How many service their UTV?

I serviced my Kaw 4010 mule yesterday, per owner's manual every 100 hours. It faster for me to service it vs taking to dealer. Not to mention materials, oils and filter, cost less than $25 vs dealer's $170. I changed engine oil, front and real axles oils.

Mule is 5 years old and 500 hours. It wasn't idling just right. No manual adjustments you want to mess with, it's fuel injected. I fine tune the idle fuel mix by tricking the computer into thinking the air temp is warmer by using a thermosister in parallel with air temp thermosister. I increased the parallel resistance by 500 ohms. Idle speed is critical, 950-1050 rpms only. Having clean throttle plates is critical too.

Yesterday I drilled a 3/8 inch hole is air intake so I could use a camera to inspect throttle place. Sure enough, it needed cleaned. Used carb cleaner and cleaned the throttle plate connected to gas peddle. Held that plate open and cleaned the second throttle place the computer controls.

I had a 1985 goldwing, to had screws in air intake you would remove to clean throttle plates. Needed to do that every 3k miles.

I also service and repair my tractors and mowers? When Car and Truck were new, I would let dealer service them because they were under warranty. Now I do that too.
So how many service their UTV? Or twist wrenches and service other things?

Service mine once a year every April. Same time I service all my lawnmowers.

How many are still dreaming of the day they can afford a UTV?...... :wink:

I service mine. Geo, I'd sure like to influence you to put some SeaFoam in that tank. I predict the idle will clear very quickly.

What about sparkplugs? I have a friend that changes them every year, I told him he's wasting his money! If there good for 100,000 miles in a vehicle I'm not changing them every year in my small engines!

Still waiting on the UTV, but I do the maintenance on all of the vehicles, ATV's, tractors, and other machinery around the place.

I have a Bobcat 2300 that I use continuously all year round and service it myself. I base maintenance on the hour meter so it gets done when required not so much by dedicated calendar date. Generally I do all my own maintenance and repairs on my equipment, not so much to save money, but more for just the pleasure.

My son trailers his up here and I go riding with him. Doesn't cost me a dime for anything.
Loren

I do it myself but I despise it. My Polaris ranger has three areas that have to be drained to replace the engine oil and none are easy to get to. The only time I had work done at the dealer was a warranty replacement of a leaking front differential seal and they dropped my ranger off the truck. (Literally) so therefore I just do the work myself lol

My first UTV was a Polaris Big Boss 500 cc. Had it for ten years. Never saw a dealer for anything. I do know how to use a grease gun. My present UTV is a 2009 Polaris BIG BOSS 800 cc EFI. The electronic fuel injection sure beats a carburetor. I bought the shop manual for both machines. I still know how to use a grease gun and change oil.

I suppose my next Polaris will be a 1,000 cc machine. Probably come with air and cruse. The first machine was sold to a friend and is still running. I must have done something right.

Oh, I did take the newer unit to the dealer because it killed every time I turned right. It was in the winter and I didn't feel like working in the cold and take a chance on messing up the computer. They found a broken electrical wire that was causing the engine to kill. Seems like everything now days is computer operated. Just had to replace the gas valve on my water heater. That darned thing is also computer controlled.

Agreed but you will have future problems if you do not remove and replace them occasionally.

The steel spark plugs will corrode to the aluminum cylinder causing thread damage when they are removed in the future.

Pull them every couple of years and add a bit of high temp anti seize if you do not plan to replace regularly.

Dean

I just bought my first UTV, a Kubota RTV-X1000C. It was delivered about 10 days ago and has not yet been moved. I had them throw in a full set of filters for it.

I do all of my own maintenance, aside from warranty work, and will do so on the 1100C as well.

It looks like it's going to be a PITA.

Dean

I service all my toys myself. My Mule was get a little doggy the last few moths but I added seafoam when the grandkids were here last week and they run the wheels off it. It run much smoother now. Probably happy to have a rest after the workout they gave it

Every winter I service the Rangers, 4 wheelers and the gator. They also get the angle drive fluid in all the Polaris's.

When I pull the plugs, I use anti seize and very careful not to over torque. I like to look at plugs to get an idea if it's running too rich or lean.

Mine was idling rich in summer, hot days, and I could only fine tune with resistors in parallel with air temp thermosister. Don't need resistors in winter.

Sea foam was the first thing I tried 3 years ago, didn't help. I even changed the plugs. Even replaced throttle position sensor. If I could have taken a pic of what the camera saw inside the air intake, dirty throttle plates, you would see the need to clean them, especially the throttle place controlled by the computer. Sea foam can't clean throttle plates. Injectors are after the throttle plates.

Cars need their throttle plates cleaned too along with mass air flow. Mule doesn't have a mass air flow, no O2 and no ultrasonic sensor.

The EFI works great in winter. Summer high temps play with the idle fuel mix making run rich.
Cleaning throttle plates is part of my service work on car, truck, and mule.
geo

I do!

we do all of our own, from oil changes to motor rebuilds. my oldest son is reel good and rebuilds and I do a lot of paint and body work also. I do take any power shift problems on tractors to the dealers ,I do want to go there.