I just purchased a Polaris Ranger and used it for the first time today. After using it for about 15 minutes I went to back up out of some mud and apparantly the belt start slipping, black smoke and the smell of a belt burning starting coming out of the engine compartment and obviously I wasn't going anywhere. I put it in forward and moved a few feet and then put it in reverse and it started moving in a jerking motion. I let it cool off and then drove it around for about an hour (forward, scared to go in reverse). The engined seemed to rev to a pretty high rpm to climb any incline and reverse seemed to have trouble too. Sorry for being long winded, but surely this isn't normal is it? and what do you do about it?

Also this machine is so loud my 8 year old son who was riding with me kept his hands over his ears almost the whole time. Any ideas to make this thing quieter?

 

GET that rascal back to the dealerASAP!CM

 

Sorry to say it but the belt slipping is not actually a problem only you are having. The machine weighs around 1500 pounds and with only a 499cc engine, it is just too hard to turn six wheels. I think it is a flawed design. I don't know anything about it being too loud.

 

Chickenman has the right idea ... but a couple of points come to mind...

We had a Ranger for a weekend about a year ago (loan from the dealer). I don't recall it being excessively noisy. It was certainly noisier than my Sportsman but not too bad.

Sounds to me like you are new to the belt system. It is very good when it is setup and used properly. When you are in the mud or stationary on an incline (or similar high torque situation), you want to step on it somewhat hard to get the belt hooked up and the vehicle moving. If you gradually come on the throttle when there is a load (mud or incline) to overcome, the clutches will slip on the belt and start to burn the belt. My sister in-law is famous for this poor driving technique. Hit it, get it moving, get the clutches fully engaged on the belt, you will move and there will be no harm done. Equate this to a standard car sitting on an incline. If you come on the throttle, but don't let the clutch out fully, the clutch will start to burn as the engine attempts to get the car moving. In the case of the Polaris belt system, hit the gas to get the clutches fully engaged on the belt. On flat level ground with no big load on the system the machine will move just fine if you gradually come on the throttle. High load situations are a different story. I am not saying this is your problem but it is a very real possibility.

Remember too that that Ranger is heavy enough on its own, let alone with a load on, or stuck in the mud.

If the belt has been damaged from the slipping it could explain the high rpms you noticed. If the belt has been damaged it is a simple job to replace it, and the machine will be as good as new again. A new belt takes some time to break in. I would avoid the sticky mud and high torque situations for more than "15 minutes" with a new belt. I am still running the original belt ('98 Sportsman) and it is showing very little wear. When you say mud, what are talking about?

Also, what range were you in. Any time there is going to be a heavy load on the drive system you should stop and shift to low range. This includes heavy mud, towing anything, a heavy load in the box, low speed hills, steep hills, big wife, etc. etc. The belt system is much more suseptible to slippage under heavy load conditions in high range. Use low, that's what its there for!!

Don't forget about the breakin period on the machine. It takes a while for the engine and drive train (including belt) to break in and "loosen up". I found my Sportsman got more responsive as it broke in. In the beginning I thought it was really tight and not so responsive. I do believe it "loosened up", but I also believe I learned to hit the throttle a little harder to get it moving.

Back to the high RPM thing. I do recall that the ranger was geared noticably lower than the Sportsman I ride. Nature of the beast given its load and towing capabilities. Maybe the "high" rpms you noticed are to be expected??

As COB said, have the dealer check it out but also experiment with your riding style. Learn to step on it, when required, to get the clutches fully engaged on the belt.

Sorry for the book, hope this helps.

DJ

 

DJ good answer thanks for adding more to it.I once seen in here one guy say that if you have to slow down put it in low!!!

 

Thanks for the help guys, I'll definately call the dealer tommorrow. The mud I was referring to was not very deep. The machine may have made ruts an inch or so, certainly not enough I don't think to cause excessive strain on the transmission. I also have a Kawasaki Mule and have never had any problem with the belt in similar driving situations. 7 years old with the same belt. This leads me to think that there is a design flaw which means "trade-in" time?

 

15 minute drive and thinking or trading in?

Give it some time! Saturday i went out riding with a group of guys. 400EX, banshee, 400 Scrambler, 500 Sportsman 300EX, 2 Blasters.

Out on a logging road we ran into a guy on a Ranger he had a few good sized piece of wood on the back and was plowing through mud and everything else! It didn't seem to be having any trouble at all.

 

I have seen Rangers in some deep water and thick mud, without trouble. The key is using low range as much as possible, and never just barely giving the throttle.

Go the the ATV Connection home page, and then ATV Reviews. Read the Ranger review under Polaris and I think it had a few driving tips.

 

If it were mine, and I rode it for fifteen minutes through some easy stuff, and I smoked the belt to a crisp, and my son couldnt stand to listen to it - I know I would put it right back on the trailer so I could take it to the dealer and get a different machine, or another mule! Yes there are bugs sometimes, but at least the dealer should pay for it, and they will if they want your business. Good Luck

 

Sorry to be late in replying, but thanks for all of your comments. The dealer was very helpful, but apparently only the belt was replaced. They couldn't find anything else wrong. The service manager thought the problem was someone test driving it before I purchased it. Anyway, I'm keeping my fingers crossed as I will be going to an area with deep mud this weekend. I must say there are a lot negative comments about Polaris belts and reliability. Makes me nervious!