Hi..after a long spin I noticed a strong smell of coolant of the bike(2017 1290 SAT)no sign of a leak but the level in the reservoir is going down,nothing in the oil that i can see.even with paper undr the bike overnight..any idea what may be happening?
coolant?
- Thread starter jdh1340
- Start date
The head gasket could be leaking internally and the coolant exiting via the exhaust
Could be stone damage, so check the rad carefully; if that is OK, then look for witness marks from coolant leaks around the hose connections (not easy in damp conditions I know). It usually leaves a few pale/white marks around a hot engine or exhaust. Failing that you may need to get the system pressure tested.
You don't mention mileage, service history or previous issues if any - worst scenario is a failing head gasket allowing the cooling system to become pressurised, but this seems unlikely as the bike would more likely do a thorough job & just blow the coolant in a more obvious manner.
You don't mention mileage, service history or previous issues if any - worst scenario is a failing head gasket allowing the cooling system to become pressurised, but this seems unlikely as the bike would more likely do a thorough job & just blow the coolant in a more obvious manner.
I doubt its the head gasket (i hope not)as it seems very slight..i read some where if theres air in the system it can burp...seems to be a very complicated way of bleeding the system...raising the front wheel and opening bleed screws on the heads..could this be the cause?
Possibly as its the same procedure for 950/990 .... or so were told as Ive found squeezing the hoses gives the same result...its also a lovely way to bond with your bike
I didnt know your bike has bleed screw(s) and unless youve drained and refilled the system its unlikely to have air but you need to check so have some coolant ready and open the bleed screw give the hoses a good squeeze until coolant can be seen coming from the bleed hole. If you can get the front of the bike as high as you can it will help.
Normally if you had air in the system it would over heat and of course you would then loose coolant from I guess on your bike, the expansion tank... dont over fill it.
I'd check the hose connections to the rad first, then inspect the rad itself.
You're supposed to get the front wheel 0.5M in the air to bleed the system, but I do wonder if just running the engine while bleeding might not do it?
You're supposed to get the front wheel 0.5M in the air to bleed the system, but I do wonder if just running the engine while bleeding might not do it?
I had this same issue with my 1290 SA. Had to top up the system every couple of weeks and I couldn't find any problem - after quite a long period of time I started to see coolant under the bike on the garage floor.Turned out to be a leak at the bottom of the rad. No stone damage, just a fault in the rad which was replaced by KTM (although I had to pay for fitting as it was outside of warranty).
There are plenty of tester kits out there, but it's finding one that has the correct adaptors for the KTM rad cap. Sealey/Clarke/Sykes/Mityvac - I prefer the latter 4510 but I can't see a UK distributor. Maybe get a steer from your dealer?
There are vids on YouTube to explain best practice. Before you start though, have you checked over the bike thoroughly for witness - some coolants fluoresce under UV light, so are easily checked in a dark garage. Apart from hose joints, the rad & coolant pump are the likely suspects initially. This might save you time/energy sourcing a test kit.
If the rad is suspect, when the overall system pressure decay is tested (c. 1 psi per hour drop is usually considered the max), then remove it, with top/bottom hose in place, plug the hoses, pressurise to say 15/20 psi & dip the whole rad in a water bath - like an inner tube puncture, any leak will be revealed in a stream of bubbles. Then check with a rad repair shop to see if any damage is retrievable.
If a head gasket is suspect, then pressurise the system to say 15 psi & then start the motor - any abnormal pressurisation should start to show on the test dial.
I hope this helps........good luck finding the problem.
There are vids on YouTube to explain best practice. Before you start though, have you checked over the bike thoroughly for witness - some coolants fluoresce under UV light, so are easily checked in a dark garage. Apart from hose joints, the rad & coolant pump are the likely suspects initially. This might save you time/energy sourcing a test kit.
If the rad is suspect, when the overall system pressure decay is tested (c. 1 psi per hour drop is usually considered the max), then remove it, with top/bottom hose in place, plug the hoses, pressurise to say 15/20 psi & dip the whole rad in a water bath - like an inner tube puncture, any leak will be revealed in a stream of bubbles. Then check with a rad repair shop to see if any damage is retrievable.
If a head gasket is suspect, then pressurise the system to say 15 psi & then start the motor - any abnormal pressurisation should start to show on the test dial.
I hope this helps........good luck finding the problem.
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