In yellowstone, XP not running right - cant ride!!

[2003Summit]

Got to Yellowstone today, went for an afternoon ride and the XP isn’t running right. The mag side cylinder drops out at about 1/4 throttle on the trail. Just cuts out when you are just at about ¼” of throttle, drops from about 40mph to 20mph. Just a little more throttle and it cuts back in and runs fine (picks up quickly to 50mph or so). Seams to run fine at idle. Seams to be a fuel mixture problem I think.

Went to the dealer here, say that they can't look at it for four days (sun/mon are holidays).

Any chance anyone has any ideas? I have checked the DPM lines, took the air box off and checked everything I can see, can't see any problems. Tried new plugs on the trail and swapping plugs, no help.

Further more, any one know how to get the air box back on? I am using the starter rope to pull the carbs forward but I cannot get enough room to get the boot around the mag side carb. It keeps getting pinched and won't slip onto the carb. What is the trick here? Move the tank back, engine forward?

Thanks for any help you can give me!

(I'm sitting in my hotel room looking at the snow about 3/4 of the way up the window while the rest of my group is out riding ).

 

[sumx54]

post this on doo-talk and I'm sure someone will respond. How do you know the mag side quits? plug color? Did you check the rav valves

 

[duck]

I sure hope it isn't that broken rave valve issue.....

 

[2003Summit]

post this on doo-talk and I'm sure someone will respond. How do you know the mag side quits? plug color? Did you check the rav valves

I have been reading on doo-talk for about an hour. I'm not the only one, common problem. Something to do with the carbs not made right. Does it only at elevation. The brass cylinder for the needle is pressed down too far maybe. I'm going to go out and check it when I find a mirror and am not feeling quite so depressed!!

I know it's cutting out cause of the major loose of power & big change in sound (feels/sounds just like a cylinder dropped). It doesn't just not run right, it only runs on one cylinder when it's happening. You can keep it running like that for about 20 seconds or so if you hold the throttle right: did that and pulled the plug - mag was fowled and cold. Swapped plugs, did it again, mag side fowled again and the previous fowled mag plug running in the pto cyl is now looking clean.

If you put just a hair more throttle it cuts back in and you pick up speed fast. Some are calling it the yo-yo effect. It's really hard to trail ride like this. Also if you pull the choke out a bit when it's happening it cuts back in. I think what I need is a new set of carbs, but that's after the dealer has time to look at it and if he even has access to them. I guess they are a little back ordered.

I had noticed this yo-yo effect since I got it, but it was very slight - not like this at all. Didn't think much of it. But cursing tails with light throttle at this altitude its a major problem. Went to McBride a while back and it wasn't a problem there either, you were either on the throttle or not and I didn't notice this. If anyone else has a slight yo-yo effect on your 08 800R consider looking in to it before you go to the hills.

I"m getting depressed. It's clear skies here, warm sun, +1C and 8 feet of snow: everywhere. Trails are flat like glass. Gunna snow a bunch ever night and be sunny every day. Could not be more perfect. I rode out of town about 5 miles and back today.

Check this pic. Taken today at about 12:30.

 

[Rucky]

Why don't you pick up a rental and let Doo pick up the tab?

 

[2003Summit]

I wish! I'm pretty sure the rental would not be covered under warranty.

 

[Rucky]

There's a possibility. I've heard of doo taking care of stuff like that because of broken down sleds.

 

[renegade x]

Hey Dan {I think} your in Yellowstone man I know you have been pumped about this trip for a long time,bite the bullet and get the rental,shelling out that money will suck when you have a brand new XP at the hotel,but sitting in the room will suck even more.P.S I bled the air out of the cooling system and the GT works great, taking the kids out tomorrow.If this is not who I think it is,disregard this message,get the rental and get riding.Boy would I not like to be your Ski-Doo dealer when you get home.
Jon.

 

[renegade x]

The whipping boy was supposed to be at the end.

 

[2003Summit]

Hey Dan {I think} your in Yellowstone man I know you have been pumped about this trip for a long time,bite the bullet and get the rental,shelling out that money will suck when you have a brand new XP at the hotel,but sitting in the room will suck even more.P.S I bled the air out of the cooling system and the GT works great, taking the kids out tomorrow.If this is not who I think it is,disregard this message,get the rental and get riding.Boy would I not like to be your Ski-Doo dealer when you get home.
Jon.

