Had to tow the 650 155 home today. Anybody got any ideas of what went wrong?

[Escmanaze]

Had a great day today in lots of deep powder. Cold, windy, and snowy. Then, on the trail ride back, there is a place where big boys can take a short cut down a steep hill and the smaller kids go around on the trail. So my older boy takes this shortcut with some others, and then ends up waiting at the bottom with his sled off while the little kids make their way around on the trail. Probably 5-7 minutes wait. Trail riders catch up, everybody is back together and we all head off. However, the 650 starts acting up. It will idle fine, but when we give it throttle, it will maybe go forward like 5 or 10 feet and then it wants to bog and die. I guess not as much "bog" as just kind of die. We keep working with it. Turning it off, turning it back on, get a few moments where it will actually go 20 feet or so, and after about 200 feet, we decide to give up and tow it back.

Get it home - about 1.5 hours of drive and 1 hour of dinner - it pulls out of the trailer just fine. we run it around the grass in the yard a bit and everything seems completely normal and fine.

With it now running fine, it seems likely that if I take it to the mechanic, he will not be able to replicate the problem, and therefore will just tell me there is nothing he can do.

Anybody got any ideas?

Thanks

 

[RHODESIE]

Throttle flipper iced up activating the safety switch maybe? After the drive and chow it may have thawed and is working properly now.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Moisture in the TSS itself.

 

[davesilb]

If you where low on fuel the remaining fuel could have heated up and you where experiencing vapor lock !!

 

[goforbroke]

Is it an axys model? I would bet moisture in the electronic connectors. Dried out and fine now. I have had it happen, but not on the matryx models.

 

[BigAir]

Definitely sounds like your Throttle Safety Switch was iced up and stuck to me.

 

[ExcursionPSD]

1. The 650 twin only came in a Matryx chassis.

2. Problem with Throttle Safety System (TSS) due to icing is a possibility, the OP did not state the model year.

3. Problem caused by wet ignition switch is possible, this would cure itself when dried out. Spraying in some electrical contact cleaner wouldn't hurt.

4. Checking the electrical connectors sure won't hurt.

5. Vapor Lock on a fuel injected sled with a recirculating fuel system? probably not.

 

[Escmanaze]

Throttle flipper iced up activating the safety switch maybe? After the drive and chow it may have thawed and is working properly now.

Seems like a good theory. Where is this safety switch? What would I try to do about it if this were the problem?

 

[Escmanaze]

Moisture in the TSS itself.

Thanks for the idea. Where is the TSS? How do I go about keeping moisture out of there in the future? Or alternatively, how do I try to clear it out of there once it is in - short of towing the sled home and letting it thaw?

 

[Escmanaze]

If you where low on fuel the remaining fuel could have heated up and you where experiencing vapor lock !!

He was close to a half tank, so the vapor lock seems less likely. Also, it would idle fine, seemingly indefinitely. It was just once we tried to get going that we had problems. Vapor lock would stop us from even idling well wouldn't it?

 

[Escmanaze]

Is it an axys model? I would bet moisture in the electronic connectors. Dried out and fine now. I have had it happen, but not on the matryx models.

'22 Matryx 650 155.

 

[Escmanaze]

Definitely sounds like your Throttle Safety Switch was iced up and stuck to me.

Do you know how I go about keeping that from icing up in the future? Also if there is a way to thaw it or clean the ice out when out on the trail?

 

[Kylep]

Do you know how I go about keeping that from icing up in the future? Also if there is a way to thaw it or clean the ice out when out on the trail?

Aftermarket throttle block like a mvm skinz or tki helps a lot, you can also delete the tss. Its there for a reason but if you always wear your tether and test your throttle before starting you should be fine

 

[FatDogX]

I would agree with a potential TSS issue. I would also suggest like others above, put an aftermarket throttle block on. Plenty of them out there to choose from but I went the following route and it works great.

POLARIS MATRYX SUPER COMBO PACK | CNC-machined performance parts and accessories

Super Combo pack includes: 1 Billet short pull brake lever 1 Billet reservoir protector 1 Billet throttle block A color matched combo of TKI CNC billet products for the Polaris MATRYX ++++ STILL RUNNING VERIFICATION FOR FITMENT ON NEW 2025 POLARIS THROTTLE BLOCKS+++++

tkicnc.com

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Thanks for the idea. Where is the TSS? How do I go about keeping moisture out of there in the future? Or alternatively, how do I try to clear it out of there once it is in - short of towing the sled home and letting it thaw?

It's inside the throttle block.

It's not sealed, so prone to issues.

Best diagnostic method is using a TSS bypass from @Perk

 

[Escmanaze]

Aftermarket throttle block like a mvm skinz or tki helps a lot, you can also delete the tss. Its there for a reason but if you always wear your tether and test your throttle before starting you should be fine

He does have an aftermarket throttle. I believe MVM. I will double check which brand, though. Sounds like maybe I should do a youtube search for "how to delete TSS on Polaris Matryx" or something like that.

Thanks much. I appreciate the help.

 

[davesilb]

1. The 650 twin only came in a Matryx chassis.

2. Problem with Throttle Safety System (TSS) due to icing is a possibility, the OP did not state the model year.

3. Problem caused by wet ignition switch is possible, this would cure itself when dried out. Spraying in some electrical contact cleaner wouldn't hurt.

4. Checking the electrical connectors sure won't hurt.

5. Vapor Lock on a fuel injected sled with a recirculating fuel system? probably not.

I had a problem with what I diagnosed as vapor lock on a fuel injection 2018 polaris 800 when the fuel in tank got too warm from the heat ex-changer under the tank. I'll admit it was spring riding and I was have trouble keeping the temperature down and was having to stop and physically put snow on the ex-changer. I was also moving slow for a extend period of time because I was picking my way through a dense patch of trees and was having to do quite a bit of backing up when I would pick a wrong line through trees. When I finally got though the patch and could get the scrapers down and pick up speed the problem went away. I was only able to get through the patch of trees by digging up the the hard layer of snow and cooling my tunnel, heat ex-changer, and engine components down with the snow I would dig up. He mention that he was going back to the trailer so he could have had a low amount of fuel and while he sat for 5 min it heated the fuel just enough. Really need more details to make a better diagnosis but never rule out vapor lock or a lean mixture on a injected engine when there gets to be low fuel in tank and you have plenty of time for it to heat up from the tunnel mounted heat exchangers

 

[line8]

I have MVM throttle block on my 22. It will sometimes get a little ice. Way less than stock.
I keep a small container of lock deicer spray in the handlebar bag. Only used it once.