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overheating in traffic


Pjcliffo

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25 degree Celsius 10km of slow stop start traffic, watched the engine temperature climb to 122 degrees then warning light came on. I pulled over let it cool, checked coolant seemed ok and fan seems to be working. Only done 5000kms. Rode home normally after cool down in lighter traffic. Any one experienced this or any ideas?

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Would be nice to see 25 degrees occasionally.  Would say it was down to the conditions. If fan is working normally then there is nothing else that could be done bar switching off engine , filtering or seeking an alternate route. 

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Even in traffic you shouldn't overheat on a brand new motorcycle. Something didn't do it's job; I'd be taking it to the dealer.

 

25c is not that hot. We regularly see above 35c here.

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Hi Pjcliffo.

 

122 deg C is very high and have never experienced that temp, even when riding in 35deg C. Stop start traffic in just about any temp will cause engine temp rise to the point where the thermatic fan kicks in.

 

I get the feeling with the 32,000K's I've travelled on my 8th gen that this model copes even better with the heat, probably due to the front radiators, seems to have a larger cooling fan than the 6th gen and has a rapid cooling effect on the engine when it kicks in.

 

Try this test, with your bike warm and on its side or centre stand in neutral, rev the engine to just over 2000rpm and hold that for a few seconds the Cooling Fan should start running then cut out once below 2000rpm. Also if it's like the 6th gen  the cooling fan should be running once 104degC has been reached (from memory).

 

Wonder wether your thermostat might be faulty and not be fully opening. Think this is an issue that should be sorted out ASAP. Good luck with it.

Cheers.

Grum.

P.S. The Arrow pipe looks great on the black VFR.

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Checked out the coolant and it was half way between high and low so topped it up to high which took very little. Oil was perfect. Took it for a slow ride to build temperature when it got to about 106 fan kicked in.

Yesterday  When I stopped at the service station with the warning light on and 122 degrees I parked in the shade and turned off the bike. After about a minute I turned the ignition on and am pretty sure the fan was NOT on. After about 10 minutes I again turned the ignition on and the fan came on. After 20 minutes I rode home.

so the only thing I can think of is that for some reason the fan did not come on in the heavy traffic thus causing the problem.

i think I will keep an eye on it and if it gets near 120 again I will stop and then get a professional to take a look.

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The fan switch is quite independent of anything else; it is a simple thermoswitch that should come on around 102 and shut off around 98. There is a fuse and a connector in the circuit, so not impossible for a dirty contact to prevent the fan running, so you could check on those. Fans can also get jammed by debris like grass or gravel, you should be able to reach the fan blade and it should spin freely. If the fan can't run, the bike will overheat unless you are moving quickly enough to generate some airflow.

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6 hours ago, Grum said:

Hi Pjcliffo.

 

122 deg C is very high and have never experienced that temp, even when riding in 35deg C. Stop start traffic in just about any temp will cause engine temp rise to the point where the thermatic fan kicks in.

 

I get the feeling with the 32,000K's I've travelled on my 8th gen that this model copes even better with the heat, probably due to the front radiators, seems to have a larger cooling fan than the 6th gen and has a rapid cooling effect on the engine when it kicks in.

 

Try this test, with your bike warm and on its side or centre stand in neutral, rev the engine to just over 2000rpm and hold that for a few seconds the Cooling Fan should start running then cut out once below 2000rpm. Also if it's like the 6th gen  the cooling fan should be running once 104degC has been reached (from memory).

 

Wonder wether your thermostat might be faulty and not be fully opening. Think this is an issue that should be sorted out ASAP. Good luck with it.

Cheers.

Grum.

P.S. The Arrow pipe looks great on the black VFR.

Thanks Grum sounds even better than it looks. Tried to record it on iPhone but doesn't do it justice. How's yours?

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On 26 November 2016 at 7:55 PM, Terry said:

The fan switch is quite independent of anything else; it is a simple thermoswitch that should come on around 102 and shut off around 98. There is a fuse and a connector in the circuit, so not impossible for a dirty contact to prevent the fan running, so you could check on those. Fans can also get jammed by debris like grass or gravel, you should be able to reach the fan blade and it should spin freely. If the fan can't run, the bike will overheat unless you are moving quickly enough to generate some airflow.

