Help?!? I have a leak.

[chag67]

2007 Yamaha Venture

 

I have what I believe to be a fuel leak. It's not oil because the spot on the concrete isn't stained. It evaporates after a few days and doesn't leave a stain. It feels like fuel. My choke assembly looks very dirty and "corroded". A tube or wire looks messed up. I will post a picture later tonight.

 

Can someone post a closeup picture of their choke knob area?

[cowpuc]

The first thing to do is find out if what you are seeing is actually gas. Best way I know to determine whether its fuel is rub it and give it a sniff. There are a lot of potential "leaks" of fuel from your scoot, everything from carb overflows, small crack in a fuel filter, a seeping fuel line.. First determine whether or not it actually is gas and we go from there..

[chag67]

I'm 99% sure it's gas. I had a difficult time with smells (nose is messed up) so I can't tell by smell. Other that lighting a match, which I'm not gonna do, I don't know how to tell if it's fuel or not.

[V7Goose]

Take a small piece of paper (paper towel or just letter paper is fine), rub it in the liquid to get one end as wet as you can, then take it outside and light a match to it. Totally safe, and you will know for sure if it burns fast. My guess is you do not have a fuel leak, but probably a small leak from the drain plugs under the fake cylinder fins. This is VERY common on these bikes when the temps get cold and the rubber plugs have not been changed in a few years.

Goose

[cowpuc]

If it is gas, look right above the spot under your scoot and see if you can pin point where its dripping from and follow it from there. Not sure where the carb overflow tubes exit the frame on a 2nd Gen but I do know that if you have a sticky float or dirty float valve in a carb it will drain like you are talking Chaq - check the ends of those overflow hoses for dampness. Also, it dont take a lot of fuel to make a small puddle - amazing how a far a few drops will spread. I have found when looking for leaks like that the easiest for me is looking with the garage dark and then using a real bright pin light - easier to see little reflections of damp fuel on carb bodies and such.

[chag67]

I haven't rode my bike in over two weeks. I know I know. The leak appeared right after riding only after the engine cooled completely. The drip shows up every couple days or so. So the temporary wet spot only shows up every few days and I haven't rode the bike since I noticed the leak. Also it is in 2 locations. Middle of the bike and right under the air filter.

[Larry1963]

2007 Yamaha VentureI have leak.

 

Try Depends, worked for me

[MikeWa]

If you are leaking enough fuel to soil the floor you will have a terrific gas smell. More intense than the usual carb vent evaporation odor. Put a pan under the bike to catch whatever is offending. My guess coolant drip, unless it is under a shock.

 

Mike

[Marcarl]

Throw a piece of plain cardboard under the bike. Fuel will end up mostly dry, but will leave mark, oil will remain wet, coolant will dry over time but leave a different mark and the glycol will not evaporate as quick as the water, brake fluid will remain damp and will wash away with plain water.

[chag67]

I collected some in a pan. It's bluish greenish in color.

[Guest Jamsie]

I collected some in a pan. It's bluish greenish in color.

 

That would suggest a water leak.

Check all hose`s and joints and also as someone said, the drain plugs behind the cylinder covers

[Freebird]

Most likely the cooling plugs behind the cylinder fins. VERY common and and a cheap and easy fix.

[dacheedah]

Or you could just check the coolent plugs behind the cylinder fins.

[chag67]

How do you access the cooling plugs? What do they look like? Is it something a novice mechanic can do? Pics?

[steamer]

The fins are held on with a couple of Allen head screws. Remove the screws and the fins will come right off. Each cylinder has what looks like a small plug with a treaded hole in the middle of it. the threaded hole is there so you can thread a screw into it to pull the plug out. But don't do that unless you have new plugs to replace them. If they are leaking you will see coolant seeping out around the plugs. the quick fix is to glue a dime over the plugs and replace the covers. the covers will hold the dime in place and put pressure on the plug causing it to expand and re seal it self.