steering YAMAHA WOLVERINE 2018 Owner's Manual

7-11
7
Floorboard
The floorboard allows you to brace your feet,
which helps you keep your body in the vehicle
in the event of an accident or rollover. Keep
your feet on the floorboard during operation.
Steering wheel
Keep both hands on the steering wheel. Do
not hold the steering wheel with your thumbs
inside the rim. Keep your palms on the out-
side of the steering wheel. Similar to other off-
road vehicles, if the Wolverine hits a deep rut
or large obstacle, the steering wheel couldbriefly jerk in one direction or back and forth
as the tires and vehicle respond to the obsta-
cle. This quick motion could injure your
thumbs or wrist if your thumbs or hand(s) are
inside the steering wheel. Grip the steering
wheel so that your thum
bs will not be hit by
the spokes. As an exam ple, see the illustra-
tion.UB3D7AE0.book Page 11 Tuesday, November 7, 2017 9:38 AM

7-13
7
Eye protection (goggles, helmet face shield,
or protective eyewear)
 Over-the-ankle boots, gloves, long-sleeved
shirt or jacket, and long pants
An approved helmet and other personal pro-
tective equipment can help in a variety of
ways, including:
 Reduce the severity of injuries if any part of
you is outside the vehicle cage/frame pro-
tective structure during a rollover.
 Help protect you if outside objects intrude
inside the vehicle during operation.
 Help protect you in the event of vehicle im-
pact with an obstacle.
Wear eye protection when operating or riding
in the vehicle to reduce the risk of a serious
accident or injury. Eye protection, such as a
face shield or goggles, may reduce the risk of
foreign material getting in your eyes and help
prevent loss of vision. Practice for new Yamaha Wolverine users
You should become familiar with the perfor-
mance characteristics of the vehicle in a lar-
ge, flat area that is free of obstacles and other
vehicles. Practice controlling the accelerator
pedal, brakes, steering, and drive select lever.
Drive at slow speeds with gradual accelera-
tion and turning. Practice smooth throttle ap-
plication. Practice slowing down before
turning. Practice maintaining a steady throttle
through the turn. Avoid higher speeds until
you are thoroughly familiar with the operation
of your vehicle. Remember, driving aggres-
sively or making abrupt maneuvers even on
flat, open areas can cause side rollovers.UB3D7AE0.book Page 13 Tuesday, November 7, 2017 9:38 AM

7-14
7
Become familiar with the way the vehicle feels
in low and high ranges, first in two-wheel
drive “2WD” and then in four-wheel drive
“4WD” and four-wheel drive with the differen-
tial locked “DIFF LOCK”. Steering may take
more effort in four-wheel drive with the differ-
ential locked “DIFF LOCK”. Also practice
driving in reverse.
Take the time to learn basic operation of the
vehicle before attempting more difficult ma-
neuvers.Getting ready to ride
Perform the Pre-Operation Checks on page
5-1. Follow the instructions starting on page
6-2 to start the engine.
Turning
Use care in turns – tu
rning the steering wheel
too far or too fast can result in loss of control
or a rollover. Slow down before entering
turns. When making tight turns from a stand-
still or at slow speeds, avoid sudden or hard
acceleration. Driving aggressively or making
abrupt maneuvers even on flat, open areas
can cause side rollovers. Avoid sideways slid-
ing, skidding, or fishtailing (rear-wheel slid-
ing), and never do donuts. If you feel the
Wolverine begin to slide sideways or the rear
wheels begin to slide during a turn, steer into
the direction of the slide, if possible, and
gradually let off the accelerator pedal to re-
gain directional control and avoid rollover. For
example, if you feel the back of the vehicle
start to slide to your right, steer to the right.UB3D7AE0.book Page 14 Tuesday, November 7, 2017 9:38 AM

7-15
7
If you think or feel that the vehicle may tip or
roll, keep your body completely inside the
protective structure of the vehicle:
Brace yourself by pressing your feet firmly
on the floorboard and keep a firm grip on
the steering wheel or passenger handhold.
 Do not put your hands or feet outside of the
vehicle for any reason. Do not try to stop a
tipover using your arm or leg.
Accelerating
With the engine idling in neutral and your foot
on the brake, shift the drive select lever into
low or high. NOTICE: Do not shift from low
to high or vice versa without coming to a
complete stop and waiting for the engine
to return to normal idle speed – damage to
the engine or drive train may occur. Then
release the parking brake.
[ECB02160]
Press the
accelerator pedal slowly and smoothly. The
centrifugal clutch will engage and the vehicle
will begin to accelerate. Avoid higher speeds and sudden or hard ac-
celeration until you are thoroughly familiar
with the operation of your vehicle. Avoid sud-
den or hard acceleration in any turn.
Braking
When slowing down or stopping, take your
foot off the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal smoothly. Improper use of the
brakes can cause the tires to lose traction, re-
ducing control of the vehicle and increasing
the possibility of an accident.
Braking ability is affected by type of terrain. In
most cases, gradual application of the brakes
is more effective than abrupt braking, partic-
ularly on loose surfaces
, such as gravel. Al-
ways allow for greater braking distance on
rough, loose, or slippery surfaces.
Engine braking
Engine compression braking is designed to
assist you when operating your Wolverine off-
road. With this feature, the engine helps slow
UB3D7AE0.book Page 15 Tuesday, November 7, 2017 9:38 AM

