Reply With QuoteYou need to pinpoint where the leak is coming from. It could be as simple as a loose hose clamp. Take the fairing off so you can get a good look. And buy yourself a service manual before you start.
/rs
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'00 Ninja 500 Leaking Coolant BEFORE first ride! :(
Hi everyone! Thanks for reading this. I'll try to be as detailed as possible.
Tuesday I bought a 2000 Ninja EX500. I had it started and saw it run for a good 5-10 minutes on Sunday and the guy ripped up and down the street on it as I was leaving, in good working order then. We loaded it onto my pickup truck using planks, bumped the bottom fairing a little at the peak but didn't see any damage from it. Unloaded it the next morning (Wednesday) using a similar method, bumped the bottom fairing a bit, but less than before and I had it padded this time, no noticeable damage. The transport was smooth, bike didn't move, was secured well, so I don't see the possibility of any damage there.
It was cold Wed morning so I started it with the choke on full, let it run, tried easing off the choke after a couple minutes and it died, so started it again and left the choke on. I pushed it around behind the garage so I could watch it/listen to it while I cleaned out the garage to put it away after my first ride on it. I turned away for a couple minutes while cleaning, and when I turned back there was a large pool of fluorescent green pooled under it, so I ran over and shut it off immediately. The fan kept running, I assume that's normal.
The coolant was dripping down in the very centre of the bike, and I could not feel any moisture on the rad itself or the black hose leading from the rad to the tank, or from the black hose leading away from that tank. Otherwise, I couldn't get into the bike enough to see where it was leaking. There was green residue all over the tip of the overflow though.
I opened what I think is the coolant tank, the white plastic container under the right handlebar, and I can't see any liquid in it, but there is a couple black specs of debris in there stuck on the plastic.
I know nothing of bikes or mechanical stuff, this is my first one. I also broke my piggybank buying this bike, and don't have any money at all right now for a mechanic. Of course, if that's what I need, then I'll save for the next month or so and do it that way. Just wondering if anyone can tell me what I can do myself to check on it, see if I can fix it myself.
I guess I need to buy a rear stand to really work on the bike? Or something else? What tools should I have for basic maintenance anyway?
Also, I have some old coolant from a couple years ago for an old van that leaked it a lot. It is Canadian Tire premix 50/50, says I can dump it in any make/model, and it can mix with any other colour of coolant. It is clear/yellowish. Is it safe to pour it in so I can start the bike and try to see where it's leaking from?
Any advice GREATLY appreciated!! I bought this bike to learn on and to commute to work, so I'm stuck borrowing my dad's car in the meantime, and he's not happy about that, lol.
PS - Her name is Black Betty Boop, and despite being perhaps the fastest lemon on earth, I love her.
You need to pinpoint where the leak is coming from. It could be as simple as a loose hose clamp. Take the fairing off so you can get a good look. And buy yourself a service manual before you start.
/rs
2002 FZS1000
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If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving is not for you.
does your ex not have it's centre stand? when I had mine I was able to find a manual online 1994-to it's last year it never changed.Originally Posted by CptnHammer
Silent but deadly!!!
@rsilk: Okay, thanks, I figured as much (about getting a manual, lol) so I'll try to find one first before getting too much into it.
@Fili-mac: I don't think so, definitely not if it comes separate from the bike. If it's hiding under the bottom fairing then it might be there, but I couldn't see anything like a centre stand when looking at it from the bottom. I've tried finding a free online manual, but can only find a free version of the xx-1993 manual, nothing for the 1994-onward. Did you mean you found a free one, or you found one online you bought?
Thanks guys
For the stand check between the rear tire and the lower fairing, some people take it off to remove the weight.
In terms of the manual maybe it was the same pre 94 version I downloaded. Although the bikes are somewhat different it will still give you the gist on how to do some of the basic stuff.
Silent but deadly!!!
take some pics of where you see the coolant coming out of and post
Yeah, it's been removed by one of the previous owners, not the guy I bought it from, but thanks! You think I'm better off buying one of those, or a rear swingarm stand? I just downloaded the pre-1994 manual, but it comes with a disclaimer saying it's basically the same for the 2nd gen ninja's, but there are some differences, so know your bike. Lol, I certainly don't!
Problem is it's not leaking anymore, not since I shut it off. Don't know if that's because it's empty or it only leaks under pressure. And there's not much of a mess under the bike either. I'm going to take the fairings off (front and bottom) and take a closer look, and if I see anything amiss I'll take pics. Thanks!!
If I am free on Sat I can stop by and have a look for you....PM ME....your in my area-ish...
