As you could see in our last post, CORVUS UTVs are working at full capacity in holdings performing agricultural and livestock works so we have a guaranteed food supply. But this is not our only mission, CORVUS UTVs are also helping with desinfection works in streets and public spaces.
If you are being forced to give a rest to your UTV due to Coronavirus containment measures, we show you some basic general tips that can actually be performed very quickly.
These checks will keep you entertained at home and will also help you verifyng everything is in perfect state. If you add this to your rountine, the maintenance of your UTV will be a question of habit.
As your UTV has not been used in a few days, before starting it is important to visually check for leaks, assessing them on the basis of their location and amount and which product is leaking (be aware of the danger of fire). It is very important to keep an eye on identified leaks or product losses, and give these priority for repair.
In case of no leaks, we are ready to start our UTV general check. We recommend to have on hand the corresponding original brand and model User Manual.
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
Remove the cap, take out the dipstick and clean it with some cloth. Afterwards, introduce it again and take it out in order to check the oil level is adequate.
COOLANT LEVEL
The cooling deposit is another element to be checked. In this case you will be able to see the cooling liquid at a glance.
BRAKE FLUID
One of the most important maintenance tasks of your UTV is to keep a brake system in perfect conditions. If the brake fluid level is under or over the limits shown on the tank, check the thickness of the brake pads and make sure they have not reached their usage limit.
TIRES
You should check the tyres are not worn out, cracked or damaged, and also that both present the same look and worn-out level in inner and outer sides. Irregular wearing means wrong alignment.
Please check wear limit on tyre tread presents a maximum of 3,5mm deep.
Moreover, correct pressure must also be verified. This will depend on the UTV model and weight, as each manufacturer recommends a specific pressure level. In CORVUS, we recommend that all our UTV tyres have a pressure of:
– 1.0 bar (empty vehicle).
– 1.5 bar (vehicle at full load).
If it incorporates a spare tyre please also check it is in perfect conditions to be used.
REAR BRAKE PADS
Check the thickness of the remaining lining, ensuring that the thickness of the lining is not less than 1,5mm. If this happens, we do not recommend you to drive the vehicle and we would give it priority in the next official service repair visit.
Once these elements are checked is the moment to start our vehicle. When the contact is turned on check the following points:
BATTERY
When the vehicle is started verify there is not any strange sound or if it is hard to start. If your UTV is going to be more than a week completely stopped, it is advisable to wait approximately 10 minutes when started before using it in order to preserve the battery. This way the engine will warm up and the battery will not suffer any power loss.
DASHBOARD
Daily rush makes us forget about having a look at the vehicle dashboard. Start your UTV and check there is no error signal or any suspicious warning alarm shown. Check the light change indicators, turn signals, time setting, etc.
LIGHTING AND SIGNALLING SYSTEM
Regularly check all bulbs of the lighting and signaling system are working properly. If you detect that any of them is burned out and you have a spare one replace it immediately. Turn off the vehicle first and wait until the bulbs are cooled to proceed with the replacement.
WIPER SYSTEM
First of all, check the liquid level is correct. In order to test its functioning, pour enough water on the glass so that the wiper arm slides easily. Turn it on and check that it cleans the surface properly. Time and usage worn the wiper arm and lose the capacity of clearing the rain, mud or dust.
SEAT BELTS
The seat belt will not function properly if the buckle or the strap of the belt is dirty or damaged. For this reason, always keep the buckle and the strap of the safety belts clean. Otherwise, the tongue of the belt will not click into place correctly.
Finally, other task you can do is to check the validity of your UTV DOCUMENTATION. Check the payment receipts, the insurance status, etc. We use to forget to have a look at the papers and it is very important to have everything up to date and verified.
In general terms, you can make the most of these days to do a complete cleaning of your UTV, both the inside and the outside. Revise all nuts and screws you see at first sight are tightened, make sure fastenings are in its place and in good conditions, and also that there is no element in risk of falling (mudguards, lateral plastics, tanks, etc.).
As we have mentioned, pay attention to every part susceptible to be tightened or replaced. This way when this situation ends, and before getting back on track, bring your UTV to your official repair service.
In CORVUS we are as eager as you for going back to road, let’s do it the best way possible.
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