad cap??? I reread your info and I suspect that the water pump may not be circulating the coolant. Water pump not turning.
Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 3:02 pm
by storysunfolding
Could it be as simple as a bad thermostat? The waterpump all the sudden quiting seems a more complicated answer.
Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 3:12 pm
by niterider
Yes, it could be that. I don't know how simple it would be to repair that problem. I had a problem with my vulcan last spring, the fan relay had burnt. I suspect that you have an electric water pump. Hope you can get it fixed.
Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 3:19 pm
by storysunfolding
Water pump seems to be gear driven. Thanks for the encouragement though
Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 8:42 pm
by BuzZz
Does your bike have a t-stat? Lots of bikes don't, and some of them are even water-cooled.....
The easiest, cheapest place to start is the rad cap.
If your impeller is worn, you could be by-passing enough coolant within the pump itself to heat the coolant more than usual, but this normally happens more slowly, over time. Unless the impeller shaft broke or the gears stripped suddenly....
But if your gauge reading hasn't changed from before the problem started.... and your gauge works correctly.... it sounds like air trapped in the system. Sometimes it can be a real fight to get it all bled off.....
Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 6:13 am
by storysunfolding
I checked the flow. Turned her on with the radiator cap on, no flow until it warmed up. Put a new cap on, felt fluid going through the tubes. Refilled the radiator after it ran for 5 minutes, bled more air, force fed it coolant through teh bleed valve and now everythings working again.
I'm taking the old radiator to the shop later to get them to test it for me. I want to know if it was the cap or just my not getting air out of the system.