UTV Maintenance Tips
Your UTV serves you well on the roughest terrain, providing you with both necessary work transport and recreational off-roading fun. Just like your passenger vehicle, your side-by-side also needs regular maintenance to keep it in good shape so you don’t suffer a mishap out on the trails or while you’re transporting your equipment on a job site. It definitely pays to keep your vehicle maintained, and you can perform several basic tasks in your garage.
The folks at Maxey’s Motorsports in Oklahoma City, OK, are well-versed in different aspects related to UTV maintenance, so we’ve created this brief guide to help you get your vehicle in shape for your next adventure or job. If you come across any repairs you can’t perform yourself, call our service department to schedule an appointment with our mechanics and we’ll get you sorted out.
Read the Owner’s Manual
This might seem pretty obvious, but you should always familiarize yourself with the owner’s manual for your side-by-side. It contains important information that’s exclusive to your model, which can be particularly helpful when you’re working on UTV maintenance at home. Whether you need to know the recommended tire pressure or the type of oil you should be using, you can find all of that and more in the owner’s manual.
If you’ve been the proud owner of a side-by-side for a while now, you may already be quite familiar with the contents of the manual. However, it’s still advisable to give it a once-over. The manual is also a good place to make note of any repairs you have made, parts you have replaced, and other routine maintenance tasks. Make sure that you store your manual in a place where you can easily find it and refer to it as needed.
Tires
Your tires hold up your UTV and have to bear the brunt of the hard terrain you ride over, so keep them in great shape and check them before every ride. Having an air compressor that you can take with you to the trail will let you air them up if they’re low so you can still ride. Check the pressure and make sure that it’s up to the manufacturer’s recommendations, and examine the treads for uneven wear, bald patches, and embedded objects.
Oil
You change your car’s oil after a certain mileage, and you should change your UTV’s oil on a regular basis, too. Oil can be topped off between changes if the levels seem low. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it, re-insert it, and remove it again. If you find that the oil on the dipstick is sludgy or opaque, it means that you’ll need to get the oil changed. Metal shavings or grit in your oil means that parts of your engine are grinding against each other.
Battery
As batteries get older, they’re unable to hold as much charge as they did when they were brand-new. Exposure to harsh conditions like extreme temperature fluctuations only shortens their life further. Check your battery regularly to make sure the connections are strong and that there’s no corrosion. If your side-by-side is struggling to perform, then there may be a more serious issue that requires professional maintenance.
Coolant
The coolant in your engine needs regular top-ups, too. If you find that you’re often low on coolant, look under your side-by-side to see if fluids are pooling beneath it. There might be a leak in your radiator that needs to be fixed. Every time you replace the coolant, make sure that the radiator cap is tightly secured.
Spark Plugs
Your UTV’s spark plugs provide the ignition to your internal combustion engine, so you should check these regularly, especially if your engine isn’t turning over easily. Disconnect the battery and remove the engine cover, then use a spark plug wrench to take out the plug. Check that the metal gaps are clean and dry and that the ceramic casing is still in one piece. You can replace these yourself if you have the know-how, but if you’re not well-versed in engine maintenance, this task is best left for a professional mechanic.
If you’re still looking for the perfect off-road vehicle, visit Maxey’s Motorsports to see our wide selection of side-by-sides for sale in Oklahoma City, OK. We proudly serve all our patrons visiting us from Tulsa and Edmond, so stop by today!