Help 450i UXV New Owner HOT Bed

[KymCat]

Hi Guys, I have searched and searched the internet for an answer to this but came up with nothing so I thought I would ask the experts here and I am sure you will know...here goes

I have just bought a brand new 2018 Textron/Arctic Cat Prowler 500 now I KNOW they is not strictly a Kymco but hey they make em & I can't find an answer anywhere else so I hope you forgive me for having Textron written on mine instead of Kymco

Anyway I am having fun with it so far ( got 8 hours on it now) HOWEVER there is one problem...when running for 10 minutes or more the Floor of the Rear Dump Bed gets VERY Hot...so hot you cannot touch it...you would not want to put a cooler back there...it would melt the cooler and its contents it gets that hot!

Of course it is the height of summer so that probably does not help but I am thinking that it should not be too hot to touch the rubber mat in the bed with your bare hand

Is this normal for this model or am I missing some heat shielding?

Anyone else had this problem?

[airshot]

I have bot had this issue, but mine is an actual Kymco 2015 model. There is a heat shield under the bed so while the bed gets warm, I have sat back there and put my sprayer back there quthout issue. I would check to see if you have a heat shield on yours. If not I would look at the Kymco models to see if they still put one on. Please let us know what you find....

[KymCat]

Just taken it out again today down some light trails & didnt work it hard at all. When I stopped and checked the bed the surface of it is hotter than the Sun!

Looked underneath and their does not appear to be any shielding...there is nothing above the Exhaust/Muffler at all AND there is a flexible silver pipe under there as well that exits under the bed

Not sure what that is?

You said there is a heat shield on yours? What color is it?

Is it Silver? All I see under there is Black

Is there a part number for the heat shield or any diagram/manual I could look at to see if I have it or not?

I suspect not as the heat generated after running the engine for 10 minutes makes it WAY TOO HOT to put anything back there!

Apart from this one problem this is a sweet machine and I am glad I bought it so Any help or advice from anyone greatly appreciated!

Thanks Guys

[CROSSBOLT]

Probably "left-over parts" in the packing crate at the dealers!

[airshot]

If I tilt the bed back I can see the hear shield easy..mine is black or very dirty. I know in 2015 there is supposed to be a heat shield but you would need to check to see if 2018 models came with a shield. I xan only inagine how hot that bed would become without a shield!!  The exhaust is right below the bed and your mat will soon be shot

[KymCat]

Just a little update on this....so I went out on a fairly long trail ride yesterday...quite challenging with lots of rocks and fallen trees to go over...

The machine performed VERY WELL...wasn't even close to getting stuck at any point and I was confident it would get through anything the trail had to offer and so it proved

The temperature gauge was always reading in an acceptable range so she was not overheating

However when getting back I got out and put my hand to the bed and again it is very very hot...so hot you would not want to put anything in there for fear of it melting!

It is the height of summer here and in the 90's so that might have something to do with it but it still seems excessive despite the heat

When she cooled down I looked underneath again and there is a THIN BLACK PLATE under there covering about half of the exhaust system

I measured it and it is 11 inches by 22 inches...is this the heatshield?

Is it the same on everyone elses models?

Can someone please post a picture of theirs on here for me to take a look at

I tried to post mine but being a newbie I cant seem to figure it out so a picture of someone elses would really help so I can actually see if this is how the machine is supposed to be or if I am indeed missing a part

Thanks Again!

 

[randyo]

I measured it and it is 11 inches by 22 inches...is this the heatshield?

Is it the same on everyone elses models?
!

yep

[KymCat]

Well then the heat protection for the bed sucks then!

Has anyone found an easy solution to heat proof the bed a bit more?

Is everyone elses bed roasting hot in the summer after the engine has been running for 10 minutes?

[airshot]

   I do know that on my 2015 model the heat shield is bigger covering most of the area under the bed.  Not sure if anyone else on here has a 2018 model to compare to...so go back to your dealer and complain. It should still be under warranty.  I use mine to haul out the trash each week, I normally go for a little ride then back to haul trash, never had a plastic bag melt of even feel hot, even after 20 minutes of riding.  Your dealer should know and be able to add another heat shield if one is missing

[randyo]

   I do know that on my 2015 model the heat shield is bigger covering most of the area under the bed.

I have a 2015 as well, I didn't measure the dimensions the other day when I had the bed emptied, but I wouldn't say it covers "most" of the area.  I have never noticed any excessive heat... I carry gasoline almost all the time,  (1 gal mixed chainsaw gas) and quite often a 7 gal container of unmixed gas.  I've used mine for hours of hard work, granted, more often in cold weather, but been out for hours on 90° days as well

[airshot]

    Did a little research and found that a partially clogged or restricted exhaust will cause high exhaust temps also.  I am wondering if you have an issue with the engine/exhaust system causing excessive heat? A very lean fuel delivery will cause excess heat in the exhaust and engine damage. I would definitely return to the dealer for a thorough examination, if nothing else to have it on record in case something down the road goes haywire....

[jimbos]

I put a thin piece of metal above mine it helped just wired it up

[KymCat]

Thanks for the info Airshot

I thought of those possible problems as well but ruled them out due to keeping a close eye on the Temp Gauge for the entire ride....it was always reading in the acceptable mid range which I assumed meant the engine was not overheating

I will talk to the dealer about it

Jimbos were you having the same problem then with your bed getting hot?

Is that why you added the extra metal?

I am now leaning towards doing that myself to see if it helps!

[airshot]

I have access to a machine shop as I am a retired toolmaker, I would add a sheet of thin SS sheetmetal to act as a heat deflector. If engine rus ok then that should solve the issue.  However by telling your dealer and having him note the problem, you will be covered down rhe road if an engine problem arrises

[kickstart]

Check your spark arrestor.