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Ski-Doo / 4-Stroke Must Haves


stoney

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3 minutes ago, UsedtoSkidoo said:

What do the cards do?

Standard Issue for anytime you are lost in the Woods. Sit down and start playing solitare, sure as poop, someone will step over your shoulder and tell you where to put a card. Not lost anymore.

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16 minutes ago, Gadgetman said:

Standard Issue for anytime you are lost in the Woods. Sit down and start playing solitare, sure as poop, someone will step over your shoulder and tell you where to put a card. Not lost anymore.

lol. Good thinking

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21 hours ago, stoney said:

 

And maybe a spare Doo sled based on your experience with the 900T...:rotflmao:

 

 

Thanks.....I thought I saw something about there being a better relay that had less issues in the cold, I am sure someone will chime in if what I am thinking is correct.

I got three now.  Lol.

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I carry a booster pack, a leathermen, a flashlight, a nifty lift, tow strap, saw/axe/shovel combo, first aid kit, hand and foot warming packs, emergency snacks and water, and don't laugh a tampon.  Plus some other bits and bobs.

 

The tampon can be dipped into the gas tank and used as a fire starter.

 

The guys all ridicule me for carrying so much, but guess who they turn to when there's a problem/

 

brian

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22 hours ago, stoney said:

Figured I would add some sledding related inquires and I was going to ask these questions at some point before the season starts anyways.

 

  • I believe I have read on a few occasions about fuse and/or relay issues on the Ski-Doo's and carrying spares is a must
  • Are there "better" fuses or relays to use/carry vs. the stock replacements
  • Do most with a 4-stroke carry with them a booster pack should you run into a dead or weak battery
  • anything else.....
  •  
  • Obviously there are a slew of other standard things as well that most sledders carry or are considered must haves i.e. spare belt, ice scratchers, tools, tape, etc.....but I am more inclined to know what Doo or 4-stroke owners tend to carry that is specific to these two topics seeing as I am new to both a Doo as a sled and a 4-stroke engine
  •  

Depends which engine. 900 ace can be pull started no problem, on a warm engine. So I carry a starting rope. Cold engine not happening. Biggest issue with these engines are coils. I had one fail intermittently and sled would quit. Re start no problem and  run another 20 mins and quit. Some days it would run fine no issue, but down on power snd used more fuel.  At first I thought it was fuel related. After taking it back to dealer a few times it turned out to be a coil. That year part was back ordered so they took one off a new sled, since it was still under warranty. 
haven’t had any trouble since, so I think mine is one out of 50 it happens. Dealer told me they have some every year that coils go. 
I was also told when starting a four stroke to always let it fully warm up before shutting it off. If you  start it in cold and doesn’t warm up fully, can get moisture in fuses via condensation and then next time won’t start. Doo’s will shut off on thier own , so I always start them with parking brake on, and let them do thier thing. Never had problems with fuses. 
Four strokes seem to run hotter then two’s and scratchers seem to be needed more often then not. Brp ones with replaceable tips and are spring loaded work great. I say they are mandatory on four strokes and cheap insurance to have a set on sled. 

 

Edited by Strong Farmer
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2 hours ago, Big Pussy said:

Boy that is a good way to fill the bottom of the belly pan with ice and maybe even freeze up the steering linkage.

I was watching the operation and he didn't use the amount originally in the pail. I think much of the excess would run out the bottom at the overlap between the lower side panel and the front of the chaincase. I would be more worried about water getting in around the breaker panel and freezing. Our group took turns passing their group that day on the way to Mattagami and they didn't seem to be having any issues.

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4 hours ago, Big Pussy said:

Boy that is a good way to fill the bottom of the belly pan with ice and maybe even freeze up the steering linkage. I did that once with my 1975 Dodge Coronet and froze the thottle open.

I was thinking the same thing

2 hours ago, UsedtoSkidoo said:

What do the cards do?

 

2 hours ago, stoney said:

Perspective on its size perhaps.....:coffeenose:

Yes! LOL

 

I don't think I've really changed in what I carry since running the 900 vs the 2 strokes.

