[fastcat02]

Well, where do I start. I have had nothing but problems with my brand spanking new ZR. With 400 miles on it my first fuel pump went due to the so called SMART valve. I now have 800 miles on the machine and now the machine has decided that it does not want to start. I have to hold the throttle wide open to get the machine to run, and its an efi. It runs like poo-poo after I do this due to to much fuel in the cylinders and does not clear for about 5 minutes. This past sunday the front skid frame shock and adjuster decided not to work at all. I checked for oil leaks but could not find one. I get about two turns down on the adjuster and that is it. Then I can't turn it at all. And to top it off, I now need a second fuel pump and /or SMART valves. Good thing it quit about 1000 feet from the motel and on the last day of my trip. The gas gauge also decided to call it quits for a while as well. Gauges constanly fog or frost up on everyride. I'm pretty impressed that I bought a new machine and have to take it back to the dealer after every ride. I have spent more on fuel in the truck this year going to my dealer than I have on the sled. I'm starting to lose my brand loyalty. If the new Firecats are junk like my ZR I know I will be jumping ship to another brand. I bought a new machine to ride not to fix.  

 

 

[TallCool1]

Too bad fastcat....hate to hear anyone losing precious trail time to breakdowns.  How's the dealer working for you?  Let us know what they find to be the problem(s).  GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[Sharkey]

I hope you have better luck your next ride. That sucks. You sure as heck don't wan't to ride a slow loaner or rental. A guy should get a $100.oo for everytime a new sled needs to be fixed, that would get there attention, to get on the stick.

 

[fastcat02]

I totally agree with sharkey. They should cough out reimbersement money for time lost especially with such a horrible winter. I had the sled down there earlier in the year for a damage estimate and told the dealer about the starting problem with it. He said he would fix it right up. When I picked up the sled, the fuel pump flew the coup for the first time. Had no probs replacing it and the dealer told me she was already to go. Starting prob fixed. Yeah, O.K. That weekend I ran into the mechanic on the trail at a stop and told him to start it. He couldn't without holding the throttle open. He told me to bring it back and he would fix it. I couldn't get there for a week, and found out he had quit the day before i got there. Just my luck. I have lived with the problem for two weeks due to out of town trips and couldn't have down time. Now its back to the dealer with that and whole whack of other probs. This winter is just so wonderful.

 

[Taz800]

hay fastcat. I have had problems with my 800efi this year.
at about 650miles the sled started to loose power. would not pull full rpm and only run about 95 mph. I was worried about the engine on the ride home. felt like it was starving on fuel.
I didnot fill the sled with fuel. I got a coat hanger and hooked the rear filter/screen from the fuel tank and brought it out the
fill hole in the tank. Found the rear screen plugged with a very sticky brown coating. I remove the screen and poored gas into the screen. The screen was so plugged that the gas would not run through it. I cleaned the screen with honda carb cleaner and it came back nice and white. Reinstalled the filter and went for another ride next weekend for about 80 miles. Rechecked it again and found it starting to plug again.
I removed the seat and fuel tank assy. Remove the complete fuel pump and found the front filter plugged also.  Cleaned the fuel screens, drained and washed out the complete inside of tank. There was alot of brown sticky balls like oil or tar in the tank. This was causeing the fuel filters in the tank to plug.
reassemble the sled and went for 4 days of riding. put about 350 miles on sled. Rechecked when got home filter are as white as when i cleaned them before the trip. I talked to cat factory rep at the cat show last week. He gave me the run around
. first time he has heard of this problem. What a lyer. To make a  long story short. The answer he gave me after at least 15 minutes of harping at him. Was that the brown goo should wash out of the screen/filter after several miles. I may be from the 1st tank of oil/fuel mixture. He said that you have to make sure you only run one tank fuel and that you mix it to the correct 100 to 1. and no more. I know of some guy that ran two tanks through there sleds. I check 2 other efi sled after and both had partly plugged filters. I think the problem with yours is that thay replaced the pump and didnot clean the filters as the pump is seperate from the hoses and filters.
What did the cat guys say at the show you had in regina last thrusday?

??
Taz800

 

[fastcat02]

I checked the rear valve in the tank after they changed the first pump and will be checking again tommorow. The first time I checked it , it was very white. No brown goo or tar. I think this is total BS that they give you the run around when you need a answer for something. I would like to have one of them Cat guys with me when it breaks on the trail. I'll need a tow rope and he would need a stretcher. This is really starting to tick me off. I spent good money on this machine, on their product, and when you have a problem they ignore you. Maybe I'll be riding a Polaris next year. I'll probably give Cat one more chance with the firecat and if it is junk, somebody better have a big a$$, cause that is where i'll be stuffing it. I been a cat customer for seven years now and this is really rediculous. If there is a problem with their product, fix it, they make it worse by ignoring it.

