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It sounds like there may be a bad contact in one of the switches for the start circuit.

Starter sometimes clicks but won t start AMT600
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 20 Post by Trainpilot

We have a 550 XUV with about 180 hours. It is plagued by bad "stationwagon effect", that is exhaust is sucked back into operators area. It has had this since new. Purchased without cab or canopy. Added hard plastic windscreen and fabric canopy--got worse. Opening vent in windscreen helps, but now it's winter. I'm looking at modifying exhaust outlet with an extension or something. This model has a Briggs v-twin and exhaust vents right under bed by hitch. Any ideas?<br>

Bad exhaust smell on Gator 550
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 3 Post by Trainpilot

We have a 550 with about 180 hours. It is plagued by bad "stationwagon effect", that is exhaust is sucked back into operators area. It has had this since new. Purchased without cab or canopy. Added hard plastic windscreen and fabric canopy--got worse. Opening vent in windscreen helps, but now it's winter. I'm looking at modifying exhaust outlet with an extension or something. This model has a Briggs v-twin and exhaust vents right under bed by hitch. Any ideas?

gator 550 xuv exhaust problem
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 2 Post by Trainpilot

Well you did get a smokin' deal on your Gator--couldn't help the pun. If your gator has the Kawasaki v-twin, head gasket repair is not that difficult a job. I've done a couple, and have used the shade tree head resurfacing technique of a sheet of sandpaper on a piece of glass. Sand head until you can tell it is flat, using different grades of paper as necessary. This is even a pretty good way to tell is head needs real machining, as the sanding marks will show high vs. low. Seems to work OK. Getting the cooling system back together and properly purged is vital though. I got a similar deal on my Mule because previous owner did a head gasket unsuccessfully and then gave up.

btw: this post probably should have been to other topic.

gator smokes sometimes under power
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 11 Post by Trainpilot

Hey Coach,

Our diesel Gator was behaving similarly. I ended up removing the driven clutch in pieces, as I was not able to get it off splined shaft intact. I bought a replacement off ebay and it now runs smoothly through entire speed range. It's been a while, but I think the primary is pretty easy to overhaul, the secondary not so much, especially if badly worn. We have 4 different types of utv's, and keeping them running is just a small part of my job so it's hard to keep them straight. If faces of driven clutch are not parallel, then gear ratio and speed input to trans is changing rapidly. Running with wheels off ground showed the problem for me pretty easily.

1200A Bunker Rake Shudder under load
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 18 Post by Trainpilot

That's great. It's always nice to hear success stories. I see you also have one of my favorite models of Vice Grips.

1200A Secondary Cap Screw
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 16 Post by Trainpilot

I'd also check connections to fuel shutoff solenoid. Usually when that is the problem it will shut right off and not restart. But you could verify that it's getting power and you should hear/feel a click when turned on/off.

diesel hpx gator
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 7 Post by Trainpilot

I confess to having purchased a new clutch for our 6x4 gator, as I destroyed the original one removing it. Had to pull it off in pieces. I also just finished rebuilding a Polaris 6x6 drive (both clutches) It is a rather time-consuming affair, but if you can do the work yourself it saves over the cost of new. Probably not for someone inexperienced. Having said all that, there are some small wear pieces which are relatively inexpensive and pretty easy to change if you can remove and partially disassemble the clutches. Changing them can make the system operate more smoothly.

07 4x2 gator jumps as the accelerator is pushed
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 6 Post by Trainpilot

You must have been working as I was typing. Thanks for letting us know. Glad you had a good result.

ProGator 2020 - Raising the dump bed
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 6 Post by Trainpilot

I would second replies re: condensation. I've seen it many times. Air-cooled engines in particular will run hot enough to boil water out of the oil. I'd run it for a few minutes and then look at dipstick again. If oil remains clear, you should be fine. Was there also goop on the filler cap? This stuff does tend to accumulate towards top of the engine.

07 4x2 gator kawa motor Wheres the water coming from
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 5 Post by Trainpilot

The description of the process by which the Gator moves sounds pretty complicated--more so than fuel/air/compression/spark/transmission, but I'm willing to bet that the solution could be simple. I'd verify voltage of the battery bank. Maybe jack up the wheels so you can observe under load. Be very careful of causing any shorts. 48 volts DC is a dangerous voltage. The batteries are connected in series, so they sort of make up one big battery, with a negative lead at one end of the string and a positive lead at the other. Check voltage between these two. It should be more than 48 volts under no load. If it's good there, I'd probably check the throttle potentiometer. The fact that it does move a little makes the safety interlock system less of a suspect. Does the potentiometer move smoothly? Can you watch the output voltage run up to 4V? It sounds like it is only asking the controller for minimum speed. I don't have much experience with electrics, but that's where I'd start. Perhaps someone else will weigh in. Please let us know what resolves this problem.

Electric gator will not go
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 6 Post by Trainpilot

Understood. Our 6x4 is a diesel, and is probably slower than your gas-engined model. Any good small engine mechanic should be able to work on your motor. Your mechanic could at least verify that the engine is reaching its rated governed speed. One other thing to look at is the CV belt and drive system. As the belt wears (getting thinner in cross section) it does not move up and down in the variable sheaves as far. In essence this limits your minimum and maximum speeds. Last time I put a new belt on our Gator, in conjunction with replacing the primary clutch, I noticed a significant increase in top speed. It's still the slowest side-by-side in our fleet, but it's also one of the most reliable. If you've got acreage and nearby family, count your blessings and enjoy the ride.

