Coolant smell

[petshark]

 

So I’m in the Alps and did my second day of 6-7 hour riding. The last stops I smelled a sweet candy smell coming of the bike which is coolant, right?

Part of my departure checkup was the coolant reservoir. I have changed the coolant 2 months ago and the level was stable so I expected it to stay that way. It was below the minimum though 2 days ago so I filled to to the max line again.

The first day of riding went fine but today I get this smell while the level is still the same. (maximum) I don’t see any leaks neither. Could it just be an overflow thing?

TBH I hear and feel a lot of other stuff that I don’t like but I put them out of my mind because I don’t want to ruin the trip by being paranoid. I’ll list what I’m talking about just in case someone recognizes a clear pattern:

-it doesn’t start as smooth as usual after a stop. Maybe because it’s still hot? Sounds like running on two cylinders to me (but I don’t know what that sounds like). After a few seconds it starts running as normal.

-I get a lugging sensation while I’m not lugging; around 4K also in 1st gear. Only when riding hard does it feel ok.

- I feel irregular shocks in my footpegs that I don’t feel (or less) in the handlebars. They don’t seem to be there when I pull In the clutch at high speed. The faster I go the less all this is noticeable but it could well be that the higher frequency just makes it feel less obvious. Could be the chain perhaps as I had hours of rain in the morning. Will lube in the morning.

- the famous gear wine has many faces. It can be less, the same or more audible than the other engine and transmission sounds. It’s certainly not the same all the time. It changes in episodes and stays the same for a long time and then changes again. This has been going on for a lot longer but now that I’m riding full days it’s more obvious.

 

I’ve read about the blown head gasket thing on the forum. I just changed my oil before I left but not the Hiflo oil filter as it’s an RC and should be good for a lot more than the 7k km that I did on it. The oil turned black immediately after running the engine which I figured was normal as it mixed with the oil still in the filter.

Both times I used Motul semi-synthetic 5100

it doesn’t look like coffee and cream though so I hope this means that it’s not the head gasket?

I’m rambling a bit but it’s cold typing on my phone here in the mountains and I’m having a well deserved beer. 😁

Any thoughts? Feel free to ease my mind if nothing points to serious problems before I climb the Stelvio pass tomorrow 😳

 

Edited August 18, 2021 by petshark
spelling

[Your_Boy_Yuriy]

Being paranoid on the long trip sucks... happens to me all the time. 
 

Sounds like it has nothing to with your coolant. 
 

You can check to see if you have any stiff links in the chain. That makes a lot of noise. Chains usually last roughly 20K miles. Obviously some can go out earlier and some can get more miles. To me this sounds like it might be your issue. 
 

If you think it’s running on two cylinders pour some water on each header and check the consistency of the steam. Might have an intermediate spark plug failure... but I doubt that. 
 

just remember if it doesn’t ride the same as before then somethings wrong. Best of luck and don’t get too paranoid.

[CRFan250]

If your coolant level in the reservoir was high and the bike got really hot, it may expel some through the overflow which is normal.

As long as it's not overheating and your oild does not look like chocalate milk you are fine.  Ride and enjoy

[petshark]

Thanks guys. I've learned so much this last year but not enough to troubleshoot on-the-go.

Just a brief summary of what I've done recently;

new wheel bearings, tyres, coolant, oil, spark plugs, chain, sprockets, ohlins, throttle body sync, ecu flash, ..?

so the chain still looks new. 😉

I've been keeping an eye on the temp and it's not hotter than before (relative to how I'm riding). So temp and reservoir level is stable.

I'm hoping it's overflow but that should just come out the hose underneath the reservoir, right? So how can the bike still smell like it after riding for hours after I first noticed it? I did detach and reinstall the reservoir which is a PITA with those spacers that keep falling out, so now I'm thinking maybe the tube is pinched or something causing some coolant to come out via the cap?

I've had 1.5 days of rainy weather and this started when the sun first showed itself. That resulted in a meager 22 degrees Celcius but still warmer than before so there might be a clue there. Maybe 'max' is just too much, it spilled and it will be fine from now on.

On a positive note: Loving the new Road 5's in this wet weather!

[knyte]

1 hour ago, petshark said:

which is a PITA with those spacers that keep falling out

HAHAHA omg I laughed when I read that...cuz I've been there, brother.

[PhotoAl]

Love the Alps.  Have been to Grindenwald (spelling) several times and thru several of the passes.

You are probably getting some significant elevation changes going thru the mountains.  This will cause a few things. First the engine does not make as much power, it is running with less air and the gasoline may be different.  Highest I've had mine is 10,000 feet and it does feel different.

As for feeling vibration and bumps  I felt like I was feeling something hit my foot and then realized it was my heel contacting the swingarm and feeling it move over a bump.  Subtly but took me longer to figure out than I would have expected - must be getting old!

There are some significant climbs in the Alps and the engine temperature could get pretty high - Mine was over 200F on a climbing road outside of Vernal Utah earlier this year.  Speed was slow (road not so good) and not getting a lot of airflow across the radiator.  When the engine gets hot the coolant will expand into the coolant reservoir tank.  Check it when it is hot and you will see the level is higher.  Come back when it is cold and the level will be lower.  When filling the radiator it is important to fill it to the very top so that no air gap is left in the radiator.  I sometimes look at my coolant temperature more for curiosity as I've had several bikes that I rode a lot in stop and go traffic and never a real problem other than the one that was improperly serviced - why I like to do it myself.

