[yzracer2]

Anyone have a liquid drip out of the hose down by the left foot peg while charging? I was charging on level 1 and noticed a small drip of pink / red liquid on the ground. Just wondering what it is? Coolant? Bike is low miles

 

[Mac Mike]

Anyone have a liquid drip out of the hose down by the left foot peg while charging? I was charging on level 1 and noticed a small drip of pink / red liquid on the ground. Just wondering what it is? Coolant? Bike is low miles View attachment 376

Looks like coolant. May want to check your coolant level to make sure it's not low and have service dept. check for the leak.

 

[LiVE]

Anyone have a liquid drip out of the hose down by the left foot peg while charging? I was charging on level 1 and noticed a small drip of pink / red liquid on the ground. Just wondering what it is? Coolant? Bike is low miles

I have the exact same thing happening - happened at least a few time now. Going to talk to the dealer
it is coming from a hose that looks like some type of drain, as if it is supposed to be there, but the liquid seems not right. Wanted to make sure you know it is a Harley so give it a leak?

 

[LiVE]

I went to the dealer to look at the two other bikes on the floor - one a demo with miles, and the other relatively untouched. Both have the same hose coming down, leading me to believe that it did not become disconnected. Following it up, it appears to go to the left side of the bike where the coolant tank is per picture above. So I am not going to worry about it too much and try to connect with the master tech trained on the LW.

 

[Mac Mike]

I went to the dealer to look at the two other bikes on the floor - one a demo with miles, and the other relatively untouched. Both have the same hose coming down, leading me to believe that it did not become disconnected. Following it up, it appears to go to the left side of the bike where the coolant tank is per picture above. So I am not going to worry about it too much and try to connect with the master tech trained on the LW.

More than likely just an overflow drain. I still would have service check it out as your bike could be overheating your coolant.

 

[BHigerd]

Mine is in the shop for that very thing. It was a light gear oil, exactly like the kind used in the gearbox. The coolant is bright orange according to the service technician. He's trying to figure it out now.

 

[Mac Mike]

Mine is in the shop for that very thing. It was a light gear oil, exactly like the kind used in the gearbox. The coolant is bright orange according to the service technician. He's trying to figure it out now.

Have you had the 1K service done on your bike? If it is gear oil and you have a leak it's the gasket or loose bolts.

 

[BHigerd]

Happened at around 350 miles, so not yet time for the first service. But it was explained to me that the coolant is bright colored, and the leak was an oily material, low viscosity, and around 6-8 fluid ounces. Gearbox reportedly only holds 27 fluid ounces, so had it hauled to dealership to resolve. I didn't want to damage my bike as a result of fluid leak. Still awaiting prognosis. Happened when charging at level 1, when it gets very warm (i.e. hot).

Ironically, leak stopped when I took it off the charger and it cooled down. My mechanic is working to resolve now.

 

[Mac Mike]

Happened at around 350 miles, so not yet time for the first service. But it was explained to me that the coolant is bright colored, and the leak was an oily material, low viscosity, and around 6-8 fluid ounces. Gearbox reportedly only holds 27 fluid ounces, so had it hauled to dealership to resolve. I didn't want to damage my bike as a result of fluid leak. Still awaiting prognosis. Happened when charging at level 1, when it gets very warm (i.e. hot).

Ironically, leak stopped when I took it off the charger and it cooled down. My mechanic is working to resolve now.

Someone told you wrong. Gearbox only holds 355ml (12oz)! You lost half your oil. Good thing you trailered in! Charging the bike should not heat the gear oil as coolant is working while charging. Pics are from my 1K service. At 350 miles seems like loose bolts but you would also see oil around the housing if you lost that much. 1K service video.

 

[BHigerd]

First, great video!
So learned some things from my mechanic (Sal) and HD technical assistance today.
1) Although the coolant goes in colored, it leaks out clear.
2) it's viscous like gear oil.
3) H-D reports a lot of people are seeing the coolant leak out below the left foot peg and H-D states it's not an issue.
4) H-D states it should stop after 2-3 times.
5) KEY: try not to charge immediately after a ride. Everything is hot and charging makes everything hotter (internally)
6) I've got a great mechanic
7) the Livewire is awesome!
Mac Mike, really appreciate the feedback!!! Bike is on the way back tomorrow.

 

[BHigerd]

And to confirm, the gear lube level was full. The coolant is filled to full at the factory, but there's apparently "wiggle room" for some to leak out. H-D technical assistance indicated not to worry or re-fill. Level will self-balance.

 

[Mac Mike]

And to confirm, the gear lube level was full. The coolant is filled to full at the factory, but there's apparently "wiggle room" for some to leak out. H-D technical assistance indicated not to worry or re-fill. Level will self-balance.

Good thing you had no major problem. I did not think it was your gear oil. As to your list of things learned #5 makes no sense. Looks like HD technical and your mechanic need to understand the RESS. If we had to wait some time to charge after riding it would make long rides nearly impossible. Why do you think there is coolant on the bike? When the bike is plugged in to charge, the water pump will activate if too hot. The rate of charge is controlled by the RESS by temperature. If hot it will reduce the rate of charge to keep from overheating along with the coolant. All this was explained to me by my dealer's service department when I bought my bike.Here is another good video with an overview of the Livewire. The charging system starts at the 12 minute mark of the video.

 

[BHigerd]

You're undoubtedly correct about the RESS, something I'd like to understand better. It was merely a suggestion from my mechanic, not the engineers at H-D. The H-D engineers said not to worry about the leak, that they ship the bikes full of coolant and some relatively minor leakage is not something to be concerned about, provided it stops after a few times. The suggestion to let the bike cool down before charging was simply to minimize the temperature when feasible. Ironically, on level 3 charging, it never happened. It only happened when my mechanic set-up the same scenario with level 1 charging. Regardless, the bike has been delivered back to me in Savannah, and so I ride on...