[DaVeCR]

Hi all !

Need some help.. 2003 DL1000

Rode my bike today for about 70 miles... when I stopped, a friend saw coolant that was going out from the overflow hose .. I checked the temperature of the bike and it was 3 bars..

A guy told me it may have happened cause I really pushed the bike to more speed than the usual and maybe it overheated, he told me to let it cool and it should be alright.. so I did..

When I checked the bike like after 40 minutes, the reservoir tank was empty, so I removed the radiator cap to check if it was filled, and it was.. I was able to see the coolant at the top..

Started the bike again and added a bit of water into the reservoir tank, all good.. starting riding, after 20 miles we did a stop in a gas station, the temperature was 2 bars as always.. I saw the water in the reservoir tank and it was as I left it.. but, around 1 minute after I stopped, I saw a lot of bubbles coming from the bottom of the reserv tank, and I saw the hose that comes from the water pump like "Squezed" (I circled the hose in red in the pic attached for ilustration) .. the hose was like if it was trying to suctioning water and found an obstruction or something.. and it was cold .... then the bubbles were big like if the water was boiling... the water was too hot and the reservoir tank was empty..

One of the guys told me he thinks it's a bad thermostat.. he says he thinks it's not opening, and that's why the hose gets like that, because no water is passing from the radiator to the water pump.. the water pump seems to be working because it makes the hose like that...

when we open the radiator cap, I heard a "clap" and the hose shape was again as normal... the hose which was cold before, was now hot after the "clap" sound..

I highlighted in green what I think it's the thermostat..

So, does it make sense to you what we are thinking? could it be a bad thermostat?

ANy ideas are welcome !!

 

[greywolf]

It sounds more like a blockage to me. The thermostat is closed until the coolant gets hot in normal operation and there is no hose collapse then. In fact, the collapsed hose could be the cause of the problem. The Suzuki manual says flattened hoses should be replaced. You can put the thermostat #20 in hot water to check it. It should open at about 88C or 190F.

 

[DaVeCR]

we will check the thermostat ..

About the blockage, I did notice some sediment in the radiator cap.. like a light film of a green stuff.. but the way the hose was, it was the first time I see it like that.. I wonder why it happened..

the other thing that I wonder is why did the temperature was never over 2 bars if it was overheating.. and why would it "boil" only when the bike was stopped.. while I was riding it was ok..

 

[richw]

Often a hose fails by

delamination

The hose is a least a 3 layer sandwich
Inner rubber
Layer of fabric/cord reinforcement
Outer layer for weather/sun protection

Many time a hose fails and the INSIDE layer collapses and blocks flow but the outside seems ok

Note over heating is BAD for an engine so be careful. I am not sure if you can pull the thermostat and ride . As a minimum you can take it out and boil it in water in a pot on the stove... It should open in boiling water close when its cool again

 

[DaVeCR]

I want to buy the thermostat this week that I'm going to the States, when looking to the item number 20, it seems that there are 2 types of thermostats?

20-1: THERMOSTAT COMP
1056325
(1477506-001)
0-99 $26.38

20-2: THERMOSTAT,WAT
1056326
(1818594-001)
0-99 $25.86


2003 Suzuki DL1000 Parts, 2003 Suzuki DL1000 OEM Parts - BikeBandit.com

Does somebody know the part I need?

 

[DaVeCR]

Often a hose fails by

delamination

The hose is a least a 3 layer sandwich
Inner rubber
Layer of fabric/cord reinforcement
Outer layer for weather/sun protection

Many time a hose fails and the INSIDE layer collapses and blocks flow but the outside seems ok

Note over heating is BAD for an engine so be careful. I am not sure if you can pull the thermostat and ride . As a minimum you can take it out and boil it in water in a pot on the stove... It should open in boiling water close when its cool again

I'm going to get the hose too.. the one I need is the hose, radiator outlet right? that's the name for the hose that is connected to the water pump?

 

[crager34]

I recently purchased mine and had it run through (mechanically speaking, standard maintenance) and was told it is "rock solid". I have been riding in the Tennessee heat and when moving, it's at two bars. When stopped at a light, or just to stop... it goes to three.

 

[honest bob]

we will check the thermostat ..

About the blockage, I did notice some sediment in the radiator cap.. like a light film of a green stuff.. but the way the hose was, it was the first time I see it like that.. I wonder why it happened..

the other thing that I wonder is why did the temperature was never over 2 bars if it was overheating.. and why would it "boil" only when the bike was stopped.. while I was riding it was ok..

