AmSnow.com is now SnoWest.com
Straight out of Valcourt, Canada, to your door, the engineers at Ski-Doo have responded to our online members' early season questions.
We have already had replies from Polaris and Arctic Cat, and now it's Ski-Doo's turn to explain the why's and how's posed to them by you.
There are some great queries here, one may correspond to your machine so take a look!
Under the hoodQ.) Do you foresee putting the 3D RAVE system on the SDI 1000? Why isn't there a thermostat on this sled?
- AmSnow.com member Tim TorkelsonA.) Don't look for the 3D RAVE system on the 1000 SDI anytime soon - the current stepper motor system on the 1000 works awesome. We don't need a thermostat on this motor, or the new 800R PowerTEK, because of state-of-the-art design. Our engines' sophisticated electronics better control warm-up and sense problems. The cooling system itself is very advanced - there is 30% more coolant flow (130 L vs. 100 L), and added capacity around the cylinders and crankcase.
Q.) Are you working on the problems with the ECU on the 1000 Mach Z and Summit? How is the problem of the R.A.V.E.s being opened at 7,000 rpm and the throttle position being only at about 15%, making the engine run very rich, then bogging when you throttle wide open, being corrected?
My ECU acts like it doesn't know how to control the situation. The same thing occurs when I do a long pull across the lake and burp the throttle at the end.
- AmSnow.com member Bill CudneyA.) On the Mach and Renegade sleds, our testing found the same issues you did. There were a handful of overlapping lines in the thousands of lines of code in the Engine Control Module (ECM). We've updated these codes. All '07 Mach and Renegade models have this new mapping and it can be flashed into previous models.
Q.) What changes were made to the air box on the 800R?
- AmSnow.com member UtahtedA.) We assume you're comparing it to the 800 H.O. PowerTEK in which the external dimension of the air box is the same - as it's part of the REV platform. But the inside is redesigned with a larger inner tube, for freer breathing and reduced sound.
Q.) I read that the 800cc SDI motor is no longer available due to a lack of crankcase cooling. Ski-Doo released a limited version of the 800R with crankcase cooling this year, but why not an 800 EFI version as well? Many REV owners, who are not satisfied with a 600 SDI, have been waiting every year in anticipation of an 800 EFI model. I won't buy another carbureted sled and feel it's time for another 150+ hp EFI choice without the weight of the Mach.
- AmSnow.com member Russ DettlaffA.) Russ, this is an important issue, but you're forcing yourself to make a false choice. You probably "refuse to buy another carbureted sled" because you want crisp throttle response, good fuel economy, lower emissions, reduced smoke and smell and state-of-the art electronics.
These are not just benefits of our SDI engines, but benefits of our entire family of 2-TEC engines. Both of our 800cc engines - the 800 H.O. PowerTEK and 800R PowerTEK - have carburetors. But they meet all of the above criteria. They are both U.S. EPA certified for emissions. They both lead their class in fuel mileage - and get better mileage than many 4-strokes. Their electronics package is every bit as sophisticated, if not more so, than our SDI motors. Throttle response is instant, they automatically compensate for altitude, weather, your driving style and can protect themselves with their various sensors monitoring engine behavior. They even automatically optimize performance for the octane of the fuel you put in.
In snowmobiling, we need to get away from false choices based on misperceptions: 4-stroke vs. 2-stroke, "EFI" vs. "carbureted" - instead we hope people will rate technologies/snowmobiles based on their true performance. There is more than one way to skin a cat and we're using the best available technology at this time for the application and price-point. As technology advances, you can be sure that BRP will be on the cutting edge of lightweight 2-stroke powerplants.
Take a look at our MXZ Blizzard or Adrenaline with the 800 H.O. PowerTEK engine. We're confident you'll love it.
Additional Web only questionsQ.) Can anything be done to correct the excessive heat in the crankshaft on the 1000, which transfers heat to the clutch creating high belt temperatures regardless of what you do with the clutching? Even though clutching this sled does help bring down the belt temps.
- AmSnow.com member Bill CudneyA.) There is not excessive heat in the crankshaft - this is one of the coolest running engines made. The crankshaft heat you're describing is more likely starting from the clutches. Heat is not an issue specific to Ski-Doo - it is happening to all brands as a result of the tight underhood packaging needed to meet ever-tougher sound regulations. Nevertheless, we're constantly working on new ways to cool the engine bay while meeting those regulations.
Q.) Why all the secrecy around the 500SS? Mine absolutely rips and I can hang with any other 600 and some 7s and 8s. Why is there no mention in any of your brochures about this engine actually being a 600? I never see any real advertisements for it either and when I bought mine, it was hundreds cheaper than any other comparable sled. Maybe that's not a bad thing because I'll just keep blowing away my buddies with my "500" stealth rocket.
- AmSnow.com member Clutchit3A.) If you're "blowing away your buddies," why do you want us to give away your secret? Seriously, we're offering this 600 at the price of a 500 because we can. We named it 500SS (Short Stroke) so it would be cross-shopped with the competitive 500s.
Q.) What do all the letters after your sleds stand for? (GSX, GTX, MXZ, SWT, X-RS, etc.) I have a hard enough time remembering what my own initials stand for!
- AmSnow.com member FullpackageA.) Yes, we do love our acronyms at Ski-Doo. Here are most of them:
GSX - Grand Sport
GTX - Grand Touring
MXZ - Motocross
SWT - Super Wide Track
X-RS - Racing Special
DESS - Digitally Encoded Security System
ECM - Engine Control Module
H.O. - High Output
HPG - High Pressure Gas
MC - Motion Control
PowerTEK - Throttle position sensor/e-RAVE/Knock sensor
RAVE - Rotax Adjustable Variable Exhaust
eRAVE - electronic Rotax Adjustable Variable Exhaust
RAS - Response Angle Suspension
RER - Rotax Electronic Reverse
SC - Super Comfort
SDI - Semi-Direct Injection
500SS - 500 Short Stroke
T-A - Take-Apart
TRA - Total Range Adjustable
VR - Variable Rate
WT - Wide Track
...the X usually doesn't mean anything... we just like it.