2002 HONDA GL1800 Engine And Engine Coolingcooling System Problems

GL1800 2002 OVERHEATING AT LOW SPEED. PAID $1,000.00 PLUS FOR SERVICE BULLETIN FIX AND IT DID NOTHING TO HELP THE PROBLEM. *JB

VEHICLE'S FRONT END WOBBLES BETWEEN 35 AND 40 MPH.* MR WHEN THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED THEY STATED THAT THE FRONT END WOBBLED BECAUSE OF THE TIRES USED. HOWEVER THEY DID NOT PAY TO HAVE TIRES REPLACED ON BIKE BECAUSE THEY CLAIMED THAT THE CONSUMER SHOULD HAVE LEFT THE ORIGINALS ON. THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT THE BIKE IS UNSAFE TO RIDE AND IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF NOT REPAIRED. (WHEN THE CRUISE WAS SET AND IF THE VEHICLE WAS GOING 40 MPH WITHOUT A FIRM GRIP ON THE HANDLE BARS, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE) *CB THE BIKE ALSO HAD AN OVERHEATING PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT WAS HOW THE BIKE WAS DESIGNED.*JB *CB

ENGINE OVERHEATING - I PURCHASED THE BIKE IN JULY OF 2002. I EXPERIENCED OVERHEATING ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. I TOOK IT TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER IN TEMECULA CALIFORNIA AND HAD IT CHECKED OUT. THEY KEPT IT FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. I THEN CONTACTED THE HONDA COOPERATION AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT BACK IN. I DID. AGAIN NOTHING. I AM NOT OVERSEAS AND HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE OCT 2002. I HAVEN'T RIDDEN THE BIKE AND WON'T RIDE AGAIN AS I AM IN THE MARINE CORPS STATIONED ABROAD UNTIL 2005. I FINALLY DISCOVERED THIS SITE AND REALIZED THAT THERE ARE MANY, MANY OTHERS HAVING THE SELF-SAME PROBLEMS AS I AM HAVING. I HAVEN'T RIDDEN IT ENOUGH TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE WRONG WITH IT AS OTHERS HAVE. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY RECALL NOTICES OR ANYTHING. HONDA HAS MY ADDRESS STATESIDE AND OVERSEAS AS...

MOTORCYCLE TEMPERATURE CLIMBED INTO THE RED/ FLUID LEAK. MR. WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE HAD RAISED, THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND DISCOVERED 1/2 OF FLUID COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE RADIATOR, AFTER 10 MINUTES THE MOTORCYCLE WAS RESTARTED AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT DOWN. *JB

WHEN STUCK IN SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC GOING INTO THE CITY THE COOLANT TEMP GAUGE WENT DEEP INTO THE RED. WITH NOWHERE SAFE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD I WAS FORCED TO PROCEED WITH THE FEAR OF THE ENGINE BOILING OVER. AFTER LOOKING ONLINE AT THE GL1800 WEB SITES IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS CAUSED BY FAULTY MANUFACTURING. HONDA DESIGNED THE RADIATOR FANS TO BLOW THE AIR FOWARD UP TO A SPEED OF 15 MPH. ANY FASTER THAN THAT THEY ARE DESIGNED TO SHUT OFF AND ALLOW THE AMBIENT AIR TO PUSH THROUGH THE RADIATORS IN THE NORMAL DIRECTION. APPARENTLY THIS WAS DONE TO TRY TO KEEP SOME HEAT OFF OF THE RIDER AT LOW SPEEDS. HOWEVER, WHEN YOU ARE IN TRAVELLING 10MPH IN WARM CONDITIONS THE 10MPH INCOMING AIR IS FIGHTING AGAINST THE AIR FROM THE FANS. THIS CAUSES LITTLE OR NO AIR GOING ACROSS THE RADIATOR FINS, THUS CAUSING...

