[RZRTOURS]

I built my own heat shield for about $12.00. I bought a 12 inch by 12 inch piece of heat shield with adhesive from summit and cut out some thin metal and drilled 2 holes. Easy to make, but 50 bucks is ridiculous in my opinion. I guess if you do not have access to tools and parts then what else choice do you have.

I didn't feel $38 was very much for the heat shield. For the piece of aluminum cut to size, bent and raised to follow the contour of the plastic, and the lip guard around it to get rid of the gap with the heat shield material as well is worth it.

I couldn't go buy a piece of aluminum, heat shield, go have someone cut it and bend it for that price. Different if you have access to scrap metal and access to the metal shears, etc.

x2 design and labor are worth something. I dont think that is unreasonable price for what it is. Some things are priced way outta the ball park, but this isnt one of them. If this heat shield is doing what its suppose too, and its only $50 to your door.. I think they have a good product and a fair price !! I have had two rear fenders melt right off of our RZR4's. The xp isnt the first machine with melting problems. I think polaris is just going to let us pay top dollar for the machines, and fix the problems ourselves. I guess untill someone makes a better sport side by side, we our stuck paying for the not so great design flaws, out of our own pockets. I pray someone else soon comes out with an equal sport side by side, and maybe polaris will step up their game a little bit.... better quality control, and better customer service ?? I guess we can dream, right?

 

[Guest]

I agree the UTV inc heatshield is a great piece. Here's the thing though...we all add aftermarket stuff to make a machine perform like we think it should...we shouldn't have to add anything to keep a stock machine from melting or catching on fire. What about the people who don't come on these forums? I bet the majority don't. I know when I am out riding I rarely run into anyone who is on any of the forums. The first they will know of the problem is smoke or fire right above the fuel tank.

I put this heat shield on my XP, it's a UTV inc. product, it works great and installs in about ten minutes.

 

[RZRTOURS]

I agree the UTV inc heatshield is a great piece. Here's the thing though...we all add aftermarket stuff to make a machine perform like we think it should...we shouldn't have to add anything to keep a stock machine from melting or catching on fire. What about the people who don't come on these forums? I bet the majority don't. I know when I am out riding I rarely run into anyone who is on any of the forums. The first they will know of the problem is smoke or fire right above the fuel tank.

I put this heat shield on my XP, it's a UTV inc. product, it works great and installs in about ten minutes.

Well said. I think we all need to pray someone else steps up and makes a comparable side by side. I think polaris needs the competition, and then MAYBE us as the consumers may get a little better treatment. Lets face it, we could all go buy pretty nice trucks for the price of one of these toys. I think for the price of them, polaris could do a little better on some things.

 

[sjf323]

I just ordered my shield, not going to take anymore chances! It does suck that we have to pay to fix popos shit!

Scott

 

[itsruf]

I think the UTV one is very reasonable in cost.

Try buying a few hundred grand in mfg equipment and salaries and insurance.

I made a simple one just before he released his. Sure I have scrap laying around and hardware bins but a few hours time. c'mon.

My theory was keep the cover from falling back in. A start anyway.

 

[Todd C]

I had absolutely no melting problems after several rides with my XP. Then I went on the ride to the Los Padres National Forest. We had some very steep long climbs and the RZR had to work pretty hard that day. On the way down the mountain, I went to remove my sweatshirt from being stuffed behind the passenger seat and it wouldn't come out. It took me a second to realize that the sweatshirt had melted to the firewall.

Here is a photo of the firewall removed to take to the dealer so they could order me a replacement (warranty).

No problems since that time.

Am I reading this right? Another "I shoved my sweatshirt behind the seat and it melted?" so I better post about melting problems.

Gee no melt problems before? Seriously?

Yes. Seriously. Are you of the opinion that the sweatshirt somehow generated heat that melted the plastic behind it? Or perhaps there is so much air flow and the sweatshirt blocked it creating unbelievable heat buildup? I just don't buy it.

The culprit (since you weren't there and don't know) was that the slow and very steep trails created a much hotter than usual environment and melted the plastic firewall. The sweatshirt just happened to be there to get caught in the melted plastic.

Really, you need to think this through a little better. If mine was the only one that melted, I'd say the cloth might be a factor. But look at how many customers have had this problem.

I'm very happy that I installed the additional heat shielding and expect that to keep the new plastic firewall intact.

