S-22-09 Stop Sale, Stop Ride MY23-14 Matryx, Axys, Trail Pro-Ride

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S-22-09 Stop Sale, Stop Ride MY21-23 Matryx, MY15-22 Axys, SOME MY13-14 Trail Performance Pro-Ride

===== LATEST RESOLUTION INFO Oct. 4, 2022 =====

Polaris has developed 3 different "Fix KITS" which will cover all the different Fuel Pump Assemblies used in the affected Snowmobiles. They are basically the hardware pieces and instructions needed to extend a grounding strap system from the Fuel Pump Assembly down into the bottom of the fuel tank. Additional pieces may be involved to solve other concerns, and facilitate installation. This is intended to prevent electrostatic charge from building up in the fuel.

• Some time will be required to gain access to the fuel tank.
• Remove the Fuel Pump Assembly from the fuel tank
• A technician will install the "Fix KIT".
• The fixed Fuel Pump Assembly with a new flange gasket will be reinstalled into the fuel tank.
• Reinstall the tank and body parts and test the repaired snowmobile.

Polaris has recently been building and delivering to dealers, "Fixed" MY23 snowmobiles, and when the kits become available to dealers in a few weeks, technicians will repair "sold, undelivered" new snowmobiles first, and then start repairing customer owned snowmobiles.

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Polaris Off-Road-Recalls lookup your snowmobile by VIN# or year and model.
Owners of most MY23 fuel injected sleds will need to type in their VIN#, you cannot lookup by model.

Recall Summary
STOP SALE / STOP RIDE Snowmobile Fuel Tank
Recall Number: S-22-09-E
Posting Date: 1/10/2022
Expiration Date: 1/12/2039
NHTSA Recall Number: There is NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION available from this recall lookup, anymore.

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from the Polaris Recall website:
Polaris sent an email to all owners of the affected snowmobiles that are registered thru Polaris. This was done during the last week of August 2022. A newer Letter was issued 10/13/2022:

Here is the NEW Polaris Help Center Article about this recall: S-22-09 Help Center issued 2022/10/13

S-22-09 Polaris Snowmobile Safety Recall
The following is a copy of the S-22-09 Consumer Letter issued 10/13/2022. Vehicles affected by this recall will receive notification by mail to the address the vehicle is registered to.

Dear Polaris Owner,

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Polaris is conducting a voluntary recall of some Model Year 2021-2023 MATRYX, 2015-2022 AXYS, and select Model Year 2013-2014 Trail Performance (Pro-Ride) snowmobiles. Our records indicate that you own one of these vehicles.

The reason for this notice:

Polaris has determined that with degraded fuel, and especially after extended storage, some Model Year 2021-2023 MATRYX, 2015-2022 AXYS, and select Model Year 2013-2014 Trail Performance (Pro-Ride) snowmobiles may pose a risk of fire due to electrostatic discharge (ESD) inside the fuel tank. Under specific conditions, vapors may be ignited inside the fuel tank, posing a potential injury hazard.

What you should do:

Immediately stop using the vehicle and contact your authorized Polaris dealer to schedule an appointment to have the repairs performed. Do not attempt repairs yourself. Repairs must be done only by an authorized Polaris dealer. This repair should take approximately 90 minutes. When making contact with your dealer, discuss parts availability, their schedule and how long they will need to keep your vehicle.

DO NOT OPERATE YOUR VEHICLE UNTIL THIS SAFETY RECALL HAS BEEN COMPLETED BY YOUR DEALER.

If a rider needs to start their snowmobile, they must make sure the fuel tank is full and, if it is not, then they need to add fresh gasoline to fill the tank. Failure to follow these instructions may lead to injury.

What your dealership will do:

To address this concern, Polaris has authorized your dealer to update the fuel pump assembly. This work will be performed by your dealer at no cost to you.
This notice was mailed to you according to our most current registration information. If you no longer own this vehicle, or if some of the contact information in this notice is incorrect, please contact your dealer to complete a transfer of ownership. Federal law requires that any vehicle lessor receiving this notice must forward a copy of this notice to the lessee within 10 working days after the day on which the notice is received.

Your Polaris dealer is in the best position to answer your questions. If you need assistance contacting or locating a Polaris dealer, or if you have questions your Polaris dealer is not able to address, contact our Polaris Owner Connections Department at 1-800-POLARIS (765-2747), or go to the Polaris Snowmobile Help Center..
We apologize for this inconvenience and assure you that we are committed to customer satisfaction and providing world-class products for riders to enjoy. Thank you for being a Polaris owner.

Sincerely,
Polaris Snowmobiles

Polaris Snowmobile Stop Sale/Stop Ride Update FAQs

What Snowmobile models are affected?
Polaris has issued a stop sale/stop ride on Model Year 2015-2022 AXYS, 2021-2023 MATRYX, and select Model Year 2013-2014 Trail Performance (Pro-Ride) snowmobiles.

