[Ranb]

I got an Ultimax Pro 125-4240U4 belt which is supposed to be a replacement for the Polaris belt. I decided that if a gallon of 2-stroke oil will last 50 gallons and I get 10 mpg, then this equates to about 50 miles a day while on my Christmas vacation each year. This means saving a few bucks on oil each year is not something I need to do.

Anyway, Carlton County has plenty of snow right now and unless they get a warm wind/rain, it should still be there in a month.

Ranb

 

[Sledwarrior]

Pretty sure you get a lot more than just 10 mpg. I'm thinking 15 for something that small.

 

[meburdick]

15MPG on that sled, with two people, would be an achievement. 10MPG is closer to the reality.

 

[Ranb]

We'll be inching along at a top speed of 40 mph on the trails, my wife about half that speed. I'm not sure what the most efficient speed of a 550 is, but other than the occasional hill it won't be pushed very hard at all.

Ranb

 

[meburdick]

There's no single speed that will be any better than another. The CVT drive system means that the motor can (and will) operate at whatever RPM is required given the exact current conditions. So, there's zero correlation between RPM and speed, and thus, MPG.

You definitely DON'T want to be operating in the 5MPH area as that will likely mean that you're putting a lot of wear on the belt from a lot of engaging and disengaging of the clutch. Other than that sort of scenario, just drive it.

 

[Ranb]

We have the same slow speed precautions with our CVT equipped ATV. I track the mileage of all of our vehicles as it is a good way of identifying performance problems.

Ranb

 

[meburdick]

Agreed. Once you've established a baseline, it's pretty easy to tell when something is amiss.

 

[Ranb]

I finally got a chance to ride the sled yesterday. It filled the garage up with smoke burning the fogging oil and running the 40-1 break-in gas oil mix but it started after three brief attempts with the starter. While it sits higher than the Phazer I rode last year, it is much easier to drive than the very heavy two seat Polaris I tried out. With less than six inches of snow on the ground we won't be getting stuck. We're getting some ear plugs as the engine is very noisy.

Ranb

 

[kccats]

Congrats.
If you look at the exhaust, when you first start it, is there smoke coming out anywhere? High temp silicone will fix that!

 

[Ranb]

Is there any reason why the sled does not like to go into reverse when warmed up? I tested the electronic reverse in the yard after starting it up and it worked fine. But out on the trail with the engine warmed up it would not go into reverse when I needed it. Any suggestions?

Ranb

Called the dealer (Duluth Lawn and Sport) I bought it from and was told I could bring it in and they would "look at it in a day or two". I've only got another week to use it prior to going home so I think I'll look for another way to fix it for now.

 

[Sledwarrior]

Try to shake it into reverse.

 

[meburdick]

Post the specifics as to what happened on the trail. Details are never a bad thing...

 

[TheBearAk]

Can't a low or bad battery cause it to have issues with the electronic reverse?

Meaning, is that like the SkiDoo RER that it shuts off the motor and fires it backwards? I know the Skidoos, specially the early Tundras that had RER first had issues when the battery was weak. The little 5 amp charge wasn't enough to get it back up 100% while riding it.

 

[Sledwarrior]

Can't a low or bad battery cause it to have issues with the electronic reverse?

Meaning, is that like the SkiDoo RER that it shuts off the motor and fires it backwards? I know the Skidoos, specially the early Tundras that had RER first had issues when the battery was weak. The little 5 amp charge wasn't enough to get it back up 100% while riding it.

I have to disagree due to all the battery free sleds, that have the exact same mechanism.

 

[meburdick]

I have to disagree due to all the battery free sleds, that have the exact same mechanism.

I see your disagreement, and raise you a counter-point.

The issue may have absolutely nothing to do with the mechanism. Even in non-EFI sleds, PERC is problematic if the motor isn't running properly. To that end, an incorrectly performing motor (especially if the idle is too low), will cause PERC to not work. And, if that issue with the motor has to do with a bad battery, then the battery would ultimately be at fault.

 

[Ranb]

I took it out on the trail for the first time, it had only a few miles on it at the time. I came to a tree fallen across the trail so I decided to back up and turn around as the brush and trees were too thick to drive around the fallen tree. It would not go into reverse so I turned the sled around by picking up the front end and turning it around. The entire time the engine was idling properly; 1500 to 1900 rpm.

After I got home I tried testing the reverse function again; this time with the engine cold. The idle was still in spec and I was able to put it in reverse twice. I went for another ride and tested the reverse function again with the engine warmed up, didn't work.

After reviewing the owner's manual I tried to go into reverse in normal and high altitude modes. The dealer is probably not going to give me same day service so I think I'll wait until I come back in the summer to bring it in. It'll be under warranty until 9/2015. I only use the sled for a few weeks each year so I don't want it sitting in the dealership for two days while they wait to take a look at it.

The battery is good. Nothing else is wrong with the sled at all.

Ranb

 

[meburdick]

What, exactly, does "it won't go into reverse" mean? Does the motor stall? Does it not engage when you hit the throttle? Does it stall when you hit the throttle?

 

[Ranb]

The two times it did work the engine stopped briefly and restarted in reverse. I pressed the throttle enough to back the sled up then pressed the yellow button again to put it in forward.

The rest of the time I press the yellow button for a second and the "R" lights up; nothing else. The engine doesn't change speed or stop/restart. I've tried holding the button down for 1 second, 2 seconds and even long enough to watch the light flash rapid then slow as it cycles through modes. Nothing works.

Ranb

 

[meburdick]

It sounds like there's a problem with the controller. Try and arrange a date/time with the dealer when you can trailer it over and have them connect it to the diag tool.

 

[Ranb]

As my winter vacation comes to a close I've been able to burn through the ten gallons of 40-1 break-in gas and had lots of fun. I can go about 130 miles on a full tank prior to the gauge showing it on reserve. Other than the failure to go into reverse the only problem I had was the engine dying in the cold weather shortly after starting.

It was about 0 degrees, I fully choked the engine and it took three attempts to start. I bumped the throttle several times until it ran without the choke. After a minute of idle I took off slowly and the engine quit after less than 100 yards. The engine started immediately after pushing the starter and I had no other problems.

My brother in-law will bring it to the dealer for me later this winter to ensure it is repaired under warranty.

Ranb