7-18
7
to see far enough ahead of you. Use common
sense and remember that some hills are too
steep for you to climb or descend. Use proper
driving techniques to avoid rearward, for-
ward, or sideways rollovers on hills and
slopes.
Drive straight up and down inclines, not
across them. If crossing a hill is unavoidable,
drive slowly. Turn downhill immediately if you
feel the vehicle may tip.
If you think or feel the vehicle may tip or
roll:
Brace yourself by pressing your feet firmly
on the floorboard and keep a firm grip on
the steering wheel or passenger handhold.
 Do not put your hands or feet outside of the
vehicle for any reason.
Uphill
Do not attempt to climb hills until you have
mastered basic maneuv ers on flat ground.
Drive straight up hills, and avoid crossing the side of a hill, which increases your risk of roll-
over. Practice first on gentle slopes before at-
tempting steeper hills. Always check the
terrain carefully before attempting any hill.
To climb a hill, you need traction, momentum,
and steady throttle. For more traction and
control for climbing steeper and/or rougher
slopes, shift into low gear and select “4WD”
or “DIFF LOCK”. Travel fast enough to main-
tain momentum, but not so fast that you can-
not react to changes in the terrain as you
climb.
Slow down when you reach the crest of the
hill if you cannot see clearly what is on the
other side – there could be another person, an
obstacle, or a sharp drop-off.
If you start to lose traction or momentum
when climbing, and decide you will be unable
to continue, use the brakes to stop. Do not at-
tempt to turn the vehicle around. With your
foot on the brake pedal, look behind you and
plan your descent. Shift the drive select lever
into reverse so you can use engine braking toUB3D7AE0.book Page 18 Tuesday, November 7, 2017 9:38 AM

8-7
8
8*Rear brake • Check operation/brake pad wear/fluid leak-
age.
• Correct if necessary. Replace pads if worn to the limit. √√√√√
9 *Parking brake • Check operation and adjust if necessary. √√√√√
10 *Brake fluid • Change. Every 2 years
11 *Accelerator pedal • Check operation and free play. √√√√√
12 *V-b e l t • Check operation.
• Check for wear, cracks, or damage. √√
√
13 *Wheels • Check balance, runout and for damage.
• Replace if necessary. √ √√√
14 *Wheel bearings • Check bearing assemblies for loose-
ness/damage.
• Replace if damaged. √ √√√
15 *Front and rear
suspension • Check operation and for oil leakage.
• Correct if necessary.
√√
16 *Steering system • Check operation and for looseness. Replace
if damaged.
• Check toe-in. Adjust if necessary. √√√√√
NO. ITEM
ROUTINE INITIAL
EVERY
Whichev- er comes first month136612
km
(mi) 320
(200) 1200
(750) 2400
(1500) 2400
(1500) 4800
(3000)
hours 20 75 150 150 300UB3D7AE0.book Page 7 Tuesday, November 7, 2017 9:38 AM

8-45
8
EBU32590Rear knuckle upper and lower pivot lu-
brication (left and right)Lubricate the knuckle upper and lower pivots
with a grease gun.EBU32600Steering shaft lubricationLubricate the pivot points.
EBU32610Wheel removal1. Loosen the wheel nuts.
2. Elevate the vehicle and place a suitablestand under the frame.
3. Remove the nuts from the wheel.
4. Remove the wheel.
Recommended lubricant: Lithium-soap-based grease
Recommended lubricant: Lithium-soap-based grease
UB3D7AE0.book Page 45 Tuesday, November 7, 2017 9:38 AM

12-2
12
Horn switch .................................................................. 4-12IIdentification number records ...................................... 11-1
Indicator lights and warning lights ................................. 4-2
Instruments, lights and switches, Pre-operation check ........................................................................... 5-8JJump-starting .............................................................. 8-51LLabel locations ............................................................... 1-1
Light switch .................................................................. 4-11
Loading .......................................................................... 6-7
Low-range indicator light ............................................... 4-2MMain switch .................................................................... 4-1
Maintenance charts ....................................................... 8-4
Model label .................................................................. 11-1
Multi-function meter unit ............................................... 4-6NNeutral indicator light ..................................................... 4-3OOn-Command drive knob, operation ............................. 6-5
Owner’s Manual and tool kit .......................................... 8-2PPanels .......................................................................... 8-11
Parking ........................................................................... 6-7
Parking brake ............................................................... 8-42
Parking brake indicator light .......................................... 4-3
Parking brake lever ...................................................... 4-13
Passenger handhold, Pre-operation check ................... 5-7
RRear knuckle upper and lower pivot, lubrication ......... 8-45
Reverse indicator light ................................................... 4-3SSafety information .......................................................... 2-1
Seat belt indicator light .................................................. 4-5
Seat belts ..................................................................... 4-17
Seat belts, Pre-operation check .................................... 5-7
Seats ............................................................................ 4-15
Shock absorbers, front ................................................ 4-22
Shock absorbers, rear ................................................. 4-27
Spark arrester, cleaning ............................................... 8-37
Spark plug, inspecting ................................................. 8-30
Specifications .............................................................. 10-1
Stabilizer bushes, checking .......... ............................... 8-44
Starting the engine ........................................................ 6-2
Steering, Pre-operation check ....................................... 5-7
Steering shaft, lubrication ............................................ 8-45
Storage .......................................................................... 9-2
Storage compartments ................................................ 4-18TTail/brake light bulb, replacing .................................... 8-57
Tire, replacing .............................................................. 8-46
Tires, Pre-operation check ............................................ 5-8
Trailer hitch bracket and receiver ................................ 4-32
Troubleshooting ........................................................... 8-57
Troubleshooting charts ................................................ 8-59VValve clearance ............................................................ 8-39
V-belt case drain plug .................................................. 8-37
Vehicle identification number ...................................... 11-1
UB3D7AE0.book Page 2 Tuesday, November 7, 2017 9:38 AM