this post was submitted on 18 Apr 2025
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Mechanic Advice
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I would need a better scanner unfortunately, relooking at the manual mine will only say if a device is reporting. O2 is listing as "not ready" but there is nothing for coolant. I'll check the connection on the O2 sensor and clean the housing this am and drive for a bit and feel the radiator hose and see what I can find.
I have a pretty affordable Foxwell ($50) scanner that shows live data but there are a lot of other options. You could go to an auto store and ask to borrow theirs. You should see both O2 sensor jumping between 0.1 and 1. I’m not a pro though so should probably watch some videos or ask somebody else about how to text the O2.
Good luck!
I got one from Walmart for $50 that allowed for a phone app to record while I was driving home. Coolant hung from 174-184 (F), and it's the upstream O2 sensor that is showing issues. Specifically running lean, never getting over .065v and reading 0 several times at idle, which was also about 20 rpm low sitting at roughly 685 instead of 700.
So googling tells me it could be:
Only the first 3 really seem likely so I'll probably start with those and reply to this thread generally once I have a final fix. Thankfully none seem all that major.
Nice job chasing it down. Hopefully it’s one of those, but either way a learning lesson and fun if you like working on cars
Definitely a learning lesson! I really don’t care for any vehicle work larger/more complicated than my old motorcycles but I also prefer to not pay a mechanic to fix this stuff as often as possible.
For sure. I imagine working on a bike might be easier in that there’s a lot of open space to get to what you need to?
Usually yes. The bike I work on the most the whole motor falls out the bottom if you remove five bolts so even large overhauls are manageable. Other routine maintenance things are also placed in convenient places.
The clutch is on the side of the motor (usually the bottom left) and come out with just that cover removed.
The suspension I replaced without any tools besides a socket wrench as I could put them on the wheel and just lift the wheel by hand to place it correctly onto the other side of the frame.
That sounds so nice haha. I’ve done some jobs on my cars where removing a single bolt took almost 30 min.
So there is an exception to my past statement. Yamahas. The last one I took the engine apart on every bolt was a different damn socket size!
Haha wtf? Any idea why?
No clue. Swore I’d never buy another Yamaha…but I failed and have another one. This one I’ve had to do nothing but normal maintenance on and it looks like the same thing. 2 sizes of Allen keys and a socket wrench to remove the plastic fairings just to get to the oil filter for an oil change.
I’ve just started to budget for a mechanic doing all the larger maintenance on it this time!
Haha Yamaha makes good bikes? Riding a motorcycle sounds fun but I’m afraid of hurting myself or getting hit by somebody
They do, though admittedly I’d steer anyone towards Honda over anyone else for price and longevity. We have a 1978 Honda in the garage that runs almost like new still!
Now I won’t say motorcycles are as safe as cars (statistically they’re not), but I will say it is less risky than many people think. The majority of fatal crashes involve no helmet and a very large portion involve alcohol unfortunately. The average commuter who gear up is fairly safe if they’re conscious of the weather and road. Plus they make vest worn airbags now that are showing incredibly promising things if you do know someone who rides. Something like a 89% reduction in spinal injuries. (YouTube link)
Yeah Honda’s are nice. It just sucks cuz even if you don’t get into a major accident, a small hit could fuck up your day vs a car you just carry on.