Ski-Doo Snowmobiles Forum banner

800etec What a dissappointment

15K views 151 replies 49 participants last post by  ncapster 
#1 ·
I think it's a complete joke that BRP advertizes the 800etec with 163.9 horsepower. I guarantee,you could have your sled dyno'd and it will not have 163.9 HP. I think we should go after BRP to make this right ! Remember when Ford and Mazda got in trouble for advertizing the Mustang Cobra and RX-7 hp figures and the cars were no where close ! They had to pay customers to keep the cars or take them back ! I think Brp should give us the Horsepower we paid for and DID NOT GET ! My 2012 MXZ X 800 Etec is NOT any stronger than my 2010 MXZ X 800R powertek and uses more oil too ? There nuts a 163.9HP NO WAY ,What a let down!
 
#5 ·
I know my 2012 was not even close to my 2011. In fact the Shootout 800 was reported at 152 hp
 
#9 · (Edited by Moderator)
When BRP first came out with the Etech 800 they said it had 155+ h.p. (didn't the previous year engine have 151 h.p.?) And a lot of folks were in a tizzy about that being only 4 h.p. Then an independent lab dyno'd a sled and came up with the 163.4 h.p. (or what ever it was), BRP did this for free advertising! If an independent lab says an engine puts out more than BRP says it does.... Bonus for BRP!!!! And I think the fine print in BRP's advertising says something about an independent lab testing it?

Also, what elevation are you running at? My sled feels different at 2,500-5,000 feet at home vs 5,000 - 8,000+ feet when in Canada. Remember you loose about 3% h.p. per 1,000 feet of elevation gain.

You will not have 163 h.p. at 8,000 feet.

The weight of the rider has a bit to do with how fast the sled gets going when the throttle is mashed. Was at the drag races once when there was this 120-125 pound gal running some sleds. All the guys she ran up against were 185+ pounds (some were 250+) And she smacked 80% of them with a 700!! It took a 900 mod sled to finally beat her (but mot by much)!

Snow conditions also have a lot to do with the 'feel' of the hook up of the track to the ground and the go fast feeling you feel in the handle bars. Hard pack vs crunchy hard pack vs 2 feet of pow all have a different 'feel' and traction. I have had mine over 8,000 feet in Canada several times in very different snow conditions and it pulls stronger and feels stronger than my 06 Summit ever did. The other weekend we put on 100.4 hard fast miles up there and used 7.8 galloons. My 06 would of used 10-11 galloons of fuel and more oil that my '11 did.

Throttle management has a direct relationship to m.p.g. and oil use. If you are a guy who goes brrap, brrap, braap (on and off the throttle all the time) Your oil usage will be more. And your m.p.g will be less that someone who is smooth and even on the throttle. Just like the car. If you mash the gas all the time, you use more fuel silly!!

I like my '11 Etech 800. Have had the update done to it. The sled starts easer and runs better than my '06 ever did. And if work did not have some different possibilities for me next year. I would of spring ordered a '13 Summit X!

 
#13 ·
wow,thats all i have to say. the 800r has raw power that is there 24/7. it seems the 800e is a hit or miss sled, 3 different motors,i guess the 2011 after 3k miles you can get a piston check up?????
i thought about buying the 800e on my XRS but after about 5 minutes it was clear i'll take the 600. it makes me mad because a riding buddy has 7k on his 800e and all good but she's blowing black smoke now??? whats doo's deal? these are 10k sleds!!!
was the last sweet 800 a tripple???....
 
#15 ·
I have clutched many 800's and the best ones I have ever seen were the first ones out with plain out simple carbs on them. They were the only ones that would even think about giveng the old 1000 sdi's (clutched) a run for it but even then the 1000's would role past the 800r after 90 or so. Take it for what is worth 05 mach z 07 1000 gade 08 800r and the 12 e tec in that order from fastest to slowest I have them all in my shop year after year and get the same results every year the newer they get the slower they get. I have nothing to gain by saying this just telling it the way it is. I also have a 1200 tnt the same issues to much computerized B/S that are meant to make the engine live not go fast.

Brent Hoag
 
#17 ·
I sure hope my third ETEC is good. Perhaps having owned two gives me a different perspective since I just ordered my third so that being said I must be nuts for buying these things based on this thread?
 
