Overheating?

Reswob · February 22nd, 2010, 02:18 PM

On my way to class today, I noticed a smell like burning rubber at a red light. Looked down and smoke was coming from the radiator. When I got to school and it looked like most of the smoke was actually coming from the engine/exhaust, and there was a lot more smoke pouring off the muffler.

Normally I'd have chalked it up to the cold water on the roads hitting the hot exhaust pipe, but the smell has me worried (that and when I got home and got a flashlight there did in fact seem to be smoke also coming from the top of the radiator area).

The oil level is good, nothing appears to be leaking (although it is hard to tell from the rain), the temp light did not come on. Is there anything else to check?

kkim · February 22nd, 2010, 02:41 PM

how's the coolant level?

Reswob · February 22nd, 2010, 02:48 PM

That depends... where is the window to check it?

kkim · February 22nd, 2010, 02:49 PM

check your owner's manual.

ckholloway · February 22nd, 2010, 02:54 PM

Sounds like maybe a blow head gasket..?

Reswob · February 22nd, 2010, 02:59 PM

Well the coolant bottle appears to be opaque when I shine the light on it. But if there's none left it must have been leaking no? You think that's the kind of thing they would check when I got it serviced less than 300 miles ago...

ckholloway · February 22nd, 2010, 03:07 PM

If the head gasket went then it could be coolant directly into the intake and you wouldn't see it. It would burn it off.

Reswob · February 22nd, 2010, 03:32 PM

OK, I took the fairing off, the coolant bottle is at the full mark.

kkim · February 22nd, 2010, 04:46 PM

is it smoke or steam you're seeing?

Sailariel · February 22nd, 2010, 07:23 PM

I seriously doubt that it is a head gasket. My bike sometimes smells like there is rubber burning--could be stuff splashed up at a hot engine or exhaust. Your overheating light did not come on. I assume that your radiator fan was not running constantly. Your oil level was OK. Coolant level was OK. You might want to take the bike to a good MC mechanic to ease your mind. IMHO you really should not worry. When I ride in the wet, I get all sorts of "Smoke" which is really steam, and all sorts of smells. Do you really think that the water that sprays on your exhaust and hot engine is pure? It has all sorts of oil and other stuff in it which will create all sorts of scary smells.

Reswob · February 22nd, 2010, 07:54 PM

I guess I'll let it run once it dries off and see if anything happens.

Betlog · February 22nd, 2010, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reswob

I guess I'll let it run once it dries off and see if anything happens.

Good luck man and keep us posted.

Reswob · February 23rd, 2010, 11:41 AM

Ok, let her run for 10 mins, there's definitely smoke coming from the radiator

ckholloway · February 23rd, 2010, 11:44 AM

Look at both oil and water, make sure neither are milky looking.

PitBull · February 23rd, 2010, 12:08 PM

Be sure and check all your hose clamps and make sure they don't need to be tightened up. I had a problem with mine leaking coolant due to that reason.

Reswob · February 23rd, 2010, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckholloway

Look at both oil and water, make sure neither are milky looking.

Both look fine. There's a wet spot on the radiator, maybe it's just still water burning off?

walera · February 23rd, 2010, 03:18 PM

This has happened to me once. And just like you, i noticed a wet spot that didn't want to dry up. Had to remove the left fairing and blow the liquid out i.e blowing from where the fan is. As Alex right rightly pointed out, water from the road aint pure. Hope this helps.
Posted via Mobile Device

ckholloway · February 23rd, 2010, 04:13 PM

yep I gotta agree, if no water in oil, and no oil in water then try and blow that water out of the rad.

Reswob · February 24th, 2010, 11:21 AM

Well I washed the bike yesterday hoping to get all the wet road crud off. Dried out that spot on the rad, and ran her again this afternoon. Started smoking a little from the y-pipe, but burned off after a couple minutes. Still smells a little (not as bad as before), but I don't see anymore smoke! Unless the temp light comes on next time I ride, I guess it was just rain and other gunk kicked up from the road.

ckholloway · February 24th, 2010, 11:58 AM

Just a little FYI for ya. Another thing that you and everyone else should check every once in a while is the rad. fan itself. The fans on all these bikes of today are so close to the exhaust that they are melting the fan blade itself. I have seen several do it and I have a riding buddy of mine that is dealing with it as I type on a ZX7R. In some cases this is the burning rubber type smell you get. Easy to fix, call muzzy and they will fix you up with an aluminum fan blade.

brendonjw · February 24th, 2010, 12:27 PM

Double check the Radiator, mine had a stone go through it and had similar symptons, smokey steam coming off it and the temp light didnt come on while i was riding as the air cooling was enough to keep it cool, but when i was stuck at traffic it came on, checked the coolant level and that hadnt dropped much, got it to the mech straight away and found i had a stone go through one of the fins.....

