Adding to existing coolant?

boarder360

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So recently bought a 2006 Honda CBR600RR. Since the weather was nice today, i decided to change the oil. When i was changing the oil i noticed the coolant reservoir was kind of low, slightly below the low level line. Im wondering if i can just add more coolant, but i have no idea what brand was previously used other then its green. Would it be bad to possibly mix to different brands of coolant, or should i just do a complete flush of the system(I'm being lazy)
 
Just needs to be ethylene glycol. If its just low just top it with water....distilled or tap for the purists.


 
If the current contents are green, it's regular old glycol. Add as required, no big deal.

If it's not green (Yellow, orange, red) chances are it's a long life option. There's much dread spread online about the disasters that will result if you mix long life with regular glycol, but it's from days of old and isn't really an issue anymore. I wouldn't recommend doing it if you can figure out what exactly is in it and refill with the same, but it's not going to result in the molasses/gunk disaster that you may read about online, still spread around by many even though it's no longer a thing.

Either way, although completely draining and flushing is never a bad thing especially if you don't know the strength or age of the old coolant, but topping up isn't inherently bad.

Topping up with water isn't a great idea. You are lowering the freezing point of the coolant, and unless your bike is stored in a heated place during the winter...if you get that freezing point too low bad things WILL happen. You'd also need to run the bike up to temperature to draw that water out of the coolant reservoir to begin with and fully mix it..if you don't, this time of year, the reservoir will probably freeze and crack. Always use a 50/50 mix of glycol to water - for the small amount bikes use just buying premixed is a simple solution.
 
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Thanks for the suggestions. I think it's pro Honda hp coolant, solely based on the colour. I'll pick up a bottle of that and just add it for now. Then when I change the air filter and everything's apart I'll do the full flush.
 
I've had bikes that would do this purely because of the cold weather, and topping it up would be a mistake. YMMV

Of course, if you add a little, then you subsequently notice you have low coolant again, you have a problem
 
If you just bought it,no telling how old it is. Might as well do a full change.

Not really helping me out in the laziness department, but that's probably the best idea. Thanks for all the suggestions.
 
Ok then...if lazy.... If it's below the LOW mark. just add some to just above the mark. Run it and if it stays there top up more to the HIGH mark.
 
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