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Dealer unable to fix noise!

11K views 58 replies 17 participants last post by  Flyntigre 
#1 · (Edited)
2011 Arctic Cat purchased new two months ago. 133 miles on machine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQDQuYRlI1E

This is the intermittent noise I get when I apply my rear brake. I took my Cat to the dealership for warranty repairs on 5/21/13 to address this clunking noise as well as adjust the shift linkage that sometimes didn't fully engage the gear. The first dealer technician couldn't find the cause of the noise so they brought in some type of "specialist". Supposedly the specialist determined that the output shaft nut wasn't torqued properly at the factory and needed to be replaced. They didn't have the nut in stock (no surprise really; I tried to purchase an Arctic Cat oil filter today and that wasn't in stock, either) and had to order it in. They get it put back together and I picked up my Cat a few minutes ago (9 days later!) and brought it home to test. I ran it up and down the street a few times (constant rain the past few days; unable to hit a trail) and it wasn't making the noise. I brought it back to put it in my garage and as I slowed for the final time the same noise happened again!

Here is the dealership invoice I was given when I picked up my machine:



"DRAINED OIL INTO CLEAN CONTAINER AND INSPECTED
FOR METAL, REUSEDOIL
PER WARRANTY,


DISASSEMBLED CLUTCHES AND INSPECTEDFOR WEAR,
REMOVED ONE WA Y BEARING AND INSPECTED,
REMOVED SECONDARY ORNE GEAR BEARING
HOUSING,
SECONDARY DRIVE BEVa GEAR NUT WAS NOT TIGHT,
INSTALLED NEW NUTWfTH LOCTITEAND PRIMER,
PEA NED NUT, ADJUSTED SHIFT LINKAGE. ASSEMBLED
MACHINE AND TEST RODE"



First off, I'm completely surprised that Arctic Cat requires the dealership to reinstall the same engine oil they drained out. Is this normal?



They invited me to bring the machine back to them so that a third technician can do exploratory surgery on it...hopefully he will get everything right or not...if he's any better than the last one I don't know why he wasn't in charge of the repair to start with...or if I choose I can trade it in on a Grizzly. They will give me a whole $5300 for the machine I just paid them nearly $8000 for just two months ago and the only reason I want to get rid of it now is because I just don't trust it. :angry:



To say I'm angry right now would be an understatement. My 2001 Arctic Cat was absolutely bullet-proof and the only reason I bought another Arctic Cat again.



What would you do at this point? Would you let the dealership continue to do exploratory surgery on it when obviously they have no idea what to do, or would you pursue other legal options at this point? Would/could it make any difference what-so-ever if I call Arctic Cat, or are they just CSRs who will try to pacify you?



I asked the dealership if they would extend my warranty period to cover the loss of time it spent at the dealership being repaired. "No". :angry:

 
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#2 ·
Is there another dealer near you? Doesn't sound right, ask the name and position of this so called expert. Why are you out of pocket for a warranty issue?
 
#3 ·
I'm not "out of pocket" for anything other than expenses associated with delivering and picking my unit up from the dealer (that I missed a huge Memorial Day ride we planned months in advance doesn't count....all my buddies had fun!). There is no other dealership close to me.
 
#4 ·
So who paid the $507
 
#6 ·
Too bad you are so far away as I would like to hear the noise in person other than your audio/video clip which was the best you could do with what you had.

You already don't want/trust this Arctic Cat atv now and I am sure what I tell you will make no difference. But seeing as you asked and I quote " what would you do at this point " here goes. I am not suprised they couldn't find the noise as I stated in a previous post.

First, I don't think they should have put the old oil back in as that was pretty stupid but Arctic Cat probably won't pay the dealer for new oil but you would think they could have covered the cost just as a good will jesture for you.

Second, I wouldn't be letting them do any more exploratory work if they can't seem to find or fix the problem.

Third, I would just ride the thing and if something drastic comes undone or peices fly out of the atv then they will know where to look and you will be covered by warranty. I am sure you don't want to hear this from me but this is IHMO. I wouldn't take a beating by trading it for that kind of money either as you would be better off to sell it outright yourself and buy something else. I know by now this a burr under your saddle but I would try to move on and drive it.

