Rode up at Mount Baker yesterday. We had some spots where it was a 2-4 minute long pull at full throttle in deep snow. A couple of times my sled just kinda ran out of power. Like it was tightening up. Had to turn out and ride down and give it a break. I am still fairly new to sledding. What is going on? There was no check engine light or warning. No signs of over heating. Usually in a long side hill on right ski but I don't think it was clogging the exhaust. I had the right side buried way deeper at other times and no bog/stalling out. Checked my belts and they still look like new. Clutches were hot. When I dripped some snow on them it sizzled.
Power loss after a long, long pull. 2012 ETEC.
- Thread starter Matte Murder
- Start date
P
I am going to say that it is just hot clutchs. Next time out after riding into area take couple pulls at a hill back to back and then let it sit for till clutchs cool.
Try same hill again after clutchs are cool and things will be different. When clutchs get hot they swell and then start to stick and performance drop's.
If you don't have clutching and gearing perfect in order to keep the belt from slipping heat happens.
If you have a few hundred miles clean and inspect clutchs and give it a try before you start chasing something that may not be there.
Try same hill again after clutchs are cool and things will be different. When clutchs get hot they swell and then start to stick and performance drop's.
If you don't have clutching and gearing perfect in order to keep the belt from slipping heat happens.
If you have a few hundred miles clean and inspect clutchs and give it a try before you start chasing something that may not be there.
Welcome to the world of junk, stock Ski Doo clutching. My 2011 E-Tec does the same thing. I have a 2012 Pro also, and the clutching is spot on with that sled. Why can't Ski Doo get it right? Would you put up with a new pickup that had a transmission that didn't work right from new? Me neither. I'm done with Ski Doo.
You can thank your sophisticated engine management system. In a long pull (or repeated pulls) the motor gets hotter, at a specified temperature it de-tunes the engine making less power.
T
Huh saftey bad?get the clutches cooler and problem will be gone.
nugg that is not what it feels like. It feels more like it is going to shut down, not a loss of performance. I think it's more the clutching issue. My dealer just cleaned the clutch for me while I had something else checked out. So what is the "solution" to this problem? BTW, the engine was pulling 7900-8000 all day. I made a clicker adjustment as we got higher and engine rpm seemed perfect. Also, my belt still looks perfect to my un trained eye. No cords, fraying or any rubber on the clutches.
"A couple of times my sled just kinda ran out of power. Like it was tightening up. Had to turn out and ride down and give it a break."
That is the way it will feel when the motor de-tunes due to heat!
That is why the aftermarket is selling an inline plug-in that alters the reading the ecu gets, so the ecu thinks it's a few degrees cooler and doesn't de-tune performance.
Clutching can cause some fade as well due to heat/slippage. The stock clutching doesn't recover rpm very well, so during a long pull at some point the track will unload causing the clutches to shift out, then the poor clutching won't allow the motor to recover full rpm, especially at higher altitudes.
That is the way it will feel when the motor de-tunes due to heat!
That is why the aftermarket is selling an inline plug-in that alters the reading the ecu gets, so the ecu thinks it's a few degrees cooler and doesn't de-tune performance.
Clutching can cause some fade as well due to heat/slippage. The stock clutching doesn't recover rpm very well, so during a long pull at some point the track will unload causing the clutches to shift out, then the poor clutching won't allow the motor to recover full rpm, especially at higher altitudes.
Last edited:
I am with ya Ace. I have done a ton of endurance road racing and I have a high degree of mechanical sympathy. Where we were if you were going to make it up it was full throttle all the way and no resting spots. It seemed forever but is probably closer to 2 min than 4. I have been really happy with how durable my ETEC has been. This is the very first "shortcoming" I have found. I am going to pay for(kinda painful) the upgrade for my dashes so I know what temp they are. The couple of times it did happen I believe I was on the right ski so I was wondering if I could have choked off the exhaust too. But again it only happened near the end of the pull.
Even when coolant temps are fine, the exhaust temp sensors will add fuel and retard timing as needed to keep it alive. It usually just drops a little RPM. Exhaust plugging can almost kill the engine.
This was pretty drastic. Made me turn out.
what do ya think would happen if ya worked the throttle a bit on the same pull..???...
We were riding Mt Baker. It is wide open and steep. There was 2 feet plus of heavy snow. Right at about 7000 feet way above the treeline. When I came out of the throttle even for a second the sled would slow down fast and you couldn't regain any speed and I had to turn out. Even on the steep sidehills where I usually really work the throttle it just killed the momentum. I wasn't really looking for a clinic, just asking what was happening with the sled.
not intending to be a clinic..just taking one step at a time and trying to find out if the same issues were popping up if the throttle was worked abit on the same pull..
you already know what was happening to the sled...its the possible causes thats important now..
you do indicate that it was usually a long side hill on the right side...so did you have the chance at all on the same hill and pull on the left side..??..and all was ok on the left..??
you mention heavy snow...do you have aftermarket side and shock tower venting...if so were they clear or packed with snow..??
you already know what was happening to the sled...its the possible causes thats important now..
you do indicate that it was usually a long side hill on the right side...so did you have the chance at all on the same hill and pull on the left side..??..and all was ok on the left..??
you mention heavy snow...do you have aftermarket side and shock tower venting...if so were they clear or packed with snow..??
A
a 2-4 minute long pull at full throttle causes problems?
that would never work here, try 4 or 5 miles wot.
that would never work here, try 4 or 5 miles wot.
Sorry, hard to sense tone on the Internet. Where we were the last long pull was on the right. The whole climb was not, but more on the right than left. I do have vents but not a lot. Knee vents and the top of the panel vents. 2012 clutch cover is installed and intact. It only happened 2-3 times in a whole day of riding hard. I want to go to Stewart!
A
sorry no tone. rode with 12 etec no problems either. 28ft snowfall, town 6ft base, mountian 13 to 20 ft depending on where you are on mnt.
2hrs outta gas.
maybe just burying the exhaust for too long, type of snow etc. etecs are possibly too smart lol.
yes stewart is an exceptional place. get 4 to 5 rides like that a season, but just like everywhere else gotta hit it when the conditions are right.
Last edited:
Matte, my '11 E-Tec does the exact same thing you are describing. I only have to be on the flipper for 30 to 45 seconds before it starts losing power. I'm convinced it's the secondary clutch. Might be something to the engine sensing high temp as well? No, the exhaust is not plugged, I'm going up hill at full throttle, man! I fought with clutching on my 07 XRS, and now with the E-Tec. I'm a Polaris guy now, and my Pro will stomp my XP hands down.
Hey Murder , Just pin it until it breaks and get another.
Ride it like you stole it and shut it....
Ride it like you stole it and shut it....
Mine did this on the super bowl at Revy this year. I heard a change in the exhaust tone and turned out. It also lost RPM. I thought it was something serious. I went to the bottom and turned the Shockwave helix in 1/2 a turn and did the same line. This time no problem and rpm's stayed. I can only think it was that the clutch shifted out too far and bogged down the motor or the exhaust temp went too high and the ECM detuned the motor. Maybe it was both issues??
Similar threads