#23 · (Edited by Moderator)
Don't worry, I was happy with mine to. Coming off a P-Tek 800R the E-Tec 800R acutally feels a little stronger in the upper mid-range (60-70) mph range. The only guys that seem to be dissapointed are the guys that spend all day on the lake drag racing back-n-forth. They're the same type of guys that like to " tinker " and mess with the clutching etc... And they may be at least partially responsible for their own problems. As for me, I very rarely operate my sleds at WOT / with the the valves fully opened so it hasn't been a problem for me. It's like once in a blue moon if I'm doing a radar run or if I get a wild hair or something. As for the low end and mid-range the E-Tec seems to pull just as hard if not harder than the P-Tek 800R. All that thick 800R torque / pull is still alive and well in the E-Tec. As for the top end I don't really care as much, I spend maybe 1% of my time there. Besides my 09 P-Tek only did 106 mph on the GPS so the XPs have never really been much of a top end sled anyways. The Rev 800 HOs were faster up top...
 
#19 ·
Exactly robgrotto
they actually made the power they said in fact I put the mid altitude kit in the 05 1000 and it was a little over 180 and runs great. Hopefully Doo gets it fixed it is a simple solution all they need to do is reflash the whole system and let this motor run like it should.
 
#24 ·
I am just happy I did not blow mine up this year......It is nice to go a season with the same motor. Of course, I only rode 1600 miles, but still can't complain except getting beat by my friends Pro Cross 800.
 
#26 ·
Have a 2011 gade etec and i even beat the 800r shorties with it...the top end on my etec is where the biggest differences are. I have posted on here about bringing in my gade for the recall work. I beleive they put new pistons in because of some of the locating pins were failing. After i got it back it seems to be a bit slower on top end. I used to see over 120 on the speedo now i see 115 on a good day. im thinking they down tuned it or something. I hear the 2011s are faster. I here alot of bad stuff on here about the 800etec my mine has always been really strong and never gets beat by an 800r(except after i brought it in!) I cant say the same about my 600etec its a great running sled but my old 03 i have sitting around kills it.
 
#28 · (Edited by Moderator)
Those E-Tecs are just finicky. On my 2011 and my buddies 2012 800E-Tec, there was the same dead spot when cruising in the 80-90 mph range that just took a lot of throttle to get out of. My engine was just rebuilt because my crankshaft bearings cut loose on me, and now that dead spot is gone and my throttle is MUCH more linear up to about 90-100 mph. But now, when I let off the throttle at 90mph it feels like I mashed the brake. Fortunately no obvious differences in top speed. Each one seems to have their own idiosyncrasies, but I am not seeing any top speeds that suggests I am sitting on a 163 hp engine.

Regardless the 800 E-tec is a blast to ride. It will just take BRP some time to fine-tune it. Maybe the lower oil consumption comes at the price of having to put in more protections.
 
#27 ·
There are members on the forum that have convinced themselves that the 8etec is the baddest. Also the marketing hype drew you in deeper! I don't blame you guys!

I'm just not convinced! I actually want one, just can't take the chance of possibly taking a step backwards. When my 8r runs this sweet!

I'm also sorry to the 8etec riders that have stepped up, and have been disappointed.......Joe........it is what it is.
Hey, if your 8r is the balls in your book, then you would be crazy to replace her.
 
#29 ·
There are members on the forum that have convinced themselves that the 8etec is the baddest. Also the marketing hype drew you in deeper! I don't blame you guys!

I'm just not convinced! I actually want one, just can't take the chance of possibly taking a step backwards. When my 8r runs this sweet!

I'm also sorry to the 8etec riders that have stepped up, and have been disappointed.......Joe........it is what it is.
That's all fine and dandy but stop calling it a dissapointment when you don't own one and don't know what you're talking about....
 
#30 ·
I have loved my 2011 800 e-tec so far. Couldn't be more happier with the power, mileage, smooth running, easy starting, etc. Sorry to here some guys have been disappointed with the 2012s.

By the way, at the Old Forge Shootout, the past two years, the engines they put on the dyno were new and not broken in. The 2011 800 e-tec had 157 hp and the 2012 had 152 hp. I think those hp figures are pretty good considering they were still in the computer controlled break-in mode. Mine rocked from day 1 and woke up even more after 300 or 400 miles and the mileage really improved. After riding a 800 Polaris Pro RMK compared to my Backcountry, I could definitely notice mine have more power (as an example). I hope the 2013s are as strong as the 2011s. Seems a lot of folks have been happy with their 2012s also but clearly a few who are dissappointed.
 
#34 · (Edited by Moderator)
Yeah speaking of 160 ish hp sleds, I hopped right from my 12 E-Tec 800 onto a 12 Cat XF 800 HO and seat of the pants, I was not overly impressed with the Cat's power delivery....My E-Tec "felt" stonger.... The Cat came on a little stronger on the very bottom end but that's probably just due to the x-over / lower gearing and a wee bit higher clutch engagement but like I said once under way, my sled " felt " stronger.... I've also read reports over on Arctic Chat by 2012 Cat 800 owners being ticked off that they got beat by 800 E-Tecs....
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top