Coolant question

[brock29609]

#1 - What's the shelf life of an opened bottle of coolant? Any reason I shouldn't top off using a half empty bottle bottle that's been in my garage for 4 years?

#2 - How often should you check your coolant level?

#3 - If I overfill, the bike will just shoot the extra out the tube under my bike, right? So no harm in overfilling?

#4 - What would happen if I was running very low on coolant? I'm guessing the engine temp light would come on before anything bad happened?

[simpleman77]

Originally Posted by brock29609

#1 - What's the shelf life of an opened bottle of coolant? Any reason I shouldn't top off using a half empty bottle bottle that's been in my garage for 4 years? Honestly, for the cost, why not just get some new coolant?

#2 - How often should you check your coolant level? Whenever I am cleaning the bike. Oil, coolant, chain and tires.

#3 - If I overfill, the bike will just shoot the extra out the tube under my bike, right? So no harm in overfilling? Don't know about the harm. Wouldn't think that it would damage anything.

#4 - What would happen if I was running very low on coolant? I'm guessing the engine temp light would come on before anything bad happened? Probably, but you should notice it running differently/worse as well. Problem is that you may not see the light as soon as it comes on. If you run just a few minutes, you may cook the motor.

[JN]

Originally Posted by brock29609

#1 - What's the shelf life of an opened bottle of coolant? Any reason I shouldn't top off using a half empty bottle bottle that's been in my garage for 4 years?

#2 - How often should you check your coolant level?

#3 - If I overfill, the bike will just shoot the extra out the tube under my bike, right? So no harm in overfilling?

#4 - What would happen if I was running very low on coolant? I'm guessing the engine temp light would come on before anything bad happened?

#1 Coolant last for years on the shelf even if opened.

#2 Pretty much what simple said

#3 When you overfill the bike it will go out the overflow. No real harm but just try not to.

#4 It would depend on how low. If your referring to the low marker on your overflow tank then most likely nothing. You could run like that for awhile with no real signs of anything going wrong. I would just recommend topping it of.

Just watch your level and replace when your MOM tells you to.

[tubes_rock]

Your temperature light will probably NOT come on if you have low coolant.

The temperature sensor is near the top of the engine and sits in the coolant flow. If there's no coolant flowing because it's too low, the temp sensor will be sitting in air, and will probably not trigger.

--Justin

[brock29609]

Was wondering about the damage because I don't think I've checked the coolant in the last two years since I bought the bike. Had to add about 15 oz. or maybe more to get it to the max level. What's the total coolant capacity in a 1100?

[Easy Rider 2]

Originally Posted by tubes_rock

Your temperature light will probably NOT come on if you have low coolant.

True.

I suspect that a clarification needs to be made regarding the function of the "bottle" though. It is NOT a part of the active cooling system. It is ONLY an overflow and reserve. Just because the level in the bottle is getting a little low, that does NOT necessarily mean that the level in the radiator is also low.

If you have to add to the overflow bottle more than once a season (6 months), you should check the actual radiator level and be suspicious of a leak somewhere.

[tubes_rock]

Right on. The level of coolant in that bottle has very little to do with the level of coolant in the actual cooling system.

With the engine cold, you actually need to pop the cap on the radiator and make sure the coolant comes to the very top.

--Justin

[brock29609]

So if the radiator level is low, won't it draw from the reserve? It's not enough to fill just the reserve bottle?

[RJDoles]

There are two seals and a check-valve in the radiator cap. The lower seal (smaller diameter rubber seal) is designed to hold about 14 pounds pressure in the radiator. In the center of this lower seal is a one-way check valve that will block flow out of the radiator but allow coolant to flow into the radiator from the overflow tank. The third seal is the upper one which just seals the top of the radiator filler neck so that anything that gets past the lower seal goes to the overflow tank.

As the engine warms up, the coolant in the heads and radiator heats up and expands. It will build up enough pressure in the radiator to exceed the 14 pound pressure rating of the lower seal of the radiator cap. Once it does this, a small amount of coolant will push past the lower pressure seal and it will flow into the overflow tank.

When the engine is shut off, the coolant cools off and contracts. That contraction creates a void in the radiator. If the radiator is not completely full, that vacuum will suck a little coolant back into the radiator through the check-valve in the cap.

You really should check your radiator when the engine is cold and top it off, and you should check that your overflow bottle level is between the high and low limits. This allows room for overflow when the radiator heats up and provides coolant when it cools off.

Hope that this helps.

Ride safe.

["Captain D"]

I sure am glad I started checking my TCLOCS once a month...
I know where my fluid levels are at that time...
It don`t take all day to safety check your bike!!!