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Viking 2013 problems

frankjohansen

Newbie
Joined
Oct 18, 2009
Messages
24
Location
Bodø, Norway
I always since they came in 2006 wanted to try a Rs viking, so when the finance alowed it, i bought a used 2013 with the upgraded suspension, bigger lugs and apex front suspension for wider and more stable ride, with 10000km on it. I know its big and heavy, but i feel in total control with it, and i can go anywhere that my friend goes with his Ski doo Expedition 900ACE wide track, ive found out that its better to drive i second gear with load on in lose snow, because in 1st gear it spins it out and youre stuck, second gear is easier to control.
Are also in Red cross and use the machine for searching after lost or injuried people, so need a machine that is dependebale and the motor has a reputition to be just that.
then the trouble startet!! no start in -20c, had to put on a charger because ive drained the battery so much, startet after an hour off charging, then we could start on our long journey, we drove 120 km to the nearest gas station, filled the tank completly and started to go the last 60km to our destination, about halfway, the machine sounded like a diesel engine. So my buddy had to tow me to the nearest road, and my wife had to come get me by car and trailer. My buddy had to ride solo all the way back to his cabin. Talked to the dealer, and he sent me new plugs, same problem, then he sent me a coil, problem solved.
The history could have ended here but NO, whent for a trip, going ice fishing, didnt get any fish by the way but on my way home in 5cm off lose powder, the heat light came on??. No sled on, just singel machine... checked the hoses in and out of motor was burning hot, the rad fan worked, the hoses to rad under was cold. Open the thermostat housing(after i had taken the pressure out of course) and found out that you cant just take it out to try to buy pass it, because it also has gasket seal for the housing, so we cut the gasket of the thermostat and sealed it properly, filled it with water and tried to start and drive, but the temp light came on again after a shorth period. So had to tow it to the car (20km), the Expedition had a hard time pulling it, but i managed it. Talk to the dealer, he is stil convinced its the thermostat, he said that buy passing the thermostat wouldnt help the problem to get circulation, but he couldnt tell me why, only that Yamaha had said so???So he will send me one new thermostat. So my season is ruined, so for now im in a love and hate relationship with my viking...have any of you had this problem or i am the one(neo) in this??
My other issue is icing, any fix on this?? Thanks in advance from Norway
 

On the VK Pro there is a 10mm bleed screw for the rear under seat heat exchanger that is located under the plastic that surrounds the latch for the seat. Have you ever checked this to make sure it is full of coolant? I changed a starter on my machine last year and figured I would let it fill the lazy way, but nothing I did worked even driving it up and down steep inclines. Its symptoms at the time kind of resembled yours, while on the throttle the water pump would make enough pressure to push the water through the empty heat exchanger and then while going slow it would over heat and the light would come on, but it would never fill. So I bled the heat exchanger by the bolt under the latch and never has it overheat since. Maybe check this just to make sure your cooling system is completely full.

P.S. I have never had any luck removing/bypassing the thermostat. It's job is not only to regulate the engine temp but it also slows the coolant down giving it time to absorb the heat from the motor and also slow the coolant down giving it time to bleed it's heat out the exchangers. Every time I have tried to bypass one the engine over heated in a very short period of time. Never tried this on my VK Pro though.
 


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