Snowmobile Maintenance Tips

Now that winter is underway, many avid outdoor enthusiasts are riding their snowmobiles for work and pleasure on tracks and trails and mountainsides. If you own a snowmobile or are interested in owning one, then it’s important that you know about basic maintenance essentials. Your snowmobile is only able to serve you if you perform upkeep tasks on it, although these can be daunting to the uninitiated.

Road Track & Trail in Big Bend, Wisconsin, is your local snowmobile dealer. Here are some of our top tips to help you keep your snowmobile in good repair so that it can serve you well all winter long.

Plan Ahead

It’s helpful to spend some time perusing your snowmobile owner’s manual. This guide conveniently lists all the parts of your snowmobile and helps you to keep track of regular maintenance tasks. Keep track of your repairs in your owner’s manual. You can also use this manual to help plan when you’ll address certain tasks. This lets you make appointments with a mechanic in advance so that you don’t have to fight for a spot on their schedule.

Check Fluid Levels

Every motorized vehicle needs to have its fluids regularly checked and topped off or changed as needed. You’ll want to inspect the oil, radiator fluid and fuel condition. The manufacturer will have recommendations on when the oil needs to be changed. Oil and fuel filters need to be changed on a regular basis, as well.

Drive Belt/Chain

The belt or chain on your engine helps it to function properly, but you need to inspect the chain or belt on a regular basis for tears or other signs of wear. Adjusting the tension to prevent it from being too loose or too tight. 

Clean & Lubricate Your Machine

Regular cleaning will help you keep your snowmobile in good shape. Whenever you’ve got some nice weather, you’ll want to hose down the sled to remove built-up dirt and grime, since these can damage both the exterior of your sled and its interior working parts. Keeping your sled covered once you’ve washed it will help to keep it clean.

Once your machine is clean, the moving parts on your sled will need to be greased up to keep them functional. Lubricate both the front and rear suspensions, the steering components, the bearings and the drive train.

Adjust Track & Skis

Snowmobiles have a track and skis that make them more unique in terms of vehicle maintenance. Keeping the track aligned is essential to your snowmobile’s function. You can check the alignment by sitting on the sled and moving the handlebars to measure the distance on either side from the bar end to a point on the chassis. Once you’ve got the track aligned, you can loosen one of the rear-axle bolts in order to adjust the tension.

Inspect the carbides, which protrude from the bottom of your skis and assist in preventing wear. Worn carbides will need to be replaced on a regular basis. Don’t put this task off, since the carbides help to protect the skis themselves, and you may have to replace those if your carbides are too worn to protect them. Skis are much more costly to replace!

Remember, if you need professional snowmobile repair assistance, you can always contact our service department to schedule an appointment with our mechanics. Come on down to our Big Bend dealership to check out our current selection of new and used snowmobiles for sale. We also offer financing options to help you get the machine you need. Road Track & Trail proudly serves the cities of Milwaukee and Waukesha, Wisconsin, as well as the greater Chicago, Illinois, area.