At what engine temp do you start doing damage?

[tobyshepherd22]

I had my pro and was coming home on the trail and i looked down and saw a temp of 212 degrees. I immediately shut it down and through snow on the tunnel and snow in the track and waited for about 10 minutes. The trail was hard packed and no snow was getting under the tunnel and i had my scratchers down but it must have not helped much. It cooled down but and ran fine but did i do any damage????

 

[snopro_ac]

I had my pro and was coming home on the trail and i looked down and saw a temp of 212 degrees. I immediately shut it down and through snow on the tunnel and snow in the track and waited for about 10 minutes. The trail was hard packed and no snow was getting under the tunnel and i had my scratchers down but it must have not helped much. It cooled down but and ran fine but did i do any damage????

holy ****! might have shorten the life up a little bit. did a light ever come one?

 

[SNOWMANN]

If you were just cruising I dont think you hurt anything, but with the scratchers down I dont think you could get it that hot. I have been out in some very marginal snow conditions or early in the morning when the groomer had gone out and the trail was very hard and never seen over 145 ish, mabye something else is going on? Coolant level?

 

[t 800]

ran mine up 204 pulling a buddy out without putting my scratchers down and had no damage. my light never came on at all.

 

[snopro_ac]

ran mine up 204 pulling a buddy out without putting my scratchers down and had no damage. my light never came on at all.

that's odd, i realize the engine is not the same, but on my 09 assault my light came on at 180.

 

[Jaynelson]

I really don't see it getting that high with your scratchers down unless you were riding on pavement, or there is a problem with your cooling system....check for sticky thermostat perhaps?

 

[IceCap]

I think the light doesn't come on until it hits 220........thats at the point that coolant starts to boil.
Your engine should be fine.

 

[800 hillbilly]

I ran 4-5 miles of plowed road that was mostly ice and never got above 140 deg. I had a passenger on the back (brother inlaw/ski-doo owner) who blew up his sled that morning. I had my scratchers down the whole time. I would check for air in my cooling system and try to purge it out.

 

[mold]

I think the light doesn't come on until it hits 220........thats at the point that coolant starts to boil.
Your engine should be fine.

220 is when mine came on when both scratchers broke off at the tip. That was 300 miles ago and the sled gets better every time I ride it.

 

[skibreeze]

I had my 08 up to 224 a couple weeks ago, overheated while towing another sled out. Ran fine the next w/e.

 

[Rick!]

I had my pro and was coming home on the trail and i looked down and saw a temp of 212 degrees. I immediately shut it down and through snow on the tunnel and snow in the track and waited for about 10 minutes. The trail was hard packed and no snow was getting under the tunnel and i had my scratchers down but it must have not helped much. It cooled down but and ran fine but did i do any damage????

You don't mention a dash warning lite on so you must have been going fairly slow, like under 40mph or so I'd guess. Assuming that, you were probably holding a steady throttle and not inducing any track spin. If you would have blapped the throttle, the lite would have come on and maybe even a stutter/engine programmed misfire. Polaris puts some pretty sophisticated coolant temp protections in the ECU and they do a pretty good job at protecting the engine except if you leave it idle for a few hours.

In the big picture, you did no damage. Car engines cycle between 195 and 235 regularly. Sport and superbikes get up to 205-210 in slow traffic regularly. Wheeler engines stats open at 180 or higher. Like the other's said, it's hard to fathom that with scratchers down you were running that hot but you were there and saw the number. You did the right thing by shutting it down and throwing snow on the tunnel. Double check your coolant level - do it with the front end jacked up about 2 1/2 feet (or pulled up on a snowbank) and see where the level is in the bottle, not when it is sitting on the ground. The reason I say that is is that the rear of the tunnel is higher than the line on the bottle - gravity will push coolant into the bottle if you open the cap up when the skis and track are on the ground. I just went through this little exercise after a warm episode on my PRO - added 4oz coolant and back on the snow I go.

 

[SlingingMercury]

I have seen mine go to 205 degrees with scratchers down on groomed trail just two days ago. No light.

 

[ak49er]

I can't remember the specifics, but the light comes on at Idle at a certain temp, and again, only at WOT for another temp, seems kinda' hokey, but there is probably a good reason. Anyone know?

 

[polaris dude]

Dang! Was the tunnel cherry red too?!?

I guess the highest I ever got to was 160 when I was trying to climb the road up to the cabin and it was pure ice and the track was spinning like a mother and I almost got stuck on a baby hill

 

[Outlaw]

I had my pro and was coming home on the trail and i looked down and saw a temp of 212 degrees. I immediately shut it down and through snow on the tunnel and snow in the track and waited for about 10 minutes. The trail was hard packed and no snow was getting under the tunnel and i had my scratchers down but it must have not helped much. It cooled down but and ran fine but did i do any damage????

I am glad to see folks are watching there temps.
Just to clear a few things up. Some of the posts that are on snowest regarding running temps refer to what temp the sled is running while on the trail or out in the deep. On the new pro you are seeing 160 Degrees and pulling over. The Polaris shop Manual for the 800 Pro states that the temp light will come on at 230 degrees at an Idle 185 Degrees WOT. The hot lamp will flash and you will get an RPM Misfire at 239 degrees at an Idle, and 208 degrees WOT. So for those that are worried about the 160 running temp on the new Pro, Don't.
Hope this helps.
T
FYI Polaris 6,7 and 800 owners. In case you have not heard.
www.redneckracing.com

 

[2211]

Had mine at 220 this weekend, temp light came on and it went into protection mode. Ran great Friday, Sat. morning started and ran 1 mile then temp light came on, was on new snow, breaking trail. Then went off a few minuets later when we were on the trail came on and went to 200, went for deep snow cooled it down, shut it off. Got it back to the road, let it sit then took off, no light on the rest of day but temp never stayed in the same place. 07 Dragon ran 128 all day, the Pro ran 132, and up to 160 always moving around. At the dealers but I am sure they will say all is good becasue it comes and goes and won't happen to them.

 

[Outlaw]

Had mine at 220 this weekend, temp light came on and it went into protection mode. Ran great Friday, Sat. morning started and ran 1 mile then temp light came on, was on new snow, breaking trail. Then went off a few minuets later when we were on the trail came on and went to 200, went for deep snow cooled it down, shut it off. Got it back to the road, let it sit then took off, no light on the rest of day but temp never stayed in the same place. 07 Dragon ran 128 all day, the Pro ran 132, and up to 160 always moving around. At the dealers but I am sure they will say all is good becasue it comes and goes and won't happen to them.

We have had that happen a few times after installing the Enhancement Kit. Crack your coolant cap a few times during your ride if that does not get the air bubble out crack your bleeder. Had a new out of the crate with a bad air bubble took a few rides to get it out but it is fine now.
Watch your cold shot, and make sure you let it warm up.
Thanks
T

 

[mountainhorse]

For those of you that have ridden behind another PRO RMK... you will know where I'm coming from...

The holes in the snow flap on the PRO model do not retain the snow-spray as well as a non "ported" flap... This snow is spit out the back through the holes and does not make it onto the coolers. If you want better cooling, run a longer snow flap OR get one that does not have the holes in it.

Not evident as much in the deep snow since the holes are plugged up with snow/ice while riding and there is plenty of snow for the coolers.