Ski-Doo 1981 Citation 3500, 1981 Citation SS, 1981 Citation 4500 Operator's Manual

model
V.I.N.

purchase date _

warranty expiry date

To be completed by dealer at time of sale

DEALER IMPRINT AREA

MOTO-SKI
FUTURA
SPIRIT
NUVIK
MIRAGE
SUPER SONIC
ULTRA SONIC

TECHNICAL

PUBLICATIONS

AFTER SALES SERVICE

BOMBARDIER

L1MrtEE

VALCOURT/QUEBEC

CANADA,

JOE2LO

The following are trademarks of Bom­bardier Llrnitee.

BOMBARDIER EVEREST
SKI-DOO CITATION
ALPINE OLYMPIQUE
BLIZZARD

rNT

CARRY-BOOSE

ELAN
ELITE

GRAND PRIX SPECIAL

INDEX

. .12

.,

.16

.........

.16

. 2

. 3

.4
.6

.

....

8

...9

FOREWORD .
SAFETY

IN

MAINTENANCE

.

THE 1981

"LIMITED

WARRANTY"

. .

OFTEN ASKED

QUESTIONS

.

LISTING OF AREA DISTRIBUTORS .
HOW

TO IDENTIFY

YOUR

SNOWMOBILE

.

CONTROLS/INSTRUMENTS

Throttle lever, brake lever, ignition light switch, headlamp dimmer switch,
emergency cut-out switch, light switch, manual starter handle, primer, tether
cut-out switch, speedometer (optional on some models), hood opening, tool
box, fuel gauge, spark plug holder, spare drive

belt.

. . . . . .. . . . . . .10

BREAK·IN PERIOD

Break-in, inspection 10-hour, inspection checklist

...

FUEL

MIXING

Recommended gasoline, recommended oil, fuel mixture ratio, fuel 'mixing pro-

cedure, injection oil . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.14

PRE-START CHECK

Check points

.....

STARTING

PROCEDURE

Starting procedure, emergency starting, belt & guard removal

..

LUBRICATION

Frequency, drive pulley, steering mechanism, chaincase oil level, drive axle, sus-

pension.

. .. . . . . .

..

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....20

MAINTENANCE

Maintenance chart, spark plugs, battery, suspension, track, track tension and

alignment, carburetor adjustment, oil injection pump adjustment, drive belt, drive

pulley, brake, steering mechanism, steering adjustment, fan belt, engine head
nuts, engine

mount

nuts, muffler attachment, bulb replacement, general inspec-

tion.

. .. . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....22

..

31

..

. .32

. 34

. 35

· .37

· .40

· .41

STORAGE

Track, suspension, skis, controls, chaincase, drive pulley, fuel tank and car­buretor, cylinder lubrication, battery, battery removal and installation, chassis,

general inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.28

PRE-SEASON PREPARATION

Pre-season preparation chart

...

TROUBLE

SHOOTING

GUIDE.

TOOLING.

. .

SPECIFICATIONS . .
WIRING

DIAGRAMS

. . . . .

SI

METRIC

INFORMATION

GUIDE

.

CHANGE

OF ADDRESSOF

OWNERSHIP

.

FOREWORD

The Operator Manual and the Snow­mobile Safety handbook have been
prepared to acquaint the

owner!

oper­ator of a new snowmobile with the var­ious vehicle controls maintenance and
safe operating instructions. Each is

in­dispensable for the proper use of the
product, and should be kept

with

the

vehicle at all times.

Should you have any questions per­taining to the warranty and its applica­tion, please consult the

"Often

Asked

Question" section of this manual, or

your

selling dealer.

This manual uses the following sym­bols.

.....

WARNING:

Identifies an instruc-

T tion which, if not followed, could

cause personal injury.
..

CAUTION: Denotes an instruc-

Y tion which, if not followed, could

severely damage vehicle components.

O

NOTE: Indicates supplementary

information needed to

fully com-

plete an instruction.
Although the mere reading of such in-

formation does not eliminate the haz­ard, your understanding of the infor­mation will promote its correct use.

Most specifications are given in both metric and customary units. Where precise
accuracy is not required, some conversions are ronded to even numbers for
easier use.

A shop manual can be obtained for complete service, maintenance and repair
information.

2

SAFETY IN

MAINTENANCE

Observe the following
precautions:

•

Throttle

mechanism should be
checked for free movement before
starting engine.

•

The

snowmobile engine can be
stopped by activating the emergen­cy cut-out or tether switches or tur-

ning off the key.

• Engine should be running only when
pulley guard is secured in place.

