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[billkse]

Am having a problem losing antifreeze out of reservoir. Went to dealer said it was just the cap on the radiator but got it back road 33 miles gone again. Taking back agin to see what they say this time. There is not leaks on the ground or on the bike. Any help would be welcomed thanks

[muddypaws]

It has to leak. My guess is it leaks and evaporates before hitting the ground.

[grc]

Am having a problem losing antifreeze out of reservoir. Went to dealer said it was just the cap on the radiator but got it back road 33 miles gone again. Taking back agin to see what they say this time. There is not leaks on the ground or on the bike. Any help would be welcomed thanks

How long have you had the bike, and has it been doing this since you bought it?  Btw, I went back in your previous posts to figure out what bike you have (2015 FLTRUSE, but you could make it easier if you would put that information in your profile or your posts).  If it's always been that way, and you never find coolant on the floor or puddled on the bike somewhere, I can think of a couple possibilities.  One, the coolant wasn't properly filled in the first place, leaving an air pocket that worked itself out while riding, thus the low reservoir level.  Two, the coolant is being ingested by the engine.  We had one individual some time back who went through this and eventually Harley had to replace one of the heads due to a porosity problem.  Otherwise, if it's losing coolant it has to be going somewhere and you should be able to find traces of it on the outside of the bike and the floor of your garage.  This stuff won't just turn to vapor and disappear.

If the dealer doesn't take this seriously, find another dealer or call H-D.

Jerry

[billkse]

I have had my bike one year it has not left a puddle or any signs of a leak and it has be like this from day one. Will let them know about the head issue this is driving me crazy!

[billkse]

Thanks Jerry

[Nicky Pass]

I know they fill them at the factory, but during the PDI and set up, the dysphasia to be burped and then topped off again.  It's possible the dealer missed this step.

[billkse]

Well got a call from the HD dealer said it was the water pump. Ask why I never seen a leak they said it was very slow we will see. This has been going on since I bought the bike last September.

[grc]

Well got a call from the HD dealer said it was the water pump. Ask why I never seen a leak they said it was very slow we will see. This has been going on since I bought the bike last September.

Since your first post indicated the coolant was gone after riding home 33 miles from the dealership, I don't think I'd call that a slow leak.  And I've never seen a real leak not leave a trail of fluid somewhere.  If the pump is leaking, there should be fluid on the bottom of the pump and the frame and the bottom of the engine where it was blown back as you were riding.  But since they are now in the parts replacement mode, which is two steps up from the "normal" mode, perhaps they will eventually replace all the parts.  If that doesn't fix it, they might want to check the combustion chambers for signs of coolant ingestion.

Good luck.

Jerry

[billkse]

I agree with you Jerry but all I can do is let them do all of that first and see what they say. If it still loses antifreeze I'm tired of looking every time I ride.

[danner55]

I have no visions of owning a "Wet Head" in my future!

[grc]

I have no visions of owning a "Wet Head" in my future!

I wouldn't let the few problems with the later bikes sway my judgment.  Yes, the original bikes in 2014 had beaucoup problems, but for the most part it seems they have been improved.  Sadly, that doesn't mean the dealers are worth more than a dead fly when it comes to knowing anything about the system and being able to diagnose and fix the occasional problem that still shows up.  In the overall scheme of things, this is a super simple system when compared to the ones we've had in our cars and trucks for our entire lives.

Jerry

[mark]

I have no visions of owning a "Wet Head" in my future!

X2.  No radiator means no leaks, no fan not working, no failed pump or faulty reservoir cap, etc.  I like the KISS philosophy: Keep It Simple Stupid.

[grc]

X2.  No radiator means no leaks, no fan not working, no failed pump or faulty reservoir cap, etc.  I like the KISS philosophy: Keep It Simple Stupid.

   Yes, the KISS method has been one of my favorites for a long time too.  But Harley has been forced to join the modern world, and their ever larger Big Twins along with emission controls mean higher operating temperatures that are harder to control.  I'll bet you ten dollars to a donut that the Twin Cooled engines will suffer fewer top end issues than their air cooled counterparts.  More consistent operating temperatures are a big plus with any mechanical process.  And there is no reason why the simple system Harley chose can't be just as reliable as the systems in all those cars and trucks on the road, if they want it to be. 

Jerry

[screaminCVO]

Had a couple issues with my '14 losing coolant. After changing the t stat, still seemed to have a leak. Worked through that then found no coolant in the reservoir and loved their response - " it won't hurt anything if it runs out of coolant"  Turned out there was an air lock in the system and seems fine now.

[hogdooz]

The burping, bleeding process is easy, turn the ignition on with the right thumb, do not start the engine, roll the throttle more than halfway on and hold, the fan and water pump will start, let it run for a few minutes, shut the ignition off and refill the coolant reservoir. If there are no leaks, you should be good to go with no more loss of coolant.

[ptnlinda]

The burping, bleeding process is easy, turn the ignition on with the right thumb, do not start the engine, roll the throttle more than halfway on and hold, the fan and water pump will start, let it run for a few minutes, shut the ignition off and refill the coolant reservoir. If there are no leaks, you should be good to go with no more loss of coolant.

What a great piece of advice.

[billkse]

Thanks for the information