Light Lime Green Leak

[nuncles]

My ST has been sitting for a couple of weeks (covered outside) and we just had a couple of days of some hard freezes (upper teens to lower 20's). Now it's back in the 70's and I notice a leak under my bike. It doesn't have much of a smell and it appears to be a light lime green. Any theories as to what this is and what might have caused the leak? The freeze?

 

[Bush]

It's coolant. This is a common thing with both the 1300 and 1100, when ambient temps drop near freezing. Usually corrected by snugging up the hose clamps on the hoses buried in the valley of the Vee.

 

[Scooter]

There's a whole forum subsection right here...

 

[JPKalishek]

green is antifreeze. Maybe it froze, and cracked something (worst case scenario) or just got slushy and pushed a bit out when expanding somewhere ... I had this happen to me when I lived in N.O. as I thought the mix was sufficient but it was just a bit too much water and it was frozen in the radiator but not enough to push out a plug or crack the block or heads. Learned of the issue when it overheated and cracked the head (sluh pluged the radiator so now water flow), but possibly it is something else. Hard to diagnose from afar.
Check the radiator at the cap, and at the reservoir, then if both are full likely no leak and it forced a bit out. if low, try to check the antifreeze (refractive index or specific gravity checker) to see what the protection level is and if it possibly froze. Otherwise top it off, and see if it finds its way back out. pressure check if possible as well. otherwise I'd start the bike and warm it up while keeping close eye on the temp.

 

[nuncles]

CRAP. I'm about the most anti-mechanical person you can meet. I'm always worried I'm going to screw something up more the minute I touch it.

Thanks for all of the insight. I figured it was the coolant. Just wasn't sure. The coolant on my vtx is blue.
Doesn't seem to be leaking too badly unless its puddled up in the lower cowl. On Monday I will probably make sure its topped off and take it 5 minutes up the interstate to the shop.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[Blrfl]

You'll probably find that it leaks when cold and then stops. There's no harm if you let it go for awhile; just make sure the recovery tank stays topped up.

--Mark

EDIT: Good gravy, auto-correct really got me on that one.

 

[nuncles]

You'll probably find that it leaks when cold and then stops. There's no harm off you let our go for awhile; just maker sure the recovery tank status topped up.

--Mark

Once I find out where the recovery tank is I will check that out. That may be the issue. I reached down inside the cowl, unscrewed the radiator, and looked at the coolant level. It's at the top.

 

[SupraSabre]

Once I find out where the recovery tank is I will check that out. That may be the issue. I reached down inside the cowl, unscrewed the radiator, and looked at the coolant level. It's at the top.

Under the leftside maintenance cover...That little cover at your knees.

Pull that off (one plastic pin holding it) just becareful not to break the tabs off the cover. And you will see the bottle right there. The coolant should be right at the shelf of the bottle looking through the top.

 

[nuncles]

Under the leftside maintenance cover...That little cover at your knees.

Pull that off (one plastic pin holding it) just becareful not to break the tabs off the cover. And you will see the bottle right there. The coolant should be right at the shelf of the bottle looking through the top.

Thanks. I was just looking at the service manual and it looked like I was gonna have to remove the middle cowl, which according to manual gives the impression that almost everything must be removed...mirror cover, then lower cowl, then inner cowl, yada yada yada. What a PITA. All this plastic looks pretty until you have to remove it to get to anything.

 

[T_C]

What a PITA. All this plastic looks pretty until you have to remove it to get to anything.

Yeah... but after you remove it a dozen times or so it becomes really easy. Because if you do anything to the bike, you are removing some plastic somewhere.