Checking Engine Coolant

[Tony8]

When checking the engine coolant do you turn the bike off or leave it running when pulling the coolant dip stick? I checked the coolant when it was cold and the coolant was between the 2 marks on the dip stick. Owners manual says to check after the trike gets to operating temperature, but it doesn't say if the bike should be running or not.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Tony

[Jack Klarich]

When the engine is hot and you shut it down excess pressure/coolant bleeds off into the reserve/overflow tank. The service manual says "Check the coolant level of the reserve tank with the engine running at normal operating temperature."

The dip stick level should be somewhere between the upper and lower marks. If you check it right after you shut off the hot engine and before it starts pulling coolant back into the cooling system that reading will be high so make sure you do it while the engine is running at normal operating temperature.

[Tony8]

Thank you very much for the information. So I'm correct in assuming that the reserve tank cap will not be under pressure?

[BrokenBackJack]

You are correct T8.

[Tony8]

Thank you. A whole lot different than working on my truck. lol

[geraldlanc]

So if the dipstick shows low, should coolant be added to the reserve tank?

Gerald

[Tony8]

My service manual says "If the level is low, fill tank to the upper level hole with a 1:1 mixture of distilled water and anti-freeze".

[pwhoever]

My service manual says "If the level is low, fill tank to the upper level hole with a 1:1 mixture of distilled water and anti-freeze".

What you can do is stop by a Honda car dealership and buy a gallon of the blue premix. It's identical to the Honda motorsports coolant but a little cheaper and there are way more Honda car dealers around anyway...

[Burnerboy]

What you can do is stop by a Honda car dealership and buy a gallon of the blue premix. It's identical to the Honda motorsports coolant but a little cheaper and there are way more Honda car dealers around anyway...

I thank you for this information:

I always change my rad fluid every year, BUT it was getting quite exspensive at the m/c Honda's deal'rr................ I'll go buy a jug of blue pre mix this morning...@ a Honda car dealership, just three miles from my home instead of a twenty two one way mile trip....

Ronnie