Where Do You Add Antifreeze To A 1999 Kawasaki

All engines need cooling in some way, whether it'south but by air rushing over it (unusual these days), oil, or most ordinarily, 'h2o'.

The 'water' used in water-cooled bikes (and cars) is frequently simply called 'antifreeze', but it does more than foreclose the cooling system from freezing up (which would be bad – as h2o freezes it expands, which can crack your engine)… Modern coolants are designed to raise the boiling point of the liquid and offer corrosion protection inside the motor. On this wheel, it'south also used to warm the carburettors, making the machine run amend during the winter.

The coolant arrangement is pressurised, which also raises the boiling bespeak, the force per unit area being controlled past a valve in the radiator cap – that's why information technology'south and then important you don't open the filler cap when the system'southward hot, and why you should cover it with a rag even if you're sure it'due south cooled down.

How do I wait afterward the coolant in my bike?

There's little you can do to look after the coolant, besides making sure the caps are secure, all the hoses are intact and that you change information technology regularly. If you lot find whatever milky deposits in the coolant, that could be a sign that oil is getting into it, which could hateful a blown head gasket or damaged block or cylinder head.

There tin be compatibility issues between coolant types and then information technology'due south important the system is thoroughly flushed betwixt changes – mixing the chemicals could cause sludge to class, fifty-fifty if there are just traces of the old i left.

Change your bike's coolant regularly and the engine and radiator should stay in great condition

How long should my motorcycle's coolant last?

Y'all should cheque your motorbike owner'south transmission or a Haynes transmission, only on my 1999 Kawasaki ZX-6R G2 the coolant should be replaced every sixteen,000 miles or ii years. It's possible to check the status of coolant, but information technology's an important part of the engine, so it really should be changed on schedule.

What should I do if my bike's coolant needs topping up?

You lot should top the cooling system up with the same coolant every bit was added in the showtime place – some are compatible simply to be sure, don't mix them. In an emergency, you can top up with water but this will be diluting the mixture, which will reduce the effectiveness of the system, and then you should get it back to the correct mixture every bit presently as possible. This is more relevant to the old concentrated antifreezes that required dilution with distilled water; virtually are now sold gear up-mixed.

Of grade, if you lot need to pinnacle up your cooling system, you lot must question where it's leaking from; is it a damaged hose, split expansion tank or a more serious issue inside the motor?

Make sure the coolant you utilize is compatible with your engine

Tin I use any coolant for my motorcycle – is it the same equally auto coolant?

Yous need to check your bike's possessor's transmission or the Haynes transmission to know what coolant to use; don't go past the color!

Most coolants or antifreezes are made with ethylene glycol, though some – like Silkolene Pro Absurd – utilise the less toxic propylene glycol.

• IAT (Inorganic Acid Technology) was – and still is – typically used in older motors that incorporate copper and contumely.
• OAT (Organic Acid Technology) has additives that requite it an extended life, but information technology's not quite equally skilful at protecting against corrosion as IAT.
• HOAT (Hybrid Organic Acid Engineering science) is a combination of both, though it's potentially incompatible with either. HOAT can last a long time, and it's effective at preventing rust at low and high temperatures.

Some coolants used in some cars will be the same as those used in some bikes, but as with anything, cheque what the manufacturer recommends and make sure the production is compatible with the materials used in your engine; for example, I'm using Motorex Ready to Use Coolant M5.0, which is claimed to exist safe in cast iron and aluminium engines, as well as those using aluminium or copper alloys.

With the small amount of coolant used in a bike, I'd suggest you use a premix to avert faffing well-nigh with distilled water and mixing ratios.

What tools do I need?

This article isn't intended to be all yous need to change the coolant on any motorcycle. I'm basing information technology on my 1999 Kawasaki ZX-6R, simply your bike volition take its ain unique requirements, and so I thoroughly recommend ownership a Haynes workshop transmission first. My hope is that this will give you the confidence to take on the chore for yourself, but only with a workshop guide specific to your machine will you have the correct procedure. Recall that Bennetts customers tin save a massive xl% on Haynes manuals at Bennetts Rewards. Y'all'll also need the following…

• Tools to remove the fairing panels
• Spanner to remove drain plugs
• Engine flush – I used Holts cooling system cleaner, which I bought from Halfords with my 10% discount for being a Bennetts Rewards fellow member
• Garden hose
• Protective gloves

How do I change the coolant in my motorbike?

Some coolants tin can be dissentious to paintwork so take intendance with them and wear gloves – you lot should keep information technology abroad from your pare. As well make certain yous drain the coolant into a suitable container that you tin can and so take to your local recycling heart. You lot'll need to run the bike during the process, and so this is a job for outdoors…

Step one: Remove the radiator cap

Afterward stripping whatsoever fairing panels off, make certain the engine'due south cold then carefully open the radiator cap. E'er practise this with a rag over the summit, and plow it but hold it in place. If yous hear whatsoever hissing, wait until the pressure level is released and the hissing stops earlier lifting the cap clear.

