HELP!!!! Warrior overheating.....

[4strokelover87]

Hey guys!!!

Problem!!! I just got here to St. Germain, WI today and we rode about 50 miles. I spent the entire 50 miles trying to keep my Warrior cool. I have Ulmer's dig temp gauge installed so luckily I could monitor it. It took all I could do with trying to spin the track to get snow on the exchangers to haulin' #*$&@ to try to cool it with the -15 degree air we have here today to try to keep it from running over 200 degrees. Even when stopping at an intersection I can sit and watch the temperature go up very rapidly. Before we left I did a coolant flush and refill. I'm not sure if I did something wrong here or if the thermostat is sticking or what....???? Any ideas at all???? If it's not something I can fix on my own, quickly, I would like to just take it to a dealer and get it done quick, but I'm not sure there is even a Yamaha dealer real close to me here anyway.....figures this happens now on the very first day of vacation.....

Thanks for any quick help tonight!!!!!!!

 

[aVenture]

Provided you filled with not too strong pre-mixed, i say you have an air pocket. You can try to bleed again from rear bypass tube.

 

[Grimm]

I agree with the above, too strong coolant and/or air lock in the cooling system. The easiest way I found to burp the air out is to run the sled up a steep snowbank and lock the parking brake. Keep the front elevated for a while and rock the sled side to side. Any air in the system should make it's way up and to the front where it will burp out the coolant overflow tank.

What were the conditions like when you were riding? If it was cold and you were running on hard pack or plowed roads, it's quite easy to overheat these 4 strokes. With my Vector, when I noticed my temps getting a little too high (with the aforementioned snow conditions), I'd stop and load up my running boards with as much ice and snow as possible, and then ride. It's amazing how the engine temp drops when you do this. I'd also try to dip into as much softer snow whenever possible.

 

[4strokelover87]

Thanks guys!!! I also read something on here once about someone getting a big chunk of ice in front of the front exchanger and not letting any new snow on it. My mixture should be pretty close to 60/40 and I also put some Water Wetter in it. When I refilled the system, I pulled the screw out of the rear tube and filled until coolant came out the hole. I then put the screw in and finished filling the system. When I go out in the morning, I will check for ice. If there's no ice, I will run it up on a snowbank and rock it as per Grimm to try to "burp" it.

The condition here are excellent!!! Trails are flat!!! Not alot of traffic today since it is so cold I guess, so there isn't an ample supply of loose snow. We did ride a few roads as well. I'm not surprised the temp went up on the roads, but I have never had that much of a problem in the trees on trails before....

 

[RedRocket]

Sounds like an air bubble, try bleeding the system, here's how:


Click thumbnails for larger images

 

[SIMMER]

You can also bleed the system by driving up a very steep snow bank and "slowly" open the cap while the machine is running. This releases the bubble from the filler bottle. Blurp the throttle a bit and you'll see the air come up.

I had the same issues and did that on my RX1 and it worked great. Best of all you can do it anywhere on the trail.


Check out this thread...... http://www.ty4stroke.com/viewtopic.php? ... t=overheat

 

[4strokelover87]

So, here's the scoop....I ran my sled up a steep bank, pulled the filler cap, watched my temp rise over 200, backed it down, shut it off, pulled the cap again, and it bubbled quite a bit. The first two times I did this, I got alot of bubbles. The third time, only a few bubbles, and the forth time, no bubbles at all, so I called it good. This did improve the overheating quite a bit. Riding trails with some loose snow, I ran an average of 190-200 degrees. When we hit a road, it would run about 205 or so. When we stopped at a 'T' or something, it just gets hotter and hotter, I saw it get as high as 215 just idling. I tried to keep snow on the running boards and keep moving, but man it's a pain. Does this sound normal for the Warrior or do I have something else going on??? I had my '03 RX-1 for two years and saw the temp light one time!!! If this is what I can always expect from my Warrior, I will definetly be adding a rear cooler when I get home!!! I've got some Water Wetter with me, and I thought about adding some in the morning before we head out. How much, if any, should I add????

 

[Sasquatch]

Does the light come on! You say on your 03 you never saw the light on. So is the Warrior running hotter or is the gauge making you more aware of temps?

You can add a rear heat exchanger to help cool it. I put one on mine and it works great. I never had a real problem with overheating but I noticed the light on a couple times and had to pack some snow on the boards.

You could add an Apex rad to your sled by the chaincase as another option.

[url=http://www.ty4stroke.com/vie...w.ty4stroke.com/viewtopic.php? ... t=apex+rad
[/url]

 

[4strokelover87]

That is true. The light did come on maybe twice yesterday, and if I remember right, it was when sitting, idleing. I've just seen on here in several instances where people say they run 165-185 on average and this is what you want. I suppose if I add the rear cooler, this will keep me cooler when moving, but I don't know about idleing. Maybe the extra surface area with cold air sitting against it would be enough...idk...

Well, thanks again for all the input guys!!! It is almost 8 o'clock here and I'm sitting in the cabin watching the snow fall, so I'm gonna get my butt in gear and go ride!!!! Probably head up to Boulder Junction and Presque Isle today!!! Happy sleddin all!!!!

 

[SIMMER]

Keep riding and do it again. Sometimes the air bubble gets locked in a spot and take a while to come around again. Also, feel you running boards. Both should be equally hot.

I did mine about 3 times in 3 days before it was all cleared up.

 

[4strokelover87]

OK, so I have one more thing to run by you guys....my Warrior is still getting hot when idling for any period of time. So when I get moving again, if the temp is 210 or so, I have no midrange in the throttle.....I just kind of putz along about 30-40 mph until it cools down below 205 then its all back to normal....is this normal??? Has anyone else ran into this???

I suppose I will try to 'burp' my coolant system a couple more times, but I will be ordering and installing the rear cooler as soon as I get home, I am very tired of worrying about my temp and keeping the sled moving or shutting it off so it doesn't get hotter than hell....

 

[Grimm]

When you say it happens when it's idling, how long are we talking about? Whenever I'm stopped on the trails for more than 30 seconds, I shut my engine off, else it was sure to overheat on cold or low snow days.

 

[Len Todd]

How long are you letting the sled idle, when it gets hot? How hard were you pushing it, before the idle? Is there a reason for all the idling? If you are not moving in the snow, there is no snow cooling the engine. These sleds are not made to just sit there and idle.

Are you getting snow to hit the coolers? These sleds even will very quickly overheat on hard packed snow or ice, if you are pushing them hard.

Getting any more air out of the cooling system? May want to consider lifting the rear-end again and bleed the air again.

Once you get all the air out, typically these sleds do not experience what you are describing. But the rear cooler does help. Only thing is, with the rear cooler, you have no temp light coming on when your frying your hyfax. Point being, ... even with the added cooler, you are still forced to find the loose snow.

 

[4strokelover87]

If I stop to idle for more than 20-30 seconds to wait for the rest of my group, the temp will rise over 210 and just keep going unless I get moving again or shut is down. Also, if I do shut is down when it's hot like this and leave it off for a couple minutes, it doesn't fire right back up, I have to crank on it for 5-8 seconds and give it a little gas to get it to fire. But if it sits for a half hour or so, it fires right up, first couple of cranks. I think I may have some crap in the carbs or something by the the way it is acting.

I just never had this much trouble with my '03 shorty, I saw the temp light once in two years and sat idling all the time. Just seems wierd that my Warrior is that much different....idk....

 

[Len Todd]

I always have trouble starting when it is warm. We all do. You have to press the throttle a bit when starting these, when they are hot.

You may want to bleed the coolant system again, and see what happens.