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Cooling problem

7K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  BlackDog 
#1 ·
My 07 650 ninja over heated tonight and I'm pretty sure the fan was not working. The coolant level was correct and I checked the fan fuse, which was also good. On hot days I usually hear the fan running when I stop but have not heard it lately and now today it overflowed when I parked it. Is there a relay somewhere that I can test, or is there a way to see if the fan actually works?

Tomorrow I am going to flush the system and add new coolant and spray off the front of the radiator to clean it of bugs and dust to see if that helps.

I already drained to coolant and I started the bike up for just a few minutes to see if the fan kicked on or if the idiot light turned on and neither one happened.

I could really use some help here. The service manual is a joke
 
#3 ·
Sometime people are looking for others that experienced the same problems and seek their input as to what they did and things to avoid. If it was as easy as reading the manual, then we wouldn't need this forum, since 99% of problems could be answered with: "Read the manual". I'm looking for people on here that actually work on bikes and have picked up a wrench or two in their day, not somebody that has never picked up a wrench or probably does't even own basic tools.

There is a difference between KNOWING how to do something and actually being ABLE to do something. I DON''T know how and reading a book doesn't always tell you everything. Sometime things are better explained by people who have done the job.

BLACKDOG, I guarantee that you probably never tried to follow that manual or you wouldn't be referring people to it. That manual is only good for specs and capacities...nothing more.
 
#4 ·
Several people have added a manual fan switch, so they can turn the fan on early for slow riding on hot days, such as heavy traffic.

The factory service manual probably shows how to override the automatic switch to see if the fan turns on, to see if it is the switch or something wrong with the fan motor.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I think this is from an early version...of the 650


Permanent type antifreeze is used as a coolant to protect the cooling system from rust and corrosion. When the engine starts, the water pump turns and the coolant circulates.
The thermostat is a wax pellet type which opens or closes with coolant temperature changes. The thermostat continuously changes its valve opening to keep the coolant temperature at the proper level. When coolant temperature is below 80.5 ∼ 83.5°C (177 ∼ 182°F), the thermostat closes so that the coolant flow is restricted through the air bleeder hole, causing the engine to warm up more quickly. When coolant temperature is more than 80.5 ∼ 83.5°C, the thermostat opens and the coolant flows.
When the coolant temperature goes up beyond 93 ∼ 103°C (199 ∼ 217°F), the radiator fan relay conducts to operate the radiator fan. The radiator fan draws air through the radiator core when there is not sufficient air flow such as at low speeds. This increases up the cooling action of the radiator. When the temperature is below 91°C (196°F) ∼ temperature less than ON temperature, the fan relay opens and the radiator fan stops.
In this way, this system controls the engine temperature within narrow limits where the engine op- erates most efficiently even if the engine load varies.
The system is pressurized by the radiator cap to suppress boiling and the resultant air bubbles which can cause engine overheating. As the engine warms up, the coolant in the radiator and the water jacket expands. The excess coolant flows through the radiator cap and hose to the reserve tank to be stored there temporarily. Conversely, as the engine cools down, the coolant in the radiator and the water jacket contracts, and the stored coolant flows back to the radiator from the reserve tank.
The radiator cap has two valves. One is a pressure valve which holds the pressure in the system when the engine is running. When the pressure exceeds 112.3 ∼ 141.7 kPa (1.15 ∼ 1.45 kgf/cm2, 16.3 ∼ 20.5 psi), the pressure valve opens and releases the pressure to the reserve tank. As soon as pressure escapes, the valve closes, and keeps the pressure at 112.3 ∼ 141.7 kPa (1.15 ∼ 1.45 kgf/cm2, 16.3 ∼ 20.5 psi). When the engine cools down, another small valve (vacuum valve) in the cap opens. As the coolant cools, the coolant contracts to form a vacuum in the system. The vacuum valve opens and allows the coolant from the reserve tank to enter the radiator.
If your fan is NOT turning on then you need to check the FAN relay



and/or the Water Temp Sensor


sensor location...


Its understandable that someone might have a hard time trying to follow the service manual and do any testing or repair from reading the information, especially as a "newb", but as you get more experienced you will find it rather simple and useful even.

There are many aspects to the cooling hopefully this can help...
 

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