 

[Guest]

I had absolutely no melting problems after several rides with my XP. Then I went on the ride to the Los Padres National Forest. We had some very steep long climbs and the RZR had to work pretty hard that day. On the way down the mountain, I went to remove my sweatshirt from being stuffed behind the passenger seat and it wouldn't come out. It took me a second to realize that the sweatshirt had melted to the firewall.

Here is a photo of the firewall removed to take to the dealer so they could order me a replacement (warranty).

No problems since that time.

Am I reading this right? Another "I shoved my sweatshirt behind the seat and it melted?" so I better post about melting problems.

Gee no melt problems before? Seriously?

Yes. Seriously. Are you of the opinion that the sweatshirt somehow generated heat that melted the plastic behind it? Or perhaps there is so much air flow and the sweatshirt blocked it creating unbelievable heat buildup? I just don't buy it.

The culprit (since you weren't there and don't know) was that the slow and very steep trails created a much hotter than usual environment and melted the plastic firewall. The sweatshirt just happened to be there to get caught in the melted plastic.

Really, you need to think this through a little better. If mine was the only one that melted, I'd say the cloth might be a factor. But look at how many customers have had this problem.

I'm very happy that I installed the additional heat shielding and expect that to keep the new plastic firewall intact.

What he was rudely:rofl3: saying was the sweatshirt pushed the panel into the header contributing to the problem, which is probably the case...but still it shouldn't be so easy to push the panel into the header.

 

[jsandgren10]

I still think Polaris has done an awesome job for the XP. The only real issues you read about is the heat shield (which Polaris is fixing) and some axle problems. Not bad for a first run machine.

And there are no other companies that have stepped up their game to produce something comparable. Arctic cat is coming out with something but wouldn't buy one. I'm willing to bet the melting issue is pretty limited with regards to the number of XP's sold. My dealer has sold 15 and not one has had this problem.

Polaris is not the only one that has had problems with their stuff. Just to name a few: Yamaha raptor transmission problems, Ski doo driveshaft issues, belt life issues on their XP's with misalignment, CRF Valve issues, etc.

Just seems to me there is always too much in the blame game. Yes some have melting issues and Polaris IS warranting them with a new product number, whether it will help or not is not really known. What do you expect them to do? Recall all of them for this new part number? No one knows the true numbers of incidents, except Polaris who is issuing the warranty fix, could be 1%, 2%, 20% of their RZR XP sold, who knows.

Guess it just irritates me that people want to always file against them, or try to sue them. There is a reason Yamaha has not stayed in the game with their Rhino after their BS lawsuits. In my eyes they have addressed a problem, made a fix and are replacing them as needed. But like some have said there are a lot of people out there that don't get on the forums, and have not had any issues with melting.

 

[Guest]

I still think Polaris has done an awesome job for the XP. The only real issues you read about is the heat shield (which Polaris is fixing) and some axle problems. Not bad for a first run machine.

And there are no other companies that have stepped up their game to produce something comparable. Arctic cat is coming out with something but wouldn't buy one. I'm willing to bet the melting issue is pretty limited with regards to the number of XP's sold. My dealer has sold 15 and not one has had this problem.

Polaris is not the only one that has had problems with their stuff. Just to name a few: Yamaha raptor transmission problems, Ski doo driveshaft issues, belt life issues on their XP's with misalignment, CRF Valve issues, etc.

Just seems to me there is always too much in the blame game. Yes some have melting issues and Polaris IS warranting them with a new product number, whether it will help or not is not really known. What do you expect them to do? Recall all of them for this new part number? No one knows the true numbers of incidents, except Polaris who is issuing the warranty fix, could be 1%, 2%, 20% of their RZR XP sold, who knows.

Guess it just irritates me that people want to always file against them, or try to sue them. There is a reason Yamaha has not stayed in the game with their Rhino after their BS lawsuits. In my eyes they have addressed a problem, made a fix and are replacing them as needed. But like some have said there are a lot of people out there that don't get on the forums, and have not had any issues with melting.

Definitely agree on the Lawsuit BS..people sue for soome stupid stuff..which just makes big brother put new nanny laws into effect and then there is a trickle down effect.
On the recall topic I agree unless it is a safety issue...I see people talking about "they should recall them for the axles" ect..ridiculous, recalls are for safety hazards..and YES they should recall the XPs and put the fix on ALL of them..the difference is when something is a safety issue you don't wait until someone has the issue to fix it..you have to be proactive. And the percentages do not matter, 1 machine burning to the ground or one person injured is too many if there is known problem and they have a fix for it they are just setting themselves up liability wise if they don't recall.
If it is something that isn't a safety issue sure fix it on a case by case basis....safety issue needs a recall. And it doesn't have to be goverment mandated, Polaris can voluntarily issue a recall.
I'll be really surprised if we don't see a recall. The Sportsman 850 was recalled for a fire hazard with just a few reports of the issue, guys on the forum had not even heard of it..so you are right the minority are on here..so how do you know that people who are not on the forum haven't had the problem??

