K11 Owners Group

grant93 · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 12:40 am Post subject: Coolant cap let go

Gidday,

Yes it has been a while, as I purchased an old 1978 R100RS about 6 months ago and it has consumed my time with a mild restoration, that K100LT has sat patiently waiting and watching in the shed.

Anyway today I got the K1100 (1993) out and started it up while I cleaned the shed a little, left it on the centre stand and also on high idle (middle position on the choke) and kept an eye on it, tweaked the throttle a few times once the temp gauge sat half way and left it again in ear shot.

I came back and the temp was between half and the start of the red line, but not at the red line so I lifted the seat because around now things start to heat up and sure enough the overflow cap started to hiss a little and steam off, the gauge crept up a little more and coolant started to come out of the top of the cap, and around this time the fan comes on, I watched a little more, the gauge still not on the red line and I lent over the bike, directly above the overflow tank so some reason and then the cap exploded off and hot coolant shot over my face a lower arm, I jumped back, knocked the mirror off, gathered my thoughts, shut off the bike and the hose was right there so I sprayed myself down from the hot coolant, then I hosed the coolant off the bike and the cars parked next to it in the driveway..
I quick shower, then the frozen bag of vegies from the freezer went on the arm and all is now OK, but a little sore on the arm..

I am a little upset because in an hour I am off to see the Foo Fighters play in Melbourne and my air guitar playing skills are now limited..

So what would of caused this I as I have many times ran this sequence in the driveway, but for the exploding cap routine Smile

Because the bike has sat for a couple of months has the thermostat stuck closed/open to stop the fan coming on but it usually comes on around at the red line and the gauge was not there when this happened??

Any info would be good at this stage.. many thanks
_________________
Cheers Grant

1994 K1100RS
1981 R100RS
1978 R100RS
1928 Chevrolet tourer

www.montythe1928chevrolet.blogspot.com.au

Scott_Anderson · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 12:18 pm Post subject:

So if you are saying that the cap of the OVERFLOW tank blew off, that would lead me to believe that you outlet tube/exit port is plugged up so that the excess coolant cant relieve to the ground.
_________________
Ride safe.

1997 K1100LT 0302488
2017 FLHTK Ultra Limited
Garmin StreetPilot 2820
Garmin Zumo 550
Garmin Zumo XT
"One who does not ask questions is ashamed to learn" Danish proverb
1995 K1100LT 0302044(R.I.P.)
1997 R1100RT ZC62149(sold)

Inge K. · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 1:28 pm Post subject:

Scott_Anderson · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 2:16 pm Post subject:

grant93 · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 4:38 pm Post subject:

Gidday,

many thanks, will have a look at things today now its all cold, including the arm Smile

_________________
Cheers Grant

1994 K1100RS
1981 R100RS
1978 R100RS
1928 Chevrolet tourer

www.montythe1928chevrolet.blogspot.com.au

Inge K. · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 5:33 pm Post subject:

When it blows the cap off the expansion tank like that it's a sign that it overheats.
Have happen to me two times when idling to get up to operating temp,
one time it was a seized fan the other was a defective fan relay.

grant93 · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 3:04 am Post subject:

Gidday Folks,

Update:

I replaced all the coolant hoses and seals with new hoses on the weekend, a new radiator cap and hose to the overflow tank and a new overflow tank cap was installed, plus I removed the thermostat and tested that on the stove, all good and I installed a new rubber seal and then added the new coolant for a bit of preventative maintenance Smile

I started the bike and squeezed this and that hose during the warm up and all seems fine as you would expect.

Now I let it fast idle up to hot temp (first line on the red) and the fan did not come on, so I shut it down, then today I went and borrowed a good quality laser temp tester and repeated the process, this time aiming the laser through the lower left fairing grill at the hose coming out of the top of the engine.
The temp got to about 100c degrees on the laser and the fan had not cut in, the temp gauge on the bike was just into the first red square and the temp light on the dash came on so I shut it down again, still no fan working and yes last year it worked well as it should etc..

