Bike back from dealer service…coolant level concern?

[Cjanssen83]

Long story short, bike was in service (2021 with 2900 miles). Got it back 6 days ago. 

Noticed I couldn’t see coolant level through the little window thing, so I popped the cover off. 

Obviously, very low. but the question is what should I do? Bring it back to the dealer and have them look at everything again? If this low, could it have already been damaging?

Or, top off the reservoir myself? Is that what I’d do…just fill the reservoir up to the full line? Or is there something else I’d do?

I have a bottle (opened) of Yamacool…can that go bad after being opened for a year?

 Mechanical noob here…

[cornerslider]

Yes, you can top it off- nothing to it

[Cjanssen83]

2 hours ago, cornerslider said:

Yes, you can top it off- nothing to it

Figured, but I’m the type of noob who has to triple check everything.

Ok to use the open bottle of Yamacool in my garage? Or get a new bottle?

[Lone Wolf]

12 hours ago, Cjanssen83 said:

…just fill the reservoir up to the full line? Or is there something else I’d do?

Did you check the actual radiator (when cold) or just looking at the reservoir?

12 hours ago, Cjanssen83 said:

Mechanical noob here…

Are you familiar with how an overflow (reservoir) works? Just like a car, the radiator can barf out boiling radiator water, then "pull it back in" as the vehicle cools down in your garage.

[Cjanssen83]

5 minutes ago, Lone Wolf said:

Did you check the actual radiator (when cold) or just looking at the reservoir?

Are you familiar with how an overflow (reservoir) works? Just like a car, the radiator can barf out boiling radiator water, then "pull it back in" as the vehicle cools down in your garage.

1) I just checked the reservoir. How would I check the radiator? Just open the cap and look inside?

2) Not really familiar with how it works, no. I would assume though that if there’s a “full” line and a “low” line, that it shouldn’t be below low? Not trying to be sarcastic here, genuinely don’t know. All the manual says is check the level in the reservoir.

[M. Hausknecht]

Yeah, when the bike is cool just open the radiator cap and look inside. You should see coolant to the top of the radiator. If you don't, I'd add it directly to the radiator using a small funnel so you don't make a mess. I've not heard of coolant going bad in the container. Over time when in use some of the additives give up working but that isn't an issue in the bottle. Once the radiator is full, I'd add some coolant to the overflow bottle, just to get a bit over the lower line. As LoneWolf noted, when the coolant gets hot,it expands into the overflow tank, and then when the motor cools, the coolant gets sucked back into the cooling system. That way, you're always going to have a full cooling system.

[klx678]

Personally, I'd take it back to the place that did the service and ask why they didn't notice that it was low.  Especially if they did work that might have resulted in possible loss of coolant.   I know the guys in the shop where I worked would do a quick once over on visuals.  That would have been caught, as would under inflated tires.

But if you aren't into confrontation, and I'm sure the dealer would like to know that they missed something like this, add the fluid you have.  I don't believe it really goes bad.  Not like brake fluid.

There is a marking on the coolant overflow tank where the level would be when cold.

Edited May 13, 2023 by klx678

[Lone Wolf]

1 hour ago, Cjanssen83 said:

How would I check the radiator? Just open the cap and look inside?

Right, if the radiator is out of coolant like your overflow reservoir, you could have overheating.

If the radiator is full, then no harm done. The purpose of reservoir is to enable more fluid to be sucked back into the radiator during cooldown. A full radiator will not steal any fluid from the reservoir when it cools, because it will already be full.

[shinyribs]

2 hours ago, Cjanssen83 said:

Figured, but I’m the type of noob who has to triple check everything.

Ok to use the open bottle of Yamacool in my garage? Or get a new bottle?

That's the best kind of noob to be. Asking is how anyone learns anything. 

 

Coolant does not have a shelf life, so no worries about using the open bottle you've already got. It's perfectly fine. Which makes me think about brake fluid. 

 

Brake fluid naturally absorbs water out of the air, which is why we have to flush it periodically. An opened bottle of brake fluid that's been sitting around for a few years probably isn't a great thing to use, but it also doesn't have to be thrown away just because the seal is broken. It's best to use the freshest brake fluid you can, but if you've got some sitting around you can pour a bit out to see if it's good or not. When brake fluid absorbs water it's start getting dark. If it's still clear or a very pale golden color, it's fine. If it's darkened to the point of looking like honey or motor oil, it's gone bad. 

 

Just fill your reservoir to the full line and you'll be good to go. The stuff can evaporated sometimes. It's just something we have to look at periodically.  If the bike was hot when the mechanic was looking it over the fluid level may have been showing higher on the indicator for him. It's best to check these cold, and it can take several hours for a bike to really cool off. Not something a shop can really work around. 

Edited May 13, 2023 by shinyribs