checking coolant level

[geraldlanc]

I checked the coolant level on my 08 Goldwing trike and the dipstick in the reserve tank came out dry. How much has to be added to fill up the reservoir?
I added a little and checked the dipstick again and there was fluid on it, but I could not tell if it was full or not because the fluid did not "stick" to the dipstick the way motor oil does.
Gerald

 

[msrvpeig]

Gerald, last year I had a small leak somewhere that ultimately ended up being a crack in the plastic overflow tank under the bike. Before finding the leak I purchased 1qt of Honda antifreeze and would add anti freeze until I got a reading on the dip stick. It never took more that 1 cup(as in measuring cup). I too had trouble reading the dip stick, so I would make certain it was completely dry before "dipping it" and then would use a flash light to read the "wetness" on the dip stick. Worked for me.

 

[Gold Rush]

Howdy Gerald -- I can't tell you exactly how much it will take to get the overflow tank full but I can advise you to start looking for leaks. I've never heard of any GL1800 tank going empty without a leak in the system.

These overflow tanks operate just like one in an automobile. They catch escaping fluid from the hot cooling system and allow that system to suck it back in as it cools. If there is even the slightest leak eventually the engine will suck the overflow dry. Which brings me to point #2. If the tank was indeed totally empty then the engine coolant level was probably low so the first time you got it hot the cool down refill action took place. Cooling system leaks on GL1800s is fairly common so I'd caution you to watch it carefully. Search the bulleting boards -- there are several horror stories about what it takes to find/fix these leaks.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Hopefully it's just the tank itself that leaks. Do you have a belly pan to protect it?????

 

[DVD]

Have you had the fluid changed lately? If so, it may not have gotten all the air out. I changed the fluid in my 08 this spring and after evacuating the system it took a lengthy process to get all the air out by adding through the filler cap with the pocket out, plus having fluid in the overflow bottle. The system took a lot more than expected, and several times when I finally thought it was full it wasn't. Just a thought.