well a while back when i first bought my 06 cat 400 4x4 auto i got it stuck in water and i wasnt deep at all probably just over the tires but i got water in my belt i assume from spinning my tires in the water it took some in.its the only thing i can think of ive been through deeper water since and no problems. either way i brought it to the dealer for maintenance and tell them the belt was chirping a bit and i hear back from them today only to hear that i destroyed my clutch and belt i guess i got sand in there and this being my first quad wasnt smart enough to think to pull the cover and check it out and i grooved the clutch beyond repair now there telling me its going to be $1000 in parts alone and im looking at like $1300 total. there going to try to get the clucth warranteed.im not sure how since its my fault but im keeping my fingers crossed. is there a cheaper way im new to this so dont know if the price is realistic or not or if there is an alternative any help is greatly appreciated as i cant afford to fix it until after my wedding sometime wife says like january but i cant go that long without the mistress plus i just bought a new plow thanks again everyone

 

Rango,

Something sounds a little off to me.

How many miles did you put on the thing between the water on the belt and the chirping? If its not a bunch then I think something is fishy about what they are telling you OR you got sand in the belt housing prior tothe water.

As far as I know the 400 and 500 auto's have one of the most reliable trannys out there. I personally prefer a manual tranny so you don't have to worry about a belt.

You could check to see if you can do the repair yourself and save labor. Then it may take you longer so Time or $ your choice.

What they are saying could be true but I think it would take a bunch of sand and quite a few miles to do some major damage. The price seems about right but make sure you ask to see ALL the replaced parts including the belt.

hope this helps

SJ

 

i did it about 3 or so months after i got i tand ive got about 830 or so miles on it now so ive got some mileage on it since. not sure how many between now and then but alot .i cant imagine have gotten sand or dirt into it before hand if so its a weak set up there are people here that put ther atvs through more than i would even dare and come out unharmed. i have considered doing it myself but im a newbie to atvs and dont want to mess this thing up more than i already have

 

That is why it sounds a little fishy to me. Manily because I know its NOT a weak set up. My TRV is an auto and I have not had a single difficulty with getting water/sand/dirt into the belt. I ride mine a bunch on a rocky/gravely/sany beach and have gotten stuck, spun the tires and nothing on the belt. Even had it in water up to just below the seat and did not have problems.

Sand "may have gotten in there prior to you taking delivery as well. So if you have a really good dealer they may convince AC to cover it under warranty. OR little cost to you.

Otherwise, pay the $, get it fixed and back up and running and be a little more careful.

As far as being new to ATV's, everyone here started some time. Get a service manual for your machine and start off small. (oil changes, filter cleanings, etc) Eventually, with the help of the service manual and possibly a forum like this one, you will be more capable of tackling larger maintenance items such as replacing torn CV boots, brake pads, wheel bearings, and more.

As painful as it is, I just finished fixing a problem I had on my 400 which required a rebuild of the entire top end of the engine. I followed the steps in the manual and with a few phone calls to the dealer (where the manual was unclear) was able to get-R-done. Cost about $1000 in parts but would have been way more with labor. PLUS I learned a lot about my machine in the process. Well worth the time.

Good luck, also you can check the price of replacement parts by going to brownsleisureworld.com the prices are in candian though. It has great parts schematics.

Hope this helps

SJ

 

that does sound fishy, did you have a good seal around the belt housing? i have gotten my belt wet twice. once i had water about 3 inches over my racks, and the other time i barrell rolled it in the river. and to get sand in it?

 

rango726
I just bought a 400 Auto and the dealer I bought it from also sells polaris. Thats what sold me on Arctic Cat was the belt system and sealed case. I would think there was something wrong with it. I have talked other Arctic Cat owners and have said they have been in water, "deeper than I would want to be" with no problems. Does your machine start hard after you have run it? Mine starts greater when cold but after that it turns over a few times before starting. I only have a 130 miles it. The dealer says give it a few more miles and it should get better.
Good luck to you.
Keppy

 

hey keppy good to see you back and give it at least 200 miles and drive it like you stole it. and the belt drive system is good it just sounds like it could be something else.

 

well i picked my quad up yesterday and talked to a guy there that i know he explained to me what i did. i guess when i got stuck i was slipping my belt but i didnt know so the belt got so hot it melted the aluminum of whatever the belt runs over??? so after talking a little he told me he could do it for $700 and if i find parts cheaper he'll match them. as far as that manual goes ive been looking for one. is it like a chiltons for cars but for atvs? i service all my vehicles but atvs are different so i dont want to screw it up but if i had the manual i would be all set thanks for all the help

 

tell him you can get them parts through arctic cat salvage. it would be about 50 to 60 percent off new price. i have gotten parts through there before but you have to be an arctic cat employee to get them. and i dunno if you know this or not but if you get the belt wet again put it in neutral and rev up the motor. it will blow all the water out through the intake and it will always dry everything nicely in there.

 

Rango,

You should be able to get a service manual for either just your machine or a larger one that has all the 2006 models. I think you still have a choice between the CD version or a paper book. I got the book for mine as I would rather have greasy finger prints in the book than on the computer. Plus I don't jave a computer in the shop. The book cost about $35 not sure about the CD.

You might ask your dearler about Arctic Cat Salvage. Most of the parts I needed for my latest major repar my dealer orderd for me from there. Those they did not have he ordered new. I think I saved about $400 there.

What your friend explained sounds plausible but I would think that if that aluminum was that soft you might be able to get it covered under warranty. If not $700 for parts and labor? Doesn't sound too bad.

SJ