Hi,

I have a ninja 500R 2003. This winter I replaced the thermoswitch on the radiator because the fan wasn't working. Now it start but almost when the temperature gage is in the red...at 3/4. Before it was below the half. I tried to remove air from the radiator but I'm not able to reach a normal temperature because the coolant leak when the cap is off...The coolant in the reservor is between the two lines. Yesterday after my ride I saw some slide of what I think is coolant from the radiator cap...and during my ride I smell coolant when I was riding faster on the highway and I slow down and the smell go away...

What can be my bikeproblem? Do someone can suggest me a good mecano around Portland,OR?

 

I may not be the expert on 500's, but you may want to double-check the thermoswitch. Is it the correct one? The temperature needed to close the circuit and turn on the fan seems a bit high. Also, if you have the radiator filled to the bottom of the neck where you put on the cap, and you have sufficient fluid in your reservoir, your bike will "adjust itself" to the amount of fluid you actually need in your reservior and radiator, (air removal from your radiator??) assuming you don't have other problems. You might see some fluid dripping out of your reservior, but it will stop before it goes dry. Typically, your reservior will be a bit below the indicator marks. Is your thermostat correct/operating?
If the reservior tank is "puking" coolant, you may have a bad head gasket. (Especially if the coolant coming out of your reservior tank is steaming hot and you smell it.) If your coolant doesn't "cool down" to normal operating temperature when you're running normally 55-60mph on the highway due to air coming through the radiator (fan or no fan) and you have the rad-cap on and thermostat in (please), then I'd bet on the head gasket. Does the coolant temperature ever reduce, or does it just keep climbing? If it continues to rise, it's time for a gasket.
This is a job you should be able to do yourself, on a 500.

 

The coolant system is closed loop. So how about replacing the rad cap?

 

I order the part # from Kawasaki part list for the thermoswitch and from Kawasaki, and it look like the other one I removed. When I tried to remove the air bubbles in the radiator (like in Clymer manual), I removed the radiator cap not the reservor one, and I started the bike...and it begin to leak before I reach the normal temperature than I stopped the bike...and I put back the cap when it cool down!

When I ride the temperature is below the half of the gage (normal temperature) but when I stop it go around the 3/4 or over (just before the red zone) and the fan finally start but it's supposed to start below the half...it never wentover the half before my thermoswitch stop working (the fan was never coming on) last fall and I changed it...

What that willdo to change the radiator cap? Do I can do a test before I change it to be sure it's the problem?

Thanks.

 

The only reason is why is it getting to steam? But yes, a snap disk is just that, at a certain temp it should make and bring on the fan.

 

How I really bleed out air trapped in the cooling circuit? I tried to remove the radiator cap and start the bike but the coolant go out from there.

Thanks!