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How many carry a spare DESS Key for BRP?


Gadgetman

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Back in my GSX day, I carried a spare DESS cord, sort of carried a spare of many things. A DESS cord is now $70. Just wondering how many current model BRP owners carry a spare, and /or have had to use the spare because the primary DESS cord didn't work?

Thanks

Edited by Gadgetman
Cord to Key
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I have two DESS keys with my sled (2015 900 ACE purchased in 2018). Never used the second key but carried it with me. Tried to use it this year for the first time and key didn't work. I have been lucky I did not need to use spare key. Now I need to bring sled in for key programming which is an inconvenience pain.

My old sled I had my spare key programmed for my sled and my friend's sled who I ride with incase either one of us looses a key there is a spare between us. 

 

jerry

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6 minutes ago, grover_yyz said:

I have two DESS keys with my sled (2015 900 ACE purchased in 2018). Never used the second key but carried it with me. Tried to use it this year for the first time and key didn't work. I have been lucky I did not need to use spare key. Now I need to bring sled in for key programming which is an inconvenience pain.

My old sled I had my spare key programmed for my sled and my friend's sled who I ride with incase either one of us looses a key there is a spare between us. 

 

jerry

Great idea. My riding buddy also just bought a BRP, same dealer. We should split 1 spare good on both machines. Thanks

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Mrs Turbo Doo and Myself have never carried,  or needed to have a spare DESS cord/key, due to a malfunctioning one. Not sure if I would bother either.  Have any of you guys had any issues with Dess Keys?. And that being a reason you carry a extra? 

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The keys won't be of any use to you when the DESS post fails.  A key is so much simpler.

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Never had a spare. Guess i've been lucky.My last sled(2011 TnT 1200) had 30 thousand klms on it when i sold it.Original dess cord and post still working fine the day i sold it .

Edited by snowchopper
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I’ve never needed a spare key for my other sleds, so in my mind, why carry spare DESS. 
Now if they were known to malfunction, perhaps I’d consider, but I’m thinking it’s an odd situation when or if they fail:wtf: 

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1 minute ago, stoney said:

I’ve never needed a spare key for my other sleds, so in my mind, why carry spare DESS. 
Now if they were known to malfunction, perhaps I’d consider, but I’m thinking it’s an odd situation when or if they fail:wtf: 

Not many Dess Keys fail. Been a DESS post or 2 that have had bad connections,  corrosion etc.  Which most likely relates to how the sled is cared for..

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Imo, the newer Doo keys, are far superior then the older round push on style ones. They sometimes had issues with making a good connection with the key, and the ring on the Dess post.  A friend used a  penny pushed inside the older style keys, to make a better connection. 

Edited by Turbo Doo
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On this topic - I usually keep a DESS key in the console of the truck for the convenience when unloading sled from trailer at destination and the other key is packed with my riding gear. Does anyone know if sitting in the cold for long periods reduces any type of battery life in the DESS key? How about the necessity of keeping the DESS keys away - at least  5 feet - from other "programmed" keys such as those for your truck?

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  • Gadgetman changed the title to How many carry a spare DESS Key for BRP?

I have a spare DESS key for both my sleds.  All keys are programmed to work on either sled, so 4 keys total that work on 2 sleds.  I have never needed the 2nd key, but keep it tucked hidden in the sled if I happen to be out and lose the one I have when stopped for lunch, or trailering etc...

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I keep a 2nd DESS key in my jacket.  Will I ever need it?  Probably not, but I also carry a jump starter for the same reason

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1 hour ago, Candubrain said:

I keep a 2nd DESS key in my jacket.  Will I ever need it?  Probably not, but I also carry a jump starter for the same reason

I've used my jump start battery, therefore I could be the one that needs to use a spare DESS key. Bouncing it off my riding buddy if the wants to split a DESS key between the two new sleds, as his sled is always on my trailer.

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Its never the tether part that fails.   Its generally the post and even that is a very very rare failed part.  

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Lost 1 in Barry's Bay a couple of years ago. Long story that made me add a key tag afterwards. Got the DESS key back as I had mentioned where we were staying.

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2 hours ago, scottyr said:

Its never the tether part that fails.   Its generally the post and even that is a very very rare failed part.  

We had a strange issue with the tether one morning at the Auberge l' Ambassadeur in Amqui, Quebec early in the Ski doo Dess years. Could not get our Doo buddies sled started. It showed no sign of life at all. We checked everything we could over a couple of hours. Finally one of the guys looked up into the tether cup and started laughing. There was a dime stuck up in the tether cup. Took the dime out and the sled started right off. To this day our friend continues to mention about which one of us put the dime in the tether. LOL

To top things off, while the rest of us had backed into the parking spots, our Doo friend drove in. So, when he got the sled starte finally, it wouldn't go into reverse until the engine had warmed up and it was a very cold Gaspe morning. He always backs in when parking now.

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7 hours ago, Candubrain said:

I keep a 2nd DESS key in my jacket.  Will I ever need it?  Probably not, but I also carry a jump starter for the same reason

Same here.  Actually used my spare once, but just after I started the sled I saw the dime stuck in my original.  So probably would have been ok without.  But you only need to be 100's of miles from the trailer and lose your key once and you will be wishing you had a spare.

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Carry a spare Dess Key in my jacket. Needed it once. Also wanted to mention about the tools that are stored on the outside of the clutch cover. Always thought it was a bad idea, so I’ve kept them in the glovebox. Saw the evidence at a repair shop a month ago what happens when tool drops off the cover. The torsion spring adjustment tool feel off, bounced up into the primary clutch and you can imagine the damage. Just a heads up to all current Doo owners and new owners. You might want to keep the tools somewhere else.

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1 hour ago, FIRE242 said:

Carry a spare Dess Key in my jacket. Needed it once. Also wanted to mention about the tools that are stored on the outside of the clutch cover. Always thought it was a bad idea, so I’ve kept them in the glovebox. Saw the evidence at a repair shop a month ago what happens when tool drops off the cover. The torsion spring adjustment tool feel off, bounced up into the primary clutch and you can imagine the damage. Just a heads up to all current Doo owners and new owners. You might want to keep the tools somewhere else.

Was told about the same thing about the tools by the dealer when I picked up my new sled.   I have now put them back on the clutch cover.  If place correctly I cannot see how they can fall off

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