Find coolant leak with dye | GTAMotorcycle.com

Find coolant leak with dye

gaihosa

Well-known member
I was wondering if anyone knows if it's safe to use coolant dye to find a coolant leak on a motorcycle.

2009 Yamaha fz6r
 
I would think if you pulled some plastic off, You should be able to find the leak no problem. Or get a pressure tester and pump it up around 15lbs
 
I don't see how it's any less safe than using it on a car.

I've heard people put raw eggs in their coolant to patch leaks in the rad. The heat cooks the egg and forces it into the holes in the radiator to temporarily patch it until you can get it to the shop.

Dye would be considerably easier to clean up.

We were touring around in Africa, and the safari operators there use elephant dung in the coolant instead of eggs. Same effect.
 
I don't see how it's any less safe than using it on a car.

I've heard people put raw eggs in their coolant to patch leaks in the rad. The heat cooks the egg and forces it into the holes in the radiator to temporarily patch it until you can get it to the shop.

Dye would be considerably easier to clean up.

We were touring around in Africa, and the safari operators there use elephant dung in the coolant instead of eggs. Same effect.
Interesting reply. Not just for the info but you road in Africa. That's awesome.
 
I don't see how it's any less safe than using it on a car.

I've heard people put raw eggs in their coolant to patch leaks in the rad. The heat cooks the egg and forces it into the holes in the radiator to temporarily patch it until you can get it to the shop.

Dye would be considerably easier to clean up.

We were touring around in Africa, and the safari operators there use elephant dung in the coolant instead of eggs. Same effect.
Years ago friends were nursing a car home with a bad rad, stopping every so often to get more water. They stopped at my folks and filled up with a bucket that still had some dead leaves in it. Oh well in it goes.
That was the last stop they needed. The leaves managed to plug the hole and they made it home no problem.

That aside I stand with @ToSlow peel plastic if need be and add a little pressure. If you can't see a drip what difference does the colour make?
 
It's not like a car - as others have suggested finding the drip should be fairly straightforward. USUALLY the leak will be in the radiator itself, rad cap, water pump bleed hole (pump bearing and seal) or a split line. Shouldn't be too hard to find, start it up and look. Are you sure you didn't just overfill the holding tank ? You have checked the engine oil for milk shake colour haven't you ?
 
If you can't see a coolant leak but coolant is disappearing, you might investigate the head gasket. Milky oil, white smoke or more-thsn-usual tailpipe steam are symptoms. If you can see the coolant circulating with the rad cap off, look for lots of small bubbles (only remove cap on a cold engine).

Or spent $20 for some coolant test strips.
 
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Looks like you have a few choices to choose from on diagnostics, Let us know what you find
 
For a couple years one of my bikes had a coolant leak that I could smell but not see, and the level did not go down fast enough to notice. Eventually when doing something else, I went after all of the clamps with a screwdriver, and found one that was loose. Fixed.
 
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