Sorry about previous post...

Last Saturday, riding around with my son, the engine blew on my new 700 EFI.

Around back of my place, we were humming along through lots of mud and having a good time. Further along, mud was replaced by a sandy open area. Upon returning through the muddy trails, the bike started losing power and stopped. The dipstick came out and oil started gushing out next to my foot. I put the dipstick back in, waited a couple of minutes and tried restarting it. The sound that came out of the engine told me that I broke a rod or the crankshaft. The bike only has 62 miles on it.

We had to walk a few miles, call the wife and she came with the SUV and trailer and we winched it in and brought it back home.

I thoroughly washed it with the pressure washer and tried starting again...this time it would not even turn over.

I brought it to the local, from whom I did not buy the bike ($1500 more). It took them until Thursday to look at it. The service manager called and told me to come and pick up my bike as I had submerged it and they weren't going to get stuck fixing a bike that had been under water and not get paid from Polaris. He said to bring it back to where I bought it (4 hours away) and let that dealer deal with this bike.

Now I was pissed off. Not only was my new bike dead, he accused me of sinking the bike when I had not been over a foot of water.

He said that there was some water and debris inside the air box and that proved that I had sunk the bike. Angrily, I described to him again how it happened and assured him that I had not submerged the bike. He said that they would look at the bike further the next day but if there was water inside the engine, we were both screwed.

The next day, I called him back and he said there had been some water in the engine and that there occured a hydraulic lock and that the rod was bent and the crankshaft had been damaged on one of the pistons.

So, I asked him the following questions. If I had submerged the bike (which I didn't), wouldn't the air box be completely full of water and not just a bit. He agreed and therefore agreed that I had not sunk the bike.

He then said he thought that pressure washing the bike may have caused the damage. I told him I wasn't stupid enough to pressure wash the bike while it was running and the bike was dead anyways, no way it could have sucked in water because of the washing. In any case the bike was dead before I washed it! He agreed it didn't cause the damage.

He then suggested that riding through all that mud may have caused water to be sucked in. I asked where in the owner's manual it said that driving this ATV through mud would cause serious engine damage. I also asked how much water needed to be sucked in to cause all this damage. He suggested a cup full. How in the hell would a cup full of water splash in through the air intake? He agreed it was impossible.

So three possible scenarios shot down.

He has submitted the work for approval to Polaris. If they agree, the shop will replace the rod, the crankshaft and the piston and all would be waranteed. He says they saw no engine defect that would cause this damage but only some water in the engine.

To say I'm angry and disapointed would be an understatement. I will be calling Polaris Canada next week to describe all this.

I want to know what caused this damage. I want to know why water entered the air box and engine. I want to know why it only affected one piston and not both. I want to know if there is a defect with this model or this specific bike. I want to know that I can drive my new bike in mud! I want to know if this will happen again next time out or in 6 months. The service manager says it's a mystery to him... I think it's a combination of defects. There is a defect that permitted water to enter during normal riding. There is a defect that caused so much damage to the engine.

Any ideas as to the cause? Has this happened to anyone else?

TIA

 

Sounds to me like that dealer didn't want to deal with your problem, when they are obligated to as a Polaris dealer. Sounds like that really set you off, as it would me too!
As for your EFI, hard to say, i've ridden one before, super bike. If you go back in the chat rooms here, you hear nothing but positive things about it, yours is the first i've heard of with a major breakdown.
Maybe you got the lemon, who knows. water should not of gotten intot he engine that easily the breather goes up next to the fuel tank, so unless you got that high in water or it happened to splash up there (slim chance), it should not of blown the engine. There may have been something else in the engine to cause it to slowly blow. Probably nothing you did, may have just been one of those 1 out of 10 chances and it happened to you. If it's under warranty, i'm sure Polaris will cover it.

 

Usually when the motor comes apart, and the parts are inspected, youll have a pretty good idea why it failed. But seeing the line of smack this service manager is offering...I wouldnt hold my breath waiting for an honest assessment. The mechanic who takes it apart will know what happened...but they probably wont let you talk to him, and hes probably scared for his job, and wont be able to tell you the truth.
I would think with such low miles...the whole motor would be replaced. The cylinder could be gouged, or scratched, and youd never hear about it. Im thinking either something didnt get assembled correctly, from the manufacturer, or some defect in the parts. From what you descibed, you couldnt be the cause, but theyre trying real hard, to guilt you into eating some or all of the cost.
There are so many conflicts of interest nowadays, that its almost impossible to hear the truth. The service manager probably has his bonus tied to how much money he can generate, paid by the customer, not the factory. And seeing how you didnt buy it from them, they probably wont make out very good on this one, unless they can get you to eat some of the cost.
Id push for a totally new motor, or refund. Seeing how their atitude, is to jack you around, Id do the same back.

 

My friend had the same problem with his 1998 scrambler 400 4X4. The motor went bad the counter balance bearings went bad an damaged the motor an the dealer we didn't buy it from said he submerged his to yet there was no water of mud in the air box or carb or the exsaust. He ended up having to pay to fix it so good luck to you the dealer can effect weather or not they fix it.

 

Around here even the dealers steer you away from the 700's. This was before the EFI was available. Anyways.....I would have another dealer look at the bike. The guy you are talking with has the "it's your fault" attitude. Good luck.

 

Can I push for a new engine or bike through this local dealer, or should I push through the dealer where I bought it or directly by calling Polaris Canada service. I have their number and the name of the contact person there from the dealer where I bought the bike? The local dealer doesn't want me to call Polaris saying it may put up red flags and they may not approve the repair.

But I agree, even if they replace the parts, there may be more damage. Also, something caused the water to get in and it wasn't because I submerged the bike. How do I know there is not a defect that causes it to suck in water during normal riding.

I wonder what the response from Polaris would be if I described the whole problem to them. Would they be inclined to right the situation and replace the entire engine or better yet replace the bike.

 

He is probably ticked because you made your purchase elsewhere....go too where you bought the atv.

 

It shouldn't matter...I gave them a chance to match or come close to the price and they wouldn't. They make money off of the servicing anyways.

The dealer where I bought the bikes is 4 hours away...8 hours round trip...16 hours to bring it and return to get it...it would be a shame when I've got a dealer right here in town.

I'm confident the bike will be fixed at some point. However, I am not confident that this will not happen again.

 

I really doubt water caused this. When it comes apart...itll be evident what happened, whether they chose to tell you the truth or not, is another story. Its a standard line, to say you caused the problem by going into water, and its used all the time, on big repairs, youd be surprised how many people fall for this.Its up to him, to prove the damage was caused by neglect, which he obviously cant do.
As far as getting him to go to bat for you....not gonna happen, hes gonna feel you werent loyal to him(you bought elsewhere), hes not obligated to be loyal to you.
You got to stand behind your version, water didnt do this, and if they push that it did...then you need to be there for the disassembly of the motor. Like i say, go for the new motor, or new quad, and stand firm. Polaris should be interested in taking this motor back, whole, as a matter of quality control, to figure out what failed.

 

gillyguzzler, i believe that the dealer should help you out. afterall, Polaris foots the bill anyways. it's no skin off the dealer's back!