Phazer Overheating Fix

[couch]

All last year I wondered why the fan(s) on our mountain lites were trying to pull hot air out of the engine compartment instead of sucking in the colder outside air ... seemed to be arse foremost to me. I don't know if all the fan installations wer this way - but our two were from the factory.
Both machines overheated constantly on hard pack which sucked (all liquids run hot in hard pack blah blah blah). As it was late in the season I didn't bother with it after.

This season was good so far till this weekend. Now, after a pile of sleet Saturday, everthing here is ice. Went for a short run today - 5 minutes - and, as expected, it overheated. Came home and let it idle to cool but it shut off on its own. So I figured I'ld try to reverse the air flow over the rad. I removed the side panel by the fan, took apart the fan plug and reversed the polarity on the side of the plug leading to the fan (push a jewlers slot screwdriver in to lift the retaining clip on the wire crimp, then switch them around) . Started up again and PRESTO no more over heating.

This might not work for all instances - I like the heated footrests - but is an easy (2 minute) fix and costs nothing.

 

[Vmax4]

I believe you are going to have issues when riding with the fan running in reverse so to speek. The cold air is going to come through the radiator, but instead of the fan pulling that heated air out the back and off the radiator, the fan will be fighting the natural flow of things. Know what I mean? Just sitting stationary, the fan might work better that way, but start riding and the natural flow of things will be goofed up. I have 2 2007 Phazers. Both were short tracks (I long tracked one) but the shorties did not come with fans stock. Both over heated on hard pack, and heck even in soft snow sometimes. Seems like it you ride the sleds in a tenative fashion in regards to speed, they will overheat, but put some throttle to em, and the light will go right out. Yamaha put fans on both my sleds. Problem solved.

Also, don't forget to keep the radiator clear up front. When riding in powder, it the hole gets plugged, it is pretty hard for cool air to pass through and be blown away by the fan.

Steve

 

[couch]

The factory set up had the fans working against the "natural" air flow - fighting to try to exhaust the hot engine compartment air out the front against the force of incoming air when the sled is in motion - thats why it seemed to be odd.
Logically one one think that the fan would work in tandem with the forced air when riding - the same way fan cooled machines are set up - pull cold air in from the front across the cooling fins and exhaust out the top or side.
I don't know whether the air flow was engineered in this way or whether someone goofed in the factory and reversed the plug polarity - but with the fan now working to draw in the cooler air from the front the machine does not overheat.

 

[rfabro]

Yours was running backwards, couch, and now you have it running correctly. Mine and my buddy's have always sucked through the front, and blown out the back/side panel.

Yes, somebody goofed the install on yours.

 

[4strokeguy]

Thanks Couch and others

As soon as I finish posting this note I an going to check mine. It hasn't overheated yet, but I was trusting it was put together properly too.

Never trust anything I guess.

Happy Sledding.