CampHamp

Diesel Heater I made a short video of a cheap, Chinese diesel heater that I installed to help defrost windows and warm the cab for plowing. It runs fine but hasn't been tested in freezing temps yet. I was considering buying the more typical aftermarket heater, one that taps into the cooling system. After looking at the installation steps and the price tag, I decided to give this option a try first. It only costs $79. Here is the video showing my installation.

I googled backcounty light bars but could not find that manufacturer. How much? 1 or 2 rows of LED's? Curved? I went for a random purchase like RossO did ($24 at Walmart) - a double-row, 32", curved light bar. I don't have a flip-up windshield and wanted to use the gaps under the roof to mount my brackets. It's away from the roof line and sides, where you get most branch hits. So far it's great and have one like it facing back, too. Note that LED "watts" are not actual watts, it's the "equivalent brightness to Halogen watts". In order to compare products, you might find this calculator handy. I have the straight-blade BOSS plow. Note two things - 1) the dealer had to remove the XT bumper and 2) there was no drain hole in the mount plate to access the front diff fluid drain plug. I would drill that hole before mounting the plate.

You've done a ton of work - it makes spitballing hard for this one! Does the engine sound like it is actually misfiring? Could timing issues cause the misfire reading? Did you check timing already? I just read that the misfire sensor monitors for changes in crank shaft speed (on cars, at least). So, I wonder if friction or faulty gearing on the shaft could be interpreted as a misfire because it might cause fluctuation in the crank speed. Is the code always ending with 01 (meaning it is always sensing shaft speed change when cylinder #1 is firing)? If it is always that code (and not 00 or 02), then could we rule out a general problem (like a harness) and conclude it must be something specific to cylinder #1? It's inspiring to see someone able to replace all this stuff themselves. An incredibly good effort - you'll get it licked soon. Please let us know how it goes.

I'd first look at fuses and wires for burn-outs or mouse bites. I'd check headlights and taillights with key on ACC mode (they have separate fuses). If those work, but other accessories are out, then inspect the 40A accessory fuse (the 2020 has that fuse). If it's blown, then you probably have a short in your wiring or in a piece of equipment. Maybe it's a failed starter motor. With a multi-meter you could check to ensure no connectivity (no short) from the accessory + post to ground. It sounds like it is not the battery, but you can measure you battery's voltage while you're at it.

I thought I'd share the work I did on my machine. I'd be glad to answer any questions or hear any thoughts people have about the decisions I've made so far. Vehicle upgrades: Plow, polycarb windshields & doors, front & rear LED light bars, bluetooth radio, interior lights, under-dash fuse box, rocker switches, tire chains and storage organization. This BOSS plow was installed by the dealer. It's a straight-blade and has hydraulic lift and angle. The power and control outlets were placed driver's side just in front of the tire. The bumper (XT style) was removed because, I assume, it interfered with the plow. I got the polycarb doors (with mirrors) from SuperATV. The installation was fairly easy with the help of their video. I bought two 32 inch LED light bars online from Walmart for the front and rear. I needed the front for plowing and the rear light for reversing and as a work light. Since I do not have a fold-up windshield in the front, I decided to use those hinge spaces in the roof line to screw down a block of wood with a 45 degree angle to mount the bracket to. So, I used screws instead of bolts to fasten. You can probably figure out what I did from the photo. So, I didn't need any holes in the roof for this front one. The rear light bar required two holes (on the vertical, so probably fine) and I ran the wires under the windshield. I had to bend each of the brackets about 10 degrees to lay flush on this rear one - the pictured one got scratched up a bit. I attached boards for two speakers to the rear roof corners. I decided to install my bluetooth amp up top, since the on/off is on the dash and volume is done on the phone anyway. You'd think that a $30 stereo would sound horrible and it does. It is very tinny with the 4 inch speakers - maybe if I boxed them in, I'd get some bass. That white strip in the first picture is an LED light strip (one on each side) - $5 for 10 waterproof strips -- two are enough for the interior and I may put a couple under the box for engine work. I installed a 6-bay fuse box just to the upper plastic part of the center box compartment and ran the hot/ground from the accessory posts that are just above it. All wiring is through this and through four new rocker switches (no relays). I got a pair of v-bar tire chains. It was much cheaper for the smaller, front tires (Kolpin 50-0030 on Amazon were $60, but now are $70) and provides better steering on ice. If they were the same price, I would have gotten rear ones because with a locked-diff you'd get two chains always ripping. I expect that I'll want more storage to keep all my firewood tools on the machine. Costco has large $9 bins right now, so why not put one on the bed? I decided to just bungee it to my divider plank rather than screw it down to the bed. I've seen folks do both. I expected that I would need to build something to hold my chainsaws in the under-bed compartment. However, there's a small hump that keeps the right-most saw fixed in place and I can slide my other saw through that first saw's handle and it stays put, too. Just got lucky. So, ropes and saws are always handy and out of weather. I got a combo hitch so I can deal with pin and ball-mounts without changing the dang thing each time (like I've done for 18 years with my Rhino!). I can keep the pin stored right there, on the receiver! Sometimes it's the little things. Finally, I already posted that I have a back-up sonar beeper. I need to add a dash switch for it to make it easier to turn off because it wants to beep when I'm towing something or if I walk behind it or dump the bed. I'll eventually flush-mount the sensors and wire it up properly with a dash switch.