DESPITE MAINTAINING RECOMMENDED PRESSURE, THE FRONT TIRE BECAME SO CUPPED WITH WEAR IN 3000 MILES THAT IT INDUCED A SEVERE VIBRATION TO THE MOTORCYCLE. TURNING WAS ESPECIALLY HAZARDOUS. DEALER SAID THIS OCCURRED ON ALL THE GL-1800 MOTORCYCLES AND RECOMMENDED A DIFFERENT BRAND. DT

HAVE HAD AN OVERHEATING PROBLEM SCIENCE DAY 1. HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET A RESPONSE FROM HONDA OR DEALER BOUGHT FROM. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH A MOTORCYCLE! DT

BIKE WILL OVER HEAT WHEN STUCK IN TRAFFIC FOR AS LITTLE TIME AS 5 MINUTES. COOLANT DOES GET BLOWN OUT OF BIKE AND IT DOES GO ON BACK OF TIRE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZZARD. DT

NO SUMMARY. DT

OVERHEATS WHEN TRAVELING @ 10 - 20 MILES PER HOUR, IN HOT WEATHER. DT

THIS IS BECOMING AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH THIS MOTORCYCLE. DT

THIS MOTORCYCLE HAS A CONSTANT AND CONTINUAL HISTORY OF OVERHEATING. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO HONDA DEALERS AND THEY ALL SAY THERE IS AWARENESS OF THE OVERHEATING PROBLEM BUT HONDA HAS ELECTED TO DO NOTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD BY MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER, PELHAM POWERSPORTS, TO CONTINUE TO RIDE THE MOTORCYCLE AND DON'T BE CONCERNED WITH THE PROBLEM. I FEEL IT IS A BIG PROBLEM AND HONDA SHOULD DO SOMETHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM OR REFUND MY PURCHASE MONEY. DT

NO SUMMARY.

BIKE OVERHEATS IN SLOW TRAFFIC. NOT SOMETHING A BRAND NEW $18,000 MOTORCYCLE SHOULD DO. DT

TIME MOTORCYCLE OVERHEATED AT SLOW SPEED IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC. IT OVERHEATED ANOTHER TIME IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC AND I WAS FORCED TO SPLIT LANES AND ACCELERATE TO DROP THE TEMPERATURE. DT

ENGINE OVERHEATS IF VEHICLE SPEED IS MAINTAINED AT 12-14MPH FOR 8 MINTES OR LONGER SUCH AS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC CONGESTION OR ROAD CONSTRUCTION. DT

BIKE OVERHEATED IN STOP AND GO FREEWAY RUSH HOUR DRIVING. AIR TEMP WAS ABOUT 85. COOLANT TEMP GRADUALLY ROSE OVER ABOUT 2 MILES. BRIEF PERIODS OF 30 MPH SPEED WERE NOT ENOUGH TO COOL BIKE DOWN. TEMP GUAGE WAS NUDGING THE RED ZONE. NOT WISHING TO TEST THE SYSTEM OR TO HAVE A COOLANT BOIL OVER SITUATION, PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY FOR HALF HOUR. BY THEN TRAFFIC HAD RETURNED TO NORMAL FLOW AND BIKE OPERATED NORMALLY. DT

TEMPERATURE GAUGE MOVES INTO RED ZONE WHEN DRIVING SLOWLY IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. DEALER SAYS HONDA SAYS IGNORE THE GAUGE, ITS NOT OVERHEATING UNTIL YOUR COOLANT BOILS OVER. PROBLEM IS OVERFLOWING COOLANT WILL SPILL OUT DIRECTLY IN THE PATH OF THE REAR TIRE CAUSING LOSE OF TRACTION AND CONTROL. MR

NUMEROUS TIMES THE ENGINE HAS OVERHEATED AT 15 MPH. IT IS SOMETIMES VERY DANGEROUS WHEN YOU CAN'T GET OUT OF HEAVY TRAFFIC TO PREVENT OVERHEATING. IF YOU CAN'T GET OUT OF HEAVY TRAFFIC THE TEMPERATURE CONTINUES TO CLIMB UNTIL IT DUMPS COOLANT ON THE GROUND, WHICH OF COURSE IS VERY DANGEROUS ON A MOTORCYCLE. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE I PURCHASED THE UNIT IN JULY OF 2001. I HAVE HAD IT REPEAT THE OVERHEATING SEVERAL TIMES A DAY UP TO SEVERAL WEEKS IN A ROW. IT IS TIME THEY DO SOMETHING TO MAKE THE MOTORCYCLE SAFER TO RIDE. ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED BY MYSELF AND MANY OTHER OWNERS WHO ARE FACED WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. THANK YOU. DT

