[97mach1]

I noticed recently that my sled was running very weird. Idle was erratic, plug color shows white at idle. Lean bog coming off idle. It would get better as sled warms up, but was still there.

My sled is a 1997 Mach 1, basically stock except for some clutching, and mild trail porting. Stock jetting, and it's always ran great. My sled calls for 91 octane minimum, and that's what I always put in it. I've always ran Klotz oil in it.

Then I was thinking, the past couple times I got gas, it was at a Marathon station. Where they automatically put fuel system/injector cleaner in it. One time was 3 gallons, then 4 gallons about a week ago.

I figured what the heck, and before I rode Saturday, I drained all the gas, and re-filled with gas from BP.

My sled ran absolutely perfect, idled smooth, plugs are a nice cardboard brown color.

Anyone else experience this with their sleds and Marathon gas?

I'm going to avoid those stations if possible.. I called the station, and the attendant there was absolutely clueless, and said they sell to snowmobiles all the time...

 

[midwest]

I noticed recently that my sled was running very weird. Idle was erratic, plug color shows white at idle. Lean bog coming off idle. It would get better as sled warms up, but was still there.

My sled is a 1997 Mach 1, basically stock except for some clutching, and mild trail porting. Stock jetting, and it's always ran great. My sled calls for 91 octane minimum, and that's what I always put in it. I've always ran Klotz oil in it.

Then I was thinking, the past couple times I got gas, it was at a Marathon station. Where they automatically put fuel system/injector cleaner in it. One time was 3 gallons, then 4 gallons about a week ago.

I figured what the heck, and before I rode Saturday, I drained all the gas, and re-filled with gas from BP.

My sled ran absolutely perfect, idled smooth, plugs are a nice cardboard brown color.

Anyone else experience this with their sleds and Marathon gas?

I'm going to avoid those stations if possible.. I called the station, and the attendant there was absolutely clueless, and said they sell to snowmobiles all the time...[/b]

I dont think it,s the staion, mite be your pilot's and stuck float,s. dirt from gas. something cloged i belive your pilots,and air screw run (closed to half your throttle in you carbs).but it mite of been water.Crash dummy

 

[midwest]

I dont think it,s the staion, mite be your pilot's and stuck float,s. dirt from gas. something cloged i belive your pilots,and air screw run (closed to half your throttle in you carbs).but it mite of been water.Crash dummy[/b]

I have had 3 scorpion's 2 johndeer 1 articat 2 yamaha's 2 polaris now this skidoo and never had any problems with any carboration till i bought a skidoo seems like it depends on what way the wind is blowing, im not golfing here i want to go sleding, and not have to worry if im running lean or rich, i thought skidoo was top of the line if you ask me my 89 phazer yamaha was the best all around sled for my size 165lbs still running to this day with out any service( to carbs or engine.) and i was allways in front on the trail when i road with a private club. My budy's had 4,5,6,7, and 800 cc sled's big guy's were allway's in back with there black and blew hand's from stering a pig, or had to wory about there high priced high performance engine, or hold on!! have to pull off for gas.I made it from eagle river to silver city no problem still had gas less then a eighth tank, and i was either first or second to arive, with my little yamaha phazer. so it dont matter what you have. it's what you need to get you there. LET'S GO SLEDING. Crash dummy

 

[ballsout1]

97mach... i guess you answered your own question. we dont have marathon stations in my neck of the woods however some thoughts come to mind. your symptoms are typical of a oxygenated fuel. i dont know if thats relative. your symptoms are also typical of a blended fuel that uses alcohol in the mix. thing is usually theres not enough (10% or so) to make a real fuel mixture concern. thing is you answered your own question and i`m willing to bet at least a little it may very well have to do with one or both of the two things i`ve mentioned. also all sleds are tuned a litte different so the mere fact that they sell to a lot of sledders means nothing. for instance you may be on the lean side of your fuel mix in comparison to other folks that buy there. glad it all worked out.

 

[97mach1]

A friend of mine repeated the same exact experiment as I did. Except he has a 99 Mach Z. Bone stock, stock jetting, only mod is a clutch kit and studs.

He was low on gas, and only station around was a Marathon station. After he got gas, it ran like crap. He made it home then brought his sled to me last night. First thing I asked is where he got gas last. I drained his tank and had him fill up with different gas. Rode about 20 miles last night on it, had the stumble when I first took off, then about 5 miles later, it completely stopped.

I am going to avoid Marathon gas like the plague!

All the gas stations around MI that I know of have the oxygenated fuel. I know that leans things out, but I haven't heard of anyone having problems with stock jetting (which is usually rich anyways), and today's fuels. I just wouldn't jet down nowadays like we used to. I used to have 45 pilots in my sled, but went back to 50's a few years back.