Technical | Woods Cycle Country Blog

December 17, 2012 by Mark J. Sheffield Leave a Comment

How Does My Motorcycle Warranty Work

I receive many questions about Powersports warranties and what they cover. While I cannot cover all of the details in one Blog entry, here is how the process works.

Good Times Protection Program

The key determination when it comes down to whether or not a repair is covered under an in effect warranty is the determination of whether or not the failure is due to a “manufacturer defect”.

Here are some examples I have seen over the last 20 years to help you see the difference. In all cases I am referring to the factory warranty period.

ECM (the brain) on a motorcycle fails and the vehicle will not start
- Bad ground in the wiring harness caused the ECM to fail – is warranty
- Customer jumped vehicle with an automobile which overloaded the charging system – not warranty
ATV will not start because the battery will not hold a charge
- Regulator / rectifier failed which damaged the battery – is warranty (regulator / rectifier covered at full amount and battery may or may not be covered based on the age of the vehicle)
- Customer let ATV sit up for 8 months without maintaining the battery – not warranty (battery failed due to sulfation from not being maintained)
PWC runs rough and won’t achieve full speed
- Exhaust hose came loose filling hull with exhaust fumes – is warranty
- Customer flipped unit over and got water in the fuel system – not warranty
- Customer operated vehicle in shallow water and rocks damaged the impeller – not warranty
Utility vehicle is making driveline noise
- CV joint not properly greased from the factory – is warranty
- Customer led mud dry on the CV boot. The next time the UTV was operated the mud caused the boot to tear and the CV was damaged – not warranty

In most dealerships, when a customer comes in the Service Writer will write up a Repair Order on the vehicle listing the customer’s complaints and then dispatch that work to a technician. A warranty determination can often be made once a tech determines what the cause of the problem is.

If a warranty determination is not easy to make then the dealership staff will contact the OEM and explain the situation to the technical staff. In most cases, the OEM will ask us to send them diagnostic files and pictures of the failure. In some instances the OEM will also want pictures of the entire vehicle (not just the failed part) in order to see how it has been maintained. They may also ask for maintenance records in cases where the failure may have been prevented by routine maintenance.

Once the OEM has reviewed the information we have sent them, they will make a determination of whether or not to cover the repair under warranty. At this point they will come back to the dealership and either grant approval for a warranty repair, or deny any coverage based on the determination of the failure not being due to a manufacturer defect (or in some cases ask for additional information).

In a later article, I will cover your options for what to do if you feel the OEM has made an incorrect determination.

Filed Under: BRP, Can-Am, Kawasaki, Polaris, Suzuki, Technical, Yamaha Tagged With: Assurant, ESC, Extended Service Contract, Extended Warranty, GTPP, Manufacturer Defect, Polaris Star, Warranty, YES

November 28, 2012 by admin Leave a Comment

An Easier Way to Secure Your Motorcycle on the Trailer

We continue to see motorcycles in our Service Department with damage to them that happened when they fell over during trailering.

The process of securing your motorcycle on a trailer is a lot easier than most people think, but it’s also easy to make mistakes.

If your motorcycle is going to spend a lot of time in the back of your truck or trailer, then one of the best tips we can offer is to install a High Roller tie bar. We install these in all of our shop vehicles and trailers. They add a layer of security by ensuring that the front wheel cannot move from side to side, and they also provide additional tie down points.

Most of the tie bars sell for less than $100, and that’s a lot cheaper than the damage that can happen to your ride if it falls over during the trip.

http://www.highrollerproducts.com

The Tie Bar provides extra support for the front of truck beds, 3 locations for the front wheels, and 8 secure tie down locations. Heavy-duty steel construction with a powder coat finish. 2 sizes to fit all trucks: 58 inch for full size and 53 inch for mid and small trucks. Optional Tie Bar Kicker for hauling 3 motorcycles.

Filed Under: Parts & Accessories, Technical Tagged With: High Roller, Motorcycle, Secure, Strap, Tie Bar, Tie Down, Trailer

November 22, 2012 by Mark J. Sheffield Leave a Comment

Polaris Ranger EV (Electric Vehicle) Battery Maintenance Tips

Over the last couple of years we have learned many things relating to the maintenance of the batteries on electric vehicles, and we would like to pass that wisdom on to you. While most of these maintenance tips are covered in the owner’s manual you received at the time of purchase (the one we asked you to read through), we feel them important enough to specifically point out. As always, please make sure you read and fully understand the contents of your Owner’s Manual prior to attempting any of this work. If you are unsure of the correct method, then be sure to contact your selling dealership. The amount of energy produced by an EV battery pack is enough to hurt, maim, or kill.

Cleaning batteries

The tops of the batteries and the terminals tend to collect a lot of dirt and debris (along with some corrosion). This should be cleaned off with a stiff bristle brush (and/or wire brush) along with a solution of baking soda and water, and then rinsed off with a low pressure water hose.

Topping off the batteries

The batteries should only be topped off when they are fully charged, and only distilled water should be used. When charging, the fluid in them expands, and topping the batteries off prior to charging them will just cause excess battery acid to bubble out of the battery vents.

Battery terminals

The charging and discharging cycles cause the battery terminals to expand and shrink. Over time this can loosen the battery terminal nuts. The battery terminal nuts should be torqued to 8 ft-lbs using an insulated torque wrench (and the main power connector should be disconnected).
After the terminals have been cleaned and torqued, they should be coated in either dielectric grease or petroleum jelly. This coating will prevent the corrosive battery fumes from damaging the posts.

Charging the batteries

We have found it best to leave the hood propped open while charging the batteries and it also helps to remove the seat when the batteries will be on the charger for extended periods (this helps to dissipate the corrosive fumes generated during charging).