Reswob · February 24th, 2010, 02:03 PM

The fan blades look ok (I'll double check), but idling in the garage the fan is not turning. Is that normal?

ckholloway · February 24th, 2010, 02:05 PM

Yes the fan is controlled by a temp switch that kicks the fan on at a set temp.

LibertyNKC · July 24th, 2010, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PitBull

Be sure and check all your hose clamps and make sure they don't need to be tightened up. I had a problem with mine leaking coolant due to that reason.

I agree with you on this, check your hoses I didn't have my 2009 Ninja more then a year and my clamp and hose had to be replaced I was leaking radiator fluid and it was spraying all over my engine and the outside of the bike.

February 22nd, 2010, 02:18 PM	#1
Reswob ninjette.org sage Name: Josh Location: Richmond VA Join Date: Oct 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Triumph Bonneville Black Posts: 627	Overheating? On my way to class today, I noticed a smell like burning rubber at a red light. Looked down and smoke was coming from the radiator. When I got to school and it looked like most of the smoke was actually coming from the engine/exhaust, and there was a lot more smoke pouring off the muffler. Normally I'd have chalked it up to the cold water on the roads hitting the hot exhaust pipe, but the smell has me worried (that and when I got home and got a flashlight there did in fact seem to be smoke also coming from the top of the radiator area). The oil level is good, nothing appears to be leaking (although it is hard to tell from the rain), the temp light did not come on. Is there anything else to check?

February 22nd, 2010, 02:54 PM	#5
ckholloway ninjette.org member Name: Corey Location: Oregon Join Date: Feb 2010 Motorcycle(s): none yet Posts: 142	Sounds like maybe a blow head gasket..? __________________________________________________ Riding is not just something you do, It's a way of life!!

February 22nd, 2010, 03:07 PM	#7
ckholloway ninjette.org member Name: Corey Location: Oregon Join Date: Feb 2010 Motorcycle(s): none yet Posts: 142	If the head gasket went then it could be coolant directly into the intake and you wouldn't see it. It would burn it off. __________________________________________________ Riding is not just something you do, It's a way of life!!

February 23rd, 2010, 11:44 AM	#14
ckholloway ninjette.org member Name: Corey Location: Oregon Join Date: Feb 2010 Motorcycle(s): none yet Posts: 142	Look at both oil and water, make sure neither are milky looking. __________________________________________________ Riding is not just something you do, It's a way of life!!

February 23rd, 2010, 04:13 PM	#18
ckholloway ninjette.org member Name: Corey Location: Oregon Join Date: Feb 2010 Motorcycle(s): none yet Posts: 142	yep I gotta agree, if no water in oil, and no oil in water then try and blow that water out of the rad. __________________________________________________ Riding is not just something you do, It's a way of life!!

February 22nd, 2010, 02:41 PM	#2
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	how's the coolant level?

February 22nd, 2010, 02:48 PM	#3
Reswob ninjette.org sage Name: Josh Location: Richmond VA Join Date: Oct 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Triumph Bonneville Black Posts: 627	That depends... where is the window to check it?

February 22nd, 2010, 02:49 PM	#4
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	check your owner's manual.

February 22nd, 2010, 02:59 PM	#6
Reswob ninjette.org sage Name: Josh Location: Richmond VA Join Date: Oct 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Triumph Bonneville Black Posts: 627	Well the coolant bottle appears to be opaque when I shine the light on it. But if there's none left it must have been leaking no? You think that's the kind of thing they would check when I got it serviced less than 300 miles ago...

February 22nd, 2010, 03:32 PM	#8
Reswob ninjette.org sage Name: Josh Location: Richmond VA Join Date: Oct 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Triumph Bonneville Black Posts: 627	OK, I took the fairing off, the coolant bottle is at the full mark.

February 22nd, 2010, 04:46 PM	#9
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	is it smoke or steam you're seeing?

