Coolant leak

[Flash9]

Started smelling coolant when coming to a stop on my 2006. After a visual inspection I found my coolant resivior leaking near the seam. Upon closer inspection I noticed the resivior had small cracks across the top as well. After letting it run for a bit in the garage I noticed when the cooling fan came on it blows all the heat right at the resivior probably over heating the plastic and causing the cracks. Has any one run into leaks from the resivior?

 

[majicmaker]

Replace the reservoir. It's inexpensive. I'm on my second one and it's starting to crack again.

 

[Flash9]

Already ordered, didn't realize they were common.

 

[escapefjrtist]

That's the last straw...I'm getting rid of this POS before something breaks.

...probably have at least 100K miles to think about it!

--G

 

[majicmaker]

Not all of them crack. Just some. It depends on the particular plastic the vender uses. Mine never actually leaked though.

 

[s.ga.rider]

Could you put some heat reflective material like foil over the side where the heat blows over? Just an idea.

 

[Flash9]

That's actually a great idea!

 

[majicmaker]

It's worth a try! It might work. But, from what I've learned, it's not the heat so much. It's the quality of the plastic. Good news, the reservoir is cheap compared to everything else on this bike.

 

[Flash9]

Valid point

 

[majicmaker]

Yep, when I first saw my first one looking like a shattered windshield, I chimed in and a lot of members with '06 bikes said theirs were still pristine. Others chimed in about the molecular structure of cheaper plastics. I'm a molecular structure metal guy on airplanes so, it made all the sense in the world. My second one is starting to crack the same way. I'm guessing that they send the ****** ones down to Florida.