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2013 nc700xd leaking coolant from the exhaust. - RESOLVED

Jwalt

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Bought this bike with 3,000 miles on it. I've only put on 600.

It sat a couple weeks over the holidays. Went out today and just kicked it over and let it warm up and noticed fluid dripping from the exhaust. It's green. Head gasket, cracked or warped head, cracked intake manifold, or cracked block.

Never ran it low on fluids, never overheated it or rode it that hard. I did drop it on the left side in a very slow lay down. It was one of those situations where I just miscalculated with a new bike and it was over too far for me to save it. Still more of a controlled lay-down than a drop and everything seemed fine for the four hundred miles since. A zero mph event. I got the engine turned off instantly.

I've put SW-Motech crash bars on it, followed directions to a T and used a torque wrench.

It's pumping out maybe a quarter of an ounce in just a few minutes, but the reservoir isn't even below "low". There were no white smoke or drips when I parked it just over two weeks ago. I almost wonder if a damaged gasket blew when I revved a cold engine? It's leaking out from the seam where the slip-on connects, so it's definitely coming from inside the exhaust itself. Seems to idle completely normally and smooth, although I'm sure not kicking it back on now that I found the source of the leak.

Honestly, devastated. I can't rule out that it may be due to the lay-down.
 
Are you certain it is coolant? I know it LOOKED green, but that can be many things. Did you let it warm up?

One possible way to test this is to put a radiator pressure tester on it, and see if it has a leak. In fact, that's likely the definitive test.
 
One other way to test this is to put a fluorescent tracer dye in the coolant, and use a black light to see if and where it is coming out.
 
The oil looks like it just came out of the bottle. Perfect.

Coolant in reservoir looks great. A little embarrassing, but the screw in the radiator cap is slightly buggered and I'm not going to get it out without a JIS bit I don't have. Phillips is just going to round it out worse. I do have a kit for testing for exhaust gas at the radiator using a chemical. I just can't get the radiator cap off right now.

It looks green, smells slightly sweet. Absolutely 100% coming from inside the exhaust, kept hoping I missed a leak from somewhere else. I haven't really gotten it up to operating temp as I don't want to run it anymore than I have to until I find the issue.
 
Ok, so, yeah. Collected about three OZ in a cup and it looks more like just dirty water. Coolant level remains steady. Viewed in the cup, it's just water with a grey tinge. Doesn't feel sticky at all.

In the end, it was just condensation. I caught three OZ in the cup, easily three more wound up on the garage floor. Something else, possibly a previous coolant spill not fully cleaned up, must have caused my terror. Coolant level did not drop at all despite 6-8 oz of a slightly dirty fluid that is actually light grey. No sign of oil in water, water in oil, or combustion gasses in the radiator.

I feel ridiculous but I'll leave this up as it may help someone someday. I live in Southern California and since I got this bike I haven't let it sit more than 2-3 days until now. We've had variable weather with warm days and cool nights. Obviously, condensation just built up over time.
 
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This is called condensation:
"...water which collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it...
...the conversion of a vapor or gas (air) to a liquid (water)..."
 
This is called condensation:
"...water which collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it...
...the conversion of a vapor or gas (air) to a liquid (water)..."

Yup. Usually never amounts to more then a faint wispy puff of vapor in the exhaust around here in the AM.

Main cause of concern was the result of a dirty garage floor, which left it feeling sticky and glowing green under the black light.
 
I'm aware the concern is resolved. Just curious, have you changed engine oil since you aquired the bike.
 
I'm aware the concern is resolved. Just curious, have you changed engine oil since you aquired the bike.

It was changed just before I bought it. Honda oil and filters. Had receipts.

However, I am going to change coolant and brake fluid. Neither has been done to my knowledge and six years is not ok.

As far as this whole silly story goes? Wife spilled laundry soap on the garage floor and thought she'd mopped it up pretty well. Hence sticky and a little green and an odor.

"Catch the leak in a clean container before coming to conclusions".
 
It was changed just before I bought it. Honda oil and filters. Had receipts.

However, I am going to change coolant and brake fluid. Neither has been done to my knowledge and six years is not ok.

As far as this whole silly story goes? Wife spilled laundry soap on the garage floor and thought she'd mopped it up pretty well. Hence sticky and a little green and an odor.

"Catch the leak in a clean container before coming to conclusions".

That reminds me of a prank that a Friend used to play occasionally at meets or events. On a dry day he would place a small amount of water or oil underneath a victim's motorcycle in a position where it was easily seen. I suppose You can then imagine the antics of the owner as he tried to figure where the leak had sprung from. Needless to say the pranks came back to roost with him as many of us repaid him from time to time ;)
 
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