 

 

[fastcat02]

Taz, you and me shouldnt have to do all that work to the machine. I will probably end up doing what you did but not to worry, my dealer will hear about it. This is a crock. I must be a Cat Master Technician!

 

[Taz800]

 

 One thing about doing it yourself. It will be done right
 But i am so sick of hearing these cat reps  say that they have never heard of the problem before and you are on only one.   Same thing he said when I asked him what cat is going to do for the problem of the hood not staying on the center
support when closed. my hood has jumped off the center side support from the 1st time I rode it.  It now is starting to crack behind the center support. He was unawear of this problem. I am the only guy having this problem also.
They treat you like you are stupid.
Taz800

 

 

[fastcat02]

Yeah, If you want something done right you have to do it yourself

I haven't had a noticable problem with the hood though other than a fence post jumped out and cracked it all over

 

[Machzzzz1]

Ive been very lucky with my machines and dealer so i never had a dealer problem but i dont understand why the dealer just doesnt fix it right.  Its like they enjoy having angry customers coming back each weekend.  

The dealers should treat us with a little more respect.  If in the first year our engine has a internal failure we should get a new engine period.  None of this going inside and boring it out and oversized pistons.  

And if a problem occurs and the dealer fixed it and it occures again we should be able to get our money back or choose a new sled.  Isnt there Lemon Laws that entitle us to this or is that just with Cars.  

We pay over 10000cdn for these machines and they make us run around like this.  

I am pretty confident that if a situation comes up with my dealer they will treat me right.  But some of the stories ive heard are just sick.  Stories like bending crankshafts only to have the dealer replace every part.  WHY NOT JUST CHANGE THE ENGINE.  

If i bought a car or anything else the last thing i would want is to have the engine torn apart when it was brand new.  The same should apply with sleds.

 

[MountainCat]

The dealers up here in Northern BC all say that the factory knows of no problems with their fuel pumps. Maybe their right though, its the smart valves not the fuel pumps! Nevertheless my buddies 02 cat had a new pump at 1.9 miles and now has over 400 trouble free.

 

[thundercatzr]

machzzzz1 - congrats on the 1,000 posts!

I blew a crank on my '01 T-Cat with 730 miles on it.  Dealer wanted to fix the crank and all associated parts. uh-uh, I said - not till I talk to Cat.  I called them, finally got a human voice, and they immediately agreed to replace the engine, not just repair it.

Of course, they said it was the first time they had heard of it happening to the 1,000 engine.  But from what I have heard, the engine is supposed to be rock solid.  I got the one built after the Xmas party, I guess.

I just wanted to give credit where it is due.  Cat backed up their product.

 

[ArTeeCat]

sorry to hear about the efi.  Conversely the 02 800 carb I have hase 1066 miles and zero problems.  Modified the sled and it starts  third pull every time.  Never did like computers controling my sled.  Had an 94 efi cat that ran like dog.  Efi is the reason I am not puying an F7.  That and the fact that my 800 cranks out over 150 ponies.

 

[SNOWBLOWN]

I really beleive that it has to do with the first tank of gas. 5 of us bought the 800 efi cce and all of them except mine has had a problem. The only thing that I did different than the others was that I used Injex oil for my break in. All of the others used the reccommended AC Synthetic APV oil. I think that the oil reacted with something in the tank and is causing all of the problems.

 

 

[fastcat02]

I have heard that there is a powdery substance that is left in the tank after they are molded. When gas is added, whoola, it clogs up the smart valves. Who's to say, Arctic Cat won't say anything about it. I talked to my dealer today to tell him I was bringing it down and told him the whole list of problems with the machine. I asked him if Cat has said anything of the problem and He said that He was still in the dark about it. Just wonderful, so in another 400 miles I can make the trip back to him for another pump

 

 

[jayjaysin]

Hey thundercat, I know of a 1000 with a bent crank.  It's been fixed once and it bent again right away.  How were you able to talk them into replacing the whole motor?  Have you heard of any other 1000's bending cranks?  I think his a 2000.  Send me a PM if you have any info.  Thanks

 

[thundercatzr]

jay - mine is a 2001 and had only been on the trails for 2 weeks or so.  I got hold of someone at Cat, and they spoke to my dealer, and immediately agreed to replace the motor.

i have heard of no other 2001's blowing.

good luck with yours