Step two: Drain the old coolant

With a container underneath, remove the coolant bleed bolt and washer from the bottom of the h2o pump on the left-paw side. This cycle takes ii.iii litres of coolant, so brand sure your container is large enough. If your cycle has any bleed bolts, continue them loose until y'all fill the system back up.

Step 3: Drain the reservoir tank likewise

This bike has a coolant reservoir, so remove the cap and the hose on its lesser to drain the remaining fluid into a container. I also removed the bottom rad hose to ensure everything was out.

Step 4: Reattach whatever hoses

Pop the reservoir hose back on, as well equally any other hoses you might have taken off, only leave the drain bolt out.

Pace five: Flush with a hose

Popular a hose into the acme of the filler neck and flush the organisation completely with clean tap h2o. You should take whatever nozzle off the hose and just apply the normal water force per unit area, not leave the sprayer on like I did. I was careful not to damage the radiator, but I should take removed the nozzle.

I held my finger over the bleed bolt a couple of times while flushing to ensure the system filled with make clean h2o, and don't forget to flush out the expansion tank too.

If the radiator is badly corroded or blocked up, y'all'll need to remove it and have information technology repaired or replaced.

Expert tip: Keep on top of basic maintenance

"If the coolant isn't replaced oft enough, corrosion can start to course within the engine," says Nick Nomikos, owner and MoT tester at The Two Wheel Centre in Harpenden . "That corrosion can creep under the head gasket and cause it to neglect, which is a much more expensive repair than merely changing your coolant when information technology needs doing."

Step 6: Use a flushing compound

I used Holts SpeedFlush from Halfords (Bennetts Rewards members, don't forget your 10% disbelieve off everything at Halfords); whatsoever you use, make sure it's compatible with aluminium engines.

Once the engine is flushed with the hose, pop the drain commodities dorsum in using the old sealing washer, so half fill the system with tap water. Afterward that, pour the bottle of affluent into the radiator, then top up the organisation once more.

Check the engine affluent instructions, only here I just had to run the engine on a fast idle for x minutes (I wound the idle adjuster in a little), before letting it cool and so draining the fluid out fully.

Stride 7: Run information technology with tap water

With the engine flush drained out, information technology's time to refit the drain plug and washer, then make full the arrangement again with plain water.

Start the engine and once once again let it fast idle for ten minutes.

Don't worry about the fact that you're using tap h2o for these steps – if you were calculation concentrated antifreeze that would stay in the system, you'd need to use distilled h2o, but for cleaning and flushing, tap h2o is fine.

Once the engine's cooled, drain it all out again, then flush information technology with the hose until you're certain the system is completely clear, remembering to flush the expansion tank again also.

Expert tip: Sentry the temperature

"Check that your bike's radiator fan comes on every bit it warms up," says Nick Nomikos, owner and MoT tester at The 2 Wheel Eye in Harpenden . "If it doesn't, but the engine is getting hot, at that place might be a blown fuse, but there could also only be a stone trapped in the fan blades. Go along an heart on the temperature judge as if the fan hasn't come on past nearly 105°C, at that place'southward a problem; plough the motor off and find out what'south going on as it'll usually come up on around 75-80°C"

Step seven: Fill the radiator with coolant

You should fit a new sealing washer to the drain bolt before putting it in this concluding time, then bank check that all your hoses are secure again – you lot tin lose a off-white bit out of the expansion tank if you forget to refit that hose, leaving you lot with only just enough coolant to terminate the task. Patently.

Pour your ready-mixed coolant slowly into the filler cap, avoiding it glugging to keep air bubbling out every bit much as you tin can.

Stride viii: Elevation up the expansion tank

Now top up the expansion tank with coolant to the upper level, so fit the caps.

Step 9: Run the engine

Burn down up the engine, allow information technology idle for two or three minutes, then blip the throttle a few times to go the engine speed to about 4,000 to 5,000rpm.

At present stop the engine; any air that was trapped in the system should have bled back to the radiator filler cervix.

Step ten: Top up the coolant

Once the engine's cooled, remove the radiator cap and check the coolant level – if information technology'southward dropped, top it up so it'southward level with the neck of the radiator and superlative upwardly the expansion tank too, if necessary.

That's information technology – refit the caps and become on with riding. Keep an middle on the fluid level for the first few hundred miles but you should now be sorted for a proficient couple of years.

If you lot can't do this job yourself, your dealer volition be happy to have the piece of work on. While prices will vary, Nick Nomikos, possessor and MoT tester at The Ii Wheel Centre in Harpenden (as well as our technical counselor) says he'd charge £85 inc VAT, plus the coolant.

Where Do You Add Antifreeze To A 1999 Kawasaki,

Source: https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/advice/bike-maintenance/change-motorcycle-coolant-diy-fix-special

Posted by: petersluch1985.blogspot.com

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