How do I know if my vehicle is impacted?
To search off-road recalls by model or vehicle identification number (VIN) to see if your unit is affected by any recalls, visit the Off-Road Safety Recalls page, or call Polaris at 800-765-2747.

What is the issue?
We have determined that under certain operating conditions – specifically, when in operation with a low level of fuel after long-term storage - some snowmobiles may have an increased risk of fire due to electrostatic discharge (ESD) inside the fuel tank. Under these specific, unique conditions, vapors may be ignited inside the fuel tank, posing a potential injury hazard to consumers.

What’s being done?
Polaris sent Safety Stop Ride notifications to owners affected by this recall and dealers have halted sales in late August. After identifying and testing a fix under a host of environmental conditions, Polaris issued a validated repair. We have released the repair instructions and are notifying affected owners to schedule a free repair at their authorized Polaris dealer.

Affected consumers should not ride or perform maintenance on their vehicles. If a rider needs to start their snowmobile in order to trailer it to the dealer for repair, they must make sure the fuel tank is full and, if it is not, then they need to add fresh gasoline to fill the tank.

When will parts be available to repair my sled?
To help ensure all dealers have access to repair kits as we ramp up service repairs, Polaris is allocating the repair kit shipments. Dealers will start receiving kits as soon as next week and will continue to receive allocated repair kit shipments regularly as our team continues to kit repair parts as we receive them from our suppliers.

My dealer said they won’t schedule me until they have a repair kit. Is this Polaris’ policy?
Dealers will have their respective processes for scheduling customers' snowmobiles for repair service.

Where can I get my snowmobile fixed for the recall repair?
Any authorized Polaris snowmobile dealer.

Where do I bring my vehicle for repairs?
Repair instructions have been shared with Polaris dealers. Affected snowmobile owners should contact their authorized Polaris dealer to schedule a free repair.

Can I do the repair myself?
No. Polaris is providing detailed instructions, training materials and the necessary parts to Polaris-authorized dealers to perform the fix. The repair is done at no cost to the customer, but it must be completed at an Polaris- authorized dealer.

Where can I find a dealer to complete the repair?
You can find a nearby Polaris- authorized dealer through the Dealer Locator tool on our website: Dealer Locator - Find a Polaris Dealer Near You | Polaris.

Can I still use my snowmobile if I have not had the repair completed?
No. If you receive a recall notice DO NOT continue using the vehicle until you have had it repaired by an authorized Polaris dealer.

Can I still place an order for a snowmobile or purchase one from a dealer?
Yes, so long as the snowmobile has been repaired by the dealer. Dealers will not be able to finalize the sale of a snowmobile and release it to a customer until that snowmobile has undergone the necessary fix.

What does this mean for current Snowmobile orders?
We have continued building MY’23 orders so we wouldn’t fall behind on the production and had been holding them for rework until we had the validated fix. Our team will continue our internal rework process on those sleds with the repair solution, and we have resumed MY’23 snowmobile shipments. All upcoming MY’23 production builds will incorporate the fix, so production and shipping will continue as normal.

I’m still waiting to receive my SnowCheck order. What is the status of my order?
We are in the process of updating delivery dates for all SnowCheck orders in our system . You will be able to find your specific SnowCheck delivery timing within your “My Account” section of Polaris.com within the next two weeks. We will email customers with information on how to check the status of their SnowCheck order once it has been updated.

If you wish to make changes or have questions regarding your SnowCheck order, you can contact your dealer. Please know, we are doing everything we can to build & ship sleds and get them out as early as we can.

How can customers contact Polaris with questions or concerns? How do I reach my dealer?
Customers can contact Polaris Customer Support at: 1-800-765-2747 or [email protected].

Your Polaris dealers also can help answer questions. Local dealers can be found on our Dealer Locator web page.

END of 2022/10/13 Help Center Article. ====================

The Stop Sale portion of this Safety Recall indicates that new Polaris snowmobiles can not be warranty registered by a Polaris dealer if the fix has not been performed by the dealer or on the Polaris factory production line.

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The cause: A potential for degraded/old fuel to ignite in certain circumstances including partly full fuel tank, related to electro-static discharge. According to the official Polaris announcement, there have been 30 reports of fuel tank ruptures in that decade-long period, including 16 with fire and one with an injury, but the number of vehicles affected by this announcement is an amazing 230,000 snowmobiles. That includes all Matryx and Axys chassis sleds plus trail-performance Pro-Ride sleds from 2013-14.

(NOTE: Not carbureted snowmobiles: They have NO electric fuel pump.)

Separate from the official announcement that is posted above, a Polaris official emailed the snowmobile media today and said the following:

“As with all our stop rides, owners of affected snowmobiles should not ride until we can provide a validated solution and they get work completed with a Polaris-authorized dealer on the repair. If the snowmobile must be started, we are telling customers they must first make sure the fuel tank is full and, if it is not, then they need to add fresh gasoline to fill the tank.”