• Never run the engine

without

drive

belt installed. Running an unloaded

engine can prove to be dangerous.

• Never run the engine when the track
is raised

off

the ground.

• It can be dangerous to run engine
with

the hood removed.

• Gasoline is flammable and explosive

under certain conditions. Always
manipulate in a well ventilated area.
Do not smoke or allow open flames

or sparks in the vicinity. If gasoline

fumes are noticed while driving, the

cause should be determined and

corrected

without

delay.

• Your snowmobile is

not

designed to

be operated on public streets, road

or highways. In most States and

Provinces, it is considered an illegal

operation.

• Maintain your vehicle in

top

mecha-

nical condition at all times.

• Your snowmobile is not desiqned to
be

driven or operated on black top,
bare earth, or other abrasive sur­faces. On such surfaces abnormal
and excessive wear of critical parts

is inevitable.

• Installation of other than standard
equipment, including ski-spreaders,

bumpers, pack racks,

etc.. could

~P\.IprPI\J

affect the stability and safe-

ty of your vehicle. Avoid adding on

accessories that alter the basic ve-

hicle configuration.

• Whenever the vehicle is parked

out­doors, overnight or for a long peri­od, it is suggested to protect it
against the inclemency of the weath­er

with

a snowmobile cover.

• Do not lubricate throttle

and/or

brake cables and housings.

Please read and understand all other

warnings contained in this manual and

on the vehicle.

This vehicle isbuilt with parts dimensioned in the metric system. All fasteners are

metric and must not be replaced by customary fasteners. Mismatched or incor-

rect fasteners could cause damage to the vehicle or possible personal injury.

THIS

MANUAL

SHOULD

REMAIN

WITH

THE VEHICLE

AT

THE

TIME

OF RESALE.

3

LIMITED WARRANTY

1981

SKI-DOO"~'

SNOWMOBILES

1 - PERIOD

BOMBARDIER®

L1MITEE

asmanufacturer, warrants FROM THE DATE OFFIRST

CONSUMER SALES, every

1981

SKI-DOO® snowmobile, sold as NEW AND UN-

USED, by an authorized SKI-DOO dealer, for periods of:

• 12 consecutive months for ELAN®, CITATION*,

EVEREST®, ELlTE®,

ALPINE®

models.

• 90 consecutive days for BLiZZARD® 5500, 7500 and 9500 models subject to
the following:

1. If delivery is madeafterthe

31

st day of March of a given year and before the 1st
day of December of the same year, the above 90 day warranty will start on De­cember 1st.

2.

If delivery is made

on/or

after the 2nd day of January of a given year but before

the

31

st day of March of the same year, all the unused portion of the 90 day pe­riod will be carried over to the next winter and start again on the 1st day of De­cember of the same year.

2..WHAT

BOMBARDIER WILL DO

BOMBARDIER will repair

and/or

replace, at its option, components defective in

material

and/or

workmanship (under normal use and service.)

with

a genuine

BOMBARDIER component without charge

for

parts or labour, at any authorized

SKI-DOO dealer during said warranty period.

3 - CONDITION TO HAVE WARRANTY WORK PERFORMED

Present to the servicing dealer, the hard copy of the BOMBARDIER Customer Re-

gistratEDn

card received by the customer from the selling dealer at time of pur-

chase.

4 - WARRANTY TRANSFER

This warranty is transferable to subsequent owner(s) for remainder of warranty pe­riod from original date of sale.

5 - EXCLUSIONS - ARE

NOT

WARRANTED

• Normal wear on all items such as, but not limited to:

- drive belts
slider shoes
spark plugs

- breaker points
runners on skis

• A sulphated battery.

• Replacement parts

and/or

accessories which are not genuine BOMBARDIER

parts

and/or

accessories.

• Damage resulting from installation of parts other than genuine BOMBARDIER
parts.

• Damage caused by failure to provide proper maintenance as

detailed in the
Operator Manual. The labour, parts and lubricants costs of all maintenance ser­vices, including tune-ups and adjustments will be charged to the owner.

4

• Vehicles used for racing purposes.

•

All optional accessories installed on the vehicle.
(The normal warranty policy for parts and accessories,

if any, applies).

• Damage resulting from accident, fire or other casualty, misuse, abuse or ne­glect.

• Damage resulting from modification to the snowmobile

not

approved in writing

by BOMBARDIER.

• Lossesincurred by the snowmobile owner other than parts and labour, such as,
but

not

limited to, transportation, towing, telephone calls, taxis, or any other

incidental or consequential damages.

