[LocoDuckMan]

New member. After riding an old Kawasaki Bayou 300 for years I bit the bullet and bought a 2019 Kodiak 700 base model. I’m a duck hunter and a pretty big guy so the 300 was always not quite enough of a machine. Buddy has a Grizzly 700 and I love that machine but I didn’t want to spend that kind of money as I really only use it during hunting season. Found a great deal (IMO) and after getting the wife on board I purchased the Kodiak because the specs are so similar to the Grizzly. Have ridden it a few weekends working on duck blinds with no issues. But this weekend I was in water about 3-4 inches over the floor boards. When I got back out of the field the engine died and I couldn’t start it. One of the guys in the club got it started and it ran for about five minutes. I got it home and it wouldn’t start again. I checked the oil and there was water in it. Nothing in air box. And water nowhere near that in the field. I swamped the Kaw once and after cleaning it up used it for years. It’s still in the garage and still cranks and runs. I’ve drained the oil and changed three times. Oil is clean now. I’ve ridden it and it seems to stall periodically and then picks right back up and goes. planning to change the filter and oil once more tomorrow.
My question then is 3-4” really too deep for these machines? We’ve had buddies grizzly in a field with water well over the tires. Never had issues. I’m a reasonable man. I don’t want a snorkeled machine. If I gotta go that deep I’ll get the boat out. But I don’t think that 3-4” above floorboards should be unacceptable. Any thoughts? How deep is too deep for a stock machine?

 

[Nomad]

I would bet your dip stick wasn't fully seated when you drove in the water. I've had mine over the headlights with no issues.

 

[TRW]

We also had one member who had an issue like this, but I can't recall what it was. Seems like it got blamed on a faulty vent hose. Nomad might be onto something, those oil fill hole/dip stick openings have opened up for no good reason, stick for one can open or loosen them.

 

[LocoDuckMan]

Thanks for the replies. I did check the oil before riding this weekend. I looked at the bike this morning trying to gauge about how deep I was and that would make perfect sense. Trying not to be sick thinking I might have been the culprit for ruining a motor on a machine I’ve had less than a month. But otherwise I really like the ride and it seems power to get to the blind won’t be an issue anymore as long as it keeps chugging after this.

 

[Jssrvlz]

my problem was after parking in a creek about 3 or 4 inches above the foot boards, water sucked up that back vent tube that is hanging down in the rear, because I feel the tank had a negative pressure from the high speed riding for hours, and went right in my gas tank and F'd my whole injector jet up.

I had a **** of a time cleaning the fuel rail and the gas tank and the injector. now it does even studder

I haven't done it yet but I am planning on adding a coupler to that hose and running it up higher on my machine.

You may have got some water in your fuel aswell. The fact that it is running means, probably not a lot though

 

[Jssrvlz]

https://www.kodiakowners.com/forum/...l-check-valve-vent-tube-too-short-issues.html

an old thread where someone was having a similar issue. this is where I read about rerouting the vent tube

 

[Madmax]

I'm in, don't need the issues, headed to the parts store when I get off work today!

 

[Vincent]

New member. After riding an old Kawasaki Bayou 300 for years I bit the bullet and bought a 2019 Kodiak 700 base model. I’m a duck hunter and a pretty big guy so the 300 was always not quite enough of a machine. Buddy has a Grizzly 700 and I love that machine but I didn’t want to spend that kind of money as I really only use it during hunting season. Found a great deal (IMO) and after getting the wife on board I purchased the Kodiak because the specs are so similar to the Grizzly. Have ridden it a few weekends working on duck blinds with no issues. But this weekend I was in water about 3-4 inches over the floor boards. When I got back out of the field the engine died and I couldn’t start it. One of the guys in the club got it started and it ran for about five minutes. I got it home and it wouldn’t start again. I checked the oil and there was water in it. Nothing in air box. And water nowhere near that in the field. I swamped the Kaw once and after cleaning it up used it for years. It’s still in the garage and still cranks and runs. I’ve drained the oil and changed three times. Oil is clean now. I’ve ridden it and it seems to stall periodically and then picks right back up and goes. planning to change the filter and oil once more tomorrow.
My question then is 3-4” really too deep for these machines? We’ve had buddies grizzly in a field with water well over the tires. Never had issues. I’m a reasonable man. I don’t want a snorkeled machine. If I gotta go that deep I’ll get the boat out. But I don’t think that 3-4” above floorboards should be unacceptable. Any thoughts? How deep is too deep for a stock machine?

I regularly drive in 30" + of water without issues.
Never got water anywhere it didn't belong after 50 times... See photo, that's 32" deep....

Even had the front rack submerged two months ago!!!! . Amazingly, the motor never stalled and I had no water in the diffs, engine oil, air box, or cvt system. Nothing bad came out of it, but that was way out of my comfort zone!!!

 

[LeeMarkus]

Thanks for sharing the information...