Page 1 of 3

Useing a lot of water

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:13 pm
by tng21
Right im not sure on this but my bike seems to using a lot of water ( well i think anyway ) How much water does a 400 usually use? My mate whent out on it to work the other day and filled it before she went but on the way home it got very hot. Admittedlyt she was held in traffic for a while due to a smash up but i have a fan u can turn on when u like and that was on too. Now i see to be filling it up everyday or so but it doesnt leak water anywhere.

Not sure if this is a problem or not but im just covering myself.

cheers

Re: Useing a lot of water

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:23 pm
by gubbs
tng21 wrote:Right im not sure on this but my bike seems to using a lot of water ( well i think anyway ) How much water does a 400 usually use? My mate whent out on it to work the other day and filled it before she went but on the way home it got very hot. Admittedlyt she was held in traffic for a while due to a smash up but i have a fan u can turn on when u like and that was on too. Now i see to be filling it up everyday or so but it doesnt leak water anywhere.

Not sure if this is a problem or not but im just covering myself.

cheers
This the new rad I sold you? No leaks or anything with that, all good.

The coolant system is a sealed system, it shouldn't use any water. :smt017

You sure the cap is screwed on right and all the plumbing/pipes are snug?

You would get evaporation if the head gasket was leaking/going/gone.

Is the overflow reservoir full?

Usually if the head is leaking you will see air bubbles coming up through the coolant when the pressure cap is removed. Alternatively, eliminating the head gasket is surely as easy as looking for "mayo" in the oil due it being contaminated.

Also the motor will run hot even when you aren't stopped in traffic.

Put lots of water in it, and see if you can work out where it exits by around all the hoses and jubilee clips. There are also tell-tale marks where coolant dries/burns on, see if you can see any.

If you get desperate, ride it over and leave it with me and I'll diagnose/fix it for you for beer money.

Alternatively, there might be someone on here closer to you who can help?

Guys?

Re: Useing a lot of water

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:44 pm
by tng21
Rads fine Gubbs fella, was for my friends bike.

The only place i put the water is the bottle hear your right knee. I dont have the same rad as the one you sold me, mines smaller and there's no neck to put water on that one as opposed to being able to put water in the right had side of the rad like hers.

The only place i ever see if coming from is after you've stopped riding it and it chuckes it out of the overflow pipes.

ill take some pics of my rad etc as its different from the one you sold me, but i cant see why its losing all this water, made me thing head gasket but like u said there would be mayonaise on the oil. :smt017 :smt017

Re: Useing a lot of water

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 8:07 pm
by f17th
The Filler cap for your radiator is under the petrol tank, (Stupid place to put it!)
You would just be filling the expansion tank under the seat, if thats what your putting water into.

Double check and bleed your whole system while you have the petrol tank off, its a 30 min job all in.

Re: Useing a lot of water

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 8:46 pm
by tng21
yeah the one by your right knee, under the tank is the one i fill.

One under the seat you say?

Re: Useing a lot of water

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 10:32 pm
by gubbs
tng21 wrote:yeah the one by your right knee, under the tank is the one i fill.

One under the seat you say?
Read. The. Manual. :smt002 :smt003

http://www.zxrworld.co.uk/zxr400/manual.html

Re: Useing a lot of water

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 11:30 pm
by masterofinsanity
if its pouring from the expansion bottle then either you have put too much in in the first place or your system is pressurised, could be a blockage somewhere? thermostat may be seized?

Re: Useing a lot of water

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 8:35 am
by Northern ANdy
i don't think there is a problem. On my L if I fill the rad and go out, when I come back there will always be some water missing thats squezzed past the cap and gone into overflow bottle.

Re: Useing a lot of water

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 12:58 pm
by Caz
do you put any coolant in as well as water??? :smt017

Re: Useing a lot of water

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 1:16 pm
by rene
out of intrest are you checking strate after going for a ride?

Re: Useing a lot of water

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 6:24 pm
by tng21
just water at the minute :smt090 do i put coolant in the same bottle? You cant put water straight in the rad as there's no hole to put it in like the larger style rad that gubbs just sold me, previous owner said to put water in the bottle near my right knee so thats what ive been doing.

Well i have been checking it after a ride but i know it will be hot then and evaperate some. But i put loads in it, we talking about a litre or two.

Re: Useing a lot of water

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 6:45 pm
by Caz
may i suggest reading the manual asap? you need antifreeze in there aswell; it's got anti-corrosion additives! And it needs changing every couple of years

Re: Useing a lot of water

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 9:09 pm
by diesel
i had that. i replaced the head gasket,removed the thermostat and installed a bypass switch for the fan. hasnt done it since. i did the head gasket cos i had white slime in my oil. i have it again now but the bikes been stood up for so long its more than likely condensation. when the fecker runs right ill take it for a blast and see if that gets rid.

Re: Useing a lot of water

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:29 pm
by f17th
If you look at the manual on the zxrworld.co.uk Website,

It will show you that there is a filler neck for the actual radiator, It is underneath the petrol tank, at the front.
You are just putting water into the expansion tank.


When you take the petrol tank off, Do a full bleed of the coolant system and make up some antifreeze/water mix and put that in.
Flush it out with a hose and lots of water.

The drainage nut is on the right hand side, where the water pump is located, But you can just undo one of the bottom hoses.

If you look at the manual, .pdf it will all become clear to you.
Same as doing a coolant change on a car

Re: Useing a lot of water

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:53 pm
by tng21
bloody hell, how much ive got to learn hey? SO need coolant in the water mix alone with antifreeze and have to take the bloody petrol tank off to fill it, what a ballache lol.

Best i get reading the manual by the looks of it.

Gubbs, whip that duke down this way mate pmsl