Gator Speed Engine Temp
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 6 Post by Trainpilot

Hi Fishy,

While I was reading your post I was listening to one of our guys trying to start our spray mule--wrong day for spraying, but not my call. Any way it sounds like we have the same problem. (same engine) It sounds like a plugged idle circuit. If it's been sitting awhile, though ours hasn't, the corrosive (to aluminum carbs) ethanol/water mixture sitting in the float bowl can plug the idle jet. This is a little tiny passage. The different circuits in the carb all overlap to a certain extent. A clogged idle circuit will make the engine run leaner throughout it's operating range. I'd be willing to bet a good cleaning would solve the problem. Sometimes you can get lucky by removing mixture screws and float bowl drains and spraying carb cleaner into openings and blowing out with compressed air. Make sure you know how many turns out from full in the adjustable screws are before removing them. Note springs and such. Otherwise I'd pull the carb and do a proper cleaning-though noting settings still applies. I'll let you know what I find with ours.

07 4x2 kawa motor hard to start
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 5 Post by Trainpilot

I can only give a generic suggestion regarding your symptoms. I have found that in cases like this it's almost always the idle circuit. Emission controlled carbs typically have limited or no idle mixture adjustment. The jet ,which draws fuel at idle, tends to be the smallest functional orifice on the whole machine, and one of the most important for driveability. On my girl's Yamaha 90, the idle jet could only be cleaned by running one strand of a piece of electrical wire through. Carb cleaner and air were not quite enough. This happened whenever the bike sat for more than a few weeks. When it was restricted, the symptoms were identical. A good fuel filter might help prevent this in the future, but higher water ratios in the fuel cause corrosion issues regardless. Ethanol in fuel will absorb more water than gas without it. You shouldn't need any parts if carb comes out and apart without damage to gaskets. Just a good cleaning.

HPX Carb
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 4 Post by Trainpilot

I'm assuming you took jack/blocking out from under. I've made that mistake a few times. Does shifter feel normal. I'm not familiar with your particular model, but I'd check, after following above suggestions, to see if by jacking the rig up, you bent or jammed shift linkage, or possibly crushed the cable (if there is one), that actuates linkage. Or that the brakes are free-rocking in neutral also good advice. Jacking may have jammed park brake or service brake on.

JD CX Gator 2X4 2004
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 8 Post by Trainpilot

I can't think of any good reason why a compression test could not be run on a Kawi engine. If the machine was running when you put it away, I would look to the carb if you are now getting a good spark. You could almost do a compression test with your finger. Take both spark plugs out. Watch out for the spark leads and keep the throttle open. You'll feel it pushing out on the compression stroke.

If the old spark plugs were not all oily, your engine is probably OK. Even new engines will let some air past the rings on a leakdown test. Unless it has been blowing oil out the crank breather and fouling spark plugs, I'd try and get it running first. Let us know what you find.

2005 JD Gator HPX son t start Need some help
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 4 Post by Trainpilot

Does your gator have a Kawi v-twin like my old mule? I recently had to replace the plastic cam gear on mine. If yours has the plastic one (new ones are steel), it may have skipped a tooth or stripped many teeth as happened to mine. Replacement, at least on the mule, is actually pretty easy. I would suggest pulling at least one rocker cover and checking valve movement and relationship to TDC. If the cam has stopped with valves closed on one cylinder, this can make it seem like it has compression. If the engine cranks but the valves don't go up and down, you've found your problem. If you need to change cam gear let us know.

01 Gator HXP 4x4 cranks will not start has fuel spark
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 14 Post by Trainpilot

Are you stepping on the brake? Most newer UTVs will start in gear if brake is depressed. If battery is good, and key switch is ok that's about half of what you need. You should start in neutral, but try with brake pressed, see if brake lights work, if your machine has them. Then check fuses. Most modern electrical systems are pretty resistant to water and mud. Check also connections to starter. I helped a friend start a Yamaha the other day. The brake pedal needed to be held down for several seconds before the starter would engage.

John Deere Gator will not start
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 4 Post by Trainpilot

Is it the first time it has run in awhile? Sometimes water in the fuel will migrate to bottom of float bowl and cause symptoms like you describe. If the water sits there it can foul the idle jet. I would drain the float bowl and look for water while also checking fuel pump flow. My daughters little Yamaha 90 has had this problem after sitting. The idle jet is so small, I have to use one strand from a piece of electrical wire to clean it, as carb cleaner and compressed air are sometimes not enough.

Help with a Gator CX idle stalling problem
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 5 Post by Trainpilot

I ordered new driven clutch. It looks like it's splined on. I'm letting penetrating oil do its thing until new clutch arrives. If it doesn't loosen up by then, I'll prbably grind rivets off old clutch to get a purchase on the hub with a puller, so I may end up with an old driven hub for a sprocket adapter if anyone needs one. Our Yanmar diesel will probably outlast the rest of the machine.

Help with Gator diesel driven clutch removal
Utility Vehicles UTV/ATV
Replies 7 Post by Trainpilot