Doing your own 100 mile check up on a quad.

[First-light]

How many guys do this or do you bring it back to the dealer?

[HuntOrBeHunted]

I'm a do it yourselfer if possible type of guy so I do maintain my own wheelers, sleds and bikes.

Dealer cost to much and try to stretch what really needs to be done..( Maybe not all of them but most ).

[wdswtr]

It would depend on the warranty. If record keeping such as receipts is not acceptible and requires a dealer to do the inititial maintanence not to void warranty then off to the dealer. I would think it would be a plus if you can negotiate the initial service in the buy of the machine also. Definately check warranty requirements first.

[wooly]

I've never sweated 100 mile check up, but 100 hrs is a differnt story.

Being a plumber by trade, I leave that kinda stuff to the mechanics.

Usually at that point, there's more critical things that need to be looked at besides fluids, hoses, and gaskets that I'm just not qualified to tackle anymore.

[ants]

I have never brought any of my ATV's to the dealer for maintenance. I do all that stuff myself (oil,lube, filters etc) The dealer charges way too much.

Fortunately my brother in law is a mechanic at one of the local dealerships. He does side jobs out of his garage so anything more complicated goes to him.

[First-light]

Thanks guys!

[ants]

It would depend on the warranty. If record keeping such as receipts is not acceptible and requires a dealer to do the inititial maintanence not to void warranty then off to the dealer. I would think it would be a plus if you can negotiate the initial service in the buy of the machine also. Definately check warranty requirements first.

Thats a good point. You should check and see if not going back to the dealer for the first 100 mi. check up voids the warranty. I think Harley Davidson has a clause like that.

[landtracdeerhunter]

The only other advantage taking to a dealer, would be a dealer would look for problem areas, as they keep track with "service bulletins " with are sent out by OEM. They might catch a problem before it turns more serious one. Also, OEM dealers do have to cover themselves by doing good quality repairs. Their over head is much higher then the back yard mechanic, but u expect to pay for the knowledge they bring forth. Believe me, until you own a dealership, one would have no idea.

Edited September 20, 2012 by landtracdeerhunter

[Doc]

You wouldn't want to see me working on anything mechanical. It's not a pretty sight. My attempts generally wind up costing me more than if I take the stuff to a shop full of factory trained people. I have absolutely no patience, and a whole lot of destruction can result. I do pretty good on bows, but that is about my limit.

[fernnj]

I do basic service on all of my vehicles including my atvs. It obviously depends on your experience level. I have no formal training, but have owned and worked on small engines and farm equipment since I was about 10 years old. I cross reference the parts and buy the best maintenance products at a fraction of the cost. I would estimate I save at least 50% off what i would pay at a stealership. I would definately recommend buying a service manual. They are pricey, but will pay for themselves several times over. They include the extra checks in the 100 mile including the drive belt ect. And as far as warranty, I do keep records for my own purpose of keeping track, but they can not require you to go to the dealer or even keep records. They would have to prove that maintenance caused the damage to the atv. Most atvs only have a one or two year warranty anyway.

Edited September 20, 2012 by fernnj

[wdswtr]

Its not a matter of the maintenance caused the problem its a matter of no maintenace at all. I can tell you for certain on my truck I must have records of maintenance or it voids my warranty. States it right on the contract. I see no reason why they could not require you to take it to a dealer or it voids warranty. Actually it only makes sense to me that they would do that to cover their arse from joe blow with a wrench thinking he knows how to service his own stuff. I would think alot are more than capable to do their own service and repairs anyhow but its the ones who think they know what they are doing that would worry me if I was a the one that had to uphold the warranty. I would be reading the warranty contract before I did anything to potentially void it. Better safe than sorry.

[ants]

Doing my yearly oil change this week end. I spent $17 on the oil and filter and it takes me about 10 mins. I bet the dealer would charge me three times that.

[burmjohn]

Same here, forgot to post, I did my oil change 2 weeks ago. I swapped out to synthetics (Mobile 1) figured why not, and I do not go "Mudding / Wet Riding" so there is no issue. Found a great price for the Mobile 1 4 Cyl case, which will last me 2 years. I spray the carb down with "sea foam" and cleaned the air filter, checked brake fluid, gave it a quick wash, sprayed out the radiator.

[ants]

My machine calls for synthetic 0w-40. so I have been using Mobile -1 0w-40 since I bought the thing in 07, with zero issues. NAPA has the Mobile on sale a couple times a year for about $5.50. I stock up. Other than Polaris, Mobile is the only synthetic oil I can find in 0-40 and Polaris oil costs a lot more.