Coolant: Blue in expansion tank green in viewing tube

[webjames]

Hi, this might be a really easy question but i servicing a ZXR400 L9 2002 i've just bought and i've found the coolant to be blue in the expansion/reserve tank and green in the transparent viewing tube bit under the fuel tank. Also the viewing tube bit is half full of air.

I'm looking to drain it all out and replace it with some proper bike stuff if needed.

Is it normal for the coolant to be different colours?

I'll upload some pictures tonight.
Thanks guys,
James

[CaNsA]

The tube is green, dont worry about it.

[RedexRobB]

If it was green he wouldn't see the bubble in it. Its actaully clear.

What's probably happened it its been topped up with blue coolant in the expansion bottle but has green coolant throughout. I'm not sure if u can mix them, but if ur servicing it u may as well change the lot for peace of mind. Old coolant is also bad and can eat away at rubber seals.

If it were me drain it all, flush it with a hose pipe and refill with fresh coolant

[webjames]

thanks for the advice guys, sorry about no pics was raining last night!

the viewing thing is clear though although might by green on some other models. I will flush it out I think, where would you poke the hose to best flush out the system?

This is my first question but this site is an invaluable resource of ZXR owners! Thanks !

[RedexRobB]

Well start by draining the lot, so get the bottom radiator pipe off and theres two or three bots on the front of the cylinder block, take those out and that will drain the block.

I cant remember which way you do it now, but id say stick your hose in the pipe you took off to drain the radiator and flush it that way. let it all drain out again and it should be good for filling with fresh coolant. I use the pre mixed coolant by the way.

[Tirpitz]

No need to take the rad pipe off, you need to undo the coolant pump drain bolt and the two bolts on the cylinder block. Then once drained, as Rob says stick a hosepipe in the filler and let it flush.

The pipe you are talking about under the tank is the carb heater circuit. The little bulgy thing is the filter - it never gets serviced and it bungs up with shite. Take it off the tubes and the filter part of it pulls out. Clean it all up thoroughly under the tap. That's why your coolant is blue but this bit is green with original coolant - the filter is blocked and the carb heater circuit is blocked, hence old coolant is trapped.

[webjames]

RedexRobB, Tirpitz - Thanks for your replies.

I have flushed the system, but Tirpitz I got your message too late about the filter. i'll have a go at taking that off tonight. The filter is a black cylinder down the left hand side of the bike, whereas the viewing bit seems to be just that, it's just a clear tube. I'll try take it off without losing too much of my new coolant. I hope what i've just said it correct.

cheers for the helps guys, with the new plugs/oil+filter the bike seems to tick over a lot better than before. Hope fully the brakes will be much improved with the new fluid, and the whole thing will run cooler with the new coolant. now i just need to figure out why my scottoiler isn't pumping oil. I think the vacuum tube must be playing up.
thanks,
James

[RedexRobB]

have you got the scottoiler plugged in at the balancing tubes under the carbs? If theres a leak in the scottoiler sytem that could also contribute the bike running rough.

Also, is the scottoiler a new item or came with the bike?

[Tirpitz]

The filter is a black cylinder down the left hand side of the bike James

No it isn't, that's a non-return valve. The filter is what I described, it's the clear tube which is positioned under the tank and near the carbs. From what you are saying you've seen it but you haven't recognised it as the filter. Once you remove it from the tubes feeding into it you will see that the filter bit pulls out - it is a thin gauze tube which fits into the bigger clear tube. You should be able to do all this without losing your coolant if you nip up the ends of the pipes which feed into it before you pull them off.