How long since the coolant was changed/checked for specific gravity? If the coolant has been significantly diluted by adding water (or there was not enough antifreeze/glycol in the mix), it will boil at a much lower temperature. If the system is not maintaining pressure, (rad cap seal and pressure release spring bad) the coolant will boil at a lower temp. The temp sensor may be on the "cool" side of the system if there is a blockage. When the bike stops there is not as much cooling air on the rad, especially if your fan is malfunctioning, so if it's near the boiling point, it will suddenly boil over.

 

[DaVeCR]

@honestbob

It's been over a year since i dont replace the coolant, i live in central america on really hot temperatures so we use to mix more water than coolant. I understand your point and makes sense a seal broken.. It's just odd that it happened just one day after too many rides.

As getting genuine parts is hard here i want to buy the thermostat the hose and maybe the rad cap. I wont have time until i return from my trip so i would have bought those things before i checked the thermostat and check for blockages..

I will try everything that is discussed here as i want to make sure this wont happen again.. A 90 miles ride here will put you in the middle of nowhere ..

 

[honest bob]

@honestbob

It's been over a year since i dont replace the coolant, i live in central america on really hot temperatures so we use to mix more water than coolant.

..

That could be your problem. You can't run with 100% glycol as it won't cool as well as glycol mixed with water. But, you can run with a 65%-75% mix to get the best cooling/freezing service. If you have more water than coolant/glycol you are not getting the best cooling, and then you added more water to that. Some of the confusion arises because water will take heat away faster than glycol, BUT, glycol mixed with water boils at a much higher temp. Propylene glycol is often used in hot climates as it gives slightly better cooling but not as good freeze protection. A 50-50 mix will boil at 257'F. If you add water try to use distilled water, definitely use it for the mix when changing coolant or buy premix.

 

[PTRider]

Well....yes, a 50% solution of ethylene glycol in water at 15 psi boils at about 265°F vs. pure water at 15 psi which boils at about 250°F, but...

...But the EG solution carries away much less heat than pure water, about .86 specific heat vs 1.0 for water. Heat transfer from the engine to the air passing through the radiator requires that the coolant carries the heat to the radiator, and the ethylene glycol solution requires about 14% more flow to carry the same heat as pure water. Race engines use pure water plus the chemical additives for antifoam, surfactants, maybe corrosion protection, water pump protection, dissimilar metals protection, and they get cooled fine. If the engine, including our motorcycles, is never in freezing weather, pure water plus something like Red Line WaterWetter, or Red Line Super Cool with WaterWetter, it will cool better than 50% EG mixture.

I'm sticking with a mechanical problem on the OP's bike--bad hose or something else repairable.

 

[DaVeCR]

Update

My friend took the thermostat out and placed it in hot water (boiling) and it did not open. The thermostast should open over 88 c and the water should have been over that since it was boiling.

He sent me some pictures and I noticed there's no seal in the head of the thermostast..he also told me he found some green stuff inside.. Will post pictures later

Is this test enough to determine it's a broken thermostast? Im still going to get the hose and change it just in case it got damaged .. A guy told me this test is not enough but it makes sense to me

 

[greywolf]

If the thermostat does not open in boiling water, it needs to be replaced. It sounds like the system needs to be cleaned.

 

[DaVeCR]

@greywolf:
so I think I should be Ok with the new thermostat !

here are the pics..

here's where I don't see the seal..

He said he found little pieces.. not sure if that's normal.. perhaps that made the thermostat go bad?

 

[honest bob]

@greywolf:
so I think I should be Ok with the new thermostat !

here are the pics..

here's where I don't see the seal..

He said he found little pieces.. not sure if that's normal.. perhaps that made the thermostat go bad?

You can tell just by looking at that housing that you have a build up of crap in your cooling system. I would expect a slightly plugged rad, but the major problem is the locked closed thermostat. (they either die locked closed or open.) The water pump is drawing a partial vacuum on that hose and collapsing it because the thermostat won't allow any water into the rad. Do not run it like that. It should be cleaned if that is possible for you, at least flushed until it runs clear, and you must use distilled water to reload. Good antifreeze will reduce further buildup, but may not remove old buildup.
There must be a seal, or you would have lost the coolant a long time ago. Looks to me like the seal is stuck to the surface of the housing.

 

[DaVeCR]

Forgot to update.. yes, it was the thermostat !

the radiator was filled with a light "thingy", felt almost like rubber.. flushed the whole system.. used the bike for 2 rides, over 100 miles each, and everything looks good..

thanks a lot for your help guys ! ..