New owner, coolant flush confusion

[Aron]

If anyone has a Pdf of the manual I'd appreciate it. I'd like to print it out and bind it.
I've got one that I have to go to site and a PDF for the Kawasaki but it seems it's not a complete crossover. Found out the hard way accessing the battery is not the same.
This is a 2014 with 800 miles. I just finished up the oil and final drive but still have to do the brake and coolant flush.

What manual does everyone use to figure out what panels have to come off in order to do the coolant flush.

I'm assuming the side fairings but is there anything else? 
I don't like pulling panels as it seems tabs always snap.

Also, can I push coolant in with my  vacuum purger?
I don't see why I couldn't but I'd rather ask then find out something the hard way.

Thanks for any advice.

[CROSSBOLT]

Remove windshield, then small, black cover marked "Radiator cap" or some such. That's all that is required. Coolant pump drain and hose accessible lower machine right.

Read posts on this forum about "burping" the system when refilling. The overflow bottle is on left upper side of leg shield.

[Aron]

So, no further fairings have to come off? There is no access to the water pump that I can see...? There is overflow visible like on the kawasaki..?
I don't want to remove maybe I don't have to.

[CROSSBOLT]

Just the windshield and a 2 screw panel under that. There are 5 bolts holding the windscreen on: one 10 mm hex under the raised Kymco emblem.
You gotta lay on the floor on the right side to see the water pump.
The overflow bottle is where I said it was. You have to pull the left upper foot rest mat to see it.

[Aron]

Got it figured out. Needed to pull the met to access the coolant bleed screw. Since I didn't want to pull the front fairing to remove the overflow i just sucked the coolant out(pneumatic oil extractor) and poured some distilled water in several times to clean it out well. Once I drained coolant via the 8mm drain bolt(making sure radiator cap was removed) I re-installed drain bolt and filled radiator with distilled water. Bled the air out. Snugged up bleeder, put on radiator cap, fired it up to operating temp then opened up drain and let it drain again while pouring distilled into radiator until the drain was clear. Secured drain again then filled radiator with coolant. Opened bleeder again to get the air out once again. Tightened bleeder again and topped off radiator. Left cap off and started again. Air purged out of filler neck while I revved engine as fluid level dropped a bit each time. When burping stopped i put the cap back on and cleaned up. Start to finish maybe 20 minutes. Easier than my p250.
Windshield removed with allens, pop open panel to expose radiator filler neck, left high foot rest pad pop off, remove small latch to expose over flow container and pull met box to expose engine to get to 8mm bleeder. Water pump drain for coolant is next to oil filter on right side of scoot.
I used Supertech concentrate(safe for aluminum engines) and diluted 60/40 with distilled water. Made up 1.6 qts. Once radiator was filled I dumped almost all of the rest into the overflow until it was a little over halfway between the lines on the bottle.  Took for a 12 mile drive with some 70mph on a highway and temp is perfect. I'll still watch it over the next week.

[Iahawk]

nice description of the work you did.....did you happen to take any pictures?

[CROSSBOLT]

Got it figured out. Needed to pull the met to access the coolant bleed screw. Since I didn't want to pull the front fairing to remove the overflow i just sucked the coolant out(pneumatic oil extractor) and poured some distilled water in several times to clean it out well. Once I drained coolant via the 8mm drain bolt(making sure radiator cap was removed) I re-installed drain bolt and filled radiator with distilled water. Bled the air out. Snugged up bleeder, put on radiator cap, fired it up to operating temp then opened up drain and let it drain again while pouring distilled into radiator until the drain was clear. Secured drain again then filled radiator with coolant. Opened bleeder again to get the air out once again. Tightened bleeder again and topped off radiator. Left cap off and started again. Air purged out of filler neck while I revved engine as fluid level dropped a bit each time. When burping stopped i put the cap back on and cleaned up. Start to finish maybe 20 minutes. Easier than my p250.
Windshield removed with allens, pop open panel to expose radiator filler neck, left high foot rest pad pop off, remove small latch to expose over flow container and pull met box to expose engine to get to 8mms bleeder. Water pump drain for coolant is next to oil filter on right side of scoot.

Aron, you are now dubbed the cooling system EXPERT and the multitudes will swarm your procedure for sequence and you for great guidance! Like Lahawk said, nice description! This very maintenance function has bedeviled many mainly the burping or the lack of it.

Good show! Keep posting about how your temperature gage acts.

[Aron]

Glad I could help. Very easy but if you haven't done it on a new scoot both manuals I've seen don't really give you a clear picture. For instance, I had no idea the foot rest pad was removable. I've done lots of flushing from cars to trucks to heavy equipment so I'm pretty familiar of the principles involved but what I have learned with my previous scooter and many motorcycles is I don't like pulling things apart  if I don't have to as many times tabs break off.

I believe I just turned a little over 865 miles today. Awaiting my K&N air filter and am going to start trying to find a really bright add on LED brake light for the rear. Crossbolt: you had said forget about the LED headlight bulb replacement because of the reflectors but I'm wondering about mounting some type of add on small LED lights for the front, perhaps on the forks legs..?
As I said in a previous post I had a headlight modulator on my last scoot but got too many complaints from drivers and these days I don't want to get shot.

[CROSSBOLT]

This look like yours?

[Aron]

Not sure what you mean..It should, right..? I tried to load some pics but I'll need to resize but I'll get it done asap.

[CROSSBOLT]

Yes, I got a wild hair this afternoon and took a picture of how accessible the coolant pump was or what I thought it was. Anyhow, it does look like that big hose and its clamp are fairly accessible for draining if one wanted to do it that way. I have yet to do that on ANY liquid cooled bike! That's why you and others are expert!

You will have to reduce photos because this forum requires it. I use lit photo or lil photo app. It is the only one simple enough for me! Stig and others somehow do a super job of posting photos!

[Neil955i]

Yes, I got a wild hair this afternoon and took a picture of how accessible the coolant pump was or what I thought it was. Anyhow, it does look like that big hose and its clamp are fairly accessible for draining if one wanted to do it that way. I have yet to do that on ANY liquid cooled bike! That's why you and others are expert!

You will have to reduce photos because this forum requires it. I use lit photo or lil photo app. It is the only one simple enough for me! Stig and others somehow do a super job of posting photos!

D'you know Karl, it would be great if one of our photo wizards posted an idiots' guide to uploading photos to the Forum?  I'd certainly welcome some pointers.  Anyone?

[mousejunks]

It's very easy to drain the coolant - just a 8mm bolt. Don't forget to open the radiator cap to drain faster and remove the sludge and bits.

[Iahawk]

D'you know Karl, it would be great if one of our photo wizards posted an idiots' guide to uploading photos to the Forum?  I'd certainly welcome some pointers.  Anyone?

I find this site easier than most for uploading pics. I take the pic with my phone and email it to myself. My phone gives me the option of resizing the picture, which I always do, or the photo is too large.  Save pic to a 'scooter' folder in 'my pictures'..click attach in the message and add the pic! easy!

What I'd like to know is how Stig (and Klav, too?) embeds pics in the message? I don't see an option for that...

[Neil955i]

I find this site easier than most for uploading pics. I take the pic with my phone and email it to myself. My phone gives me the option of resizing the picture, which I always do, or the photo is too large.  Save pic to a 'scooter' folder in 'my pictures'..click attach in the message and add the pic! easy!

What I'd like to know is how Stig (and Klav, too?) embeds pics in the message? I don't see an option for that...

Thanks Hawk, that's the same method I use!  Like you I don't know how those guys embed photos in a body of text though?