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4 Posts
Hi everyone.
I have an '02 Kawasaki Ninja ZX9R - F1
I'm pretty new to doing my own light maintenance, and until today, I haven't had any issues. A couple of weeks ago I invested in some 611 chain cleaner - which works like a dream. I also heard great things about Simple Green, but the 611 was just closer to me. Anyway, I also invested in a small oil filter wrench and drained and replaced my own oil - that was pretty fun, and cheaper than going to the mechanic.
The next thing I wanted to learn was flushing my radiator fluid. I'm pretty sure mine needed the flush, too. So I looked up some videos, read some "how to's" and got to it. It took me longer to find my drain bolt than anything else, honestly... Lol. But more to the point, I flushed the old fluid out, cleaned the system with distilled water and vinegar (which is what I saw and read was best) and then replaced the fluid. But before the flush, I changed my oil filter, too. At the end of the process, I started the bike up and it started with no issue, but immediately began to idle at about 3k RPM's.
So I'll walk you through everything I did simply and quickly, and I pray someone can tell me what the issue might be.
1) Changed oil filter. Old one was on there extremely tight. New one placed on, and twisted on according to directions. "Tighten 1(one) turn after gasket makes contact."
2) Spent 1 hour searching for drain bolt like a newbie. Lol.
3) Drain bolt located. Loosened but did not remove radiator cap as well as overflow cap.
4) Drain bolt removed. Liquid drained.
5) Drain bolt replaced. Distilled water and vinegar mixed in a 50:50 ratio and filled into system.
6) Bike started and allowed to run with mixture cleaning he system.
So pause. At this point, when I let the bike run, I was still new to the process, so I was a little afraid. It sounded like the bike was running a little harder than before. The RPM's weren't high, but they were steady around 1.5k. It just sounded different. There was a little oil from the oil filter still laying on my exhaust pipes, so while the bike was running at this point, after about 1 (one) minute [yeah, I timed it, since I was told I should let the bike run for about 10 (ten) minutes or until it reaches 'normal operating temperature] I noticed a small amount of white smoke coming from below. At the 1 (one) minute mark, the bike was running at about 155 degrees Fahrenheit and climbing. I shut the bike off, and watched the temperature climb a couple degrees even while off, before beginning to cool down. My fan was not on at this point. The oil pump, water pump and exhaust were all hot. I let the bike cool, unsure if this was "normal," and realized that the smoke wasn't from the radiator, but just from the oil that was sitting on the exhaust pipes. I then started it again to achieve the same effect. Far less smoke from the oil which was burning up, but the bike still sounded harder running after another minute. The temperature was up to about 160 again.
So lets continue.
7) Allowed bike to cool for 1 hours.
8) Bike much cooler. Dumped over flow liquid. Drain bolt removed, and water & vinegar mixture drained
9) Distilled water poured into radiator with drain bolt removed to further flush system, until liquid coming out of drain bolt was nice and clear. (Video included this step)
10) Drain bolt replaced. New radiator fluid introduced. Engine Ice was used to fill the system.
11) Radiator hoses squeezed to try and force out any air bubbles that might have been introduced.
12) Allowed to sit for a couple of minutes (yeah, I probably should have timed this too, but I didn't) so the liquid could fill the system.
13) Bike started again.
At this point, the bike started with no issue again, but began to idle at around 3k. Then, it climbed up to around 3.5k. Afraid, and ready to go down for my mistake(s), I put all my gear on and went to test ride the bike.
It rides fine, but constantly revvs around 3-3.5k RPM's. If I brake and pull the clutch half way, the RPM's will die down, but if I pull the clutch completely, the RPM's climb back up to 3k.
I test rode the bike about 2.5 miles before stopping back at my house. At this point, the bike temperature gauge read me at 225 degrees, but my fan was not on. I noted this as strange, because this was the first time my fan didn't turn on around that temperature. Air also didn't seem to cool the bike while riding, as it normally would. I've never gone such a short distance in 79 degree weather and had the bike heat up so much, whilst moving the whole time.
Ordinarily, I use the kill switch to shut the bike off. Sometimes I can be a little quick turning it off, and then flipping it back to the "on" position and the bike starts right back up. This time, however, when that happened, a lout "POP" noise shot out from the exhaust pipe. I quickly shut the bike off, assessed the temperature (225) and noted that my fan wasn't on.
I didn't go down, but I got a lot of information out of the test ride.
If anyone can help me, I would be in your debt. For just a coolant change and an oil filter swap, it seems like I've given myself a whole new issue. But I'm prepared to learn and get better. Any advice from those who made it through my rambling would be great.
