Bought this bike with 27k miles 2 days ago. Rode it about 130 miles without issue. It needed a battery so I swapped it out today and then it started overheating.? Could it just be a coincidence or did it possibly cause a electrical of tstat or fan sensor. Help thanks in advance
06 FJR AE Overheating
- Thread starter Mikey1960
- Start date
Help Support Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum:
Overheating how? Is coolant spewing out the radiator cap? How do you know the coolant is over 230 degrees?
When I drove it home 2 days ago the temp gauge stayed right in the middle. Last night after I changed the battery I started up and let it idle in the driveway and looked at the gauge a few minutes later and it was peggedto the hot side. I shut It off and coolant spewed on the ground from the overflow I think
That's genuinely overheating then! Thanks for clarifying....over the years I've found most claiming overheating say it was a couple of bars higher than they remember and not really overheating.
I think now the diagnostics process kicks in and don't know an answer for sure and hoping others might chime in. Stuck thermostat comes to mind first. I guess my first question would be if the fan was on high when it was hot? If not, then fan physically or electrically. Have you changed coolant recently? I've heard of air bubbles in the system after coolant changes and needing to be worked through.
I think now the diagnostics process kicks in and don't know an answer for sure and hoping others might chime in. Stuck thermostat comes to mind first. I guess my first question would be if the fan was on high when it was hot? If not, then fan physically or electrically. Have you changed coolant recently? I've heard of air bubbles in the system after coolant changes and needing to be worked through.
escapefjrtist
Searching for Dry Roads
A new problem always leads me to what was last touched. Since it's a battery change, I'd pull the cover again and recheck your work, especially for any pinched wiring or loose / blown fuse.
IIRC, GEN IIs typically run at 4-5 bars on the highway and fans come on at ~7 bars. Did the fans come on?
~G
IIRC, GEN IIs typically run at 4-5 bars on the highway and fans come on at ~7 bars. Did the fans come on?
~G
RossKean
Well-known member
I'm guessing that the fans aren't coming on. Blown fuse, bad connection, fan relay, or grounding "spider" fault. Running on the highway, the fans rarely come on but are needed to keep engine temperatures in the acceptable range when idling in the driveway or creeping in traffic on a hot day. Check coolant level for sure (in the radiator as well as the overflow tank). If coolant level is OK and it isn't overheating when travelling at speed, it probably isn't overheating because of the thermostat. Remote chance that it is the water pump.
Re: Spider - any other electrical anomalies such as both indicator lights lit or high beam indicator lit on the dashboard? Failure of glove box release or non-functioning windshield mechanism?
Re: Spider - any other electrical anomalies such as both indicator lights lit or high beam indicator lit on the dashboard? Failure of glove box release or non-functioning windshield mechanism?
Thanks I'll check coolant levels in both. No indicator lights are on. The fans do run when I shut it off.
Thanks. Have not changed coolant. Just bought it 2 days ago. Hadn't gotten to that yet. I didn't notice if fans were running when the engine was running but when I shut off the engine they were definitely running
thefix
Well-known member
Since you are sure the fans comes on, it’s more likely a thermostat issue. Especially if coolant was never changed by previous owner. As described earlier the fans come on with approx 7 bars. Fyi- you can feel the air blowing out the side panels outside knee area. The fans are not loud. Listen…
Update... Thanks everyone for your replies.... Took side covers off yesterday afternoon and found the overflow reservoir to have cracks all in bottle.... So that being said would that coolant to leak out and cause my overheat problem????
That will do it! Replace that, top off the coolant/water mix, remove any air, and you should be good to go. If it's been a while since you replaced the coolant, maybe replace it all while you're at it.
I *believe* the overflow bottle is actually an expansion tank....which means that it draws in coolant when things cool. If it's empty because of the crack...it draws in air instead...which makes the overheating worse.
RossKean
Well-known member
Cracks in the overflow reservoir are fairly common - especially on earlier Gen II. The plastic gets brittle over time - I had to replace the one on my 2007.
When the engine gets hot, coolant flows to the reservoir. As the engine cools, the fluid gets sucked back into the radiator if everything is working right and no lines are kinked or holed. If the fluid leaks out of the tank, air gets sucked back. I suspect your overheat is due to insufficient coolant in the radiator since you have already established that the fans are working. Note: In addition to thermostat, make sure that the radiator cap is tightened fully (and works as it should).
Edit: Ignacio was replying while I was typing
When the engine gets hot, coolant flows to the reservoir. As the engine cools, the fluid gets sucked back into the radiator if everything is working right and no lines are kinked or holed. If the fluid leaks out of the tank, air gets sucked back. I suspect your overheat is due to insufficient coolant in the radiator since you have already established that the fans are working. Note: In addition to thermostat, make sure that the radiator cap is tightened fully (and works as it should).
Edit: Ignacio was replying while I was typing
Thanks for the help.. Waiting for the tank to come from partzilla. Lolol
How do you remove air?
Take the radiator cap off and fill with coolant/water mixture. That gets most of the air out.
Air trapped in the system is harder, but can often be done by running the cycle until hot where the thermostat opens, turn bike off and let cool, and see if coolant is drawn back in from the reservoir...and also double-check by removing the radiator cap and top off if necessary. I think I recall somebody else on the forum taking this or related measures findable by searching on terms like "bleed air coolant".
Less common is to use a coolant vacuum bleeder system as it requires special tools that run about $40.
And if all else fails, use a wand and cast an "Obliviate" spell on the FJR. YRMV. Be careful not to cast it on yourself.
thefix
Well-known member
Do everything while on the center stand . That makes the rad-cap the highest and reduces air into system. Usually Removing the gas tank gives you a better view of the rad fill point while wiggling of items.
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