Called my dealer on one of my old AC TRV atvs about a noise that had developed in the rear area of my atv and before I could even get the words out of my mouth to expain better about the noise in the rear I was told by the dealer that it is normal noise to have coming out the rear on engine braking or other braking. Well as I went on to explain to them the noise was only when going around a corner and it turned out to be rear CV joints which I myself finally diagnosed and repaired. But as much as I hate to admit it they were right on the other noise as nothing bad ever happened to the last two AC atvs and it never got any worse. I am sure this wasn't this dealer's first rodeo on this same rear noise thing.

I had that same similar to your noise when engine braking or other braking. Total mileage on the two were 6,000 miles and they are still going strong for others but I don't own them anymore.

And as far as calling the factory good luck with that. I tried I don't know how many times with no result or even a answered call. I think the only way to get through to the factory is some secret number or something the dealers have. You could try your area Arctic Cat rep if you could somehow get his number as I am sure he has Arctic Cat's factory ear.
You asked and again IMHO.
 
#13 · (Edited)
2013 wilcat limited

Too bnad you are so far away as I would like to hear the noise in person other than your audio/video clip which was the best you could do with what you had.

You already don't want/trust this Arctic Cat atv now and I am sure what I tell you will make no difference. But seeing as you asked and I quote " what would you do at this point " here goes. I am not suprised they couldn't find the noise as I stated in a previous post.

First, I don't think they should have put the old oil back in as that was pretty stupid but Arctic Cat probably won't pay the dealer for new oil but you would think they could have covered the cost just as a good will jesture for you.

Second, I wouldn't be letting them do any more exploratory work if they can't seem to find or fix the problem.

Third, I would just ride the thing and if something drastic comes undone or peices fly out of the atv then they will know where to look and you will be covered by warranty. I am sure you don't want to hear this from me but this is IHMO. I wouldn't take a beating by trading it for that kind of money either as you would be better off to sell it outright yourself and buy something else. I know by now this a burr under your saddle but I would try to move on and drive it.

Called my dealer on one of my old AC TRV atvs about a noise that had developed in the rear area of my atv and before I could even get the words out of my mouth to expain better about the noise in the rear I was told by the dealer that it is normal noise to have coming out the rear on engine braking or other braking. Well as I went on to explain to them the noise was only when going around a corner and it turned out to be rear CV joints which I myself finally diagnosed and repaired. But as much as I hate to admit it they were right on the other noise as nothing bad ever happened to the last two AC atvs and it never got any worse. I am sure this wasn't this dealer's first rodeo on this same rear noise thing.

I had that same similar to your noise when engine braking or other braking. Total mileage on the two were 6,000 miles and they are still going strong for others but I don't own them anymore.

And as far as calling the factory good luck with that. I tried I don't know how many times with no result or even a answered call. I think the only way to get through to the factory is some secret number or something the dealers have. You could try your area Arctic Cat rep if you could somehow get his number as I am sure he has Arctic Cat's factory ear.
You asked and again IMHO.[/QUOTE I have a 2013 wildcat limited which i bought in october last year i have it in the shop 4 times with a rattling noise it sounded like bigrocks getting tossed around in engine compartment tech cannot figure it out its kind of embarrasing when taking people for a ride and they ask whats that noise cv joints a possibility cause ive put it on jack stands and it dont make noise any other ideas
 