Thank you,
Zero
I have an '02 Kawasaki Ninja ZX9R - F1
I'm pretty new to doing my own light maintenance, and until today, I haven't had any issues. A couple of weeks ago I invested in some 611 chain cleaner - which works like a dream. I also heard great things about Simple Green, but the 611 was just closer to me. Anyway, I also invested in a small oil filter wrench and drained and replaced my own oil - that was pretty fun, and cheaper than going to the mechanic.
The next thing I wanted to learn was flushing my radiator fluid. I'm pretty sure mine needed the flush, too. So I looked up some videos, read some "how to's" and got to it. It took me longer to find my drain bolt than anything else, honestly... Lol. But more to the point, I flushed the old fluid out, cleaned the system with distilled water and vinegar (which is what I saw and read was best) and then replaced the fluid. But before the flush, I changed my oil filter, too. At the end of the process, I started the bike up and it started with no issue, but immediately began to idle at about 3k RPM's.
So I'll walk you through everything I did simply and quickly, and I pray someone can tell me what the issue might be.
1) Changed oil filter. Old one was on there extremely tight. New one placed on, and twisted on according to directions. "Tighten 1(one) turn after gasket makes contact."
2) Spent 1 hour searching for drain bolt like a newbie. Lol.
3) Drain bolt located. Loosened but did not remove radiator cap as well as overflow cap.
4) Drain bolt removed. Liquid drained.
5) Drain bolt replaced. Distilled water and vinegar mixed in a 50:50 ratio and filled into system.
6) Bike started and allowed to run with mixture cleaning he system.
So pause. At this point, when I let the bike run, I was still new to the process, so I was a little afraid. It sounded like the bike was running a little harder than before. The RPM's weren't high, but they were steady around 1.5k. It just sounded different. There was a little oil from the oil filter still laying on my exhaust pipes, so while the bike was running at this point, after about 1 (one) minute [yeah, I timed it, since I was told I should let the bike run for about 10 (ten) minutes or until it reaches 'normal operating temperature] I noticed a small amount of white smoke coming from below. At the 1 (one) minute mark, the bike was running at about 155 degrees Fahrenheit and climbing. I shut the bike off, and watched the temperature climb a couple degrees even while off, before beginning to cool down. My fan was not on at this point. The oil pump, water pump and exhaust were all hot. I let the bike cool, unsure if this was "normal," and realized that the smoke wasn't from the radiator, but just from the oil that was sitting on the exhaust pipes. I then started it again to achieve the same effect. Far less smoke from the oil which was burning up, but the bike still sounded harder running after another minute. The temperature was up to about 160 again.
So lets continue.
7) Allowed bike to cool for 1 hours.
8) Bike much cooler. Dumped over flow liquid. Drain bolt removed, and water & vinegar mixture drained
9) Distilled water poured into radiator with drain bolt removed to further flush system, until liquid coming out of drain bolt was nice and clear. (Video included this step)
10) Drain bolt replaced. New radiator fluid introduced. Engine Ice was used to fill the system.
11) Radiator hoses squeezed to try and force out any air bubbles that might have been introduced.
12) Allowed to sit for a couple of minutes (yeah, I probably should have timed this too, but I didn't) so the liquid could fill the system.
13) Bike started again.
At this point, the bike started with no issue again, but began to idle at around 3k. Then, it climbed up to around 3.5k. Afraid, and ready to go down for my mistake(s), I put all my gear on and went to test ride the bike.
It rides fine, but constantly revvs around 3-3.5k RPM's. If I brake and pull the clutch half way, the RPM's will die down, but if I pull the clutch completely, the RPM's climb back up to 3k.
I test rode the bike about 2.5 miles before stopping back at my house. At this point, the bike temperature gauge read me at 225 degrees, but my fan was not on. I noted this as strange, because this was the first time my fan didn't turn on around that temperature. Air also didn't seem to cool the bike while riding, as it normally would. I've never gone such a short distance in 79 degree weather and had the bike heat up so much, whilst moving the whole time.
Ordinarily, I use the kill switch to shut the bike off. Sometimes I can be a little quick turning it off, and then flipping it back to the "on" position and the bike starts right back up. This time, however, when that happened, a lout "POP" noise shot out from the exhaust pipe. I quickly shut the bike off, assessed the temperature (225) and noted that my fan wasn't on.
I didn't go down, but I got a lot of information out of the test ride.
If anyone can help me, I would be in your debt. For just a coolant change and an oil filter swap, it seems like I've given myself a whole new issue. But I'm prepared to learn and get better. Any advice from those who made it through my rambling would be great.
Thank you,
Zero
