2012 RT Limited Overheating

[ValleyRider]

I have a 2012 RT Limited which we rode to Valcourt this summer. On the way home we stopped to visit family in Georgia. While there I has the local dealer give the bike its 26000 mile check up, change oil, etc. Rode 1200 miles home with no problem. Yesterday I rode about 20 miles. I noticed that the temperature gauge needle is bordering on the white line. It normally sits at the three o'clock position. Any suggestions as to what may be causing the RT to overheat? The temp here was in the high 80's but I have ridden in hotter weather with temp gauge at its usual three o'clock position. The fan runs when I turn off the bike for a few minutes. While at my destination for about 20 minutes the temp gauge was still high when I restarted.

[Easy Rider]

noticed that the temperature gauge needle is bordering on the white line. It normally sits at the three o'clock position.

Assuming that your gauge is the same as mine.......3 O'clock would be 50% and that's where mine runs.
If it has now gone up an extra 25% and is now touching HOT (white) or very near to it, then there is something that needs attention.
You probably should not ride it much until this is solved.

First I would check the front grills for blockage (picked up a plastic bag from the highway).
Then I would check the coolant level. Did they touch the cooling system as part of the "service" ??
Then I would remove at least one major body panel on each side to be sure that they got all of the pieces back in the right places AND didn't leave any shop rags or the like inside.

Oh....and of course check the oil level.

After that, another shop visit is probably in order to check things like thermostat and that the fan is not loose on the motor shaft.

[Chupaca]

generally the main causes are restricted air flow to the radiator/s, thermostat, fan, water level or water pump. If the radiators have not been looked at after all the travels I would start there. You mentioned the fans are working so your good there. If the coolant was changed make sure the right coolant was used (they changed it on the newer models). Thermostat may no longer be functioning fully. Those are a few of the places to look...

[ValleyRider]

I may have found the problem. I check the oil level and it was at the top of the fill mark. Next I looked up the owners manual. It told me where the radiator reservoir was located. I pulled the plastic off. The reservoir is located under the head light and very difficult to get to, especially if you have large hands. Anyways I finally got the cap off and using a flashlight checked the level of the fluid. Could not see any fluid at the max line. I put a flexible straw down the fill hole. When I pulled it out there was no liquid on the straw. So now its off to auto parts store for some coolant. Do I need a special kind of coolant?

Any suggestions as to how I can get better access to the coolant reservoir would be appreciated.

[classicvw]

If you found the page in the owner's manual that shows the radiator cap....the coolant info is right there too. It needs a pre-mixed solution. That means 50% distilled water and 50% antifreeze. Sold at auto parts stores, Walmart, and Spyder dealers.

[BajaRon]

You don't have to purchase a pre-mix. You can always do that yourself as long as you're using distilled water. It is cheaper to do the 50/50 mix yourself. But you are probably not going to need much. The bigger question is... Where is the missing coolant? The plastic reservoirs can split open so be sure to check for that. Also, it is easy to not get the reservoir cap on correctly. Be very careful to get that on straight and tight.

Hopefully, the service you received was simply inadequate and they did not put enough coolant into the system. Not having a leak somewhere is your best case scenario

Also be sure to get a coolant that is compliant with the Spyder specs. This is much more important than many people realize. Getting the wrong coolant can create some real headaches.

Then check your coolant level after a good ride to make sure it is still at the proper level.

[Easy Rider]

You don't have to purchase a pre-mix.

Also be sure to get a coolant that is compliant with the Spyder specs. This is much more important than many people realize. Getting the wrong coolant can create some real headaches.

Two things about that:
If you buy a whole gallon of "pure" coolant, it's likely that you will end up throwing about 3/4 of it away a few years down the road because you probably don't need THAT much.

Buying what BRP sells pre-mixed is a good way to know you have the right stuff AND it might not be THAT much more expensive than mixing your own.

And finally, if this showed up right after a cooling system service.........you should go BACK to the shop and have THEM fill it up.

[ValleyRider]

Seems the low coolant was not the problem. The temp gauge still was too high so I took it to the dealer. Seems the temp gauge is faulty and will be replaced under warranty.

[M109Dreamer]

Seems the low coolant was not the problem. The temp gauge still was too high so I took it to the dealer. Seems the temp gauge is faulty and will be replaced under warranty.

You could also disconnect the gauges and verify the temp reading on the center console and then just hook the gauges up as well.

[Highwayman2013]

You could also disconnect the gauges and verify the temp reading on the center console and then just hook the gauges up as well.

I agree, the digital gauges are more accurate. Just disconnect both analogs then you will see if there is a difference. There is also a screw clamp on the cooling system that can loosen over time on the right side that is way in there toward the top rear of the radiator.

[msherwood]

I also disconnected the analog gauges and prefer the digital as they appear to be more accurate and easier to read. Purchase a funnel with a flexible line to fill the recovery tank. Add a little at a time use a flashlight and rock the spyder to see where the fluid is situated.