Low Voltage Glitch?

[Hucci]

Hello everyone,

I'm reaching out to see if anyone else has experienced this issue or has any ideas on what may have caused it.

During my last ride, I noticed the voltage on the SXS dropping from 14 volts to 10 volts, decreasing by 0.2 volts at a time. I was driving at the time, so I'm not sure why this happened. When it reached 10 volts, it put the bike into limp mode and all the service lights came on. I pulled over and turned off the bike. When I tried to turn it back on, it was dead and wouldn't start. After waiting for about a minute, I tried again, and it started showing 14 volts.

It hasn't happened again, but I haven't driven it much since then.

Again does anyone know what this may have been caused by or had this happened to theirs as well? The unit is bone stock with no accessories that are drawing any juice.

 

[JTBarlow]

Intermittent low voltage could be caused by poor battery connections and/or a loose ground connection to the frame. You need to remove the driver seat to get to the battery to check these.

Also, there’s been at least one person who’s machine has lost the alternator pulley/belt, which could be a possibility, but unlikely with the voltage going back up.

 

[Hucci]

Just got it back from the shop for getting the AC fixed. Voltage problem seems to have gotten worse. I checked the battery connections and those are good, bike starts at 11.4 volts and when the AC is turned on it drops to 10.2 immediately. Once the AC is turned off it shoots right back up. Beyond frustrated with this machine, have only owned it for 3 weeks and it’s been in and out of the shop for 2 of them.

 

[JTBarlow]

Have they load tested the battery? On my Xpedition, voltage is at 12.6v with the engine off and 13.8v-14.0v with it running. Mine isn’t a Northstar so it only has the stator. Northstars have an alternator, but should run roughly the same voltage. The battery might be bad and not able to run the load of the a/c system.

 

[Hucci]

Right when I picked xpedition up I didn’t have problems and with the bike running my voltage was similar to yours. Since the other day when I watched the bike drop below 10 volts and go into limp mode it’s never been the same. I asked the shop to look into the voltage issue but reading through the paperwork here I don’t think they looked at it. They did tell me the reason that the AC didn’t work was because the compressor was never plugged in from the factory. Just makes me wonder if anything else was missed from factory too. I pulled the seat and checked my connections, all good there, so it leaves me to believe that is must be an alternator issue. I’m charging the battery now and will load test it once I’ve got it charged up.

 

[JTBarlow]

Unfortunately, quality control has been lacking in the extreme on these machines. Not just from Polaris, but their suppliers as well. Polaris seems, for the most part, to be taking care of issues as they’re found. But most of the problems wouldn’t have happened with proper quality control and pre-shipping testing.

 

[Hucci]

Just pulled the alternator cover, I have some sort of oily residue inside the cover, and I’m only pulling 3v from the alternator.

 

[JTBarlow]

It should be completely dry in there. Possibly a leaking crank seal.

Does the belt have oil on it?

 

[Hucci]

It's possible that it would be on the belt in some spots, but I did notice that the entire bottom of the case has oil.

 

[dr4pat]

It's possible that it would be on the belt in some spots, but I did notice that the entire bottom of the case has oil.

Had a burned oil smell on ours , voltage was ok .

Ended up being a seal on the AC pump , thats where the oil was coming from.
New seal , belt , and thoroughly cleaned in the housing over alternator and AC pump .
Problem solved.
Never got enough oil on the belt to slip to create a low voltage issue.
HAT off to the tech for finding that .