RED LINE OVERHEATING HAS CONTACTED HONDA AND THE DEALER WITH NO HELP FROM EITHER. DT

OVERHEATS AT LESS THAN 20 MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, COOLANT BOILS OVER AND DROPS IN FRONT OF REAR TIRE. COULD CREATE SLIPPERY CONDITION, AND PUTS DRIVER AND PASSENGER AT RISK OF BEING HIT BY OTHER VEHICLES WHILE AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WAITING FOR THE VEHICLE TO COOL OFF. MR

ALL THESE MOTORCYCLES OVERHEAT AT SLOW SPEED. SOMEONE WILL HAVE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO REAR TIRE SLIPPING ON SPILLED COOLANT. MR

MOTORCYCLE OVER HEATS AND COOLANT SPILT ONTO REAR TIRE. MR

IF FORCED TO TRAVEL AT CONSTANT SPEEDS OF 10 TO 15 MPH THE ENGINE WILL QUICKLY OVERHEAT INTO THE RED ZONE. THIS HAPPENS IN SLOW SEVERE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS UNLESS I CAN EITHER JUST STOP OR SPEED UP TO ABOVE 25 MPH. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO MY DEALER BUT SINCE IT HAS NOT LOSS FLUID I WAS TOLD IT IS NOT A PROBLEM. THIS HAS OCCURRED ABOUT FIVE DIFFERENT TIMES.*AK

THIS OVERHEAT PROBLEM WILL OCCUR ANY TIME MY SPEEDS ARE AT 10 TO 15MPH, SUCH AS STUCK IN SLOW TRAFFIC, REGARDLESS OF THE AMBIANT AIR TEMPERATURE. THE TEMP. GAUGE WILL RISE INTO THE "RED" ZONE VERY QUICKLY. I HAVE PULLED OVER TO LET IT COOL OFF OR WHEN TRAFFIC ALLOWS, I CAN GET BACK UP TO SPEED AND IT WILL COOL OFF.*AK

HAS OVERHEATED 4 TIMES TO DATE AND NOTIFIED DEALER OF THE TROUBLE.*AK

VEHICLE GETS VERY HOT WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF 10-15 MPH. HIGHER SPEEDS ALLEVIATE PROBLEM. BOIL OVER OF COOLANT COULD CAUSE SAFETY HAZARD IF COOLANT CONTACTS REAR WHEEL.*AK

SERIOUSLY OVERHEATS IN TRAFFIC. MUST PULL OVER, CAUSING SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. *AK

MOTORCYCLE OVERHEATS AND SPILLS COOLANT ON REAR TIRE. BECOMES VERY SLIPPERY AND LOSE OF TRACTION.*AK

MOTORCYCLE TEMPERATURE GAUGE CONSISTENTLY INDICATES OVERHEATING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 15 & 25 MPH, REGARDLESS OF OUTSIDE AIR TEMP. HAS NOT SPILLED COOLANT YET THAT I AM AWARE OF, BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO BE CERTAIN.*AK

IN TRAFFIC THE MOTORCYCLE WILL CONSISTENTLY REGISTER AS OVERHEATING CREATING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION SHOULD THE FLUID GET ON THE REAR TIRE. DANGERIOUS =NERIOUS. *AK

THE MOTORCYCLE OVERHEATS WITHIN MINUTES AT 20-25MPH RAPIDLY SENDING THE TEMPERATURE GUAGE INTO THE RED ZONE AND EXPELLING COOLANT VIA THE OVERFLOW TANK WHICH IS LOCATED JUST IN FRONT OF THE REAT WHEEL. THIS PROVIDES A VERY DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT FOR THE RIDER AND OTHERS ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO THE SLIPPERY NATURE OF ANTI-FREEZE.*AK

