Hey guys,

I have been told that Honda coolant is the same for their cars and bikes. Just wanted to confirm if that's the case. If that works, then car coolant can be bought at the dealer in a gallon, cheaper than the little quarts at a specialty bike store.

Also, how is the Engine Ice product for the F4i? Which product should I get between the two for the complete coolant flush...

Thanks in advance.

 

Having ridden in Phoenix with my f4i for over 62,000 miles now I have yet to see a need for engine ice. As for the coolant, yes its the same. I still buy the motorcycles ones. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

 

Engine ice should never be needed. It's a bandaid. If you bike overheats, something is wrong.

And yes, I have always used car coolant. No difference.

 

Use distilled water to do the flush. I think I went through about 2 gallons before I got it coming out clear. I can't remember if I refilled with engine ice or water wetter, but I used one of them since my F4i seems to run a little hot in the summer time.

 

yeah use distilled water. i used water just for testing my system. ran water 2 times and drain to check for leaks.i pulled off the hoses a month later with nothing in the system .starting to see rust

 

A few months back Motorcyclist, Cycle World, or SportRider magazine, I cant remember which, had an article about coolant from a coolant manufacture. They said do not use distilled water, because it has nothing in it, it acts as a magnet for minerals which extracts those minerals from the metal of the cooling system which can cause leaks etc. They recommended filtered drinking water mixed with the coolant instead. I wasnt expecting that, I always used distilled, now I dont.

 

Usually you get the premix 50/50 stuff so there's no need to add water to whichever coolant you're using. I only use the distilled water for the flush.

Dump old coolant.

Fill with distilled water.

Let bike idle until 160+ so the thermostat opens and starts circulating the water.

Let cool.

Dump water

Repeat until water comes out clean then refill with coolant of choice.

 

I use pure antifreeze, not the 50/50 stuff, when I refill mine after flushing. The reason is because there's still lots of water trapped inside the system, even with a lower radiator hose removed. When that mixes with a 50/50 mixture the end result is somewhat less than a 50% concentration.

What I do is I look up the total coolant capacity and add 1/2 of that amount of pure antifreeze to the radiator. If that doesn't fill it then I start alternating between antifreeze and water until the system is full. I use the same method for my cars and bike.

 

WHAT?! I was taught and always told that you always use Distilled water!! Its the next best thing to de-ionized for flushing and coolant mix. In my years of mechanic work I have never once heard that, but when you just mentioned it No offense but that is probably the most retarded reasoning I have ever heard, why you shouldnt use distilled. On the same note, if it is true about distilled, using water with minerals in it causes the same amount of damage, but I would still use distilled. I have not yet found much at all to support those claims over using distilled

 

I highly suggest people don't use distilled water, run it for about a year, then take the engine apart and talk to me about calcium buildup in the water jackets and passages. It ain't pretty, and its next to impossible to get it all out.