2010 RMK 800 Engine Failures

[Andyroo57]

Guys,

I am pretty frustrated and I need some help! I have a 2010 RMK 800 with a 144". I purchased the sled in October of 2010 as a dealer demo sled with 595 miles. My first blown engine was at 670 miles during the winter of 2010-2011 and the dealer repaired the engine under warranty. I didn't ride the next winter very much (90 miles) because we didn't get any snow and I couldn't afford a trip out West. The second blown engine was at 1510 miles during the winter of 2012-2013. I paid to have the engine re-built and an oil pump replaced, per their "recomendation", by the dealer ($1,950). The third blown engine was at 1594 miles. I threatened to sue the dealer under the lemon laws and they agreed to fix it for free this time. I have not rode the sled since the last re-build. Everytime that the engine has blown, the dealer said it was due to the engine overheating and that the pistons were scored. This seems very unlikely to me, because I keep an eye on my engine temperature and the highest that I have ever seen was 151 F with it generally running around 142 F. The engine overheat dummy light never came on either.

My main question is wether or not people believe that MTNTK "Fix Kit" could possibly salvage my dedication to Polaris and keep this sled running or wether I should dump my ride on Craigslist and save up for a Ski-Doo Summit?

I have been riding Polaris snowmbiles for 16 years, 25,000 plus miles and have only had to rebuild one engine in all those years on three other Polaris sleds.

Thank you very much ahead of time for your input. It is greatly appreciated.

 

[CDK]

Guys,

I am pretty frustrated and I need some help! I have a 2010 RMK 800 with a 144". I purchased the sled in October of 2010 as a dealer demo sled with 595 miles. My first blown engine was at 670 miles during the winter of 2010-2011 and the dealer repaired the engine under warranty. I didn't ride the next winter very much (90 miles) because we didn't get any snow and I couldn't afford a trip out West. The second blown engine was at 1510 miles during the winter of 2012-2013. I paid to have the engine re-built and an oil pump replaced, per their "recomendation", by the dealer ($1,950). The third blown engine was at 1594 miles. I threatened to sue the dealer under the lemon laws and they agreed to fix it for free this time. I have not rode the sled since the last re-build. Everytime that the engine has blown, the dealer said it was due to the engine overheating and that the pistons were scored. This seems very unlikely to me, because I keep an eye on my engine temperature and the highest that I have ever seen was 151 F with it generally running around 142 F. The engine overheat dummy light never came on either.

My main question is wether or not people believe that MTNTK "Fix Kit" could possibly salvage my dedication to Polaris and keep this sled running or wether I should dump my ride on Craigslist and save up for a Ski-Doo Summit?

I have been riding Polaris snowmbiles for 16 years, 25,000 plus miles and have only had to rebuild one engine in all those years on three other Polaris sleds.

Thank you very much ahead of time for your input. It is greatly appreciated.

Sorry for your luck Andy. I would recommend checking out the IQ forum under Polaris, there's lots of info regarding the 08-10 CFI-4 motors. Long story short, there's a pretty well know set of issues with those motors. For your main question, yes the Fix Kit (or similiar engine kit) has a pretty good track record for fixing the CFI-4's engine woes. A Power Commander helps fix the lean issues in the fuel map. Do a search in the IQ forum, or check out the stickies. Tons of good info in there!

As for switching to a Summit.........I HIGHLY recommend trying a Pro first, but I'm a Polaris guy!

 

[Reg2view]

Unless you love the chassis, kick it down the road. Could be that it's fixed for a couple thousand miles, or, you'll be dumping another +2k into it before you get there. While the 10 was the best of the CFI4s, I've ridden with a bunch of 08-10s, and the most miles I've personally seen before pow was 4k, before the crank pin snapped. Seems like - some are good for a couple thousand, or they will go through motor after motor. If it was me and I was inclined to keep it, Indy Dan would be my choice for any rebuild, with his warranty.

 

[fugly27]

I have 2010 rmk 155 with 2000 miles . I have never seen temps like that my sled at its hottest has been 136. Mabe your thermostat is faulty

 

[Butta]

I would kick it down the road and update to a PRO with a factory warranty. I had a '10 Assault and saw similar issues, with a new motor only lasting 50 miles. It seems like once they blow they aren't ever right again. You can dump more money into it like has been suggested, or just apply the cost of a probable engine failure to your upgrade and ride without the worry of it blowing on you again. I loved my Assault, but I hated the lack of trust I had with it. Try a PRO, they're worlds better and have a much higher reliability record.

My $0.02....

 

[ice man]

get rid of that thing,u got a lemon,it happens,i went through that before, 3motors later before I learned,once they go they are never the same

 

[Andyroo57]

WOW! Thank you so much butta, Reg2view, CDK, and especially ice man!!! You guys really seem to now your engines and with a lemon of a sled a guy really just needs to cut his losses eventually............ I can work on most parts of a sled, but the internals of a high performance engine get to be a bit over my head. I'm planning on proceeding with ditching the sled.

One more thing that really erked me about the whole deal was the fact that the dealership that I originally purchased the sled from was not willing to take the sled in on trade. I guess that is their right, but it really rubbed me the wrong way on ever wanting another Polaris 800.

 

[canj]

looks like you have a big lean spot on your map. A power commander would be my bet to solve your problem. But I have a better advice form you : switch dealer! If this is the only polaris dealer in your area... i'm sorry for the polaris only guys (don't look at my signature lol) switch brand. The new xm is really nice! Having a good dealer is really important for those that don't want to do the job.

 

[xc6rider]

Get rid of it, or if you keep it, have Indy Specialty build a new long rod for it. I had a '10 800. Realized it was a lemon and got rid of it with 500-600 miles on it. Took a big hit doing so, but LOVE the Pro chassis! And I really liked the '10 chassis...

 

[Butta]

looks like you have a big lean spot on your map. A power commander would be my bet to solve your problem. But I have a better advice form you : switch dealer! If this is the only polaris dealer in your area... i'm sorry for the polaris only guys (don't look at my signature lol) switch brand. The new xm is really nice! Having a good dealer is really important for those that don't want to do the job.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. There are several choices for premium and capable mountain sleds these days, and what makes or breaks it is the quality of dealer support you have access to. I drive 75 miles to my preferred Polaris dealer because they take care of me and my machines. (Frontier Cycles in Laramie, WY). If they didn't exist, I'd probably have a Ski Doo, because the other dealers around for Polaris have no idea about customer service and equipment set up. Find a solid Polaris dealer and use them, or like what was suggested above, switch brands. It's really the only answer.

The fact that the dealer you bought your sled from won't take it on trade tells you something of the confidence they have in that machine. Pretty crappy on their part to not support you as you are a customer of theirs, but it further solidifies the decision to ditch the sled....

 

[AdrenalineAddict]

Everybody I know that had an issue with the 08-010 CFI burned them down while cruising down the trail at a fixed mid throttle setting sometimes for only five or six seconds. Those who varied throttle position to and from elevation never appeared to have a problem. Not that this is a solution, but it may be a way to skirt the issue.

 

[gijoe]

That's sad to hear all of those problems you had. When ever I hear of multiple engine failures I immediately think of intake or exhaust issues. That airbox is a crappy design to begin with, too many ways for FOD. Also, if the exhaust pipe is not THOROUGHLY cleaned or repalced, pieces from the failed engine can get sucked back into the cylinder. Not to mention all of the other issues that engine has.