Coolant level check

Fenianbastard

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64
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New Jersey
While waiting for the lines at NJMVC to shorten, I am doing a basic service on my 2006 ST1300. I have read many of the articles and searched here and elsewhere but can not find the idiot’s guide to checking the coolant level. Help appreciated. Thanks
 
The supply bottle is at the left side ... there is a marker on the bottle ... what ive done is to use a caliper, and use it to dip down into the bottle.

You could also use a pencil or similar to approximate the depth.

We are about to ride ... I'll snap some photos, unless someone beats me to it
 
Easy but hard. Put the bike on the center stand. Remove the left maintenance cover by removing the plastic rivet. Be careful when removing and installing the cover as the plastic tab can break off. Once the cover is off, remove the rubber cap on the white bottle. There is a max line down about 3 inches or so. I find it hard to see inside so a flash light will help. You can also make dipstick to use. At 1st I used to remove the left wing then use a flask light to look backwards at the bottle..

Enjoy the challenge if you so except..
 
What nobody has mentioned is you must be at operating temp to check the coolant level.
Wait until you reach 3 bars on the gauge before checking it, or you'll get a false reading and overfill it.
When you shut the bike off and it cools down, the coolant from the overflow tank is pulled back into the engine.
Do not add/check coolant level when cold.
 
I really appreciate all the answers. This is the last thing I need to do and I wasn’t looking forward to taking too much bodywork off just yet. I used to own a PC800 and stripped her down a few times. Not fun.
 
All you need to do to clearly see where the level is at is remove the one 5 mm allen bolt that holds the tip over cover on, remove the cover, and place a small flashlight up against the body of the coolant tank. It will light up and you will clearly see where the line is at.
Of course you will still need to remove the inspection cover to see the line(s) and to fill if needed.
 
The most important thing I want to mention is to make sure the retaining rivet is replaced properly. Many owners have lost this small piece of fairing called the maintenance cover and some ST1300 colors are no longer available new from Honda. The rivet is removed by pressing the center pin down to release the fastener then use a fingernail or tip of a screwdriver or knife blade to catch under the edge of the flange and lift the rivet out. After removing it inspect it and make sure all 4 "fingers" are in place and intact. To prepare the rivet for insertation and retention of the cover you push the center pin up so it protrudes above the flange and the fingers are the smallest diameter possible and fits down in the cover's hole. When replacing it make sure the rivet is all the way in, the flange is against the cover, then press the center pin down until it clicks in place. The center pin pushes the fingers outward thus locking itself and the cover in place.

You can check and top off coolant if the engine is cold or hot. The reservoir is marked with two lines - Upper and Lower. When the engine is cold the level should not be less than the lower line. When the engine is hot, the level should not be above the upper line. As already noted, it is difficult to see the level in the tank especially after the bike gets some mileage and the tank gets dirty. Myself, I would use any handy long object like a long screwdriver or dowel to plumb the tank if I had a question as to coolant level. It has to be long enough to touch the bottom of the tank and the bike should be on the center stand. Short of seeing the actual level if the dipstick tool comes up with a couple inches of coolant on a cool engine that is good and perfectly adequate. With the bike on the center stand and the left middle cowl fairing is off for maintenance and the tank is in complete view take a dowel and mark it with upper and lower lines then stow the dowel under the seat or with your tools for next use.
 
.....Check the coolant level in the reserve tank while the engine is at normal operating temperature....
Where have I seen that before? :think1:
The two lines on the reserve tank are not to be used to check the coolant level hot OR cold, but are there to check the coolant once it has reached normal operating temperature.
Straight out of the Honda Service Manual.
Thanks for clearing that up Tdinova :thumb:
 
Igofar said:
.....Check the coolant level in the reserve tank while the engine is at normal operating temperature....
Where have I seen that before? :think1:
The two lines on the reserve tank are not to be used to check the coolant level hot OR cold, but are there to check the coolant once it has reached normal operating temperature.
Straight out of the Honda Service Manual.
Thanks for clearing that up Tdinova :thumb:
Click to expand...
Should the engine be running for the coolant check, once it has reached three bars or can it be turned off.
 
The engine doesn't need to be running, but the coolant does need to be normally hot from running. The important thing to note is that as the coolant within the engine heats up, it expands. That expansion pushes out past the radiator cap to the coolant reservoir and raises the level, and then when the engine cools off, it is sucked back in. So you want to set the reservoir level to between the upper and lower lines, with the coolant hot and expanded. That ensures that you don't get an overflow when it heats up (if the level was set too high when cold) , and you don't suck air back in (if the level is set too low) when it goes cold. There's a Goldilocks reference in there somewhere I'm sure.
 
TerryS said:
The engine doesn't need to be running, but the coolant does need to be normally hot from running. The important thing to note is that as the coolant within the engine heats up, it expands. That expansion pushes out past the radiator cap to the coolant reservoir and raises the level, and then when the engine cools off, it is sucked back in. So you want to set the reservoir level to between the upper and lower lines, with the coolant hot and expanded. That ensures that you don't get an overflow when it heats up (if the level was set too high when cold) , and you don't suck air back in (if the level is set too low) when it goes cold. There's a Goldilocks reference in there somewhere I'm sure.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your reply. The questions that comes to mind is that what is the risk in setting it at the upper mark when cold. Any excess will adjust by itself thru the overflow tube as it expands and eventually be at the correct level.
 
etalors said:
Thanks for your reply. The questions that comes to mind is that what is the risk in setting it at the upper mark when cold. Any excess will adjust by itself thru the overflow tube as it expands and eventually be at the correct level.
Click to expand...

Yes.....it will overflow and make a mess. That's the negative about overfilling it.
Just bring it to the full line when the engine is off and hot, then never worry about again unless you're leaking it elsewhere.
 
etalors said:
The questions that comes to mind is that what is the risk in setting it at the upper mark when cold.
Click to expand...
Leaking coolant smells bad, maybe when you visit a friend they don’t like you to leave a green stain on their driveway, I don’t know if it is bad for your paint work but it probably isn’t good……
 
Kevcules said:
Yes.....it will overflow and make a mess. That's the negative about overfilling it.
Just bring it to the full line when the engine is off and hot, then never worry about again unless you're leaking it elsewhere.
Click to expand...
Yes the manuals give that procedure for checking but if the level is at the lower mark when cold it will not overflow when at operating temperature. A little excess coolant in the tank is ok but we don’t ever want it empty.
 
dduelin said:
Yes the manuals give that procedure for checking but if the level is at the lower mark when cold it will not overflow when at operating temperature. A little excess coolant in the tank is ok but we don’t ever want it empty.
Click to expand...

I agree. The guy was asking what happens if you set the coolant level at the HIGH (upper) mark, when cold.
 
etalors said:
Should the engine be running for the coolant check, once it has reached three bars or can it be turned off.
Click to expand...
When checking the coolant level in the reserve tank, or when adding coolant to the reserve tank, the engine should be at normal operating temperature and not running.
If only checking, with the engine at normal operating temperature the coolant in the reserve tank should be between the upper and lower lines. If it is, don't worry about it.
If you want to add coolant, with the engine at normal operating temperature and not running, fill the coolant reserve tank to the upper line.
 
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