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20 hours ago, Candubrain said:

I carry a booster pack, a leathermen, a flashlight, a nifty lift, tow strap, saw/axe/shovel combo, first aid kit, hand and foot warming packs, emergency snacks and water, and don't laugh a tampon.  Plus some other bits and bobs.

 

The tampon can be dipped into the gas tank and used as a fire starter.

 

The guys all ridicule me for carrying so much, but guess who they turn to when there's a problem/

 

brian

Covering the tampon in Vaseline much safer, gives you slower and longer burn time. :-) I avoid using gasoline for fire, ever since the military water immersion heater tried to take my face off.

(I have about 2/3 of your kit. Basically, I can spend 1 night outside if I had to. Left over mind set from the first decade of sledding up thru Caramt and Longlac, where you never knew what the trail had in store for you.)

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Spare relay in your purse is a must

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Why not replace the OEM relays from flux sealed to sonic welded sealed so they don't get moisture in them in the first place?  Get them from Mouser dirt cheap about $4 each.

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3 hours ago, Big Pussy said:

Why not replace the OEM relays from flux sealed to sonic welded sealed so they don't get moisture in them in the first place?  Get them from Mouser dirt cheap about $4 each.

I recall reading about using a sealed relay vs. the one from the factory to prevent this.......but based on the OC consensus, it appears this issue does not happen much if at all.

I am sure one of those things that gets blown up in the interwebs......anything possibly bad, gets blown way out of proportion.

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52 minutes ago, stoney said:

I recall reading about using a sealed relay vs. the one from the factory to prevent this.......but based on the OC consensus, it appears this issue does not happen much if at all.

I am sure one of those things that gets blown up in the interwebs......anything possibly bad, gets blown way out of proportion.

I think you are correct Stoney. The web has a taken an issue that has happened a few times and has blown it up .It doesn't matter which brand has a problem the haters are going to jump all over the issue and post the issue any where they can and slag the brand they hate.  

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2 minutes ago, snowchopper said:

I think you are correct Stoney. The web has a taken an issue that has happened a few times and has blown it up .It doesn't matter which brand has a problem the haters are going to jump all over the issue and post the issue any where they can and slag the brand they hate.  

And, when your at the top, like Doo is, there's haters everywhere..:evil2:

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7 hours ago, Gadgetman said:

Covering the tampon in Vaseline much safer, gives you slower and longer burn time. :-) I avoid using gasoline for fire, ever since the military water immersion heater tried to take my face off.

(I have about 2/3 of your kit. Basically, I can spend 1 night outside if I had to. Left over mind set from the first decade of sledding up thru Caramt and Longlac, where you never knew what the trail had in store for you.)

Would Qwissy's have been open back then? I recall guts on the old TrailConditions.com message board asking about it. The place was closed up when we rode thru before D16 shut down.

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1 hour ago, snowchopper said:

I think you are correct Stoney. The web has a taken an issue that has happened a few times and has blown it up .It doesn't matter which brand has a problem the haters are going to jump all over the issue and post the issue any where they can and slag the brand they hate.  

 

1 hour ago, Turbo Doo said:

And, when your at the top, like Doo is, there's haters everywhere..:evil2:

About 3 seasons (2007) w/ my 1st SDI sled the relays acted up in Cochrane (not the 1st time the sled had been up there). We stopped @ Mikey's in Timmins to get a spare, they were out of stock & said that they'd had a run on them. I think we headed up to Hearst & I was able to get 1 there.

 

There were 2 other non-SDI ZX sleds in the group that started w/o any issues. I'm guessing they didn't use the relays.

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22 minutes ago, revrnd said:

Would Qwissy's have been open back then? I recall guts on the old TrailConditions.com message board asking about it. The place was closed up when we rode thru before D16 shut down.

We stayed at the Lydia Lake "Lodge", outside (further than we thought) of Longlac, so don't know about Qwissys.

(Long cold day, dark already, low oil lights on, some deep valleys and hills, (all according to my brother), getting into the lodge.)