Some states or provinces do not allow the exclusion or limitationofinciden­tal or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not
apply.

e

..

EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES

This warranty gives you specific rights, and you may also have other legal
rights which may vary from state to state, or province to province. Where
applicable

-this warranty is expressly in lieu of all other expressed or implied

warranties

of

BOMBARDIER, its distributors and the selling dealer, including

any warranty

of

merchantability of fitness for any particular purpose; other-

wise

the implied warranty is limited to the duration

of

this warranty..How-

ever, some states or provinces do not allow limitations on

how

long an im-

plied warranty lasts, so the above limitation may not apply.
Neither the distributor, the selling dealer, nor any other person has been

authorized to make any affirmation, representation or warranty other than
those contained in this warranty, and if made, such affirmation, representa-

tion or warranty shall not be enforceable against BOMBARDIER or any other

person.

BOMBARDIER LIMITEE reserves the right to modify its warranty policy at
any time, being understood that suchmodificationwillnot alter the warranty

conditions applicable to vehicles sold while the above warranty is in effect.

7..CONSUMER ASSISTANCE

If a servicing problem or other difficulty occurs, we suggest the following:

1. Try to resolve the problem at the dealership

with

the Service Manager or

Owner.

2. If this fails, contact your area distributor listed in the Operator

Manual.

3. Then if your grievance still remains unsolved, you may write to us:

Bombardier Limitee
Customer Relations
Recreational Products
Valcourt, Quebec, Canada, JOE 2LO

January 1980

Bombardier Lirnitee

Valcourt, Quebec, Canada, JOE 2LO

*Trademarks

of

Bombardier

LimMe

Copy

of

this text is available from your dealer on request.

5

OFTEN ASKED QUESTIONS

Q:

Why

must my snowmobile be registered?

After

alii

do have my original invoice

as proof of when I purchased my snowmobile.

A:

The information

provided

by

the Customer Warranty Registration card is

computerized,

and

al/ warranty claims thereafter, are processed

by

the com-

puter.

Without

this valuable information on the Warranty Registration Card,

we cannot acknowledge warranty

or

notify

ownersofa possible safety recall.

Q: How do I know my vehicle has been registered at the factory?

A:

When you

bought

yoursnowmobile the dealer shouldhave completed,

and

forwarded us the manufacturer's

copy

of

the Customer Warranty Registra-

tion. The

hard

copy

of

the cardis your

proof

that the snowmobile is registered.

Q: I bought my snowmobile in O'King County but I snowmobile in Washington

County. Can the dealer in Washington County warranty work on my
snowmobile?

A:

Yes,

any authorized dealer in

North

America can perform warranty repairs,

providing the customer warranty registration card is presented.

Q: Where can I find information on the lubrication and maintenance of my snow-

mobile?

A:

In this Operator Manual

provided

with

the vehicle

at

the time

of

first sale.

Q: Will the entire warranty be void or cancelled, if I do not operate or maintain my

new snowmobile exactly as specified in the Operator's Manual?

A:

The warrantyofthe

new

snowmobile

cannot

be

"Voided"

or

"Cencelted".

However,

if

a particular failure is caused

by

operation

or

maintenance

other

than is

shown

in the Operator Manual, that failure may

not

be covered under

warranty. This includes service

work

performed

by

the customer, especially

the criticaladjustments to ignition, timing, carburetion

and

oil

injection/or

01/

mixture.

Q: Would you give some examples of abnormal use or strain, neglect or abuse?

A:

These terms are general

and

overlap each

other

in areas. Some specific ex-

amples

may

include: running the machine

outofoil, sustained high r.p.m. full

throttle use, chain failure caused

by

a lack

of

lubrication

and/or

adjustments,

operating the machine with a broken

or

damaged

part

which causes

another

part

to fail,

and

so on.

If

you have

any

specific questions on operationormain-

tenance, please

contact

your dealer

for

advice.

6

Q:

What

costs are my responsibility during the warranty period?

A:

The customer's responsibility includesa/l costsofnormal

maintenance ser-

vices, non-warranty repairs, accidents

and

collision damage, as well as oils,

and

spark plugs,

and

incidental or consequential damages costs as explained

in the werrentv,

Q:

If

I sell

my

snowmobile

within

the warranty period,

will

the

new

owner

qualify

for

the balance

of

the warranty?

A:

Yes,

providedthe

unit

has already been registered

with

the manufacturer.

Note

that

the change

of

ownership card in this manual

should

be completed

and

sent

to Valcourt.