Battery maintenance should be performed at least once a month, or after 25 hours of use (whichever comes first). Due to the danger involved in this type of work, Woods Cycle Country recommends this maintenance be performed by a trained technician, or someone trained to work on electric vehicles. As the above are only general guidelines, we highly recommend you consult either your owner’s manual or a service manual for specific instructions on how to perform each task.

As determined by Polaris & U.S. Battery, battery defects may be covered by the 1 year battery warranty (separate from the 6-month vehicle warranty); however this warranty does not cover damage and defects due to a lack of maintenance. Beyond the initial factory 1 year battery warranty, the repair/replacement of damaged and/or worn out batteries and cables is not covered under any factory warranty, extended service contract, or maintenance plan. Ongoing maintenance is the best preventative against extremely costly repair bills.

Filed Under: Polaris, Technical Tagged With: Battery, Electric Vehicle, EV, Maintenance, Polaris, Ranger, Ranger EV, Tips

November 9, 2012 by Mark J. Sheffield Leave a Comment

Can-Am Commander Recall Letter

Click on this link to read the full recall letter from BRP

Woods Cycle Country Can-Am Commander Safety Recall Notice 2013-2

Can-Am™ Commander™ – Accumulation of debris in the exhaust area in very specific riding terrains and conditions – Fire Hazard

Dear Can-Am Owner,

This notice is being sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Act and the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. and BRP US Inc. (“BRP“) have decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists on some Can-Am Commander side-by-side models and are conducting a safety recall.

What is the potential problem?

Some very specific riding terrains and conditions where the vehicle is driven in water (minimum of 310 mm, 12 inches deep) containing an important quantity of floating debris such as grass, hay and leaves may generate significant accumulation of debris in a short period of time in the exhaust area.

This accumulation could lead to a vehicle fire when the exhaust pipe is hot and the debris are dried. In some situations, this could result in serious property damages, injuries or even death.

What should you do?

If you do NOT ride in the above described specific terrains and conditions:

 You may continue to use your vehicle in a normal way; it does not need to be updated.  Refer to the Operator’s Guide Addendum “Cleaning Procedure of Exhaust Area” and apply the recommended cleaning schedule.  Store this letter and the Addendum with the Operator’s Guide in the vehicle so it remains handy.

 However, if it is possible that your vehicle will be ridden in one of these conditions, then you may have your vehicle updated at any time as described below. The Front Grill Kit will be available for any future request; for current or future owners.

If you ride in the above described conditions:

The Front Grill Kit will be available starting December 5^th 2012 to update your vehicle at no cost to you.

 In the meantime, refer to the Addendum “Cleaning Procedure of Exhaust Area” and clean the potentially affected exhaust area every time the vehicle is used in the above described specific conditions.

 Store this letter and the Addendum with the Operator’s Guide in the vehicle so it remains handy.  Contact your authorized dealer to inform them that you wish to have your vehicle updated and schedule an appointment.

Filed Under: BRP, Can-Am, Recall Notice, Technical Tagged With: Can-Am, Commander, Exhaust, Recall Notice, UTV

September 9, 2012 by Mark J. Sheffield Leave a Comment

Yamaha Fuel Med RX Gasoline Stabilizer and Ethanol Corrosion Protection

Many customers ask about the best fuel stabilizers on the market. Woods Cycle Country believes that Yamaha produces one of the best.

Fuel Med RX now has a new chambered bottle allows precise measuring of our special formulation that not only stabilizes all types of gasoline but provides superior metal corrosion protection from the high levels of Ethanol sulfate salts in today’s fuel & provides advanced metal protection for future E-15 fuel. No other formula provides this level of ethanol fuel corrosion protection for metals and aluminum fuel system components, an alcohol-free formula that not only locks in fuel potency but helps to prevent fuel oxidation, phase separation, gum and varnish build up. Continuous use/In-season: Good practice is to treat the un-used fuel no later than 7 days after purchase, best practice is to treat fuel at time of purchase, treatment rate is 1 oz to every 3 gallons of gasoline. Storage Use/Out of Season: Treat fuel if will sit more than 60 days in the units fuel tank, treatment rate is 1 oz to 1 gallon of gasoline.

Filed Under: Technical, Yamaha Tagged With: E15, Ethanol, Fuel, Gasoline, Stabilizer, Woods Cycle Country, Yamaha

August 19, 2012 by admin Leave a Comment

The Problems With Today’s Fuel

Our service department has been dealing with more and more issues relating to fuel, and over the last 3 years these problems have just gotten worse. Now we are even seeing some problems with fuel injected machines, where as in the past it was just carburated machines that had problems. Most of these problems arise from the ethanol that has been added to the fuel, along with numerous other additives. Here are some tips that might help you to save a few dollars in service costs over the long run.

If you don’t plan to use your vehicle on a weekly basis, then consider utilizing some form of fuel stabilizer. A good fuel stabilizer can help to stop ethanol from settling to the bottom of your fuel tank (along with the water it likes to hang out with). A good additive will also help to maintain the fuel’s octane rating and can help to move any water that has settled out through the system. One of the best additives we have found is made by Yamaha. It used to be sold under the name “ring free” but has now been reformulated and is now called “engine med rx”
Don’t forget that just adding fuel to the tank will do nothing to help with the fuel in the carburator. Once the additive has been added to the tank, the vehicle should be used for a good 10 to 15 minutes in order to get a good dispersal throughout the entire fuel system.
Many of our customers believe that turning the fuel to the off position and then running the vehicle until it dies will remove all of the fuel from the carburator, but that is not true. Doing this will only remove about half of the fuel in the carburator, allowing what remains to evaporate (and leave behind deposits) even faster.

There are many more points to this topic, and I will continue to add more information over the coming weeks.

Mark J. Sheffield
General Manager
Woods Cycle Country