[Donnieontheroad]

Hi ...2004 Wing with about 88,000 miles and I noticed the other day what appears to be coolant leak on right side of bike. Not much and only noticeable when started cold. When I checked the level it was way low so had to add some. Once it warms up and I check it when stopped it doesn't appear to be leaking. Temps here dropped below freezing for the first time in 8 months and thought it might be related to colder weather. Some of it appears to be coming throught the exhaust. Concerned maybe a hose loose or maybe small crack somewhere. Hate to take it in but looks like where ever it's coming from will be difficult to reach. Will monitor and hope it isn't serious.

Any thoughts

TIA

Donnie

 

[Dream Catcher]

Hey Donnie, been there done that along with a host of others.
It is usually just slightly loose hoses and it almost always shows up
with the cold weather. Doesn't come out the exhaust though.
Are you sure it's coolant that you see coming from the exhaust?
You will get lots of condensate when the exhausts are cold.
You will smell the burning coolant oder if it's in the exhaust.
You can hold your hand there and let the exhaust blow the moisture on your fingers.
If it's coolant, it will have that slippery coolant feel and have the smell.
Yeah, it's a "big dig" to get to where you can tighten hose clamps,
but not all that hard. Just a bunch of fasteners and stuff to take loose.
No major parts disassembly though.
I'll bet Fred Harmon's entertainment videos cover getting to the area you would need. You might ask Fred about it if you intend to tackle it yourself.
Good Luck!
DC

 

[John Rossington]

Funny you mention this! The 5,000 mile '04 I picked up a couple of weeks ago left a small spot of coolant on the floor yesterday A.M. after a "cool" ride. Previous to purchasing the bike I saw quite a few posts on this board addressing this issue, so I knew it was coming - just not quite this soon. There is quite a good bit of info on this if you do a "search". Just guessing, but if you don't want to tackle it, I'd guess your bike is still under warranty? As Dream Catcher said, it's not that bad of a job - just time consuming. The bike is almost not recognizable now thanks to a #2 phillips screwdriver, 6mm allen wrench, and a 8 & 10mm socket . Good Luck!

 

[oldtags]

Had a hose leak on my 04 a couple of years ago and used Fred's video to pull the gas tank and tighten the hoses. About a month ago we started smelling coolant burning (Angel said it smells like maple syrup to her). Took it in and the dealer found several small hose leaks BUT also the water pump leaking. Glad it was still under warranty.

 

[Donnieontheroad]

Thanks

Thanks for all the info and feedback ...appreciate it very much.

Donnie