7

LISTING OF AREA DISTRIBUTORS

CANADIAN

DISTRIBUTORS

ALPINE

DISTRIBUTORS

LIMITED
Kalamalka Lake Road
P.O.

Box 159

Vernon, British Columbia. V1T 6M2

16041

'545-1314

British

Columbia

BOMBARDIER

L1MITEE

EASTERN

CANADA

DISTRIBUTION

DIVISION

Atlantic

Branch

P.O. Box 670

Shediac,

New

Brunswick,

EGA3GO

15061

532-4454

Magdalen

Island, Nova

Scotia,

New

Brunswick,

Prince

Edward

Island

BOMBARDIER

L1MnE:E

EASTERN

CANADA

DISTRIBUTION

DIVISION

(Quebec

Branch!

1350 Nobel Boulevard

Boucherville, Quebec, J4B lA1

(5141527-2469 or 655-6121
Province of Quebec

BOMBARDIER

L1MITEE

EASTERN

CANADA

DISTRIBUTION

DIVISION

Ontario Branch

230 Bayview Drive

Barrie, Ontario. L4M 2YB
17051

728-8600

Province of Ontario
BROOKS EQUIPMENT

LIMITED

1616King Edward Street

P.O. Box 985

Wmnipeg.

Manitoba,

R3C 2V8

1204l633-7247

Manitoba,

Saskatchewan

HUDSON'S

BAY CO. LTD.

165

Hymus

Boulevard

Pointe-Claire.

Quebec,

M4W

lAB

15141697-8500
North-West

Territories, Franklin

District&Keewatin

J.W.

RANDALL

LIMITED

West

Street
P.O. Box 1050
Corner Brook,

Newfoundland.

A2H fiG7

17091634-3533

Newfoundland,

Labrador

TRACT

EQUIPMENT
14325, 114th Avenue
Edmonton,

Alberta, T5M 2Y8
1403! 452-9910
Alberta,

Dist. Mackenzie,

Yukon,

N.W.T.

8

AMERICAN DISTRIBUTORS

BOMBARDIER

CORPORATION

4505

West

Superior

Street
P.O. Box 6106
Duluth,

Minnesota 55806

12181

628-2881

North

Dakota,

Minnesota,

Wisconsin,

Illinois,

Missouri,

Michigan,

Indiana,

Ohio

(less eastern

half!,

Tennessee,

Kentucky,

West

Virginia, Virginia,

Northern

Idaho,

Northern

Wyoming,

Montana,

Iowa,

Washington

ELLIOTT &

HUTCHINS

INC.

East

Main

Street Road

Malone, New York 12953

15181

483-4411

New

York,

Massachusetts,

Connecticut,

Rhode Island,

Pennsylvania,

New

Jersey,

Maryland,

Delaware,

District

of

Columbia,

Northern

half of Ohio.

MILLER EQUIPMENT

AND

RECREATIONAL CENTER

1049

Whitney

Road

Anchorage,

Alaska 99501

19071

274-9513

Alaska
TIMBERLAND

MACHINES

INC.

10

North Main Street

Lancaster,

New

Hampshire 03584

[phone]

Maine,

New

Hampshire,

Vermont

HOW

TO IDENTIFY YOUR

SNOWMOBILE

ENGINE
SERIAL
NUMBER

The main components of your snow­mobile (engine, track and frame) are
identified by different serial numbers. It
may sometimes become necessary to

locate these numbers for warranty pur­poses or to trace your snowmobile in
the event of theft.

O

NOTE:

We strongly recommend that you take note of all the serial numbers

on your vehicle and supply them to your insurance company. It will surely

help in the event a snowmobile is stolen.

9

CONTROLS/INSTRUMENTS

--IL----J-5~10~~~+--+-_-+-_C

7HJ1f--tf±~~~~~----t!\\'\:-1

v..--\liiiilt--Hr-H

*---t-G

AJ Throttle Control Lever
B) Brake Control Lever

C)

Ignition/Light

Switch

DJ

Headlamp

Dimmer

Switch
E) Emergency Cut-Out Switch
FJ

Light

Switch (Electric Model)

A) Throttle Lever

Located on right side of handlebar.

When compressed, it controls the

en-

gine speed

and the,engagement of the

transmission.

When released, engine

speed returns automatically to idle.

B) Brake lever

Located on the left side of handlebar.

When compressed, the brake is

ap­plied. When it automatically
returns to its original position. Braking
effect is proportionate to the pressure
applied on the lever and to the type of

terrain and it's snow coverage.

