[BallaRAT_ST1050]

Hi all - any advice would be great.
New bike from day one has had problems in the heat ,
all OK during normal operating temps but when we have really hot days (38 oC / 95oF) the bike runs at 6-8 bars on the temp guage and when I stop and turn the motor off coolant is discharged out the overflow pipe.
you can hear it bubbling in the reservour and then starts streaming out at the bottom of the bike - almost the entire reservour is discharged by the time its cooled down.
I have had the radiator cap changed and all hoses checked by the dealer but it has happened twice since they said it was "fixed"

My beloved ST is in the shop at the moment and I've told them I don't want it back till it's "fixed properly"

If they come up with anything I'll let you know - but I would like to hear from anyone who has had a similar problem or any suggestions as to the cause

Thanks

### I hate going into the shed and not seeing my blue mistress smiling back and asking for a good hard ride!!!! :evil: :evil:

 

[Guest]

I don't own a sprint , so I can't give you any advice accept from reading threads on this site and others ,it seems to be a common problem bikes running hot, excessive heat, people with burnt legs e.t.c It just seems the bike isnt built for warm climates I realy like the sprint and wanted to trade in my 95 speed3 on one but this heat problem realy needs some proper looking at before Ill even consider it.You cant have abike like that in Australia it's crazy you know how ***** hot it gets.Then on the other hand some people say the heat thing isn't a problem :???:

 

[DrTriumph]

This is the first I have read about a overflow problem with the rad. Sounds like your bike needs fixed. I have an '05 and Triumph put on the heat Shields for me and no more heat issues. No hotter feeling than my 84 Honda interceptor.. So I would say it is not hot.

Just a thought.

 

[StevyR]

The first question is does the fan come on. Other than that it sounds like a blockage somewhere, are you sure there is not a trapped hose. This would restrict the water expanding thus forcing it out of the header tank. As for the heat issue, we have just had one of the hottest summers ever (if the boffins are to be believed), the 06 didn't feel strikingly different to the old 00. Seems to me there is a little stigma being created here.

 

[Alreddog]

Got an 06 bought it in May and rode through the summer here in Alabamastan and had none of those problems. When it would hit 7 or so bars if I was stopped the fan would bring the temp down, even on 100 degree f days and any riding speed was no heat problem at all. Funny thing now that the weather has turned cooler 20-50 f I do notice some warmth in the areas that others have mentioned(not excessive just good warm), funny I never noticed it in the summer, guess the bike is cooler than ambient air.
So I would have the dealer take a serious look, If that coolant comes out while riding and gets on the rear tire, we don't want to think about the consequences.
Other than that RIDE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT.

 

[BallaRAT_ST1050]

Thanks guys,
Yes the thermo fans come on, especially at a stand still, and off when the temp drops.
the dealer on its first check removed both side fairings and said they checked all hoses and connections as well as replacing the cap.
This problem seems to occur more often when I i have alot of stop/start riding - eg. short 30km ride , hot day , stop/start in town say 6 or 7 traffic lights - temp goes up 6-8 bars on guage , fans come on , turn motor off and out comes the water.
I just hope that no damage has been done to the motor

 

[Dylan]

Hi there

I have noticed this happen once on my brand new ST Sprint. It looked as if it lost some of the water out of the side of the fairing and then stopped leaking. It hasn't been that hot in Sydney yet but I just assumed this was normal, isn't that what the safety is for? The fans do come on a lot when in traffic, and there is warm air between the legs, but nothing bad, I would certainly not put it down as a fault.

 

[BallaRAT_ST1050]

I know that the reservour is there to catch any expansion in the cooling system.
But on 5 occassions now the expansion has been so great that it has filled the res. from max level line to overflow and keeps going , I would estimate that it is pushing out about 1/2 a litre of coolant (enough to overflow the res. and dump about 250ml onto the ground - it's a fair puddle)
I've just never had it happen before
Same hot days , same location , 4 different bikes and they have never leaked any coolant

 

[broker]

Me too (x3times now) - identical temp range ie. 6-8bars normal city ride - 5-6 open road - discharge is only after slow commute in slow traffic and warmer days - normal brissy stuff.

I'm really interested if there is anything the service guys can come up with.

 

[rodsprint]

If you are losing coolant aspecially boiling out of overflow then you have a serious problem :evil:

most common cause is a leaking head gasket, sorry to bring
bad tidings.
Get the dealer to do a pressure test on the cooling system :hammer:

 

[StevyR]

was thinking about this last night, has the dealer checked the thermostat, this may be faulty and not opening correctly and creating the same effect as a blockage, just a thought.

