I finally got my quad back from the dealer today. I had the front differential replaced. I had a buddy pick it up and he called me and said that it felt really funny. When i got home from work i took it for a ride. In 2wd it felt fine, you can tell that it takes a little bit to break it in though. Other than that, felt nice. Then I put it in 4wd and could tell something wasn't right. It turned REALLY hard. It sounds really stupid and impossible but somehow my front end is now LOCKED. I spun the tires in the gravel and all four spun, i then went in the wet grass and it did the same thing. I still couldn't believe it so i put the four wheeler up on 4 jacks. Sure enough, somehow my front differential is throwing the same amount of power to both front wheels. Why would this be, how could this have happened?? I am very confused. In a way it is kind of nice, as I had plans to do that later on. However it kind of feels like a ticking timebomb, ready to break again at any time. The dealership is closed so i have to wait until monday to talk to them about it but does anyone know how this could have happened?

 

after further inspection my four wheeler is FU****!! the front wheels are kicking in and out of limited slip to locked. One tire will have power and then the other one will kick in and throw the steering and the power way off. last time i had the four wheeler up on jacks i checked how the limited slip worked and it is really screwed up now. I also think that it is stuck in low gear. I try shifting it in and out of low gear and there is no resistance and usually it would grind a little if it was idling to high, now nothing. It is even possible to move the hi-lo shifter when doing about 20mph. Also the same crunching i heard when i first took it in has returned. I called my dealer at home and he said that he thought maybe it was something more then the front diff. but figured he would try that first (that got me upset). I an thinking that he didn't actually replace the whole differential like he told me but tried a half assed job instead. I guess my dealer isn't as great as I thought he was. Maybe because I am a local he figured I wouldn't care. Here I sit until monday with no quad and my new tires still clean. VERY UPSET. I had a new sled on order from the same dealership but since all these problems they can keep it!! Could it possibly be bad cv joints that are locking up and confusing the front differential. The motor sounds like it has the power but it just isn't there anymore! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]

 

Take it back. Let em fix it. Also get with your dealer and see about other shops close to you. Tell them you are disappointed. Be sure AC knows about this. if t he dealer gives you a hard time call them "AC" they will get on it quickly.

The only way for your front diff to lock up is tha clutches are so new and tight that both stay locked in the same position. This is not a bad thing in my opinion. Eventually it will wear out to where only a limited slip diff. As far as the low gear stuck thing. that could be a linkage problem.
The possibility of the new diff not being the right diff.i.e if you have a uto and they gave you one for a manual or vice versa, is high. This to would be the cause of all the problems you have mentioned. Just take it back as them to pay your payment or give you an extended warranty and tell them not to call you back untill it is tested and fixed right!

let us know

 

hey catkrazy do you have a number for any Arctic cat rep.? my dealer is starting to question my driving and says that the only way that the transmission would break would be abuse. What a bunch of crap!! I am very PI**ED off. I might need to get a hold of Arctic cat. A lot of good buying that 4 year warrenty did me!

 

luvthemud- I have heard that before. I have been through it all with AC.

For what little good it will do, the customer service # to AC is 1-218-681-4999 or 1-218-681-9799. You will be asked for the VIN # of your bike and dealer information. Take notes and get names as you go. Don't expect to get any thing done by being nice. You will be treated like the dumb customer that abuses his ATV and can't think for himself without assitance from his dealer. They will tell you what you want to hear just to get you off the phone and never hear from them again. Get ready for the runaround of your life.

Good luck and let us know what comes of it.

 

Maybe you should just take it to another garage just in case the last place messed something up. Just tell AC that you don't feel comfortable taking it back. Then another garage would be able to see how the first garage messed it up and the first garage can't cover it's tracks. (& blame you)
I had to do that with my Honda Recon and my second garage took care of everything. They also showed where the first garage was in the wrong. (My first garage tried to blame me too.)[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

After 3 weeks with no quad I finally went and had it out with my dealership. I walked over and ask why my 2003 four wheeler has been in their garage and not mine for the past 3 weeks. I was planning on going to the big weekend up north and I told them that i needed it my next week or Arctic Cat would get a call and another dealership would get my business. I told them that I wouldn't even buy a quart of oil from them again if they didn't get it running NOW!! This is the funny part of the story. Turns out that CATcrazy was right and they put in the wrong front diff. The mechanic knew that it was wrong but he was in a hurry the day he ordered it and didn't have time to call Arctic Cat and get the right part number. The gearing was way different and that is why it was acting funny. I made him call Arctic Cat when I was there and as he is telling me how it is now impossible to get a hold of any one because of a new phone system he stops talking and says "HELLO". WOW that was hard i said. The way it sounded listening to them talk that this had happened before. The part got ordered and should be here before the weekend. He said my quad should be done by next wednesday. All in all it was an eventfull 20 minutes. Then the best part is, when I bought my extended warrenty he told me that as long as aftermarket tires go on the stock rims, without lift and spacers that the warrenty is fine. NOW it isn't anymore. Luckily I had an agreement that they were going to hold on to my check until the day before my 6 month warrenty ran up and then cash it in and buy the extended warrenty. I got the check back and ripped it up and said that another dealership will get my 400 bucks. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

 

After 1 month and 2 days I finally got my quad back. Runs great! After he apologized about 4 times he said that after looking into it the tires would be fine and wouldn't hurt the warrenty! So now I have to decide if I want to give the dealership my business and pick up the extended warrenty (again). glad that this whole ordeal is over.

 

glad to here your back in action.

 

Get him (them) to put it in writing and a signature with a witness. Then go for it!