Overheating

[lgehrig4]

Hi,

New max owner here. Just bought an '07 off Ebay. The bike is in great shape. I took it to a local shop for a new back tire, check up and fluids replaced.

Today I took it out for a ride. Nothing to long, about 20 miles, and I'm a moderate ride. I was getting onto the highway so of course I had to give it a little extra throttle. When I got to about 70mph I noticed a burning smell. This could have been the car in front of me for all I know, but I wanted to mention it. Smell was gone after a few seconds. I rode 2 miles to my house and turned it of.

After about 10 minutes I went to take it for a quick ride to the store and when I was down the street I noticed the temp needle was close to the line. Usually it is below the halfway mark. I turned it around and went home all the time watching the needle nose it's way up. When I got home I couldn't get it into neutral for the life of me. Again, this may be unrelated, but I thought I'd mention it just in case.

I would just like to know the possible causes before I bring it back to the shop. I would like to be somewhat in the know and not have to rely on the mechanic, who can be ripping me off for all I know. I also find it odd that this happened after the "checkup". I took it for about 5 rides prior and this didn't happen.

Thanks!
Jeff

 

[Fire-medic]

Two easy fixes, thermostat and pressure cap replacement, assuming you have coolant in it & the water pump is functional. Use the 'advanced' search function and my screen name to find info on the cheap deal on the thermostat housing pressure cap ("radiator cap") and do the same for info on a common replacement for the thermostat. There's no need to buy a $40 Yamaha thermostat or cap when NAPA has an equivalent for <$8.00 ea.

 

[alorio1]

Check the coolant levels in coolant filler neck by removing right scoop and check resevoir coolant level. If the mechanic just added fluids to radiator filler neck without allowing bike to reach normal operating temp, he could have left air entraped in engine/radiator which would cause a low coolant level when thermostat opened. Do not open filler cap while engine is hot..

 

[[email protected]]

Its normal for the needle to get close to the red zone if you are sitting in traffic or moving slow. These motors heat up quick but, should also cool down quick once you get moving. Not sure what conditions you were in? Hot day, traffic, moving slow or cruising at normal speed.

Before getting too worried give us a better description of your gauge reading and the conditions of your riding. Note that the temp gauge gets pretty high before the fan kicks in. Is your fan kicking on or running alot?

Added: good point mentioned above regarding air pockets. You can remove the rad cap and run the bike up to temp with it removed to ensure you have no air in the system.

Lots of guys have issues finding neutral. Hard to say if there is an issue with your bike or not. I would assume the oil is fresh so that is one thing that helps. The other is a proper working clutch with no air in the lines. Most likely you just need to get accustomed to the new ride.

 

[SPX38]

Was it close to the overheating line or over it? From my understanding the gauge has to get right to the overheating line before the fan kicks in. Some members have added a bypass switch. I personally have never had my bikes fan kick on, however I have mostly highway driving.

As for neutral, I had troubles to begin with it too. If you can't find neutral right away go down to first and start over.

 

[lgehrig4]

Thanks for the replies. I feel a little better now. The needle didn't reach the red, but it was getting up to the line below it and that was the first time I saw it go over the midway point. In my past experience with cars/bikes, the needle stays in the same spot and if it rises its going to overheat.

It was warm today(CT), but not hot by all means. I had just come off the highway and the bike was off for 5-10 minutes before heading back out. When I took off after waiting at a light I noticed the needle was high and edging up.

As far as neutral, I didn't have an issue finding it yet until this happened, which is why I thought it may be related. After about an hour I turned it on (not the engine) and popped it easily in neutral. Prior to that I could not get it in for the life of me which is why I thought it had something to do with the heat.

The mechanic changed all the fluids. I'll check for an ari pocket as described below and pay more attention to the fan. I'll also look into replacing the thermostat and cap as mentioned.

 

[RaWarrior]

The fan kicks on at around 220*, which is just shy of the red line on the gauge. If you look carefully at the gauge there is a small dot around what would be the 3 o'clock position, it's generally agreed this is the "normal" temp while driving.

An easy way to test the fan is to remove the right scoop, and remove the connector off the coolant manifold that has two wires (the other one with one wire is the sender for the temp gauge). Turn the key on, and put a jumper wire between the two connector terminals, the fan should spin up. Or just let the bike idle in the garage until the needle is up to the red line....the fan should kick on before it gets into the red zone.

Ensure there are no air bubbles by running the engine with the pressure cap off (and the bike on the side stand, which makes the cap the highest point in the system). Top up as needed, then replace the pressure cap and then top up the puke bottle behind the airbox.

If the needle stays up near the red line while the bike is moving steadily, or on the highway, further investigation is needed. I bet the shop just left an air bubble in the system.

It's a pretty common mod to either install an on/off switch in parallel with the thermo switch (2 wire connector underneath the pressure cap), so you can just turn the fan on when you get into traffic. If the fan runs, it will keep the temperature from getting so high. There's also a NAPA part that replaces the switch itself and just activates at a lower temperature.

On an 07 I'd think any problems with the system itself should be pretty unlikely.

 

[SPX38]

http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=25276&highlight=overheating
http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=19437&highlight=manual+Switch

These threads should help

 

[MaxMidnight]

......I couldn't get it into neutral for the life of me.

I have found that it is easier to get neutral if the tick-over speed is set around 850 r.p.m.
Anything over 1000 is nigh on impossible.

Another trick is to select it before you come to a stop. Probably not something you should do though.

 

[wildweasel_pt]

Check the coolant levels in coolant filler neck by removing right scoop and check resevoir coolant level. If the mechanic just added fluids to radiator filler neck without allowing bike to reach normal operating temp, he could have left air entraped in engine/radiator which would cause a low coolant level when thermostat opened. Do not open filler cap while engine is hot..

Agreed ^^

 

[wildweasel_pt]

I have found that it is easier to get neutral if the tick-over speed is set around 850 r.p.m.
Anything over 1000 is nigh on impossible.

Another trick is to select it before you come to a stop. Probably not something you should do though.

Why do you say that Steve? I never had a problem downshifting and getting into neutral while im stopping at a light or behind a car. I think its harder to go from neutral into gear while moving than the opposite...

 

[naughtyG]

I've always found that when neutral gets hard to find (it does happen sometimes after a long/hot ride), I can always get it by using the following procedure:

from 1st gear and at a standstill, with engine running, put a little up pressure on the shifter with your foot, then let the clutch out just enough so it starts to bite and the bike wants to move forward - it pops right into neutral. Works from 2nd gear too, with down pressure on the shifter.

The high heat is more than likely air in the system. Do check that the drain cock (under the radiator) is in the 'run' position and not in the 'drain' position as it's easy, even for a seasoned mech, to forget to reset it. If neither helps, a good flush can do wonders. Also do you have any idea what the coolant was replaced with?