#8 · (Edited)
I own a 02 AC 500 and my machine makes a simular noise when I'm riding on the trail and I let off the gas quicky. It's not as loud and mine doesn't make the noise as long as yours but the noise is the same. My noise seems to happen when I let off the throttle quick and apply the brakes when going down hills. I can't recall if it does it on flat ground but it might. Now I can make the noise not happen if I stay on the throttle a little bit which leads me to think it's the gears in the transmission. The rear wheels/diff/driveshaft are spinning at a different speed verses the transmission when you let of the throttle and hit the brakes. Which would make the gears clunk into each other, if that makes any sense. Now I also own a 2012 Polaris Sportsman 500 HO and under the same conditions it also will make a noise similar to my Arctic Cat's. I believe the noises are caused by the same things, which is parts moving at different speeds and thus the gears clunking. This being said, yours should NOT be making that noise so loud and for the length of time it is but it seems like our noises are one in the same. The noise your atv is making is more then likely coming from the beveled gears. Now if its from a improper clearance of the gears or maybe one of the gears isn't with in spec is something a qualified mechanic needs to figure out. I suggest taking it to another AC dealer and explain that you believe it's a problem with the beveled gears and from the research you've done leads you to think this.
Before you take it in again try this. Drive it like you would and instead of getting off the throttle all of the way, stay on the throttle a little while your also applying the brakes. If the noise isn't there then am 95% sure it's the gears.
Hearing all of these horror stories about new/er AC's and warranties will probably prevent me from buying a new AC. It seems the older ATVs like my 02 500 are much more reliable.
I hope you get your atv fixed and I am sorry to hear about your issues. GL.
 
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#11 ·
Hearing all of these horror stories about new/er AC's and warranties will probably prevent me from buying a new AC. It seems the older ATVs like my 02 500 are much more reliable.
This is exactly where I'm at, too. My '01 500 was the most reliable machine I've ever owned....but if my new Arctic Cat is representative of how they're building them these days I'm going back to shopping other brands. Having been away from traditional ATVs for the past decade (I switched over to the Rhino in '03 and bought a new Rhino every couple years since) I was so excited about getting back on another Arctic Cat ATV...now I just want to unload this one without losing my shirt over it. I can forgive a mechanical failure; I can forgive a mistake. I cannot forgive mechanical incompetence of the dealership and I certainly cannot forgive the apathy shown by Arctic Cat. :angry:
 
#9 · (Edited)
Your also unloading all the weight off the rear when going downhill and braking. Mine makes noise as well partly the back wheels locking up partly drive line slack. Been that way since new.
Talk to the "expert" that worked on it.
 
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#10 ·
Totally surprised by the conversation I had today with a CSR at Arctic Cat. They push it back to the dealership as if they have absolutely nothing to do with any of this. I asked that they view the video linked above in hopes that perhaps one of their own in house people will say "hey, I know what that is and how to fix it!". The response I got back was "we aren't allowed to go on the internet". WTF?

Any OEM can make a mistake during the assembly of a unit and so long as they make it right, that's all any of us can ask...but there's no excuse for OEM apathy and that's exactly what I feel I got from Arctic Cat. :(
 
#12 ·
I called another dealer that is two hours away from me because his techs are "Gold Catmaster Certified" (local dealership techs aren't). He would be glad to look at my machine, but since I didn't buy the machine from him I would automatically go to the end of a very long waiting line. Essentially this means that I would drive two hours and drop my machine off. Due to the long waiting line, my machine could sit there for months (thus burning off the rest of my warranty period!) before anybody even looks at it!

I will update when anything else develops. In the meantime I've set up a dedicated page to this incident in hopes that somebody at Arctic Cat will care enough to do something to get this resolved. I'm not asking for anything special here; I just want my machine repaired properly. I don't want it to serve as a guinea pig for inexperienced technicians (non-"Gold Catmaster Certified"...its supposed to mean something according to the Arctic Cat CSRs) to explore while they learn what they should already know.

My Arctic Cat Experience
 
#14 ·
i have a 2013 wildcat thats making a loud Rattling noise sounds like big rocks getting tossed around in engine compartment i pull over and look nothing there i mostly ride sand dunes and i cant believ the noise this thing makea i love the wild cat its BA ive had it to dealer almost every time ive taken it out, one guy mentions cv joints very possible because ive had it running on jackstands and it doesnt make the sound dealer cant figure it out warranty up in october, any ideas?
 
#15 ·
Thanks Merv that's what I was trying to say. Driveline slack. LOL. BUT I agree yours is way excessive and if someone who has worked on Cats for some time should be able to notice the noise is excessive as well. The whole "waiting lines" for repairs at the dealers isn't abnormal this time of year. I called to take in my 2012 Polaris to get the trans and front diff fluids changed and they also told me it could be up to 3-4 weeks. I would do the service myself but I have to show or prove a couple services at a Polaris dealership to uphold my extended warranty.
 
