What's the Whirring When I Turn the Key On?

[DaniBoy]

So turning on the key, makes a “whirring” sound while the gauge needles swing to full peg and initialize. Doesn’t bother me, as I figured it was just the fuel pump. Today I went out and all was well and normal. About 2 hours later, I went out again, and that whirring was loud and rough sounding. The bike started and ran just fine, but when I backed out of the garage, there was a small puddle of coolant on the floor. I’m hoping the expansion tank just did it’s job with the overflow hose. But curiously, after shutting the bike down on both trips, the cooling fan was running. Is it normal for the fan to run while moving at 50 MPH? It’s only 80 degrees out. She only has 25k on the odometer. But this is my first summer with a Spyder. And what’s with the loud rough whirring sound at key on? I just think it’s more than coincidence that the sound was loud at the same time I saw coolant on the floor.

[Peter Aawen]

That electrical type 'Whirring' sound IS most likely the fuel pump and shouldn't be anything to worry about. Neither should you worry too much about the cooling fans running immediately after shut-down, ESPECIALLY if you're shutting it down immediately after riding at 50mph! But you really shouldn't do that; ideally you should wind it down a bit as you approach your next stop; easing off and giving it maybe a minute or so of slower running as you approach the stop so that the cooling system can take some of the edge off the heat load while the engine's still running and there's still some air flow thru the radiator, instead of forcing it to rely on just the fan once you've stopped - it's just a little more mechanically sympathetic and kinder to the bike in the long run.

The coolant puddle thing is something else tho - it might be just cos things were still hot when you shut it down last, so it dribbled a bit; but then it doesn't sound really hot enough to warrant that, unless maybe the overflow tank cap isn't on properly or isn't keeping things at the right pressure any more; or possibly the fluid level is a tad low &/or a crack in the tank or radiator has developed thru the rapid cooling it's been subjected to at shut-down? I'd be checking the coolant level, it's condition (when was it last flushed & changed?); the cap, it's fitting & pressurisation capability; and the radiator, hoses, etc. to make sure they are all unblocked & up to scratch. Maybe you've collected enough rubbish in front of the radiator or mud/crud actually in the fins to slow or reduce the air flow? Same goes for the oil cooler & its fins too.

Thinking about it, I'd keep an eye on (ear out??) that louder/rougher whirring too - it might be just that you are noticing it more & thinking it's worse cos you're concerned about the puddle of coolant, but it might not be! Is the gas level in the tank getting low?? I ask, cos the fuel pump uses the gas remaining in the tank as both coolant and lubricant, and running out of gas or letting it get too low in the tank can do bad things to the fuel pump... If the gas level isn't low but the noise really is getting louder & rougher, and possibly the bike's performance or fuel economy is gradually getting worse over time, then even if you haven't maybe a previous owner ran it out of gas or let the gas remaining in the tank get too low too often, so now your pump is showing the signs of premature wear that'll bring?? Or possibly it's scored some poor quality or dirty gas at some stage, and now the 'filter sock' on the pick-up is at least partially clogged?? The fuel tank on these things is a real pain to get out far enough to let you access the fuel pump, and the pump itself isn't easy to get out, but if it is a dead or dying fuel pump then at least there are after-market alternatives with the same spec that'll fit in there, cos you might find the OEM pump a bit expensive, IF you can actually source one!