Hey DozrT,
I know I have mentioned oil before; but bare with me for a bit.
My Voyager is not going into the red...yet! I got it at the end of summer here.
But, I noticed (like you) that the first time the temp gauge gets warm; the fan is capable of cooling the anti-freeze back down.
Then the second or third time; the coolant stays hot.
My thoughts are:
*The coolant is designed to get hot fast and dissipate the heat fast.
*The oil takes longer to heat up and retains that heat longer.
*Only the top end of the jugs are liquid cooled. (the oil has very little opportunity to dissipate heat)
Finding a way to decrease the oil temperature should also reduce coolant temperature.
I don't know what you have in your bike. But the Puralator filters are a bit longer than OEM.
That equates to more oil; more surface area; more heat dissipation.
Synthetic oil is also supposed to run cooler.
When I changed to a Puralator filter and synthetic oil; I noticed a drop in the coolant temps by more than a quarter of a tic mark.
If next summer I am still not happy with the temp; I will look into one of those sleeves that fit on an oil filter that have cooling fins.
Scott
__________________ 2012 Voyager
Pearl Alpine White/Pearl Luster Beige
Happiness does not consist in pastimes and amusements but in virtuous activities.
30.715338,-104.192547
Hey DozrT,
I know I have mentioned oil before; but bare with me for a bit.
My Voyager is not going into the red...yet! I got it at the end of summer here.
But, I noticed (like you) that the first time the temp gauge gets warm; the fan is capable of cooling the anti-freeze back down.
Then the second or third time; the coolant stays hot.
My thoughts are:
*The coolant is designed to get hot fast and dissipate the heat fast.
*The oil takes longer to heat up and retains that heat longer.
*Only the top end of the jugs are liquid cooled. (the oil has very little opportunity to dissipate heat)
Finding a way to decrease the oil temperature should also reduce coolant temperature.
I don't know what you have in your bike. But the Puralator filters are a bit longer than OEM.
That equates to more oil; more surface area; more heat dissipation.
Synthetic oil is also supposed to run cooler.
When I changed to a Puralator filter and synthetic oil; I noticed a drop in the coolant temps by more than a quarter of a tic mark.
If next summer I am still not happy with the temp; I will look into one of those sleeves that fit on an oil filter that have cooling fins.
Scott
Our temps are not dissimilar to those in Texas (apart from the longer periods you guys have in near the Hundred mark. I have been toying with the idea of synthetic but prices for it are through the roof in Australia. I haven't heard of that filter and at the moment I'm using the K/n. Although the bike is a 2009 it only has about 25000 miles on it (i'm the second owner), most of those in the past two years. This gauge overheating has only occurred in the past year so I'm guessing something has failed or there is a doozy of an air lock in there that even the dealer has been unable to bleed out
__________________
2009 Voyager, "Battle Star"
SageBrush Bib,
LED's around Headlight,
Chrome cup holders,
Marvellas passenger and rider highway pegs,
Grasshoper backrest,
Kawasaki Gel seats,
Grey Sheepskin Seat covers,
Kawasaki Rear Speakers,
Ipod Kit,
H.D. trunk rack,
Chrome passenger board covers,
Chrome Engine plate,
Door Controller,
Fog Lights wired to High Beam on/off.
Speedo Healer, Backoff Brake Module
KAM's heat kit
sounds to me like you have a problem first check that your sending unit is good, it could just be that the sending unit is bad making the gauge read high.
Check that your fan is coming on that the relay is not bad or that the fuse is not blown if it is not.
You could try flushing your radiator and or replacing your hoses.
Do you have a Thermastat? check that it is opening and opening all the way.
Our temps are not dissimilar to those in Texas (apart from the longer periods you guys have in near the Hundred mark. I have been toying with the idea of synthetic but prices for it are through the roof in Australia. I haven't heard of that filter and at the moment I'm using the K/n. Although the bike is a 2009 it only has about 25000 miles on it (i'm the second owner), most of those in the past two years. This gauge overheating has only occurred in the past year so I'm guessing something has failed or there is a doozy of an air lock in there that even the dealer has been unable to bleed out
My bad.