February 22nd, 2010, 07:23 PM	#10
Sailariel ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Alex Location: Belfast, ME Join Date: Jul 2008 Motorcycle(s): 2010 Honda NT-700-V, formerly, Green 2008 Ninja 250R Posts: A lot.	I seriously doubt that it is a head gasket. My bike sometimes smells like there is rubber burning--could be stuff splashed up at a hot engine or exhaust. Your overheating light did not come on. I assume that your radiator fan was not running constantly. Your oil level was OK. Coolant level was OK. You might want to take the bike to a good MC mechanic to ease your mind. IMHO you really should not worry. When I ride in the wet, I get all sorts of "Smoke" which is really steam, and all sorts of smells. Do you really think that the water that sprays on your exhaust and hot engine is pure? It has all sorts of oil and other stuff in it which will create all sorts of scary smells.

February 22nd, 2010, 07:54 PM	#11
Reswob ninjette.org sage Name: Josh Location: Richmond VA Join Date: Oct 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Triumph Bonneville Black Posts: 627	I guess I'll let it run once it dries off and see if anything happens.

February 23rd, 2010, 11:41 AM	#13
Reswob ninjette.org sage Name: Josh Location: Richmond VA Join Date: Oct 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Triumph Bonneville Black Posts: 627	Ok, let her run for 10 mins, there's definitely smoke coming from the radiator

February 23rd, 2010, 12:08 PM	#15
PitBull ninjette.org member Name: Lisa Location: DFW Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): 09 Ninja 250 Posts: 184	Be sure and check all your hose clamps and make sure they don't need to be tightened up. I had a problem with mine leaking coolant due to that reason.

February 23rd, 2010, 03:18 PM	#17
walera ninjette.org newbie Name: Wale Location: Lagos, Nigeria Join Date: Nov 2009 Motorcycle(s): 08 Kawasaki Ninja 250r Posts: 8	This has happened to me once. And just like you, i noticed a wet spot that didn't want to dry up. Had to remove the left fairing and blow the liquid out i.e blowing from where the fan is. As Alex right rightly pointed out, water from the road aint pure. Hope this helps. Posted via Mobile Device

February 24th, 2010, 11:21 AM	#19
Reswob ninjette.org sage Name: Josh Location: Richmond VA Join Date: Oct 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Triumph Bonneville Black Posts: 627	Well I washed the bike yesterday hoping to get all the wet road crud off. Dried out that spot on the rad, and ran her again this afternoon. Started smoking a little from the y-pipe, but burned off after a couple minutes. Still smells a little (not as bad as before), but I don't see anymore smoke! Unless the temp light comes on next time I ride, I guess it was just rain and other gunk kicked up from the road.

February 24th, 2010, 11:58 AM	#20
ckholloway ninjette.org member Name: Corey Location: Oregon Join Date: Feb 2010 Motorcycle(s): none yet Posts: 142	Just a little FYI for ya. Another thing that you and everyone else should check every once in a while is the rad. fan itself. The fans on all these bikes of today are so close to the exhaust that they are melting the fan blade itself. I have seen several do it and I have a riding buddy of mine that is dealing with it as I type on a ZX7R. In some cases this is the burning rubber type smell you get. Easy to fix, call muzzy and they will fix you up with an aluminum fan blade. __________________________________________________ Riding is not just something you do, It's a way of life!!

February 24th, 2010, 12:27 PM	#21
brendonjw ninjette.org member Name: Brendon Location: Auckland New Zealand Join Date: Jan 2010 Motorcycle(s): 08 250R Posts: 11	Double check the Radiator, mine had a stone go through it and had similar symptons, smokey steam coming off it and the temp light didnt come on while i was riding as the air cooling was enough to keep it cool, but when i was stuck at traffic it came on, checked the coolant level and that hadnt dropped much, got it to the mech straight away and found i had a stone go through one of the fins.....

February 24th, 2010, 02:03 PM	#22
Reswob ninjette.org sage Name: Josh Location: Richmond VA Join Date: Oct 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Triumph Bonneville Black Posts: 627	The fan blades look ok (I'll double check), but idling in the garage the fan is not turning. Is that normal?

February 24th, 2010, 02:05 PM	#23
ckholloway ninjette.org member Name: Corey Location: Oregon Join Date: Feb 2010 Motorcycle(s): none yet Posts: 142	Yes the fan is controlled by a temp switch that kicks the fan on at a set temp. __________________________________________________ Riding is not just something you do, It's a way of life!!

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