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Cooling System leak

1K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  Lightning 
#1 ·
I noticed dried cooling system fluid on my pipe below my right foot peg. I had my bike serviced this week at Leo's South in Lakeville MN and what they told me is "this is a know issue w/K bikes and BMW does not have a fix/solution yet? I find that odd give it's a known issue how should I feel confident to ride in warmer temps if the cooling system isn't working properly. Apparently there is a water pump vent hole that can leak. Their solution is to add water (just ounces) as needed. When I asked won't that put the cooling system mixture out of balance and create a possible overheat issue? The service rep said no that I should be just find until the temperatures go below 45F.

Has anyone else experienced this issue and if so how did you resolve it - if you did.

thanks
 
#3 ·
Not normal. Your water pump has a slow leak. There is no weep hole that is supposed to leak. This was a known problem on older models. Not enough fluid leaks out to matter much so riding the bike until the next service or topping up if needed shouldn’t be a problem or upset the balance of the coolant mix much. This said, the known fix, which BMW did under warranty, is replace the water pump. I can’t remember if they did it for motorcycles otherwise out of warrant. You can find the answer through the search function of this site.
 
#4 · (Edited)
My 2013 GTL that I've owned for two years had this weeping when I bought it, and in the two years my reservoir level has dropped 1/2" or less.

If its still under warranty have BMW deal with it, if out of warranty, which mines was/is, and the weeping is similar to mine, you could spend the $390 for a pump, and an hours labor, or just keep an eye on it.
 
#5 ·
Weeping from that hole is very common. As your service tech said just keep an eye on the reservoir level (or residue on the exhaust).

Now if it actually leaks on a daily bases then the pump does need to be replaced. A weep now and then is something many of us consider as being "normal". My current 2016 bike weeped once at around 36,000 miles and shortly afterwards stopped and now at 72,000 I've never seen indications again.

The second generation bikes (2017-2021) added a short hose from the weep hole that then snaked through a hole in the exhaust heat shield and would deposit any fluid out of sight.

Bottom line watch for residue and if present take a picture and log the date and mileage on the bike. If the intervals get closer and closer contact your dealer for a new pump. A new pump won't be a guaranteed fix but hopefully will delay new weeping for several years.
 
#7 ·
#9 ·
Thank you for all the responses. My bike is a 2018 and as I noted the dealership indicated it is a "know issue" that BMW does not have a solve for at this time. I did purchase the extended warranty so now I'm curious if replacing the water pump would solve the issue or not?

Arizona Jim mentioned "The second generation bikes (2017-2021) added a short hose from the weep hole that then snaked through a hole in the exhaust heat shield and would deposit any fluid out of sight." that doesn't appear to be the case on my bike?
 
#11 ·
Replace your water pump? Is it constantly leaking/dripping? Or just a few drops every now and then? If it's the latter, leave it alone...

Duane
 
#12 ·
Post a pic pls. I had a fair share of water pump issues with my 2020.
 
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