#17 · (Edited)
I just pulled this off the Arctic Cat web site (its funny they are not allowed to go on the internet but yet they have their own web site....I call BULL HERE....you have been lied to my friend)

I have a service related concern with my Arctic Cat dealer. What should I do?
We recommend discussing your concerns directly with the Service Manager of the dealership. They are in the best position to assist you. If you are still not satisfied please contact our Customer Support department.

In order to begin your customer support file, we will require your name, daytime contact information, the name of your servicing dealer, your unit serial number, and a brief description of your concern.

In the USA
phone: 218-681-9851
fax: 218-681-9859
 
#18 ·


I made this video today. Notice how quick the rear tires are starting to skid now; it never did this before....and there's the same noise that they supposedly fixed after having my ATV for nine days. It's like all the did was tighten up the rear brakes or something. This is really pissing me off, now.
 
#19 ·
Montana, have you tried what I said? When your coming to a stop and you let off the throttle, keep on the throttle a little while also hitting the brakes. If the noise goes away then it's definitely too much slack or clearance in the trans.
 
#21 ·
On the suggestion from someone on another forum, I tried to replicate the noise after putting the rear on jack stands. With the tires left on it only pings once or twice and its not nearly as loud. In fact, if I weren't specifically listening for it I likely wouldn't notice it. With the tires removed, it doesn't do it at all; at least not loud enough for me to hear.
 
#24 ·
#25 ·
Ok- I've listened to both the videos 100 times. I think your rear diff is toast, or shimmed improperly internally. Pinion to ring gear clearance is off or your input bearing has shifted allowing for this noise when the brakes are applied and the driveline is putting backlash on your ring gear. Someone suggested applying throttle when braking- I second that suggestion, as it will still be putting driving pressure on your pinion/gear. This is a troubleshooting trick you can do yourself. Also, if its what i think it is, your rear diff oil should not be pretty when you drain it- it'll probably have lots of little flecks of badness in it.

I'm guessing it doesn't do it when you apply light pressure to the brakes to slow down gradually....
 
#26 ·
I hate to say this but one problem people have is that they compare quads to cars. The quality of the quads is nothing like what you'd get from a car manufacturer. This is just how it is. The real problem is that quads and side by sides are getting to car pricing. Then people expect them to be like cars. But again they are not. A good example is in that video of the brakes. That's just cheap manufacturing. It would not be acceptable to have that on a car but a quad they get away with it. And look at AC's response to your problem. Again a toy machine kind of response. If that were a car or truck you'd be talking lawsuit and class action status. None of that will occur when you are talking about a "toy" like a quad or SxS. Sorry, but it's just how it is.

As for your noise. I too listened to it and it looks like either those brake pads are rattling or like the other poster said about the rear diff. I personally would drain the rear diff fluid into a plastic container to save in case it's got bad metal particles in it. If not then put new in it and call the diff good and put some plastic tubing onto the sleeves of those brakes to keep them from rattling if it bugs you. You are going to have to take some steps yourself as it sounds like your dealer has done all they can for now. Some proof of metal in the diff is a different story and one that can't argue.

As for contacting AC. That never works. You need to work with your dealer. That's their stand on it all. You won't get any satisfaction contacting them.

Steve
 
#27 ·
You Are Allways Going To Have Some Shaving On The Drain Plug
Thats Why They Have A Mag On It All My Wheelers Have Had Lots Of Chit On It At 1st Change
 
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#29 ·
Pull the caliper stick something in between the pads preferable something the thickness of the rotor or slightly bigger. Tape it up and zip tie it to the a arm and test ride. No noise, found your problem. Put locktite on the caliper bolts on reassemble!

Sure it could be in the diff or driveline somewhere but it would be nice to eliminate the simple stuff first. I"m curious when you jack it up, how much can you turn the wheels. ie Does the other wheel turn almost immediately? How far do you turn the wheel to get the driveshaft to turn? A little slack is normal. Does it seem excessive?
 
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