M8 Overheating?

[Corins]

Anyone have their 2010 M8 overheat? I had mine out on Thursday night and within 15 miles I was getting the temp warning, I'm not overly concerned about it as we don't have much snow (6 inches or so) plus it was 0C out so kinda warm. Normally wouldn't have taken it out in conditions like that but I had to get a small ride cause looking at it sitting in the garage was getting old.

But I was wondering what kind of coolant mixture are people using? We are currently getting pounded with snow and it has cooled off a bit so I wouldn't be surprised if this was a one time thing, but I figured I would ask about the coolant mixture people are using just incase.

 

[m8magicandmystery]

coolant should be rated for -45...so what ever mixture gets you that..

 

[BEARTOOTHBLACKCAT]

i have almost 100 miles on mine hasnt got hot once. rode it about 15 miles first ride in town pullin the kits on sleds not much snow real slow and never got hot. rode cooke city last weekend rode kinda slow up the trail was ridin next to a young kid on a 440 never got hot. you might ride it again in some more snow and see maybe has an air pocket in the cooler

 

[columbus]

Scratchers are very important on M sleds. They will overheat in hard snow without them, the heat exchangers are small. Scratchers will pay for themselves quickly when you figure how much longer your hifax lasts. Not to mention that a motor that runs cooler will last longer.

 

[killerrf]

Anyone have their 2010 M8 overheat? I had mine out on Thursday night and within 15 miles I was getting the temp warning, I'm not overly concerned about it as we don't have much snow (6 inches or so) plus it was 0C out so kinda warm. Normally wouldn't have taken it out in conditions like that but I had to get a small ride cause looking at it sitting in the garage was getting old.

But I was wondering what kind of coolant mixture are people using? We are currently getting pounded with snow and it has cooled off a bit so I wouldn't be surprised if this was a one time thing, but I figured I would ask about the coolant mixture people are using just incase.

maybe its air locked. lift the front of the sled as high as you can... either leave it overnight and let air work to the top or run it with it in the air and with the rad cap off watch to see if the coolant goes down.

 

[Corins]

The temp light would go out when I would shut down the sled for about 5 min and start up again, but within a few miles it would be on again. My guess is that the low snow and warm temps was the cause, just got off night shift, when I wake up I'm going for a short ride before nights tonight, since Thursday night we have gotten about 2 feet of snow, and the temps have dropped 10 degrees. Hopefully I won't see the light today.

 

[Rukus]

I just bougth me cooler from x-fire 8 for my M7, ist bigger

 

[snowcatter]

Scratchers are very important on M sleds. They will overheat in hard snow without them, the heat exchangers are small. Scratchers will pay for themselves quickly when you figure how much longer your hifax lasts. Not to mention that a motor that runs cooler will last longer.

Exactly what he said

 

[alaskanadams]

Might sound stupid but, check that your antifreeze level is filled to the cold fill mark. Just got a 2010 crossfire 8, first ride the light was comming on, went back home let it cool and checked, it took about 8-10 oz antifreeze. I have not seen the light again. Also did anyone notice on the new (maybe on older ones too) crossfires and Ms that the shield for the antifreeze bottle coveres the cold level so you can't see the correct fill level. Also the pull rope, because of the shield, does not go through a rope guide and slides against the side of the sheild. I removed the shield and using a 4" grinder cut a slice into the side of the shield along the bevel line of the shield about 1 1/2" long so as to rotate clockwise onto a piece of plastic that is covered with foil to expose the rope guide. Rope now follows correct path............mark

 

[Corins]

Checked coolant level last week and it was about an inch below the cold fill mark, filled to the level figuring that would solve the problem (only had 1 ride so far where I didn't see the temp light).

Went out today and saw the Temp light 4 times in 25 miles, would stop each time and wait 10min to cool down and go again and it would come on again. Waiting for the sled to cool down in the garage now, looked at coolant level and it looked very low, wondering if I have a leak. It was -29C here today and we have gotten about 40cm of snow since my last ride, I don't see why it is overheating, considering I know guys with 09 Assaults and Summits that have never seen a temp warning.

 

[Diamond8]

I have only had my new sled ( 2010 M8 Snopro 162 ) up once so far this year........and a buddy with his 2010 M8 LE at the same time. Well........we didn't have scratchers yet and in hard snow conditions ( not enough snow off trail to dive off and cool the sleds) well we weren't 10 miles into our ride and both sleds were flashing the temp lights. So we pulled to the side of the trail..........scooped snow up on top of the rear tunnel and let the sleds sit there and idle.........we got them cooled down.......then hit the trail heading back to the cabin.

On the way back to the cabin we did the old drag the feet trick a few times here and there and neither of us saw the temp light traveling the same distance back to the cabin. We attributed it to low snow and the snow being packed down hard without scratchers. I believe that if we would have had scratchers we would have been fine. Heading up again this coming weekend and we both have scratchers on now........so hopefully this will help solve the over temp. we were seeing. Hope this helps. I didn't check the anti-freeze........will do that tonight after work. I only saw the over temp once and never again so figured it was the low snow conditions. Anywho......that's what I know. Keep us posted if you do indeed find a leak in your system.

Dave

 

[Corins]

Came home from supper just a few minutes ago and checked the coolant level and its fine, must have been the light making it look low, but it is at the cold level fill mark. I'm waiting for the scratchers to show up, just found it odd that my M8 is overheating where the Summit and Assault aren't.

 

[dafarmer]

I'd be guessing air lock also. Just got back from tog. The trails were hard packed and i didn't have scratchers. No overheat problems. But we did run into a guy that rode his about 4-5 miles and antifreeze spit everywhere. Could'nt find a leak so we thought must be an air lock. Scratchers do work well but wouldn't have helped in this case.

 

[Mjunkie]

Came home from supper just a few minutes ago and checked the coolant level and its fine, must have been the light making it look low, but it is at the cold level fill mark. I'm waiting for the scratchers to show up, just found it odd that my M8 is overheating where the Summit and Assault aren't.

Next time you go for a ride, like someone else on here said, and before the motor gets warm, pull up a steep hill and stop so the front end is a lot higher than the rear, pull of the reservoir cap and let it idle for a bit. That should bleed whatever air is out of the system, top off your bottle with more coolant and go ride. Another thing you can do is buy a water wetter agent like redline and add to the coolant (as long as you don't have a leak), and that will help with the overheating. Doesn't make sense that a stocker would overheat though, unless the snow conditions are really bad.

 

[05snopro440]

I'm betting it's snow conditions. The cooling systems on these sleds are made for powder snow, so if it was packed it would have easily overheated.

 

[Corins]

I raised the front of the sled in my garage and ran it for a few min, had a few bubbles form at the top of the coolant (assuming they came from the lines), I've had 3 rides since and haven't seen the light.