Coolant ?

[ddarkone7]

Hi, all rode my scoot today, beautiful weather here in Texas, I noticed my coolant level looks low through the window, it's below half, with only 230 miles on the scoot. Anyway what kind of coolant is safe to add, that can be purchased at Auto Zone without messing up the scoot, thanks. Or should I wait for my first service at 600 miles

[zombie]

This is a grey area. It all depends on what the factory/dealer put in there first.Some anti freezes wont mix.
I copy/pasted this from another forum so as to avoid all the BS that was in the rest of the thread...

There are three basic types of ethylene glycol coolant.

1. Conventional/traditional

2. OAT organic additive (acid) technology

3. HOAT (Hbrid OAT with silicates)

They are all available in every color you can imagine.

HOAT are further divided into parially formulated (requires
a supplement for diesel applications) and fully formulated
can be used as is in diesel applications. The fully
formulated can be substituted for partially formulated. The
addition of silicates provides fast acting protection that
OAT coolants lack and provide a barier that protects
plastics from potential deplymerization of some plastics.

Fully formulated HOAT Examples: Zerex G-05, Chevron Custom
Made, Texaco/Havoline Custom Made, Motorcraft Premium Gold,
Mercedes Benz, Freightliner Purple long life, Mopar Long
Life Orange, Mopar Long Life Gold/Amber, Peak CF-EXL, MTU
Green.

Partially Formulated Examples: VW Blue, BMW Blue, Volvo
Green, Zerex/Glysantin/BASF G-48 (Saab and others have used
this also. If it's Blue and European OEM, It's G-48).

OAT comes in many varieties. The Japanese have high
phosphate versions and a few molybdate versions. Molybdates
improve water pump protection. European and American
versions are phosphate free. GM and others that are "GM
Dexcool approved" and some "one size fits all" versions use
a specific 2-EH acid that some OEMs believe cause problems
and are dead set against. European and American versions are
usually phosphate-free. All are silicate free.

Toyota uses a couple of non 2-EH versions with molybdates
for extra cavitation protection.

Peak Global is a non-2-EH version.

Most European red/pink coolants are Zerex/Glysantine/BASF
G-30. VW/Audi/porsche, Jaguar and others use it and have
used it.

GM/AC-Delco/Shell/Chevron/Texaco/Havoline is the 2-EH
Dexcool stuff and Zerex/Gysantine G-34/Extreme Life 5/150 is
the European Dexcool (Newer Saab etc) with molybdates.

Conventional coolants come in passenger car (ASTM D3306)
partially formulated HD (accepts supplements for HD service)
and fully formulated (Ready for HD service). All include
silicates for fast acting protection against abrasives and
water pump cavitation. Supplements to address HD cylinder
liner cavitation include the SCA/DCA-2 nitrite stuff and the
DCA-4 molybdate/nitrite stuff.

Silicates can cause problems in some cars Phosphates can
cause problems in some cars 2-EH acids can cause problems in
some cars Borates can cause problems in some cars Silicates
are required in some cars 2-EH acids are required in some
cars

There is no such thing as a one size fits all coolant.

You have to know what's in there before topping it off. Let some of the others chime in...

[ddarkone7]

thanks, so what i will do, is have the dealer check when i have my tires put on, hopefully it want overheat in route to dealer. It's not like I get to ride everyday, so I should be ok, hopefully.

[zombie]

I forgot to say... Top it off w/ water, and wait for the dealers advice.

[ddarkone7]

distilled, right, that's all I've read on here as far as the water

[BettinANDlosing]

I went though this when my pump seals were going bad.
You DO NOT WANT TO USE REGULAR Ethylene glycol COOLANT!!!!!! almost 100% of the autozone/shucks/baxters and even main brand stuff has silicate in it, very small particles that WILL shorten the life of the mechanical seal in the water pump. I ordered a gallon jug of BelRay "Motochill" coolant, it is meant for motorcycles and any coolant that is rated for motorcycles is silicate free and Safe for use with mechanical seals. Honda factory coolant (Blue bottle) is also a good choice and not as expensive as the BelRay stuff. The mechanical seal is what separates the coolant from the engine, and there is also an oil seal the separates the oil from the coolant (The pump is driven from a gear/shaft from the crankshaft). The mechanical seal is a porcelain disc that rides of the back of the impeller, constant high RPM + small silicate = failure. If the level is above the Low mark, your fine. Also make sure you check when the bike is fully warmed up because it will go up the warmer the bike gets, rule of thumb: above L when cold and below F when hot.

[zombie]

What he said!!!

I have put anything, and everything into cooling systems except for distilled water. LOL it's a Zombie thing.
I know it is what you are supposed to use but... If it can't run undead, it can't hang w/ me.

[ddarkone7]

ok, now I'm really worried, I just look at the white coolant window with a flash light, and I don't see any liquid in there. Now I just brought this scoot from an owner who brought it new, but she only put 179 miles on it. Now the white coolant window box should show some kind of coolant right? If so, mines is empty, and I think it never had anything in there, as I never saw anything in it.

[ddarkone7]

can someone take a pic of their coolant window, so I can see what it is supposed to look like, please

[BettinANDlosing]

The window itself won't tell you all that much. You need to open the chest plastic and check the radiator level. The bottle itself is only an overflow. If your temp gauge level is ok, your bike has coolant, otherwise it would over heat or at least run a bit hot.

[ddarkone7]

ok, thanks