Common ATV Problems and How to Resolve Them

Tips For Maintaining Your Quad and Extending Its Lifespan

Owning an ATV is a recreational pleasure—it will give you years of off-road experiences and thrills you’ll never forget. So it makes sense that you’d want to take care of your quad as much as you take care of your regular, everyday vehicle. When issues pop up, it can be alarming, but rest assured that in most cases, they are simple fixes if you know what’s going on.

Basic maintenance is vitally important if you want your ATV to last, so here’s what you should know.

Common ATV Issues, What They Mean, & How to Resolve Them

Inability to Start Up

When there is enough fuel in the tank and the battery has enough power but the ATV still won’t start up, it usually means there is an electrical issue, or the spark plug needs cleaning and re-gapping, which takes about 5 minutes.

Loss of Power

When this happens, it is usually due to a slipping clutch, which you can tell is happening when the engine pitch is higher than usual and there is a lack of traction. Luckily, having the clutch replaced is a simple job any quad repair center can do.

 ATV Is Not Getting Fuel

When the spark plug is still dry after cranking the engine, that tells you the fuel is not reaching the cylinder. This is either an issue with the fuel pump or the fuel supply line is clogged. Old gas can gum up over time and create a clog, as can dirt and debris.

Smoking

If it smokes upon starting the ATV, there is nothing to worry about, as that is condensation burning off. If it happens early into the ride but dissipates later on, or only happens when you are revving your engine, you probably have an issue with the valve seals or piston rings. Colour also matters. White smoke is fairly standard and not a cause for huge concern if it happens early into the ride, while black smoke means you’re burning gasoline which is a very bad sign. Blue smoke, on the other hand, means you’re burning oil. This isn’t a big deal on a 2-stroke quad but can be on a 4-stroke quad.

Battery Won’t Charge

It’s fairly easy to test your battery to see if it’s still in good working condition. You need a multi-meter set to voltage and then place the leads on the positive and negative terminals of the battery. If it reads less than 12v, you need to charge the battery. If it doesn’t hold 12v for long after a long charge session, it’s time to replace the battery.

Clogged Air Filter

Regularly check the air filter for any potential blockages that could easily be cleaned out. It is always a good idea to replace the air filter regularly, especially once it starts to clog, but if it’s still fairly new, you can get away with just cleaning it out.

 Cold Engine

ATV’s sometimes need a richer fuel mixture to start in the cold. Installing a larger pilot jet can help. Intake valves may also be tight. 

Leaking Oil

When oil is leaking, you can usually find a solution by cleaning the surface and looking for cracks. Then just loosen the bolts around the leaking area, fill in sealant, and let it cure overnight.

The Importance of Regular Maintenance

How to Avoid Issues From Arising

Regular maintenance will mean you find small issues like these right away and quickly fix them, preventing them from turning into larger more expensive issues. Rather than avoiding the little things because they seem like no big deal, it’s always better to fix things as soon as you notice them. Even when you don’t see a problem, you should be routinely checking things like the gas, oil, and filters to make sure everything is clean and nothing is stale or clogged. That will ensure your machine runs well for years to come.

When you know what to look for, it’s easy to keep up with maintenance on your ATV. And the more you keep up with it, the longer you’ll be able to enjoy it without having to spend extra money to fix it. Most issues start small and progress into something much more insidious overtime, so the earlier you fix it and the more diligent you are with maintenance on a regular basis, the easier (and more affordable) it will be in the long run.