According to the chart, below, it's safe to use 16 gauge up 40'. Also, since my dash switches are rated to 20A, I will not bother with relays.

Related photos:

I just received two of these by FEDEX from Walmart: YITAMOTOR 32INCH 420W LED LIGHT BAR Spot Flood Combo Fits Ford Offroad Truck SUV ATV 30"in They were $22 each, free shipping to NH. In order to select the correct wire gauge and fuse, I needed to know the actual amp draw. I thought that I would share this info in case someone wanted a cheap light bar and wouldn't need to do the amp test for themselves. Advertised Capability: 420W Halogen = 5400 lumens Test Results: Battery Level: 12.21V Draw Amps: 5.43A Implied Watts: 65W Conclusion: 65W LED = 5850 lumens I used this "watts to lumens" calculator.

I found a wire-routing diagram that shows how I could use the chase down the back of the roll cage, then forward to a pre-wired harness for rocker-switch control. This is how Can-Am instructs people to wire their own work-light kit, here.

I'll be mounting some rear LED lights in the upper cab corners as work lights and for reversing at night. It's a 2020 Pro XT. Instead of running the wires inside the cab, then forward and down one of the front tubes, would it make more sense to run these down one of the rear roll tubes? Do people do that? Thanks, in advance!

I saw your pin-locker post. Thanks for pointing me to the builds section. I could probably get my diff out in a few hours (I'd need to take off the plow mount and winch again!) However, don't I need a special torque wrench to measure the preload and another special tool to measure the play in the main pinion gear? Are there cheaper ways to get those measurements? Otherwise, I'm not sure I'd be able to do anything useful once I got it out, beyond a basic inspection of the gears and ware patterns. My current plan is to use the Defender to plow this winter unless it gets any worse. When I can spare some downtime in the spring (after maple season), I'll rip it out, look for any breaks or bad ware patterns then bring the diff to a shop for an expert diagnosis. I doubt this needs to be a Can Am person, but will try there first.

The Friction Modifier did not help with the chatter noise. There's still a "duck quack" sound when I decelerate through 14mph (it's speed-related and not RPM -- happens in H, L, 4WD/2WD). This video suggests that the "loss of pinion bearing preload" can cause this type of chattering sound when decelerating. I'm not sure if this issue requires immediate repair. It looks hard to remove the front diff, but I suspect it's the next step. Wish I had a proper lift!

I installed my radar parking beeper today. The system pictured above didn't come with a beeper, so I sent it back and got one that just had a beeper and no LED console (I just want the beeps). I took a short video of the install but did not narrate, so I'll explain what the video shows... First, notice that the sensors are being held in, for now, by pinching the wire with the reflector. They are not yet recessed as they will be (I want to test them out before drilling). I used 2 of the 4 sensors and think that is all that I will need. Next, see that I stuck the controller to the top of the brake housing (should be out of weather and tire spray) using a strong stick pad that came with it. You can see how I just bunched excess wire and tied it out of the way. I might shorten the wires later. The power is scavenged from the taillight. I stripped about 1" of wire from the new power lines, unplugged the taillight connector and inserted the bare wires into the female ground and light holes (the casing identifies where these two are). Then I plugged the connector back in and the new wires are held in place by the inserted tines. The beeper is loud, so I stuck it under the bed near the cab rather than bringing it into the cab. Issue: It will beep even when I am not in reverse. For now, I will just need to turn off the beeper if I will be working behind the machine while it is running (there's an on/off switch on the beeper). I would like to trigger this when only in reverse, eventually.

I think that the starter requires either that (1) the transmission is in park OR (2) the brake is depressed. As a test of a failing <Park> signal, I would suggest that you always start it with brake depressed. If it still cuts out then at least you ruled out a signalling issue.

Hey Shelfish. It's pretty exciting getting a new ride! I just got a lightly-used 2020 Pro XT last week and have started fitting it out. I bought these polycarb windscreens on Amazon (the front is thick and hardened both sides): $199 - Rough Country Full Front Windshield for 2016-2022 Can-Am Defender $159 - Heavy Duty Defender Rear Windshield, Kemimoto Wind Screen Full Light Tint The rear was an easy installation, but it was rattling against the driver's headrest until I put a little bumper there (a mini-wad of duct tape). The front windshield was harder to install because you need to pound a gasket all the way around. The front had a minor distortion area (1" x 6" blur) but it wasn't bad enough to return it. It's probably so cheap because they have minor faults like this -- one of the reviews mentioned he also had a stress mark. I have a nice plow setup and live in NH, so will probably want doors eventually. Doors are expensive, so I am looking at going cheap with my music to compensate. I cannot vouch for this yet, but will try this mini bluetooth/amp and some cheapo speakers: $12 - WHDTS Bluetooth Audio Stereo Power Amplifier Board Module BLE5.0 Dual Stereo Output 50W+50W 5V~24V Bluetooth Receiver Module with Case DIY I'm also going to install a sonar reverse beeper because they are cheap ($20) and I think it will help me avoid hitting trees (I do not have this item yet, either). $15 - Frostory Car Reverse Backup Parking Sensor Radar System, Buzzer beeps, Detection Distance:30~150CM, Waterproof Sensors (22mm Diameter 2.3M Cable) 4 Packs X60D (Black) I'd like reverse lights, too, but still need to make a plan.