THE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS WARRANTED SPEEDS UNDER 20 MPH MAX, WITH LITTLE STOPPED TIME. MOTORCYCLE INDICATED OVERHEATED CONDITION BUT DID NOT SPILL COOLANT. ENGINE IS ENTIRELY MADE OF ALUMINUM AND WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL IF CONSTANTLY SUBJECTED TO OVERHEATED CONDITIONS. THIS IS DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE COOLANT SYSTEM. THE COOLING FANS CANNOT OVERCOME DUCTED AIR WHEN THE BIKE IS RUN BETWEEN 10-35 MPH FOR CONTINUAL PERIODS.*AK

THIS MOTORCYLE WILL RAPIDLY SHOW OVERHEATING TO THE REDLINE WHEN EXPOSED TO STANDARD URBAN TRAFFIC SITUATIONS SUCH AS 10-15 MPH CITY TRAFFIC. HAVE AS YET TO HAVE COOLANT OVERFLOW, BUT COOLANT OVER FLOW TANK IS LOACTED IN FRONT OF RAR WHEEL WHICH COULD CAUSE INJURY IF COOLANT LEAK WENT ONTO PAVEMENT ON FRONT OF REAR TIRE. JUST WANTED TO GET MY NAME ON THE LIST OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THIS SPECIFIC PRONBLEM WITH THIS MODEL; SO MAYBE HONDA WILL GET IT TOGETHER AND LET US OWNERS KNOW OF AND ENACT A SOLUTION TO THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. MANY HAVE REPARTED DEALERS AND HONDA DENYING A PROBLEM EVEN EXISTS, SO I HOPE TO SHOEW THAT THIS CONDITION IS NOT AN ISOLATED FEW MACHINES IN A LARGE PRODUSTION RUN. THANKS, JOHN. *AK

ON THE DAY THAT I BOUGHT MY MOTORCYCLE I RODE HOME THROUGH THE "MIXMASTER" IN DALLAS, TX AT A TIME WHEN, DUE TO AN ACCIDENT, TRAFFIC WAS STOP AND GO FOR MANY MILES. I SOON NOTICED MY TEMPERATURE GUAGE RISING TO THE HOT POINT ON THE INDICATOR. I PULLED OVER AND LET THE MOTORCYCLE COOL DOWN AND WAITED FOR TRAFFIC TO CLEAR TO PROCEDE HOME. I HAVE NOT PUUT MYSELF IN THE SAME OR SIMILAR SITUATION AS YET ALTHOUGH I COULD FIND MYSELF THERE AT ANY TIME. THE OVER HEATING OF THE ENGINE IS A PROBLEM THAT HONDA WILL NOT ADDRESS IN A RECALL TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM.*AK

OVERHEATING CONDITION CAN BE REPEATED AT WILL. COOLING FANS BLOW INTO WIND NOT ALLOWING ENGINE TO BE COOLED PROPERLY AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 10 & 20 MPH.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

DRIVER, PASSENGER, AND GENERAL MOTORING PUBLIC SAFETY IS COMPROMISED WITH THE HONDA GL1800 MODEL MOTORCYCLE. ENGINE TEMPERATURE RISES TO AN UNSAFE CONDITION AS INDICATED ON THE MANUFACTURERS TEMPERATURE GAUGE WHEN VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AT CITY SPEEDS OF LESS THAN APPROX. 30 MPH, OR WHEN DETAINED IN STOP AND GO CONGESTION TRAFFIC WITH THE SAME SPEED EXAMPLE. THE CONDITION SEVERLY DISTRACTS AND IMPEDES THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE AND EFFECTS NOT ONLY THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER BUT OTHER MOTORIST AS WELL, WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE OPERATOR IS TRYING TO RELOCATE THEMSELVES INTO A PLACE THAT WOULD ALLOW ENGINE TEMP. TO RETURN TO NORMAL IE: ( FIND A PLACE TO PARK, OUT OF TRAFFIC, TO ALLOW THE FOWARD DESIGNED AIR FLOW OF FANS TO RETURN COOLANT TEMP TO NORMAL AFTER TIME, OR SPEED UP ENOUGH TO FACILITATE ADDITIONAL AIR FLOW THRU RADIATORS TO ALLOW ENGINE TEMPS TO RETURN TO NORMAL. ) EITHER...

