UTV Maintenance

Nothing beats a day tearing through your favorite backwoods trails or plowing through the dunes on your UTV. But if you’re running your machine through extreme performance conditions, you need to make sure you’re performing regular maintenance and repair. Checking the battery, making sure your fluids are topped off, replacing spark plugs seem insignificant but will go a long way towards keeping your UTV in peak performance condition longer. To help make things easier, Sky Powersports Lakeland, in Lakeland, FL near Tampa, Orlando, and Brandon, has put together a list of simple maintenance tasks you can perform to keep your UTV in top working order.

Battery

Your battery is one of the components of your side by side that will need consistent attention before and after your ride. Batteries will slowly discharge when left unattended, which can leave you with a non-starter when it’s time to ride. To make sure your UTV is going to spring to life when you need it, put your battery on a tender if you ride infrequently. If you use your side by side everyday for work it will stay charged, but don’t forget to hook it up to a tender if you put the UTV away for a season.

Oil

Taking care of the oil is one of the easiest bits of maintenance you can perform on a side by side. Make sure to check your oil before you ride to make sure you’re topped up, and set some time aside to switch the oil out every few months. When you check your oil keep an eye out for signs of water intrusion, such as a milky color. This can indicate you’ve got a problem that may warrant a trip into the shop.

Coolant

Coolant will mostly take care of itself, but it’s a good idea to track your coolant levels from ride to ride, especially if you’ve got an older UTV. If you notice you’re having to top off the coolant every time you ride then you’ll need to figure out where the coolant is burning off, you may have a leak, or worse, a leaking head gasket.

Electrical Systems / Harnesses

UTVs are built tough, but the wires that keep all of your side by side’s fancy electronics are a bit of a weak link in the chain. During your pre-ride inspection look for wires that have wiggled loose in their harnesses and secure them before you hit the trail. A bit of slack in your wires may seem harmless, but an intruding branch can easily pull unsecured wires out of place.

Spark Plugs

Your spark plugs will undoubtedly wind up covered in performance sapping sludge and grime, so make sure that you give them a check once every few rides and look for signs of buildup. Swapping out your spark plugs takes only a few minutes, and it can lead to a marked increase in performance.

Fuel Systems

Fuel has changed over the years, and the addition of ethanol has meant cleaner running at the cost of engine maintenance. Running high octane fuel mixes augmented with an ethanol neutralizing stabilizer will lead to less buildup and corrosion in your side by side’s engine, Drain your UTVs carburetor between rides (if applicable) to prevent corrosion there as well.

Tires

Tires on your UTV should be kept at manufacturers recommended pressures. While it’s easy to do a pre-ride check and assume your tires are going to be okay until the next ride, it’s a good idea to at least do a visual inspection after you finish your ride. That way you can spot a leak before you store your side by side.

Remember, check for loose or exposed wires on your electrical systems before setting out. Nothing is worse than getting stuck on a trail with a 400-pound machine that you’ve now got to push or pull back to the trailhead. Make sure you drain the carburetor after each ride to prevent sediment buildup or corrosion and check tires before and after each ride. For everything else, visit your friends at Sky Powersports Lakeland, and let our amazing service department keep your UTV in peak condition for years to come!