Winterizing Your ATV Or UTV

Whether you’re a thrill-seeker exploring the great outdoors or just trying to maintain a property more efficiently, you benefit from having an ATV, UTV, or both. These compact and powerful machines make a wide range of activities easier, faster, and more enjoyable. But these vehicles, as tough as they are, are still vulnerable to various maintenance concerns—and even more so in the winter. When the temperature dips to freezing or below, your ATVs and UTVs are at risk from cold-related damage.

Luckily, you’ve got us here at Thompson’s Motorsports! We’ve put together a few tips for winterizing your favorite powersports vehicles to keep them in one piece until the weather turns more favorable. If you want more maintenance advice, or you’re looking for an ATV or UTV to try these tips out with, contact our store in Terre Haute, Indiana! Our friendly and experienced staff will work with you to find what you need at the prices you want.

Owner’s Manual

The first step in any major maintenance is to consult your owner’s manual. While we can help with general information and advice, your owner’s manual was written to cover your specific machine. It may have additional information or warnings that you need to know to avoid damaging your powersports vehicle. If you don’t know where your manual is, look on the manufacturer’s website—they’ll usually have a downloadable version.

Fuel Tank And Carburetors

Your vehicle won’t go anywhere without fuel, but if it’s not going anywhere for awhile anyway, it’s best to remove what’s in the tank. There tend to be fillers in your fuel tank that can be actively harmful to the carburetor, especially if it’s allowed to sit for long periods of time. Make sure to flip the tank shut-off and then run your engine until there’s no gas left, or just siphon out what’s in there manually. That way, you won’t have stale fuel in your tank causing varnish issues. You can also add a stabilizer to help prevent or delay varnishing and separation.

Battery

Modern batteries are a technological marvel, but nature doesn’t care. When the temperature dips beyond a certain point, most batteries begin a chemical reaction that results in a serious power drain. If this continues too long, the battery will die and can’t be recharged at all. If your vehicle is going to be sitting for a while, remove the battery entirely and place it on a trickle charger to keep it running at low capacity. This ensures it never drains to empty and will be ready and waiting for you in the spring. This actually increases the overall longevity of your battery, too, so consider doing this during any period of low activity with your ATV or UTV.

Air Filter

In general, you should be changing your air filters every season or so anyway. This ensures your engine isn’t getting clogged up with dirt, dust, and other contaminants that might cause corrosion or sticking. During long breaks, we also recommend blocking the air intakes entirely. This keeps bugs and other pests from taking up residence and dirtying the air filter before it’s ever needed. Just remember to remove the blockage before starting the machine again!

Tires

If possible, it’s a good idea to lift your ATV or UTV off its tires entirely during long periods of no use. Letting the machine rest its full weight on the tires without moving it for weeks or months causes the tires to lose air pressure and can wear down the tread on the bottom. If you’re unable to lift your ATV, we recommend rotating your tires by a quarter rotation every so often. That way, you might still need to refill them, but the tread will be worn more evenly, retaining traction and avoiding blowouts.

Clean And Cover

Last but certainly not least, if your powersports vehicle is going to be sitting still for a few months, it’s best to remove dirt or grime and avoid direct exposure to the elements. The plastics, seating, and other surfaces can corrode and wear down if allowed to remain dirty. A good scrub and polish will help keep all your stationary parts in one piece.

Once your machine is squeaky clean, bring it into a covered shelter of some sort if available. If you have no room in a shed or garage, then you might want to invest in a waterproof cover. This will prevent rain or snow from accumulating on or inside the machine, preventing damage and making it more comfortable to ride when it’s time again! If weather is extreme in your area, try ventilating the cover every so often to keep moisture from building up inside. 

We hope you found these tips useful! If you want more advice for maintaining your ATV or UTV, contact us at Thompson’s Motorsports! We proudly serve the people of Bloomington and West Indianapolis, Indiana, and Effingham, Illinois—let us serve you today!