Going by the manual the fans comes on at 103c degrees before the temp light at 111c degrees

I then done the test with the 3 pin plug and shorted out pin #1, and I got 4444 returned which means all is good to go??

Any clues or info on what or how to test next..... Relay!! The fan itself!! any feedback would be great.
_________________
Cheers Grant

1994 K1100RS
1981 R100RS
1978 R100RS
1928 Chevrolet tourer

www.montythe1928chevrolet.blogspot.com.au

Scott_Anderson · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 6:48 am Post subject:

Were referring to this for testing?

Fan Test:
To test the fan circuits, Ignition ON, Engine OFF, ground pin #1 for 10 seconds. The fan will cycle intermittently and the temperature warning lamp (or the Test LED, if connected) will flash 3333.
This indicates that the fan test is in progress. This test will continue to run until the ignition is switched off.

Did this not cycle the fan.

If you don't hear the relay switching on/off, you could swap the relay with the horn relay for testing.
_________________
Ride safe.

1997 K1100LT 0302488
2017 FLHTK Ultra Limited
Garmin StreetPilot 2820
Garmin Zumo 550
Garmin Zumo XT
"One who does not ask questions is ashamed to learn" Danish proverb
1995 K1100LT 0302044(R.I.P.)
1997 R1100RT ZC62149(sold)

grant93 · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:09 pm Post subject:

Gidday Scott,

No the fan did not run when I ground pin #1 but I am going out to the shed now to try it all again since I check read this Smile

Also I will try the relay swap over, thanks for that tip!!
_________________
Cheers Grant

1994 K1100RS
1981 R100RS
1978 R100RS
1928 Chevrolet tourer

www.montythe1928chevrolet.blogspot.com.au

grant93 · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:47 pm Post subject:

Gidday Scott,

I grounded pin#1 as you explained, the temp light stayed on indefinitely, no flashing and no fan started....

I then looked at the relays under the tank, yes could hear the relays clicking as the abs lights on the dash were flashing, the abs relay is blue I gather.

The temp light relay is located right beside the abs relay??, I swapped these around and no difference..

Does the fan work off this same temp relay or am I missing something here. and if not which one is the fan relay..

Many thanks once again
_________________
Cheers Grant

1994 K1100RS
1981 R100RS
1978 R100RS
1928 Chevrolet tourer

www.montythe1928chevrolet.blogspot.com.au

Scott_Anderson · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:00 pm Post subject:

OK, well if the temp lamp isn't flashing, the fan relay won't be cycling either.
fyi make sure you are on the center stand with the side stand up.

From the tech stickies:
http://www.k11og.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2110&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

You might try this alternative, this works for mine, but they are the 2.2

NOTE: Fan Test for Motronic 2.2
John from Down Under adds this:

"Fan Test works on Motronics 2.2"

1. Ignition must be OFF
2. Ground Pin 1
3. Turn ignition ON
4. Count to ten (1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi,...........)
5. Unground Pin 1
6. Fan will intermittently run until ignition is turned off
_________________
Ride safe.

1997 K1100LT 0302488
2017 FLHTK Ultra Limited
Garmin StreetPilot 2820
Garmin Zumo 550
Garmin Zumo XT
"One who does not ask questions is ashamed to learn" Danish proverb
1995 K1100LT 0302044(R.I.P.)
1997 R1100RT ZC62149(sold)

grant93 · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:46 pm Post subject:

Gidday Scott,

Yep on the centre stand and the side stand is up.

I will try this other test tonight..

Thanks
_________________
Cheers Grant

1994 K1100RS
1981 R100RS
1978 R100RS
1928 Chevrolet tourer

www.montythe1928chevrolet.blogspot.com.au

Al. · Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 6:37 am Post subject:

I had problem of water coming out of expansion tank.
I replaced radiator cap. No problems since. That's over a year ago.