08 500 EFI Sportsman that my wife drives, Not snorkeled, Properly maintained, no deep water. she's driving along on a trail and it just dies, will not restart. Got Fuel, Got spark, Injector is firing fine, so I take it to shop (3 months out of warranty). The Piston rings are Burned out is what he tells me. $850 fix. This is Total BS has to be bored over new piston blah blah blah. he said he'll try to warranty it.
He better, or that Piece will go missing and I'll get a new one for $500 deductible.


HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?? I give my 800 HELL and never have problems.

BillyT

 

The only thing I could think of is that there was not enough oil when the last change was done. The 500 has an extra step where you have to squeeze a hose on the top of the oil pump to prime it.

 

I changed the oil at 55 hrs. it would have burned up before then. and we check oil every morning before we ride.

I'm reminded of the second day we owned it. it would say it was hot when it was not right after starting. the tech at our dealer modified something on the computer and it stopped doing it.... but don't see how this would do anything unless it was overheating and not showing us..

 

What kind of oil did you use? Did you buy the 500 new or used?

 

Used the polaris oil and filter.... bought New in August last year.
I'd have to say I'm nearly flawless with maintenance and fluid checking by the book. I've had no problems with my 800 purchased at the same time nor my brother's 800.
there was never any indication of piston ring failure, no smoke, no hard starting, it ran flawlessly until it Died without even a sputter.

 

Do you know if they put ethenol in the gas in your community gas stations?
Here in colorado they put Ethenol in the gas here in town. But up in the mountains they dont put Ethenol in the fuel. The same in Wyoming they dont put Ethenol in their fuel. I was told that Ethenol burns up pistons and rings in the smaller bore engines. (atv's, snowmobiles). So as that said I always purchase my gas in Wyoming or somewhere they dont put Ethenol in. I have 380 miles on my 08, 520 miles on my 07 500 EFI. The only thing I could think of is a manufacturer defect in your case. You are the first I have heard of with this problem.

 

Just to chime in with the ethonal response, I do a lot of snowmobiling and there have been many on my snowmobile forumns reporting their piston engine failures due to added ethonal.

 

There's lots of 500's running around here in East Texas on the same fuel, and I do think a lot of stores run %10 Ethonal.... But why only her ATV? she absolutely does not ride hard. I hope polaris covers it, it has to be a defect.

we ride a River Run in Neches Texas. RiverRunPark.com Neches River, Texas

 

Keep us posted and let us know if Polaris covers it or not.

 

Ethanol at 10% will not burn up pistons, I run it in all of my small engines commercially 4 stroke and 2 stroke, no problems. I have a 2 stroke hedge trimmer has over 1000 hrs running on ethanol. I also have a bunch of 4 stroke small engines from 4 hp to 50 hp that have over 3000 hrs running on ethanol. We have less problems since ethanol than before it.