I got a 2001 AC 500 Auto on the 13th of Apr and have 250 miles on it so far. Last weekend i was riding in some water and the belt started slipping. I thought the water wasnt deep enough to get into the belt housing so i was a little disapointed in the machine. I drained out the water and every thing worked good after that. Well it sort of bothered for the rest of the week so today i started to look at the machine for a way to put a snorkel on it. As i was moving things i noticed the breather that is under the air intake was really loose. so i took some stuff off and saw that 3 of the 4 bolts that were supposed to be there were gone and the one that was left was almost out. i am sure that when the bolts worked out that is how the water got in my clutch. Now my question is, should i just go and get 3 new bolts from the parts house or take it in to the dealer so he can check it all out? i didnt get much water in it and as soon as it happend i came back home. Please let me know what your opinions are.

 

Well this is what I think. If you can fix it by replaceing 3 bolts then you save yourself the hassle of bringing it to the dealer who,which, you won't know how long it may take them to repair things. On the other hand, if it's under warranty, then it wouldn't hurt to bring it in & lose some riding time. The warranty on my machine is due on the 30th and I have a list for them to go over with, nothing major just small nick-nacks.

 

imo
the only thing good about bringing it to the dealer is that you will have documentation for that problem. IF, later on you have a related issue it could be tied to the initial situation.

did you let up on the throttle when you were in the "not too deep" water?
ffrom what i've seen on mine, staying in low gear and maintaining constant rpms will keep all water out from just about fender deep water.
i don't ride much deep water or soupy mud but that has always worked for me.....good luck