'97 Ninja 250 - Kawi Green - Sold - 25k
'97 GSXR 600 SRAD - BLUE 19K
'98 GSXR 600 SRAD - Flat Black-81k-'Kawizuki"-Done!
'00 CBR F4 - RED, 32k - Sold
'04 Kawasaki 636-Blue
'98 GMC Jimmy-294k-Sold
'05 Saturn VUE AWD Tupperware ®
make sure there are no hose clamps loose or anything
Wow, really?! Thanks for the offer!! That's so awesome that a complete stranger would make an offer like that to help a newbie out! The guy who referred me to this site was right, that you guys are super helpful and I'd be comfortable asking anything here, lol.
That being said, looks like it might be okay! I'd say swing by anyway, but I work in Orangeville from 8:30-6:30 so wouldn't be home until 7pm.
Update on the bike: Bought some wrenches and screwdrivers (Canadian Tire is having a sale on Stanley Black Chrome sets, anywhere from $65-ish for a 71 piece set to $140-ish for a 141 piece set. I picked up a 71 piece set for around $120. Thin walls on them, they look good, lifetime warranty) took the bottom fairing off, checked all the hoses I could, cleaned up underneath the bike a bit so I could more easily pinpoint the leak, tightened the hose clamps I could see. I poured some new rad fluid in (I also picked up a $9/1L bottle of Motul as I only had a very small amount of the Canadian Tire 50/50 left, mixed them) just to make sure some was in there, started the bike with reserve tank cap off, and as it was warming up I poured in more until it was at the fill line. I was told to do this by a shop owner I visited, he said it would help keep air bubbles from forming in there if you pour it in while the water pump is active.
Warmed it up for about 5-10mins with the choke on until I could take the choke off (it was cold last night by the time I got to this stage) and no leaks! So I cruised around my property for a little bit, barely got it into 2nd gear, but rode it for about 5 minutes and parked it again last night, left it running, no leaks. Fan's working fine too. Stopped it and did some other chores, then came back, started it, didn't need the choke this time, and took it for another small tour of the property, parked it and there's still no leaks under it this morning, woohoo!
Appears it may have been from the overfill, though it's unusual that that would drain the reserve tank as well. Oh well. Also, after spending a ton of time looking for a rad cap, when I went to the shop I did yesterday he had an '05 Ninja radiator which looks identical, and he was surprised to find there is no rad cap, so I was relieved I'm not just blind!
Thanks all for the advice again! I haven't stopped smiling since last night
I had an 08 ninja 500 I sold last season. It's one of the hose clamps thats leaking trust me. It happens all the time on these bikes just trace back the fluid to the hose. It'll be almost dead center close to the carbs. It's a big hose that is notorious for coming loose and wicking fluid.
I have a haynes manual as well as fog bones (raises bike and improves handling), and brand new fork springs if your looking into getting some upgrades for the bike, also have the stock exhausts and maybe some other stuff that I will let go of for super cheap if your interested.
PM me if interested.
Take a look at ex-500.com its and awesome website. Huge following with the ninja 500!
Good luck!
Happiness isn't around the corner, happiness IS the corner
Instructor @ Learning Curves
Big hose near the carbs?
HUH? There is no water hose near the carbs.
An EX500 will leak coolant from the orings in the head or the waterpump (the inner seal gets ripped up).
If it is leaking from the head you will get liquid in the drain hole in the side of the head.
If the water pump seal leaks you will get coolant in the lower fairing.
If your bike consistently blows the coolant out of the overflow, the plastic jug in the fairing, you have a head gasket leak (VERY common on EX500s).
It sounds like you overheated your bike letting it sit in one place on high idle.
If you over heated your EX500 you probably now have a head gasket leaking, if you didn't have one before all this.
Not to scare you, but take up frekeyguy's offer, if coolant starts leaking while you're riding and ends up on your tires it will be like riding on ice.
Hmm, crap, lol. Okay, thanks for the pointers again, guess I'm not necessarily out of the woods yet! I rode it around on my property a bit today, got insurance and plates and all that so I can ride it on the road but I'll wait to take it out on the road until I've looked into it further. I pm'ed freakeyguy too; worst case I get to meet a rider close to me lol.
bitzz, no fluid was coming out near that plastic jug that i can tell, it seems to have come out of the overflow tube. The plastic jug was empty-ish when this first happened, but since refilling it the level has remained the same (and I've had it idling for a bit, and taken it for a few short rides around my property after warming it up). Does this still sound like a head gasket?
Also, when it's warming up, what's considered a good rpm to idle in?
Thanks again!
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