nomad coolant leak
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Has anyone had this problem?P
Peewee
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no i have not,but will keep an eye on it,tks
I am not sure what or where the leak is. When I took it in it looked like the leak was coming from the water pump area. But the next day when I called the dealer he said that it was a pipe. I will know more when I pick up the bike this next week. I will post again when I find out what it was and where.
Just got the bike back and now have a better idea as to what was leaking. Under the gas tank is a coolant pipe that runs down between the "V" of the cylinders, it has o-rings on both sides of it and it was the pipe that was cracked. The dealer said that they have had several of them on this type of bike but once they are fixed he has not seen one come back for the same thing.
stew said:Just got the bike back and now have a better idea as to what was leaking. Under the gas tank is a coolant pipe that runs down between the "V" of the cylinders, it has o-rings on both sides of it and it was the pipe that was cracked. The dealer said that they have had several of them on this type of bike but once they are fixed he has not seen one come back for the same thing.
Well I can confirm that this "may" be an issue with this bike. I have an 04 NOMAD and I just brought it in for the same thing. The coolant looked like it was coming from under the tank BUT I could not see where exactly.
It was not a major leak but nevertheless it was a leak. It was leaking coolant on the LEFT side of the bike from the under the tank in near the center.
I will re-post as to let everyone know if this was the same thing as the OP... :frown:
I'm taking my Mean Streak in this afternoon for the water pump leaking as well. I noticed my coolant level was well below the "low" line on Sunday. I had service done at a local shop the next day and the tech there told me that it was leaking from the seal. So off to Kawa it goes. We'll see if that's all it is.
*update - just got back and they want the bike for a week to 10 days. dammit. I guess I'm leaving it tomorrow.
*update - just got back and they want the bike for a week to 10 days. dammit. I guess I'm leaving it tomorrow.
UPDATE: GOT IT BACK!
Yup, it was the VERY SAME thing the OP had. An O-Ring over the head that seals a coolant line to an adaptor was faulty. The manager said that they are "seeing a few more of these rings go bad". Nothing to get in a "huff over" though. He also said the leak itself is usually a fine mist coming from the lip area tha gives that ever present ever so slight antifreeze smell that we all fear. But it's advisable to have it fixed when/if it shows signs of leakage. Don't want that baby to over heat!
So NOMAD owners, keep you eyes open for this.
Cheers!
Yup, it was the VERY SAME thing the OP had. An O-Ring over the head that seals a coolant line to an adaptor was faulty. The manager said that they are "seeing a few more of these rings go bad". Nothing to get in a "huff over" though. He also said the leak itself is usually a fine mist coming from the lip area tha gives that ever present ever so slight antifreeze smell that we all fear. But it's advisable to have it fixed when/if it shows signs of leakage. Don't want that baby to over heat!
So NOMAD owners, keep you eyes open for this.
Cheers!
Is this part of the overflow line that goes to the plastic (coolant) tank on the right side?VIPER66 said:UPDATE: GOT IT BACK! Yup, it was the VERY SAME thing the OP had. An O-Ring over the head that seals a coolant line to an adaptor was faulty. Tyhe manager said that they are "seeing a few more of these rings go bad". Nothing to get in a "huff over" though. He also said the leak itself is usually a fine mist coming from the lip area. But it is advisable to have it fixed when/if it shows signs of leakage. So NOMAD owners, keep you eyes open for this.
Cheers!
NY_Guy said:Is this part of the overflow line that goes to the plastic (coolant) tank on the right side?
I wish I knew.. The service guy at Kawasaki gave me kind of a rough description of the issue. :shock:
All I know is that it was under the tank and I could not actually see where it was leaking from and that it only leaked when I drove FAST- highway and such.
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I've had coolant leaks on both the MeanStreak and Vulcan 2000. I n both cases it was the result of loose hose clamps. Both times the clamp was located up under the tank between the cylinders. I decided to replace the hose clamps in question, tighten them properly and have not had a problem since.
trikebubble said:I've had coolant leaks on both the MeanStreak and Vulcan 2000. I n both cases it was the result of loose hose clamps. Both times the clamp was located up under the tank between the cylinders. I decided to replace the hose clamps in question, tighten them properly and have not had a problem since.
When/if this slight leak happens again I will lift up the tank and see for myself where it is coming from. Since it is under warranty I did not see a reason to do it myself. However, I usually do all my own wrenching work or my cars and now my bike.