Itinerary for 2005

Day 1             Kirkland Lake – 204 km – Timmins Top A – A101 – A111C

Day 2            Timmins – 255 km – Chapleau  C101F

Day 3            Chapleau – 290 km – White River  Top F – Top D

Day 4            White River – 300 km – Longlac  Top D – D109A – Top A

Day 5            “Day Off” for some fishing

Day 6            Longlac – 320 km – Kapuskasing  A107A – Top A

Day 7            Kapuskasing – 330 km - Kirkland Lake Top A

 

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Lydia Lake Lodge was/is east of Longlac. I remember seeing the signage. We rode from Hearst to Geraldton. The next day we rode the Greenstone Loop & then down to M'wadge.

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On 6/8/2021 at 10:37 AM, AC+YA said:

You are 100% correct on what most new sled buyers put $ into.  I have already done it for my new on-order Doo and already planned to add the block heater suggested by Gadgetman.  It should add the assurance on the -40° nights that when able to be plugged in, that the following morning will not be a bad one. 

Sent you a PM.

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On 6/9/2021 at 1:12 PM, stoney said:

I recall reading about using a sealed relay vs. the one from the factory to prevent this.......but based on the OC consensus, it appears this issue does not happen much if at all.

I am sure one of those things that gets blown up in the interwebs......anything possibly bad, gets blown way out of proportion.

I have owned lots of doo sleds and never had relay trouble with any of them.  I was at Mattawa golf and ski about 4 years ago. Apparently when river is open and following high condensation and there always seems to be sleds that won’t start in morning. Owner said regular occurrence there.  Sure enough that morning it was an artic cat that wouldn’t start. I think they made a few phone calls and some local mechanic came in and fixed it. Never stuck around to see what issue was. I think a light travel cover helps to keep some of moisture out of engine compartment too. I always cover mine up. 

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  • 2 months later...
1 hour ago, stoney said:

Crappy Tire has these on sale this week if anyone is looking.....I think I will buy one.

 

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/motomaster-600a-lithium-jump-starter-power-bank-0112062p.html#srp

 

image.thumb.png.e7718fa3b2aee7d86480221cb8af3446.png

Would you not be better off buying a pair of good quality small jumper cables (for $80 less)?
 

When have you ever had a battery fail to start and another sled or car near by (which 99% have batteries - unless mountain sleds, or older models) ?

 

I would hate to carry it around worried about it being charged all the time….. unless cables can also be used for jump starting from another battery - which don’t appear they can???

 

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On 6/7/2021 at 3:51 PM, stoney said:

Is the relay issue an old thing perhaps, I know I have read about this issue on more than one occasion and if I am not mistaken it seemed to be a Doo thing, with an easy fix, but you have to have the spare on hand or you are screwed.......maybe more of an issue for those that choose to thaw their sled in a heated garage between rides.....which I do myself.

 

I have carried a small folding saw as well many other things for years, but I was more looking or talking about the other not so common things you might need for a Doo or a 4-stroke specific to these two points.

We had the relay issue with our old Nytro, we just always carried an extra in a warm pocket. 

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5 hours ago, stoney said:

Crappy Tire has these on sale this week if anyone is looking.....I think I will buy one.

 

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/motomaster-600a-lithium-jump-starter-power-bank-0112062p.html#srp

 

image.thumb.png.e7718fa3b2aee7d86480221cb8af3446.png

Thanks! Ours disappeared somehow last season. 

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5 hours ago, ecarnell said:

Would you not be better off buying a pair of good quality small jumper cables (for $80 less)?
 

When have you ever had a battery fail to start and another sled or car near by (which 99% have batteries - unless mountain sleds, or older models) ?

 

I would hate to carry it around worried about it being charged all the time….. unless cables can also be used for jump starting from another battery - which don’t appear they can???

 

Yes, cables could do the trick too of course, have worked perfectly fine my entire driving life :) .......but with these you remove the must have for vehicle #2.

I tend to do solo riding, so waiting or looking for that other vehicle could be an issue or require some wait time.

The other dilemma is sled batteries tend to not be as easily accessible as they could be, so that means taking partially apart two sleds for that jump start.

They also provide a USB port to power other things if you're in a pinch.

When on sale, the amount spent of them is pretty marginal, IMO.

They are small, likely find a padded pouch for it and store it in the glove box of my sled, making it easy to keep it charge as needed between rides vs. stuffed away.

 

I have never relied on electric start to date, my new sled will be the first, so I think pro's out way the con's.

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