DS625X Coolant Change

The DS625X has a liquid cooling system with a thermostat, a water pump, a radiator with an electric fan and an expansion tank. The coolant that passed VOGE's test is ethylene glycol with an ice point of -45 °C. The owner's manuals call for a coolant change every 2 years (see the table below) and a level check at every service Owner's manual p. 89.

Specifications at a glance

Where the manuals give different values, each value is listed with its sources and the row is marked Sources differ. We cannot verify which value is correct.

The engine manual warns that coolant with a silicate anti-corrosion additive may wear the water-pump seal ring faster and block the radiator passages Engine manual p. 34.

Do not fill with tap water. The owner's manual says filling with running water is not allowed and may damage the cooling system, and that coolants of different specifications must not be mixed Owner's manual p. 72.

What you need

• At least 2.0 L of coolant to the specification above
• Drain pan
• Funnel with narrow spout
• Tools to remove the fairing cover over the electric fan
• New flat washers for the drain bolts
• Torque wrench (11 N·m)
• Rags, gloves, eye protection
• Coolant disposal container

Procedure

The drain and refit steps follow the KEL600 engine workshop manual p. 38-39. Where the owner's manuals differ, both versions are given with their pages.

1. Cool the engine

Coolant work is done on a cold engine. Do not open the radiator cap until the engine and radiator have cooled, or hot coolant can spray out and scald you.

2. Park upright, prepare

Stand the bike upright on its parking stand on level ground. Remove the fairing cover over the electric fan. Place the drain pan under the engine.

3. Drain

Remove the radiator cap.

Remove the water pump drain bolt and its flat washer, then the cylinder drain bolt and its flat washer, and let the coolant drain. The owner's manual describes a single drainage bolt and notes that the whole system drains through it because the system is connected Owner's manual p. 72.

To drain the expansion tank, the engine manual pulls the siphon hose off the radiator and out of its clamp, lowers it below the engine and drains the tank, then washes the inside of the tank with water and refits the hose to the clamp and radiator. The owner's manuals do not describe draining the tank.

4. Refit the drain bolts

Fit each drain bolt with a new flat washer and tighten to 11 N·m.

5. Fill and bleed

The owner's manuals and the engine manual give different fill and bleed methods. We cannot verify which is correct.

Owner's manual method Owner's manual p. 72 Swedish owner's manual p. 71:

1. Open the radiator cap and fill with coolant.
2. Squeeze the water hose while filling to push the air out, until the radiator is full. Fit the cap.
3. Start the engine and run it for 30 seconds so the coolant reaches every part.
4. Stop the engine. When it has cooled, open the radiator cap again. If the level has dropped, fill it up again.
5. Repeat until the level no longer drops.
6. Remove the black rubber cap on the expansion tank and fill until the level is between the UPPER and LOWER marks.

Engine manual method Engine manual p. 39:

1. Fill with coolant through the filler port up to the neck.
2. Put the engine in neutral.
3. Start the engine and let it idle for 2-3 minutes.
4. Open and close the throttle 3-4 times to expel the air.
5. Stop the engine and top up if needed.
6. Fit the radiator cap.
7. Fill the expansion tank with coolant and refit the fairing cover.

Whichever method you use, let the engine cool before you reopen the radiator cap after it has run.

6. Check the expansion tank

With the engine cooled and the bike upright, the level must be between LOWER and UPPER. Do not overfill: coolant expands when hot and can be forced out of the overflow tube Owner's manual p. 71.

If you find you need to top up often, the manual says this indicates a fault. Contact a VOGE dealer.

7. Check for leaks

Check the drain bolts, the hoses and the expansion tank fittings. The engine manual says the water pump overflow hole may let out a little coolant, which is normal, but that no coolant may leak out while the engine is running Engine manual p. 41.

8. Disposal

Dispose of used coolant in an environmentally friendly way. Take it to a hazardous-waste collection point.

Common pitfalls

• Opening a hot system. Hot coolant can spray out. Always let the engine cool first Owner's manual p. 73.
• Tap water. Filling with running water is not allowed.
• Skipping the bleed. Air in the circulation system is one of the listed causes of an overheating engine Engine manual p. 35.
• Silicate coolant. It may wear the water-pump seal ring and block the radiator.
• Mixing coolants. Coolants of different specifications must not be mixed.
• Filling a dry expansion tank. See the warning at the top of this page.
• Using the DS525X's 1.5 L figure. That figure is for the DS525X. Use the DS625X figures above.

Cross-reference

Both owner's manuals give the same coolant specification and change interval, but different capacities. Unless a row says otherwise, the figures come from the DS625X owner's manual p. 73 and the DS525X owner's manual p. 73.

Sources

• Voge DS625X Owner's Manual (English)
• Voge DS625X Owner's Manual (Swedish)
• KEL600 Engine Service Manual
• Voge DS625X Owner's Manual (Hungarian), machine translated

Have notes on bleed quirks or hose-clip locations? Send them in.