have a 2006 sawtooth 200 for my daughter. Since new the machine will not climb a hill unless she has speed going when starting up. Dealer tells me thats just the way it is. Had belt changed on another dealers advice and no change. Seems like she has to really give it throttle to get unit moving. Please help. Afraid she is going to lose interest and I cant really afford new machine for her. Less than 25 hours on unit due to problems.

 

When she gives it throttle, does the engine rev up like it is supposed to, or is she giving it throttle to compensate for the engine not reving up? Does it seem like something is slipping when going up hills, or does it just feel like a lack of power?

 

unit just bogs right down on even small hills. Yes engine does rev up when she is applying throttle just seems like she has to get to 1/4 throttle before quad will move even on flat ground. my daughter is a light weight so I am really confused

 

I would check / change your spark plug first of all. To me, it sounds like it could be a loss of compression, but hopefully someone else will chime in with a better idea.

Getting it to 1/4 throttle sounds about normal for a smaller atv. It has a centrifugal clutch that has to spin up a little before it engages. bogging down on small hills should not happen however and that is what has me thinking loss of compression.

When you say less than 25 hours, it that less than 25 on an hour meter, or less than 25 that you have put on it?


edit: I got to thinking, I do not know enough about this atv to say it has a centrifugal clutch. This was an assumption.

 

less than 25 hours we have put on it. watched dealer uncrate it the day we bought it though. strange part is that when second dealer changed belt there was a mouse nest in belt housing. (full of sunflower seeds). Everything was cleaned and new factory belt installed. I was just wondering if maybe there was adjustments on clutch. I will try the sparkplug idea just not sure. she can do 60 km on flat ground with it thats why the hill thing has her so dissapointed. we have talked to others with the same quad and they do not have the same issue. Should have listened and took it to another dealer before warranty ran out. dealer we bought from lied to us and told us we had to bring it to him only for warranty and people tell me that's a lie.

 

That is absolutely a lie if you bought it brand new. The dealer wanted you to bring it back to them because they get paid for warranty work from Polaris.

You are most likely correct about it being a clutch problem from your description, but a spark plug is very cheap and a compression test is very easy to do with a tool rented from your local auto parts store. That way, you can at least eliminate it from the back of your mind and know you are on the right track.

Are you at a high altitude by any chance?

Does it seem like something is slipping when going up hills, or does it just feel like a lack of power?

 

I test drove a Sawtooth when they first came out, as part of the Polaris Way Out tour. It was pretty peppy for a 200, and climbed hills fairly well (again, for a 200). Sounds like a clutch issue to me too. For what it's worth, the Sawtooth is basically a Phoenix 200 with a utility body slapped on it. I think the clutches are the same too. A smaller quad like that may very well need about 1/4 throttle to get going. Without more substantial amounts of torque, that little mototr has to wind up a bit to get things moving.

 

I would have someone check your centrifical clutch for you.your machine has a drive and driven clutch plus a centrifical clutch.the driven on your machine turns the centrifical clutch sounds like maybe your centrifical clutch shoes are glazed up and arent grabing the clutch outter shell properly. yes you can take warranty work to any dealer you want to.its is also like someone said above the same as a pheniox just a different body.

 

Thanks to all of the readers who have commented on my issue. Wish I had found this site before her warranty was up but such is life. I think I have found an honest place to bring it in but I am going to try the spark plug and compression test first. I was told this afternoon that if the clutch was the problem the quad would still rev up when she tried to climb a hill but not move very fast. Her quad does not rev up it just bogs down. Gonna try the plug and compression test in the morning and go from there. Thanks again everyone

 

Let us know how it goes and good luck.