 

Hi Terry and Pjcliffo.

 

You may be referencing the cooling fan system to the 6th gen, the 8th gen is different as there is NO thermoswitch. Engine temp is sent to the ECM via the Engine Coolant Temp Sensor and an output from the ECM switches the Fan Relay on or off. This is why you can be in neutral, stationary and with the RPM greater than 2000rpm the fan will kick in then drop out below 2000rpm. Fan 12v supply  relies on the feed from the main 30a fuse through the Fan 20a fuse the Fan Relay then to the fan itself.

Pjcliffo, you need to try the above 2000rpm test a few times it might hi light an intermittent fan relay, connection or something else! Either way if it doesn't do this get Honda to check it out - you have a problem.

 

Cheers.

Grum.

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The bottle you checked, that's the overflow. That doesn't mean you have coolant in the radiator. Radiators, actually. Or bubbles somewhere at least. 

Typically, you pop off the actual radiator cap(ONLY WHILE COMPLETELY COLD!) and check. Also, start with it off, squeezing hoses to burp the system, and adding extra coolant if the level ever drops. Once it gets warm though, put the cap on. 

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to back up what sparky said, i've heard from tuono owners that when they get an odd overheat it typically is due to there being air in the coolant lines that needs bleeding. this is especially true with a new bike that may not have been prep'd properly by dealer

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Adding some ideas for possible causes for overheating:

 

- Thermostat: If this does not open, the engine will be hot, but the radiator will remain cold.

- Radiator cap: If the valve in the cap is broken, the reservoir will be full or overflowing (coolant will not be able to flow back into the system as the pressure decreases)

- Air in the cooling system / incorrect bleeding

 

If the fan is working, my initial thought would be that the cooling system has not been bled properly. Has the coolant been replaced recently? New bikes come with coolant in the system, it is not part of the dealer's prep work to my knowledge.

 

 

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Coolant should be original as bike only had 1600km when I bought it.

On 28/11/2016 at 0:17 PM, Grum said:

 

Hi Terry and Pjcliffo.

 

You may be referencing the cooling fan system to the 6th gen, the 8th gen is different as there is NO thermoswitch. Engine temp is sent to the ECM via the Engine Coolant Temp Sensor and an output from the ECM switches the Fan Relay on or off. This is why you can be in neutral, stationary and with the RPM greater than 2000rpm the fan will kick in then drop out below 2000rpm. Fan 12v supply  relies on the feed from the main 30a fuse through the Fan 20a fuse the Fan Relay then to the fan itself.

Pjcliffo, you need to try the above 2000rpm test a few times it might hi light an intermittent fan relay, connection or something else! Either way if it doesn't do this get Honda to check it out - you have a problem.

 

Cheers.

Grum.

Will try this

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On 29 November 2016 at 3:49 PM, windyrun said:

to back up what sparky said, i've heard from tuono owners that when they get an odd overheat it typically is due to there being air in the coolant lines that needs bleeding. this is especially true with a new bike that may not have been prep'd properly by dealer

Checked the pre delivery set-up instructions, only mentions to confirm the coolant level. Coolant is installed at the factory.

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10 hours ago, Pjcliffo said:

I do have an arrows slip on exhaust with no baffle hmmm

The Arrow exhaust will have nothing to do with your problem I'll just about put my house on it. I've had aftermarket exhausts on four VFR's and never had the issue you've had.

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  • 3 months later...

Latest update, rode bike sydney to Gold Coast 1000km and no problems. Took it to local Honda dealer while still under warranty. They checked it all out and serviced the bike and found nothing wrong. At least the problem is on the official record if there are any future problems in the Queensland heat.

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14 hours ago, Pjcliffo said:

Latest update, rode bike sydney to Gold Coast 1000km and no problems.

Be sure to get up to Tamborine, Beechmont and Duck Creek/Lamington National park Road

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