Major Turbo Phazer Issues- HEEELLLP!

[YamaMamma]

My husband bought me an '07 Turbo Phazer in July. The sled has an MC Express turbo, hindle pipe and a custom tunnel/track. I was totally pumped to ride it. I must say, when it is running well it is a tonne of fun and a perfect ladies mountain sled. Unfortunately, I am having issue after issue and I am getting frustrated. Any help would be awesome:

1) FIRE! The sled has caught on fire 3 times by the left panel/clutch side. We atttributed this to the fuel overflow line and re-routed it and the problem does seem to be solved. However, I recently saw a picture of a Turbo Phazer on this forum that BURNED TO THE GROUND! That scares the crap out of me. Also, we looked at a T'Phazer at the dealership, and it had the exact same smoke damage on the left plastic panel that mine has... I have found a total of 5 other stories on the internet of the Phazer catching fire. Is this just a coincidence, or am I looking at a real hazard? I am seriously worried about this...

2) Overheating: Holy crap this thing runs hot. Last trip out to Revelstoke we had 4 or so feet of fresh powder and elevations of 5-7000ft. The sled ran sooo hot that the fuel was heating up and causing an airlock. The temperature light only came on once.

3) Turbo not spooling: Sometimes, I go to make a climb or screw around in the fresh powder and the turbo won't engage. I have no boost. It's a little scary to be in the middle of a big climb and have NOTHING. 80hp just isnt enough sometimes and I need to KNOW what I've got behind me! Could this be the waste-gate stuck open? Then, we get half-way down the mountain, the turbo spools unexpectedly and I nearly go off a cliff. My arms are two inches longer after trying to hold onto that one!

Also, there is a wire that runs from my left (clutch) side back towards my air/filter exhaust that appears slightly damaged from "fire". What is this wire for? Could it be a reason my turbo won't engage?

4) Cold start: This thing is a bugger to start when its cold. I live in Canada, so lets just assume it is cold all the time! Is this because of the turbo, or is this the cold start issue that all the Phazers seem to have? Can I get the cold start fix/remapping done or will it affect my Turbo compression/mapping. I have to admit that I don't totally understand how all these things work, so I don't want to fix one issue just to have it create an issue with something else.

5) Code 84- once you run the sled for 20 minutes, it flashes a code 84/TORS error.

6) Reverse is unreliable- Sometimes the button doesnt even work- usually when I need it, of course!

Please help- I really want to love my sled. I really really do!!

Thanks!

 

[TBird]

I am not able to help you with all your q, since i'm not familiar with the fire and heat issues, but if the fuel gets so hot i can think it must expand in the fueltank and want to escape out the breath hose, so alot of heat insulation under the gastank would be my first step.

Turbo general, turbo not spooling, or spools alot less then you are used to? The wire you speaks of is the wire going from the MCX ECU to an TCS valve @ the wastegate, the MCX ECU is programmed to hold a certain boost level, to do that it regulates an solenoid controlled airoutlet from the wastegate, usually you set a base boostlevel with the spring force back @ the wastegate, the ECU is programmed @ same level or a bit higher, i hope you have a boost gauge so you can see how much boost you are running, if the cable going back to the TCS valve is melted and connects to ground, or is cut, it doesent work, meaning you boostlevel ends up to the level set with the spring @ the wastegate, if the cable moves and gets free from chassi (ground) it starts to regulate boost again and you may feel it like you have boost, but i believe the wastegate is set pretty low but that you have a little anyway, as i said, hope you have a boostgauge.

Code 84 is sadly an issue when you add boost, the throttle bodies doesent close as fast as the throttle lever, you either add an spring to the throttle bodies thats helping to close them faster, or you disconnect tors and install an safety tether.

Cold start and reverse engagement is known bugs, talk to a Yamaha dealer, i read somewhere that a wire routed not so good grounds and the reverse quits to work, the cold start may be fixed with a remap, so i heard anyway.

One of MCX strongest advantages must be their ECU, it doesent manipulate @ all with Yamaha engine managment, the sled always start as good as a stock sled, it always run as good as a stock sled in all kind of surrounding enviroments, when the ECU sense boost it adds fuel thru their own injectors according to boost level, TPS and RPM.

All boosted sleds must get an overlook sometimes, look for cracks in hoses, is all hoses tightly screewed, and is there any water in them, because out in the cold water freezes, not so good, but it doesent sound as your problem, thought i should mention it as info.

 

[YamaMamma]

Thank you Jan! Your explanation of the MCX ECU and the wastegate functions actually made sense to my girly brain!!

I do have a boost gauge and it shows ZERO boost when I am having the issues, which is why I thought the wastegate might be stuck open. Normally, the sled runs about 12 lovely pounds of boost.

My husband spoke to the North American MCX dealer and he is going to have a look at the entire sled- injectors, reverse, ECU, wastegate, heat shields etc., and get to the bottom of our issues. Unfortunately, the dealer is an 8 hour drive from my house and I want to go sledding NOW!!

PS- how do you like your Apex MTX 40th with the MCX turbo? My husband also has this sled and as soon as he dumps some weight from the sled he is threatening to put in the turbo. I'd be curious to know what mods you have done to yours and any issues you've had.

Thanks again for your reply. You really helped ALOT

 

[TBird]

Hmmm, if you get Zero boost it sure sounds as the wastegate locks wide open, to bad you had such a long travel to them, but the heat issue for sure must be looked at.
The boost issue sounds alot easier to fix, i would take off saddle and heatschield and take a looksi, the arm must have room to move freely!

 

[fastcat06]

Where abouts in Alberta are you located?

 

[YamaMamma]

I live in Central Alberta- outside of Red Deer...

 

[fastcat06]

I'll let you know how the guys in Wairight do with mine, if thats any closer to you. Sounds like we're having some similar issues.

 

[aksteepndeep]

Zero boost/ What air cleaner setup do you have? I just lost one of the flex joints in the exhaust and will be hard piping it this week. Heat seems to be an issue under the fuel tank. I have had slight issues due to steam and powder snow around the air filter already relocated from under the seat.

 

[mxbulldog]

I moved my air filter from under the seat using a radiator hose. I also bought a CR Racing air filter setup with 2 prefilters on it and no more bogging or hesitation. I will clean up the setup with aluminum and silicone hoses this summer.

 

[aksteepndeep]

On the hard starting, do you have the head shim and cam timing adjusted? I had about 500 miles on mine before the turbo with ZERO starting problems. The day I put on the turbo it will almost refuse to start below freezing. In a heated trailer or shop it fires right up, after it's warm it's normal as well. I am positive it is from the head shim or cam timing or both. I just started to build mine(wifes came first) and I will not be adding the shim or adjusting the cam gears. We shall see if that is an issue on the new build.