Kept smelling antifreeze on my 06 Nomad. Tightened all the hose clamps I could get to without removing fuel tank. One day noticed a dry green substance below the water pump. Tightned the WP bolts to spec's and problem stopped for a few days. I noticed the green again, went by dealer to get it worked on and was told to come back in a couple of weeks or more because they were in ATV mode for hunting season. Went home and added a few inch pounds to pump cover spec's and the leak has stopped. But the whiff of coolant is still present.
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Had the same problem on my 06 Nomad, plus the original dealer forgot to tighten up the hose clamps, new "o" rings and a little nutdriver work and she's just fine now (dealer did it ) but it was also the pipe that goes between the v , between the jugs. B BOY
I may or may not have the seepage from the pipe to one of the heads. (I do smell a little coolant once in a blue moon.) I understand this leak happens because it is very easy to damage the o-ring when the pipe is installed at the factory. Also there is just a little steel "claw" (a sort of flange) and one screw that holds each pipe into the heads, and it isn't as secure as a nice 2-bolt flange would be.
Some folks have posted that the best step is to remove the pipe, clean everything well, and just glue it into the head with RTV silicone sealant. I think this is a better long term solution than just changing the o-ring.
All my hose clams were loose from the factory as well, and some had seepage until I tightened them. If you remove the left air filter, and its backing plate, you can see the clamps under the tank with a flashlight (you might have to push some little hoses or wires aside.) Then with a nice long philips screwdriver you can tighten them. There are 5 clamps under the tank, and 2 on the radiator, and one on the waterpump, for a total of 8, plus one tiny wire clamp that holds the overflow hose to the thermostat housing. That has never leaked on mine.
But my water pump gasket did start to seep at around 10,000 miles. I bought a new gasket from Kawasaki & changed it myself. The gasket they sold me looked a little thicker, and the bag it came in said "improved gasket" so I suspect this was a common problem with the original gasket. After taking off the pump cover I realized that RTV would work fine there too, as there's no real clearance issue, and there was no need to spend $10.50 (!) for one small gasket.
One of the waterpump cover bolts (lower rear) also closes the coolant drain hole, and all your coolant will run out here when you remove it. It has a soft aluminum washer under the head that crushes a little and makes a seal. This should probably be replaced when you take off the cover. I just sanded mine smooth, dabbed a bit of RTV on it, and it has never leaked. I now have almost 25,000 miles.
If you drain the coolant, you must lift the tank part way to get to the filler cap.
Don't lift it too high, and don't disconnect the fuel hoses. Just prop the tank up with a wood block, or hang the front of the tank from the mounting tab with a thin rope slung over a rafter (safer), then use a funnel with a hose on it to fill the coolant.
Some folks have posted that the best step is to remove the pipe, clean everything well, and just glue it into the head with RTV silicone sealant. I think this is a better long term solution than just changing the o-ring.
All my hose clams were loose from the factory as well, and some had seepage until I tightened them. If you remove the left air filter, and its backing plate, you can see the clamps under the tank with a flashlight (you might have to push some little hoses or wires aside.) Then with a nice long philips screwdriver you can tighten them. There are 5 clamps under the tank, and 2 on the radiator, and one on the waterpump, for a total of 8, plus one tiny wire clamp that holds the overflow hose to the thermostat housing. That has never leaked on mine.
But my water pump gasket did start to seep at around 10,000 miles. I bought a new gasket from Kawasaki & changed it myself. The gasket they sold me looked a little thicker, and the bag it came in said "improved gasket" so I suspect this was a common problem with the original gasket. After taking off the pump cover I realized that RTV would work fine there too, as there's no real clearance issue, and there was no need to spend $10.50 (!) for one small gasket.
One of the waterpump cover bolts (lower rear) also closes the coolant drain hole, and all your coolant will run out here when you remove it. It has a soft aluminum washer under the head that crushes a little and makes a seal. This should probably be replaced when you take off the cover. I just sanded mine smooth, dabbed a bit of RTV on it, and it has never leaked. I now have almost 25,000 miles.
If you drain the coolant, you must lift the tank part way to get to the filler cap.
Don't lift it too high, and don't disconnect the fuel hoses. Just prop the tank up with a wood block, or hang the front of the tank from the mounting tab with a thin rope slung over a rafter (safer), then use a funnel with a hose on it to fill the coolant.
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hmmm thats wierd i have had very small amount of the green stuff here and there around my bike. i have checked the hoses and they all seem tight to me. It seems to be right where the radiator sits so i may just take it into the dealer and have them trace the very very small amounts i get. good posting folks. I too just started to get that dreaded very faint smell of raditor fluid too. But it is only smelled like that once ot twice and i have 8k on my 06 nomad.
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