The email continued: “We recognize the importance of the upcoming winter season. Our teams have identified a solution and are currently validating that fix, so our riders can get full enjoyment out of the upcoming riding season. We understand and apologize to our dealers and riders for this inconvenience, but safety is the driver behind our decision, and we are committed to making this right.”

This Stop Ride / Stop Sale affects 230,000 affected Polaris snowmobiles. MY21-23 Matryx, MY15-22 Axys, MY13-14 Trail-Performance Pro-Ride.

Let's calculate the number of incident reports as a percentage based on the 230,000 snowmobiles affected in this concern:

0.013% 30 reports of fuel tank ruptures

0.0069% 16 fires

0.00043% 1 injury

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MY15up PRO-RIDE trail & mountain sleds with Fuel Injected engines, only used the "Sucker Foot" style pickup 2204727 electric fuel pump assembly. MY10-12 PRO-RIDE sleds used a 2520951(600) 2521107(800) electric fuel pump assembly with a "sock" style pickup. These sleds are not subject to this recall.

MY13-14 PRO-RIDE snowmobiles that are subject to this recall.

The sleds in the table below, are equipped with a 2204726 electric fuel pump assembly with a "Sock" style pickup, NOT a "Smart Valve" style pickup. They are subject to this recall.


AXYS affected sleds.
NOTE: I don't think disconnecting fuel gauge wires will be an effective solution. Many sleds with mechanical gauges are on this recall list. Here's one example: The MY16 Axys 800 Pro-RMK 163 has a mechanical fuel gauge in the cap. It has the 2205619 Elec. fuel pump RMK with sock filter (Pump Flange Assembly / PFA). All Axys Mountain (MY16-22, 49 major models) have this 2205619 PFA and a mechanical fuel gauge cap, and all are on this Polaris Recall list.

This is a diagram and specs of a Matryx Pump Flange Assembly (PFA). It was used in MY21-22 Matryx flatland snowmobiles. The part numbers are different for 650 and 850 due to different fuel pressure regulator settings, as you can see in the specs. You will notice the fuel pump itself, which has a ground switch by the ECU, is located high in the fuel tank, near the neck. When liquid fuel is at a low level in the tank, it may not be touching the switch grounded fuel pump. If it built up an electrostatic charge, it could discharge upward to the grounded fuel pump. A bad ground connection on the pump, could cause an energized pump to have the load jump across the bad ground connection. I am not saying this is happening, but that it COULD happen.

The wiring to this Matryx PFA is unusual and can be misleading, I will go thru it for each pin on the wiring connector.

Pin 1 Red Fuel pump + positive
. This is powered, thru a splice in the main harness, directly by the Power Boosting Regulator, (which is powered by the engine stator when the engine is turning over, or running) along with other devices on the Critical Power Circuit (14 volts). NO fuse, No relay.

Pin 2 Black Fuel pump - ground
. This ground goes thru a 15 amp. fuse in Load Center / Fuse / Relay box. From there it is connected to the ECU which turns this ground on or off.

Pin 3 Green Fuel level sender + positive
. This receives positive from the gauge. The amount of amperage / electrical flow on this wire, going thru the rheostat in the fuel sender, indicates to the gauge how much fuel is in the tank.

Pin 4 blue Fuel Level sender - ground
. This is grounded thru a splice in the harness to a ground eyelet attached to the metal chassis. This is a constant ground.

Here is a study on corrosion and conductivity of gasoline including the effects of ethanol and dissolved water. It is not an entertaining article:

The above article has 3 charts that clearly indicate that E10 fuel with dissolved water, can be 100 times more conductive of electricity than 100% gasoline.

Stale E10 fuel often has absorbed water from the air, and might have phase separation of the ethanol carrying dissolved water, when the ethanol has absorbed all the water that it can hold. At that point the ethanol will no longer be mixed with the gasoline and will sink to a layer at the bottom of the fuel tank.

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There are many different factory installed Pump Flange Assemblies for the Polaris snowmobiles involved in this recall.
Here are the ones for the Matryx snowmobiles:

Fuel Pump Flange Assembly (kit)
2209836 MY23 650 flatland
2209837 MY23 850 flatland
2209838 MY23 850 Boost flatland
2209833 MY23 650 mountain
2209834 MY23 850 mountain
2209835 MY23 850 Boost mountain
2209298 MY22 650 Flatland
2208332 MY22 650 mountain
2208331 MY22 850 mountain
2208333 MY22 850 Boost mountain
2208147 MY21 650 flatland
2208146 MY21-22 850 flatland

There are 12 Different Pump Flange Assemblies on Matryx sleds alone.

The recall also involves all Axys sleds and some Pro-Ride sleds.

By using recall kits, instead of just replacing the entire Pump Flange Assemblies, Polaris has greatly reduced the number of different kits need for the recall fix, as well as lowering the cost and the amount of time to get the parts needed, to the dealers.