Coolant Substitute

Dear Friends,
I'm no vacation, and there is NO Honda Dealer near by. There is only a Walmart.

My coolant reservoir is a tad low.

What coolant can I:
- buy at Walmart
- mix with what's there safely?

Yes, I would much rather use Honda brand 100% spec. ... I jut can't get any here.

Any silicate free ethylene glycol based antifreeze in a 50/50 dilution. The jug will be so labeled.

dduelin said:

Any silicate free ethylene glycol based antifreeze in a 50/50 dilution. The jug will be so labeled.

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Great! I was hoping it would be that simple.
I'll write it down and check each before buying!

I thought you just filled this up?or was that someone else.if it was you do you have a leake?

ziggie said:

I thought you just filled this up?or was that someone else.if it was you do you have a leake?

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You are correct, and I applaud your memory. I did just fill it up for the first time ever as it was almost empty.
Now, I like to keep the level at 1/8th inch below the letter "U" in "Upper" measured when it's on its sidestand.

It's dropped a little since the fill up, and I don't know why. I do not detect any leaks, but I have but several hundred miles on it, some of those in stop and go traffic in 90 deg F. heat on I-5.

I do wonder how often others fill that reservoir, but I note that the dealer had to remove the radiator for the 8K service, and who knows if he bled it and filled it corectly.
I don't want to believe I have a leak yet. I'm hoping if I keep it filled as stated, it will stabilize... but it did get empty to start with... so you must have to top it off from time to time.

You should never have to fill it up, it is a closed system. Only when you do service that requires you to replace fluids.

if it's warm(should be) and you are planning to change it after vacation(or flush or whatever)-i would just add distilled water. as been pointed above-someting is not right,if level is too low. i have mercedes-the manual says-change the fluid every 15(yes, fifteen ) years. honda's is two,but you definitely don't have to add anything.

OK... then it's time to worry about a leak. How can you tell if you have one?
what procedure would you use to determine that?

check all rubber hoses. the possibilities are endless(as usual),but i'm pretty sure it's just a basic leak from hose. happens all the time and i had few of them on my CBR. tie the clamp a bit more. that's all.check your motor oil too. make sure it's not milk like. or no white smoke out of exhaust(shouldn't be) with very distinctive antifreeze odor. then you have a serious problem. make sure the fan on radiator is working . but last ones are very unlikely

Also, before you tear open the engine, a used oil analysis can easily tell if the coolant is leaking into the oil system. But this is a new bike, call up your dealer and start the process

VE258 said:

check all rubber hoses. the possibilities are endless(as usual),but i'm pretty sure it's just a basic leak from hose. happens all the time and i had few of them on my CBR. tie the clamp a bit more. that's all.check your motor oil too. make sure it's not milk like. or no white smoke out of exhaust(shouldn't be) with very distinctive antifreeze odor. then you have a serious problem. make sure the fan on radiator is working .

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I'll start with the tubes. I wonder when and how is a good way to check? cold? right after a ride?
No white smoke.
I have an oil change coming in 2K. I'll look at it in the oil pan.
Mostly, I think I'll just watch the coolant reservoir level.
If it drops consistently, forcing me to add to it, then that coolant is going somewhere..... hmmmm....

Yep 2000 miles and mine has stayed the same.i try to keep up with everyone lol.just trying to help

If it is an external leak it should be super easy to spot, you will see white powder ish substance. That's the calcium, a main ingredient in coolant. Look for that,

Just in case, the coolant level must be checked with the engine running at operating temp and the bike in an upright position.

If it's still above the low mark, just ride and stop worrying about it.
Mike

+1 with what Mike said. Let's not turn this into what happened with the dead battery thread!

Prior posts on coolant type: http://nc700-forum.com/forum/nc700-technical/2823-recommended-coolant.html

+2 what Mike said. If it's not below the lower mark, keep on riding. I haven't checked mine in over 3000 miles. It's rare to have any coolant problems, especially on a new bike. Usually you'll notice a drip on the garage floor long before the recovery tank level drops much.

Don't worry about it.

Greg

Coming soon: The Brake Fluid Thread.

OriginalRocket said:

Also, before you tear open the engine, a used oil analysis can easily tell if the coolant is leaking into the oil system. But this is a new bike, call up your dealer and start the process

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I don't trust my dealer nearly that much.

OriginalRocket said:

If it is an external leak it should be super easy to spot, you will see white powder ish substance. That's the calcium, a main ingredient in coolant. Look for that,

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I park on a clean surface, so if something's leaking, I'll know. I'll look for that.

StratTuner said:

I don't trust my dealer nearly that much.

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Then ride down to SD and talk to mine.