Winterizing Your ATV or UTV
Fall is fast approaching, which means that all your summer riding advent
ures must come to a close. Not to worry, though—you can ride again come spring! In the meantime, you’ll need to shut down and winterize your powersports vehicle. Whether you’ve got an ATV or a UTV, the process is pretty much the same, but if you’re a new owner, you may not know what exactly you should be doing to ensure your powersports vehicle stays in shape over the long snowy months.
Fortunately, there’s help at hand! Power Sports Abrams is your Wisconsin powersports dealership. We’ve provided the following winterization guide to help you get your ATV or UTV ready for storage over the winter season.
Clean & Lubricate
If you haven’t yet washed your UTV or ATV, now is the time to do so. Spray out all the mud and grime, scrub and wipe it down and dry it thoroughly. Then you can apply wax to the paint or chrome on your vehicle. Lubricating delicate parts like lug nuts, sprockets, chains and cables will help prevent corrosion over winter.
Check Fuel & Oil
Most gasoline these days has ethanol blended into it, and as an alcohol, this fluid attracts water. You don’t want to leave ethanol gas sitting in your tank over winter, as it could draw in condensation which can lead to corrosion in your gas tank. Because you drive your car so often, this isn’t much of a problem, but when you’re storing a vehicle for months at a time, you don’t want that blend to remain unchecked. So you should add some fuel stabilizer to a full tank of fresh fuel. Start the UTV or ATV up and run it for five minutes or more to ensure the treated gasoline goes through every part of the engine.
Next, you’ll want to change out the oil and oil filter. Used oil has acids in it that can cause damage if left in your machine for months. If you’ve just changed your oil, you won’t have to do it again, but if it’s been a while, it’s best to change it before storage. Change the filter at the same time.
Fogging your engine can be a good way to keep your UTV in good shape over winter. Remove the air filter and start up the engine. Spray fogging oil onto the intake track. You’ll see this substance combust as it exits your exhaust pipe. Fogging your engine builds up a protective residue on the internal engine components that will prevent rust over time.
Attend To Your Tires
Your next step will be to make sure your tires can withstand the long winter. Radial tires should be inflated slightly above their recommended psi levels before storage. Bias ply tires should be deflated to remove moisture, then reinflated to the correct level to prevent flat-spotting. This occurs when your ATV sits in one spot for weeks at a time. If you can, elevate your machine when you store it to reduce the weight placed on your tires. This will help ensure your tires are in good shape in the spring.
Remove Your Battery
The battery of your ATV should be removed when you’re winterizing the vehicle because it can lose its charge completely if allowed to drain. Hook it up to a tender or trickle charger to keep your battery powered up. This helps to preserve battery life without losing charge so you won’t have to replace it in March.
We hope this guide helps to demystify the process of winterization so you can get your vehicle ready for long-term storage and have it be functional come spring. Stop by our dealership in Abrams, WI, today to see our current selection of new and used ATVs and UTVs for sale. Our staff is more than happy to help you with all your powersports needs, including financing options! If you need professional maintenance on your powersports vehicle before storing it, contact our parts and service departments for assistance. Power Sports Abrams proudly serves the cities of Appleton and Green Bay, Wisconsin.