I didn't know that your bike did not always do this.
I do think part of the heat issues we Voyager owners deal with is due to only the top end being liquid cooled.
That prompts me to address cooling the oil like the Harleys or Victories.
Purolator is just a brand of filter; and I think the K&N is longer than the OEM as well.
With the coolant dropping temp the first time the fan comes on; then as time passes (oil warms up) it is unable to cool as well.
Cooling the oil should help.
As far as your coolant system; it sounds like you are doing everything you can.
If you think you have gotten a bad thermostat; you can test it in a pan of boiling water.
Scott
__________________ 2012 Voyager
Pearl Alpine White/Pearl Luster Beige
Happiness does not consist in pastimes and amusements but in virtuous activities.
30.715338,-104.192547
sounds to me like you have a problem first check that your sending unit is good, it could just be that the sending unit is bad making the gauge read high.
Check that your fan is coming on that the relay is not bad or that the fuse is not blown if it is not.
You could try flushing your radiator and or replacing your hoses.
Do you have a Thermastat? check that it is opening and opening all the way.
The dealer has done all this twice and put in a new thermostat and sensor. Only thing I can think of now is faulty thermostat
__________________
2009 Voyager, "Battle Star"
SageBrush Bib,
LED's around Headlight,
Chrome cup holders,
Marvellas passenger and rider highway pegs,
Grasshoper backrest,
Kawasaki Gel seats,
Grey Sheepskin Seat covers,
Kawasaki Rear Speakers,
Ipod Kit,
H.D. trunk rack,
Chrome passenger board covers,
Chrome Engine plate,
Door Controller,
Fog Lights wired to High Beam on/off.
Speedo Healer, Backoff Brake Module
KAM's heat kit
The dealer has done all this twice and put in a new thermostat and sensor. Only thing I can think of now is faulty thermostat
take the thermostat out and put in an small pan fill it with water to the bottom of the rim where it sets on/in the motor, put it on the stove see if it opens before the water boils and that it open fully.
I use to live in las vegas and a lot of people did this with their thermostat they take it and drill a few small holes in it so even if it is closed there still some flow.
OK Ray.... make us a external oil cooler that screws into the oil filter base and then the filter still screws on to it..... About a 3X4 grid should do. Hang it in front of the radiator. Or chrome it and we can hang it on the lower bars in the wind.....
__________________ Bubba in TX
A bad day on a scooter is better than a good day in a car..
2011 Voyager "Betty Clunker"
Running DARK SIDE
Voyager 1700 owners...
WRAP your pipes.... You will glad you did...
OK Ray.... make us a external oil cooler that screws into the oil filter base and then the filter still screws on to it..... About a 3X4 grid should do. Hang it in front of the radiator. Or chrome it and we can hang it on the lower bars in the wind.....
On the front of the radiator chromed sounds good to me
__________________
2009 Voyager, "Battle Star"
SageBrush Bib,
LED's around Headlight,
Chrome cup holders,
Marvellas passenger and rider highway pegs,
Grasshoper backrest,
Kawasaki Gel seats,
Grey Sheepskin Seat covers,
Kawasaki Rear Speakers,
Ipod Kit,
H.D. trunk rack,
Chrome passenger board covers,
Chrome Engine plate,
Door Controller,
Fog Lights wired to High Beam on/off.
Speedo Healer, Backoff Brake Module
KAM's heat kit
Just for kicks, I took a picture of the temp gauge on my 2011 Vaquero this morning. Keep in mind this is just after sitting at a red light for a while. I've seen the gauge get closer to the next white line, but never into the red.
For my part, I'm thinking I'm just feeling the engine heat more on this bike than I'm used to with other bikes.
Maia (traded in)
Vivian
Betty Clunker
U.S.A.F. Retired 
Nye Co. Motor Officer Retired
Linear Mode