 

[itsruf]

I had absolutely no melting problems after several rides with my XP. Then I went on the ride to the Los Padres National Forest. We had some very steep long climbs and the RZR had to work pretty hard that day. On the way down the mountain, I went to remove my sweatshirt from being stuffed behind the passenger seat and it wouldn't come out. It took me a second to realize that the sweatshirt had melted to the firewall.

Here is a photo of the firewall removed to take to the dealer so they could order me a replacement (warranty).

No problems since that time.

Am I reading this right? Another "I shoved my sweatshirt behind the seat and it melted?" so I better post about melting problems.

Gee no melt problems before? Seriously?

Yes. Seriously. Are you of the opinion that the sweatshirt somehow generated heat that melted the plastic behind it? Or perhaps there is so much air flow and the sweatshirt blocked it creating unbelievable heat buildup? I just don't buy it.

The culprit (since you weren't there and don't know) was that the slow and very steep trails created a much hotter than usual environment and melted the plastic firewall. The sweatshirt just happened to be there to get caught in the melted plastic.........

So Todd there,

You chose your words carefully. You paint one picture to soften it. You're like some defense lawyer piling it deep.

Here are my careful thoughts.

Your Honor, There is little room behind that seat. Nothing belongs back there. Any 10 y.o. will tell you that cover is 1/4" from the header pipe at best and sticking anything back there PUSHES the cover onto that header pipe.

Further your honor, the plaintiff, also known as a claimant or complainant, (i googled it) clearly would be aware of this kind of thread as his previous Forum history can prove.

And may I also suggest this complainant further contributed to the situation by wearing polyester (slams his fist down) not cotton!!

I rest my case.

 

[Todd C]

I am a huge proponent of personal responsibility. I paid for the UTV Inc. panel myself in order to avoid future problems. I felt like it was the responsibility of Polaris to replace the plastic part and they did. My dealer agreed with me and now all is fine.

My biggest concern is that I only have a couple of months left on the factory warranty and I don't have the cash for extending the warranty. I hope some spare cash pops up so I can protect myself from potential problems.

 

[Todd C]

And may I also suggest this complainant further contributed to the situation by wearing polyester (slams his fist down) not cotton!!

I rest my case.

Hey! My sweatshirt was 100% WalMart. I think we all know what that says about quality and my choices in wardrobe!

 

[jsandgren10]

I am a huge proponent of personal responsibility. I paid for the UTV Inc. panel myself in order to avoid future problems. I felt like it was the responsibility of Polaris to replace the plastic part and they did. My dealer agreed with me and now all is fine.

My biggest concern is that I only have a couple of months left on the factory warranty and I don't have the cash for extending the warranty. I hope some spare cash pops up so I can protect myself from potential problems.

I wouldn't even sweat the extended warranty. I didn't do one on mine, and there are 3 XP's with over 4000 miles now, and tons at the 1-2k mile mark with no issues.

I figured in the first 6 months if there is a true issue with the machine it will show up, especially since I have been putting quite a bit of time riding it.

 

[itsruf]

............

Hey! My sweatshirt was 100% WalMart. I think we all know what that says about quality and my choices in wardrobe!

good reply Todd, let's keep it good

For the record I'm with the group of owners who haven't had a problem, still wonder why only some do, and have to believe those who say so. and glad they are ok.

Just for the hell of it Todd, where do you stow your spare shoes? next to the fan blade?

 

[Scarface]

Quick question about this heat issue . Would it cause issues with wrapping the exhaust pipes with heat wrap ? My brother in law just got a Commander and put some heat wrap around his pipes like insulators use . It seemed to help his heat issues along with a different barrier , but I was wondering if it could affect engine in any way ? RZR 900 XP the BADDEST !