10

GJ

Manual Starter Handle
H) Primer
IJ

Tether Cut-Out

Switch

J) Speedometer (Optional on Some

Models)

C) Ignition/Light Switch

(Manual Start Models)

ON

""OFF

Key operated, 2 positron switch. To
start engine, first turn key clockwise to
ON position.

To stop engine, turn key

counter-clockwise to OFF position.
The lights are automatically ON when-

ever the engine is running.

(Electric Start Models)

. OFF

".

ON

- START

Key operated! 3 position switch. To

start engine, turn key fully clockwise to

8TART position and hold. Return key
to ON position immediately when
engine has started. To stop engine,
turn key counter-clockwise to OFF
position.

D) Headlamp Dimmer Switch

The dimmer switch, located on left

side of handlebar, allows correct selec-

tion of headlamp beam. To obtain high
or

low

beam simply flick switch,

E) Emergency Cut-Out Switch

A 3 position switch located on the right
side of the handlebar. To stop the en­gine in an emergency, flick the lever to
either upper or lower 1I0FF

II

position.
To start engine! lever must be in mid­dle

"Obl"

position.

The driver of this vehicle should fami-

liarize himself

with

the function of this
device by using it several times on first
outing. Thereby being mentally pre-

pared for emergency situations re­quiring its use.

£.

WARNING: If the switch has

....

been used in an emergency situa-

tion the source of malfunction should

be determined and corrected before re-

starting engine.

F) Light Switch (Electric Start

Models)

A push pull switch type, to illuminate
headlamp and taillight, pull switch
knob. (Ignition switch must be turned
to 0N position).

G) Manual Starter Handle

Auto rewind type located on right hand
side of vehicle. For proper operation,
refer to Starting Procedure p. 16.

H) Primer

A push-pull button. Pull and push but­ton (2-3 times) to activate primer. The

primer should always be used for cold

engine starts. After engine is warm

however, it is not necessary to use
primer when starting.

I) Tether Cut-Out Switch

Attach tether cord to wrist or other
convenient location then snap tether

cut-out cap over receptacle before
starting engine.

If emergency engine

"shut

off"

is re­quired, completely pull cap from safety
switch and engine power will be auto­matically shut

1I

0ff".

O

NOTE: The cap must be installed
on the safety switch at alltimes in

order to operate the vehicle.

£.

WARNING: If the

sV\fitch.

is used

....

in an emergency situation the
source of malfunction should be deter­mined and corrected before restarting

engine.

J)

Speedometer

The speedometer is linked directly to

the drive axle. Direct-reading dial indi­cates the speed of the vehicle. Odom-

eter records the total distance travelled.

Hood Opening

Pull down the latches to unlock the
hood from the anchor.

O

NOTE: Always lift hood gently up
until stopped by restraining de-

vice.

£.

WARNING: It is dangerous to

run

....

an engine with the hood open! un-:

fastened or removed. Personal injury

could result.

11

ToolBox

Located under the hood. To gain ac-

cess, tilt hood. Ideal location for spare

rope, first aid kit, etc...

Spark Plug Holder

Spare spark plugs can be carried in the
special holes in the air silencer.

Fuel Gauge

Unscrew fuel tank cap and withdraw
dipstick to check fuel level.

.&.

WARNING: Never usea lit match

.....

or open flame to check fuel level.

Spare Drive Belt

Can be installed in belly pan clip.

.&.

WARNING: Always be carefulnot

.....

to burn yourself on the exhaust
system when removing or installing
drive belt.

12

BREAK-IN

PERIOD

With Bombardier-Rotax snowmobile

engines, a break-in period is required

before running the vehicle at full throt­tle. Engine manufacturer recommen­dation is 10to 15operating hours. Dur-

ing this period, a richer mixture is

needed (i.e. 40parts of gas for 1part of
50/1 Bombardier oil). Maximum throt-

tle should not exceed

3/4,

however,

brief full acceleration and speed varia­tions contribute to a good break-in.

Continued wide open throttle accelera­tions, prolonged cruising speeds, and
lugging are detrimental during the

break-in period.

O

NOTE: A new drive belt requires

a break-in period of 15-25km (10-

15 miles).

Oil Injection Models

Oil injection models do not require mix­ing oil with gas. However proper break­in period applies.

10-Hour Inspection

As with any precision piece of mechan­ical equipement, we suggest that after
the first 10 hours of operation or 30

days after the purchase, whichever
comes first, that your vehicle be check­ed by your dealer. This inspection will

give you the opportunity to discuss the

unanswered questions you may have
encountered during the first hours of
operation.

The 10 hours inspection is at the ex-

pense of the vehicle owner.