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

MY 2002 GOLD WING WILL OVER-HEAT AT LOW SPEEDS. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT WILD WEST HONDA SAID YOU MUST RIDE OVER 30 MPH !!! SOMETIMES THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE. THERE SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE COOLING SYSTEM DESIGN, FROM HONDA? THANK YOU, [XXX]. *AK REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CC

HWY 101, AMBIANT TEMP. 95*, TRAFFIC CONGESTION 15 MPH FOR 11 MINUTES, OVER HEATED, SAME SITUATION HALF HOUR LATER. NEEDED TO PULL OF HWY TO COOL. NOT MUCH ROOM. NO FLUID OVERFLOW. CAN BE LIFE THREATING SITUATIONS DUE TO OVERHEATING. *AK

MOTORCYCLE OVERHEATS AT LOW SPEEDS CONSISTENTLY. *AK

OVERHEATED FIRST TIME INTO RED, NO COOLANT LOSS BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO SIDE OF ROAD AND ALLOW ENGINE TO COOL; OVERHEATED SECOND TIME WITH COOLANT LOSS, NOT ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OFF SIDE OF ROAD TO ALLOW ENGINE TO COOL; ENGINE TEMP GAGE HAS CLIMBED TO ALMOST RED ZONE NUMEROUS OTHER TIMES WHILE CRUISING NEIGHBORHOODS LOOKING AT REAL ESTATE OR WHILE BEING CAUGHT IN SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC. ONLY DUMPED COOLANT ONE TIME WHEN NOT ABLE TO SAFELY PULL TO SIDE OF ROAD TO ALLOW ENGINE TO COOL DOWN, OTHERWISE, IT WOULD HAVE LOST COOLANT SEVERAL MORE TIMES.*AK

COOLANT TEMPERATURE GAUGE HAS PEGGED TO HOT 2 TIMES, 1ST. TIME 1993DEGREES ON FREEWAY IN VERY SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC, 2ND. TIME 78 DEGREES GOING 5MPH.. *AK

ENGINE OVERHEATS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AVERAGING 15 MPH. THIS CAN BE HAZARDOUS AS THE DRIVER MUST MONITOR TRAFFIC AND TEMPERATURE GUAGE SIMULTANEOUSLY. IF COOLANT SPILLS OVER, THE REAR TIRE MAY SLIP ON THE COOLANT CAUSING A CRASH. COOLANT WAS AT THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL EACH TIME THE BIKE OVERHEATED. NLM

OVERHEATS IN SLOW TRAFFIC, 15-20 MPH CAUSING THE ANTIFREEZE TO BOIL OUT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE REAR TIRE. NLM

ENGINE INDICATES OVERHEATED CONDITION DURING LOW SPEED OPERATION. COOLANT OVERFLOW IS DIRECTLY IN-LINE WITH REAR TIRE. *AK

THE COOLING SYSTEM HAS OVERHEATED TO THE DANGER ZONE 3 TIMES WHILE RIDING A SLOW SPEEDS. I OWNED THE PREVIOUS MODEL ( A GL 1500 GOLD WING) AND IT NEVER OVERHEATED UNDER THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES. IN FACT ON 2 OF THE OVERHEATING EVENTS I WAS RIDING IN THE COMPANY OF 2 OF THE OLDER 1500'S WHO HAD NO TROUBLE AT ALL. MY CONCERN, AND IT SHOULD BE YOURS AS WELL, IS THE OVERHEATED COOLING SYSTEM DUMPING COOLANT ON THE ROAD IN FRONT OF MY REAR WHEEL. THAT COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURY. IT APPEARS THAT THE FACTORY HAS CHANGED THE AIRFLOW DIRECTION AT LOW SPEEDS IN THIS MODEL.*AK

COOLING SYSTEM NOT DESIGNED PROPERLY. *AK

TEMPERATURE GAUGE REACHES "RED " LINE WHEN MOTOR CYCLE IS DRIVEN AT 15 MPH FOR 5-10 MINS OF DRIVING. *AK