 

[2011redxp]

No one is saying sue anybody. There is a problem, I own an XP, I have 2 buddies who own an XP, they all came from the same dealership, and all of us are having melting issues similar to the picture in my op. Arguing over sweatshirts and other petty crap I have seen posted in here is not why I started this thread. I wanted any Polaris employees or engineers to see that this is not a few isolated cases. It is more so than not. If you have not had your firewall melt then good for you, you are lucky, it is just a matter of time before yours will. It sucks that sometimes you do have to threaten a lawsuit to get a company to step up to the plate and fix things. I was hoping Polaris would do the right thing and issue a recall BEFORE it gets to the point of someone having to get the court systems involved. The real winners are the lawyers as we all know anyway. As far as the UTV heat shield it is not a rip off, just I have access to materials and tools so therefore I would rather make my own solution then buy someone else's. I am glad they produce stuff like this because many people do not have the skills to make their own. I will be doing what the other post about this says to do. I suggest you all do the same. Here is the link for the lazy people....

http://www.rzrforums.net/ranger-rzr...-rzr-xp-900/47973-rzr-xp-900-fires-melting-you-must-do-contact-info-thread.html

 

[Jaybo]

I am a huge proponent of personal responsibility. I paid for the UTV Inc. panel myself in order to avoid future problems. I felt like it was the responsibility of Polaris to replace the plastic part and they did. My dealer agreed with me and now all is fine.

I too am a big proponent of personal responsibility. Too many of the people in the US hope to be able to win a lawsuit lottery as a get rich quick scheme. If we do something that involves risk, we know that, and if we get hurt because of hte risk we took, it's OUR OWN FAULT!

However, the same goes for Polaris or any other company that knows there is a problem, and instead of fixing the problem, they just replace the melted panel? Sorry, They are taking a risk of hurting or killing someone by not solving the melting problem in the first place. It's their gamble, the cost of fixing the problem correctly or replacing panels. What's going to cost more is the bet they are taking. Lets just hope no one is seriously hurt. We really should not have to buy an aftermarket piece to solve an obvious engineering design flaw with a $16000 machine...

 

[Guest]

Yep...and guess who is going to pay if they loose that bet and end up having to pay a multi-million dollar suit or another 950,000 fine (likely will be much higher because of a previous fine)..you and I..consumers..the price just gets passed on..stock holders aren't going to pay it. I agree the Lawsuits have gotten out of hand..that is the main reason this gets to me..mine isn't melted..so why should I care? Besides not wanting to see anyone hurt, if someone does get hurt and sues it's big news, it hurts the sport, hurts re-sale values, lawsuits increase prices...much easier and cheaper in the long run to do a nice quiet voluntary recall and fix all the affected machines...as a company you better do that or do nothing when it comes to a fire risk..because once you issue bulletins and new "more heat resistant" parts but don't recall you are admitting a problem but not following through on making sure all owners are aware.
Personally do I think this will cause a machine to burn to the ground? I think depends on who is operating it when it happens and how they react. I doubt it would with most of the guys here..but think worst case scenario..all types of people are buying these machines now days.

I am a huge proponent of personal responsibility. I paid for the UTV Inc. panel myself in order to avoid future problems. I felt like it was the responsibility of Polaris to replace the plastic part and they did. My dealer agreed with me and now all is fine.

I too am a big proponent of personal responsibility. Too many of the people in the US hope to be able to win a lawsuit lottery as a get rich quick scheme. If we do something that involves risk, we know that, and if we get hurt because of hte risk we took, it's OUR OWN FAULT!

However, the same goes for Polaris or any other company that knows there is a problem, and instead of fixing the problem, they just replace the melted panel? Sorry, They are taking a risk of hurting or killing someone by not solving the melting problem in the first place. It's their gamble, the cost of fixing the problem correctly or replacing panels. What's going to cost more is the bet they are taking. Lets just hope no one is seriously hurt. We really should not have to buy an aftermarket piece to solve an obvious engineering design flaw with a $16000 machine...

 

[Sandrider]

snip (bold is mine)

We really should not have to buy an aftermarket piece to solve an obvious engineering design flaw with a $16000 machine...

That is my bottom line.
For this to continue to be an issue since release is BS

 

[Jaimes]

I know there is a firewall melting thread for the xp but I want Polaris to see this again in case they are missing it. The design is not good, putting a plastic firewall next to a red hot header pipe. It needs to be fixed before someone gets hurt. Please engineers and bean counters at Polaris, you are an American company start acting like it. America should be putting out top notch products especially for what your charging per rzr. I have aftermarket seats I am just glad I caught this before it burned a hole in them.

7/30/11 mine was melting and i know why its because of the stock spark arrestor is getting clogged to easy from dirt kick up. polaris ordered me a new one under warranty with pictures, no big deal