One thing I really liked about my BMW F800GT is I wasn't in love with the bike.  I liked it OK but it was under warranty, I had the dealer do all the services and most of the time it had a service just before I went on a long trip.  I just presumed they had done what they were supposed to do and just rode it.  Didnt worry about it during the night, I had insurance and it someone took off with it then I'd collect and get another bike.  I really like my Tracer GT but there is a point where I just ride it and don't worry.  I don't about it or neglect it but don't worry about it.  I actually worry a bit about tire puncture in remote areas and therefore tend to be careful about riding over stuff on the road.

Have another couple of beers and have fun tomorrow - no so many beers you don't feel 100% tomorrow 🙂

[petshark]

4 hours ago, PhotoAl said:

Love the Alps.  Have been to Grindenwald (spelling) several times and thru several of the passes.

You are probably getting some significant elevation changes going thru the mountains.  This will cause a few things. First the engine does not make as much power, it is running with less air and the gasoline may be different.  Highest I've had mine is 10,000 feet and it does feel different.

As for feeling vibration and bumps  I felt like I was feeling something hit my foot and then realized it was my heel contacting the swingarm and feeling it move over a bump.  Subtly but took me longer to figure out than I would have expected - must be getting old!

There are some significant climbs in the Alps and the engine temperature could get pretty high - Mine was over 200F on a climbing road outside of Vernal Utah earlier this year.  Speed was slow (road not so good) and not getting a lot of airflow across the radiator.  When the engine gets hot the coolant will expand into the coolant reservoir tank.  Check it when it is hot and you will see the level is higher.  Come back when it is cold and the level will be lower.  When filling the radiator it is important to fill it to the very top so that no air gap is left in the radiator.  I sometimes look at my coolant temperature more for curiosity as I've had several bikes that I rode a lot in stop and go traffic and never a real problem other than the one that was improperly serviced - why I like to do it myself.

One thing I really liked about my BMW F800GT is I wasn't in love with the bike.  I liked it OK but it was under warranty, I had the dealer do all the services and most of the time it had a service just before I went on a long trip.  I just presumed they had done what they were supposed to do and just rode it.  Didnt worry about it during the night, I had insurance and it someone took off with it then I'd collect and get another bike.  I really like my Tracer GT but there is a point where I just ride it and don't worry.  I don't about it or neglect it but don't worry about it.  I actually worry a bit about tire puncture in remote areas and therefore tend to be careful about riding over stuff on the road.

Have another couple of beers and have fun tomorrow - no so many beers you don't feel 100% tomorrow 🙂

Some great points here. I will take it all in and see how today’s ride goes. thanks!

[peteinpa]

Get on your hands and knees and check under the water pump.  Look for a dried trail of coolant. If you find a trail wipe it off then ride and check again.

My ST1300 when new got a new water pump under warranty, they can go bad even new.

The rest is the elevation changes and lube chain daily.

[DR_DR3I]

Just to piggyback on the elevation changes idea: liquid expands at higher elevation, so if your coolant bottle was at at top of the line before you climbed, it may have expanded and overflowed.

As you were riding, it probably got splashed on the bike and unless you give it a good wash, it will likely always smell a bit whenever it's warmed up. I'd give the bike a good soaking when you can, see if that helps.

 

[petshark]

Great day or riding today. The weather cleared up end the scenery was amazing. 
Not the faintest hint of that smell from yesterday so I it’s all good on the coolant front. I did give a simple clean with baby wipes this morning.

The other problems stay but I’m gonna ignore them during the trip. If it gets worse we’ll see. 

[petshark]

So that smell didn't return the whole trip but now that I'm home the reservoir is again at the low mark, even slightly below it. I filled it to the high mark before I left and obviously had an overflow moment during the trip (see OP) and nothing after that. There is no leak, I've kept the underside squeaky clean actually ever since I'm back.

So the question is; can this be normal in any scenario?

radiator hot > fluid expands > goes in reservoir > reservoir overflows > cooldown > vacuum in radiator suck in fluid = reservoir at low mark?

I've opened the radiator and there was a small pocket of air on top so I put it on the side-stand, let it heat up and refilled to the top and closed her back up. TBH I did not know this procedure when I flushed the coolant a few months ago so that bit of air was my fault. I did squeeze all the hoses etc to get trapped air out at that time.

The bike does not overheat, the light never comes on, even in stop and go traffic during hot days but I can't seem to get the reservoir to stay above the low mark.

I've added a little fluid now to see if it will overflow again..

 

[micah2074]

Just keep an eye on it. The water in the system will evaporate some when it’s in the reservoir. I get whiffs of coolant some times but never had a problem. 

[PhotoAl]

@petshark I think it was normal based on how your bike was filled.  My experience with my BMW convinced me it is possible to have a full reservoir tank but an air pocket in the radiator and it to not function as designed.  Your method for filling the radiator is exactly what I would have done.  I would not expect you to have any additional issues.