How has EFI worked for reliability? I am about to purchase another Polaris and am undecided on EFI or Non - EFI?

 

I love my 06' 800 EFI. no issues

 

EFI all the way IMO. It is very reliable. Case in point, try finding a carb. automobile now days. I think the biggest problem people have with EFI is not understanding how it works and how the different components/sensor effect the system. Educate yourself and you will like EFI IMO. If there is a problem with a sesor or wiring the diagnostics can point you in the right direction. I have had no real issues with mine personally. It did throw some codes one time which caused it to flash the indicator, but it was running fine. I just reset the ECM and the codes stayed away after that. It is a computer,so a power surge or quick drop in voltage could have caused it.
If you like to swim the bike keep a check on the electrical connectors for the sensors ,make sure all the connectors have di-electric grease and are firmly seated.
The biggest issue I have read about is a wire that goes to the Barometric pressure/Air temp sensor was rubbing through on some models. I believe Polaris fixed that by lengthing the harness.

 

I cant vouch for the Polaris setup but the EFI setup on my Raptor is awsume. I like it so much I am looking at trading in my Popo 600 for something with EFI!

 

I had a first-year EFI 700 and had no problems.

Had a first-year EFI 500 and had many problems like overheating and the stalling issue. Overheat issue occured in Winter plowing snow. The stalling was never resolved and it left a very bad taste in my mouth. It took a long time for me to buy another Popo. (which is my current X2- owned for about 1 year so far)

My current ATV has EFI and it's been perfect!

Honda Rancher420 has EFI and seems to be very well built. If you are looking in the 400cc class, check one out!

~MT[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

efi all the way! in the near future i think all quads are going to be efi. easier starting in the winter, easier remaping and dynoing. no trial and error with jets and taking the carbs apart

 

hey wlvrn,

You have to add MORE pics of that ballsy 550XP to your photo page! LOL!

I like the one mud pic but u need more!!

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By the way another few reasons i chose EFI in a 500cc engine:
-Hell of a lot better gas mileage! I can travel deeper in the bush AND back on 6 gal of fuel.
-The 500 has a re-coil back-up just in case the battery goes dead. (the 700/800's don't have one)

I have yet to read of a member riding an EFI Popo getting stuck out in the woods. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

I dont own an EFI but if you dont ride in varying altitudes I would stick with carb; untill the EFI is better perfected in Polaris atv's. Vehicles have had many many years to get it right, and they dont see the conditions that an atv does. Maybe the 2009's are a better setup for efi? I wouldnt trust "fly by wire" way back in the woods by yourself were it could just stop.

 

i was a little nervous when i bought my dodge in 1989 that i would break down in the woods and not be able to fix it with the throttle body injector, that was 20 years ago and i still take that truck offroad, it was a nobrainer with the atv.

 

Very few EFI only problems will cause the machine to not run at all. Most of the time when a sensor fails the ecm will use a default Value. It may run poorly and/or not hold at idle but most times it will run well enough to get you home. An exception is a complete fuel pump failure,but most times the pump warns you by failing only when it gets hot at first. So if u go deep in the woods when u
have been having it act up,yeah you might get stranded.

As for the automotive industry having longer to develop the technology. Where do you think Polaris got the tech from? They didn't invent some new system, and I am willing to bet the company that makes the Polaris EFI components also makes them for other vehicle manufacturers and different type vehicle/engine applications and has alot of experience doing it. I lay money that Polaris doesn't manufacture most of the EFI components, probably Bosch or the like.
The above mentioned 1st year stalling and overheat problems were probably due to ECM fueling calibrations and mapping. This happens in the Automotive field as well. Case in point in 2003 when Ford introduced the supercharged Mustang Cobra it has a similar stalling problem, a TSB was issued and problem vehicles had the computers re-flashed with mapping ect to fix the problem.
As for the 09's,the XP at least has at least 1 improvement and that is an Idle Air Control Valve. This means the idle is very repeatable and consitent. Mine is rock solid at 1200 hot or cold. Looks like the only components missing from the system when compared to an auto is oxygen sensors(which is why you can run leaded fuel in a Polaris without damage) and a few emission control only devices.