what to expect on PDI

[Flying Dutchman]

This is my first time snow checking, so this is all new to me.
I need to go pick up my new Pro, and was wondering about the PDI. What is the dealer supposed to do, to have it ready to go?
Is it a quick check and out the door?
Or do they check and align as if I was riding it tomorrow.
Do they even put gas / oil in it?
I'm sure I'll be going over the entire machine, but would be nice to know they did the same thing.

 

[RACINSTATION]

You should ask your dealer. Most of them have a checklist that they go through. Some slap the sled together, put gas in it and load it up, others take some time and grease pivot points, put oil in the gas, bleed coolant lines, bleed injector lines, check alignment on the skis, tension track correctly, check clutches, run through heat cycles....... but not many.

 

[troyburt]

You should ask your dealer. Most of them have a checklist that they go through. Some slap the sled together, put gas in it and load it up, others take some time and grease pivot points, put oil in the gas, bleed coolant lines, bleed injector lines, check alignment on the skis, tension track correctly, check clutches, run through heat cycles....... but not many.

racinstation,

whats would you recommend to do when heat cycling the engine's? is it a good thing to do?

thanks for your help

 

[LoudHandle]

I've had both extremes of dealer prep. The ones that rattle the skis on and install the windshield and push it out the door, I've never spent another dime at. In the other hand, I've gone to others in the middle of now where, put me up and fed me and spent two or three days setting my two new sleds up. Never charged me anything for labor just parts and those they gave me 15% off lower 48ist price. I stayed with them until they sold the dealership and then did business with the new owners for another seven years until Polaris changed their policies so only Costco style dealerships could survive, because they treated me the same way. Between the two later dealers and 16 years I spent ~$250,000 give or take. It is really hard for me to shop at a Costco style dealership now, because they have no service in comparison.

Thankfully I now know enough about setup to build a sled from the ground up and don't need any dealer prep. Because you don't get it even if you pay for it. My $0.02 is do it yourself regardless, check and double Check everything.

 

[clamlake600]

A dealer must pdi a sled when it comes in from the manufacturer. They have a check list that both they and you sign off on off on as part of the delivery process. Make sure they go over the sled front to back with you, going over that list. Insist upon it if they balk, because its very important if you're new to snowmobiling. They should also setup the suspension according to your weight and riding style. Prepare to spend a hour, and ask questions if you don't know, it will save you time in the long run... Enjoy your new sled! Ps..my dealer told me to tip the sled up 45 degrees, oil tank side up, to help bleed the bubbles out of the oil lines and fittings. A bubble develops at the 90 fitting under the tank. Tip her up for a day or two, cap loose.

 

[550iq]

But why do we have to pay a premium, above the MSRP, for this required sled preparation service under the moniker: Dealer Prep or Set-up. You mean the MSRP only reflects the price of a sled in the box? No matter what, service the sled yourself once you get it home, do not assume there is oil in the chaincase. (another thing good about being in the time of the belt drive)
550iq

 

[LoudHandle]

A dealer must pdi a sled when it comes in from the manufacturer. They have a check list that both they and you sign off on off on as part of the delivery process. Make sure they go over the sled front to back with you, going over that list. Insist upon it if they balk, because its very important if you're new to snowmobiling. They should also setup the suspension according to your weight and riding style. Prepare to spend a hour, and ask questions if you don't know, it will save you time in the long run... Enjoy your new sled! Ps..my dealer told me to tip the sled up 45 degrees, oil tank side up, to help bleed the bubbles out of the oil lines and fittings. A bubble develops at the 90 fitting under the tank. Tip her up for a day or two, cap loose.

They are SUPPOSED to do a dealer prep, most of those forms never make it past the nearest trash can or get pencil whipped by the office people. I've gotten sleds with the carbs falling off! (been a while since I bought new, been building sled from scratch for nearly twenty years now). Once I heard them fork it into the shop, the crate ripped open, the skis rattled on and assume the windshield darts stabbed, and the engine fire for less than two seconds as the garage door opened and the stabbed the gas enough to close the door behind it. They didn't and most don't spend 10 minutes on dealer prep! The Costco Mentality, is it any wonder they have warranty issues! Granted if I was not a mechanic myself (and don't trust anyone even doing that much to my sleds) I would have forced them to do what you proposed and purported that they HAVE to do. Personally I would rather them put the crate in my truck / trailer and not touch my sled.

 

[assault11]

I worked at a Polaris dealer for a bit and I PDIed a lot of sleds we would check track tension, circulate the oil pump till all air pockets were gone, put skies and windshield on, fill the tank with a 50/1 mix with Polaris synthetic blend oil (to help seat the rings) and fill the oil tank and tighten and center handles bar's.