 

[BallaRAT_ST1050]

On 2006-12-13 23:54, rodsprint wrote:
If you are losing coolant aspecially boiling out of overflow then you have a serious problem :evil:

most common cause is a leaking head gasket, sorry to bring
bad tidings.
Get the dealer to do a pressure test on the cooling system :hammer:

Jeez I hope it's nothing like that - where do we stand on replacement / compensation for a bike that has a major mechanical fault 'out of the box'. We don't have "Lemon Laws" in Oz , but this bike was purchased and is unable to "fore fill it's intended purpose"
I'll suggest a pressure test to them today and I've asked them to replace the thermostat and radiator as a matter of course.
Broker from Brizzy I'll keep you posted on the outcome
Thanks for the input guys :???: :???:

 

[BazzaST]

Hey there Ballarat all these recalls got me thinking my 05 had a recall for a coolant bypass hose, rear brake hose coupling bracket to frame.

Anyway been looking on UK site about all the recalls, re drag link etc, checked out bulletins, saw the recall on bypass hosed mentioned possible coolant leakage, maybe this could be you problem?

www.triumph.co.uk/uk/1808_7092aspx

Barry

 

[BallaRAT_ST1050]

On 2006-12-15 05:18, BazzaST wrote:
Hey there Ballarat all these recalls got me thinking my 05 had a recall for a coolant bypass hose, rear brake hose coupling bracket to frame.

Anyway been looking on UK site about all the recalls, re drag link etc, checked out bulletins, saw the recall on bypass hosed mentioned possible coolant leakage, maybe this could be you problem?

www.triumph.co.uk/uk/1808_7092aspx

Barry

Thanks Barry,
I checked it out and it seems to be a hose failure / split / rupture but I'll run it passed the dealer anyhow.
Thanks

 

[broker]

Any update on this BallaRAT?

My Sprint is in this Thursday for the linkage bolt recall replacement and have discussed overflow thingy with them earlier, their suggestion was the reservour was 'overfull' - maybe the min line should be the max line?? i think a compression test will be discussed...

In the mean time i've done a Chrissy round trip Brissy to Armidale, day trips to Port Macquarie (how much fun is that??) and Tamworth with no probs - as Daryl Kerrigan would say - "Running like a bird!"

 

[duckie]

While this won't solve the problem you're having with the leaking coolant,
you may want to replace the coolant with water wetter (pink stuff you dilute with distilled water). This is the stuff you need to put in a bike if you're going to take it on a track because it's not slippery if it's spilt on the track unlike normal coolant. That would save you major problems if it started leaking on to your tires... It also has the advantage of cooling the engine more than normal coolant. The only disadvantage is if you live in an area that gets really cold as it won't protect your engine from the cold like regular coolant does (in which case you could add some regular coolant back in when the cold weather comes).
Hope this helps.

 

[LaneSplitter]

BallaRAT: I ride a "96" Sprint but it has the coolant catch tank also and the "Min" line is for the coolant when the bike is cold and the "Max" is for when it's hot.
Have you checked this when the bike has cooled down and is it empty? :???: :???:

Scott

 

[cm08]

Bullrat,

you wrote, "But on 5 occassions now the expansion has been so great that it has filled the res. from max level line to overflow and keeps going". Are you are filling to max?

I have a 99 sprint and I realize the fill instructions may not be the same. However, as mentioned by lanesplitter, on my model the min line is where I fill the antifreeze when engine is cold. Once I tried to fill above the cold line and it immediately overflowed. I realized what I had done and since that time, with the level at min., no more overflowing.

I hope that you don't have a more serious issue.

CM

 

[BallaRAT_ST1050]

G'Day all,
Thanks heaps for all your help so far. This has been an ongoing issue for me and my ST is currently in the shop being looked at (3rd time).
I did learn a lesson about the fill levels after the second time in for repair but it still gets an overflow when the levels are correct. This is Triumphs correct coolant level proceedure -

"remove radiator cap and add coolant through the reservoir until you see it flow into the radiator neck, refit cap to radiator, fluid level is now correct."

The ST was dropped off at my dealer before christmas and I told them I don't want it back until it is fixed ( they have been good - they gave me a Blue '06 ST to ride while mine was in)
We had coolant overflow in their driveway while it was just idleing - water temp got up to 107 oC - it's always nice when a fault occures infront of the mechanic !!!!!!!

I will let you know when it's fixed and what the fault was

Thanks
Mark

 

[DrTriumph]

The ideal time to check and maybe fill the reservoir tank is when the bike is "hot". That way the coolant and air has expanded to its max and when you fill to the max line, when your bike cools it draws the extra fluid into the radiator. This works well to not over fill your radiator.