Air in the cooling system. How the heck did air get in the cooling system? Glad it was a simple problem and hope all is well with it.

Wife is going to have a hotel day for me tomorrow and take the sled to the local dealer and find out what is what. There is a chance they may look at it, plus we will inquire about the rental.

Good news is, after pulling on the carbs for 2 hours (till sun went down and I couldn't see any more), and reading on dootalk for about 2 more, I finally figured out how to get the air box back on. Simple, 30 second process. Who would have thought the air box comes apart in two pieces. I bet it was in the manual too.

 

[poorboy]

does your insurance policy cover your rental in case of breakdown or is this only for accidents

 

[shoppingcart111]

Did they re engineer every single part of these XP'S? Seems like there's something new every week with these things going wrong. I dont thing they had this many problems when they first invented the wheel.

 

[Rucky]

I dont thing they had this many problems when they first invented the wheel.

No, they didn't, but it did seem to bend when they tried to make it lighter

 

[2003Summit]

Got the sled back from the dealer today. They did have a chance to look at it. They took the carbs apart and cleaned them and it seams to be running fine now. I was glad they found the time to do it. I was worried it might be something that could cause an engine melt down, would want to be ridding here for 8 days with that on the mind.

Will post some more picks of the snow here in a new thread for your guys to druel over.

Thanks

 

[Scotty]

XP still running poor? I read your reply in your other thread about Yellowstone... I thought the dealer had you all fixed up? Air in the cooling system could'nt have caused the problems you are experiencing, obviously, sounds like a exhaust valve problem? Hope you get it figured out. Get the rental and put some miles on so you can enjoy the trip.

 

[2003Summit]

Still runs like doo doo. Depends a bit on the altitude and load, and throttle position, and air temp and how you hold your tongue. Some times it just runs rough, some times it just drops the one cylinder all together. Makes it hard to trail ride. When it drops it throws you forward, then when it cuts in it pulls hard and you gotta hang on, then if you back off a bit, it cuts out and you are over the bars again. Really super annoying. I put the cab heat on and it enriches it enough to make it ride-able. Put the choke half on when its missing makes it run fine. Its hard to diagnose as well, when the cylinder cuts out the plug is wet, cold and dark, but I don’t know if that’s cause it’s too rich or too lean. I’m wondering if even when it’s lean would it get fuel on it when it’s not igniting, plus why would the choke help it if it’s too rich?? Plus if it’s running too lean it would be worse at lower altitude, not better. Just doesn’t make much sense.

It's obviously not a simple problem or the local dealer would have caught it already. They were really good about fitting me in the other day and doing what they did, but because it's a bigger problem they are not too crazy about digging in to it too far because of their back load.

The symptoms are identical to several of the "mid range bog" posts I found on doo-talk. All of them are “dropping a cylinder at ¼ throttle between 5000-6500RPM at 6000ft or higher, choke helps – many things tried (cleaning carbs, inspecting, testing DPM, electrical etc), new carbs fixes it, nothing can be found to be wrong with the old ones.”

Other thing to keep in mind, regarding the XP factor, is this 800R was introduced last year, so this engine has already had a year in the field before being put in the XP. Those of you waiting till next year to get an XP with the bugs out, keep in mind you are getting a new engine next year.

Anyway, I just hope my dealer in Edmonton is willing to do something real to fix this when I get back. My fear is it won’t do it anymore at 2200ft.

 

[2003Summit]

XP still running poor? I read your reply in your other thread about Yellowstone... I thought the dealer had you all fixed up? Air in the cooling system could'nt have caused the problems you are experiencing, obviously, sounds like a exhaust valve problem? Hope you get it figured out. Get the rental and put some miles on so you can enjoy the trip.

Air in the cooling was about the Grand Touring I had sold to "renegade x"; it was burping out the coolant.

 

[Deano670]

If this problem is only happening at mountain elevation its either gotta be the dpm, the hose routing for the dpm, something stuck in the venturies for the dpm or possibly the fuel level in the mag side carb. If the fuel level in the bowl on the mag side carb is to high this would explain why it runs fine at home and not in the hills, would also explain the wet plug. At home you have lots of air to burn lots of fuel, once in the hills and the air is cut back, the dpm may not be able to adjust the bowl pressure enough to cut the fuel back to a point where it can mix properly with the amount of air it has to burn. Just a thought