Some General Questions for Owners

[DoctorHeel]

I have had my 825i for about three weeks now. I love that thing. I live in Utah and there are literally mountains that run parallel to the end of my street. So I've been taking it up and down some crazy trails, up very steep climbs, over rocks and dirt. Never a hiccup. Just climbs and goes. I thank you in advance for you patience and answers - here are my questions:

1) I ride that thing hard, although I've rarely had anything hid the skid-plate. I guess I'm wondering, and I realize it's very subjective and maybe can't be answered, but where is the line between riding hard and abusing the thing?

2) What are the most common mistakes new owners make?

3) Is it "shift on the fly" or should I stop before switching into 4WD? If on the fly, what is a not-safe speed to do this? I couldn't find that in the manual.

4) Because I'm descending these steep grades, is there a technique to engine braking? I usually brake, then slightly hit the gas (in low) to engage the engine and then back to the brakes (back and forth). Thoughts?

Any other counsel or advice is much appreciated. Again, thank you in advance!

DH

[osiris]

one common mistake ive read about is taking the gator in the water, makes the belt slip, and can get in the intake locking up the motor,plus the electrical system isnt sealed,one other thing is blowing the ignition fuse if u have any high current things hooked up to the cig lighter and it kills the vehicle dead . and as for the engine brake Team Clutch released a replacment clutch for the gator thats supposed to help with that

[825joe]

The team clutch kit does not address the engine braking, it lowers the rpm at cruising and gives you a bit more top end.
I just keep the rpms up a bit by lightly tapping the accelerator if I am going down a long steep grade. It works and takes some getting used to but I like it.

As for the 4wd. You can shift on the fly but not when the rear wheels are spinning. You risk doing damage to the gears if you do.

Hope this helps.

[osiris]

sorry about that then i could have swore they told me it helped with engine braking, my bad

[825joe]

no problemo man. They said it helped with it to me as well in the begining but when I called back as it was released they said it would be just like the stock one as far as engine braking goes.

[Spence313]

I have a few questions also figured I would just post it here instead of making a new thread.
1- the 825i engine compartment is under the bed I have some concern about this. Have you ever had problems with mud or should I say engine compartment getting over exposed to the elements? I know jd has Skid protection which may prevent some of the exposure

2- the intake and belt cooling discharge, unsealed alt, unsealed starter have me little concerned also. Jd says not to exceed 22" of water is this a big concern ? I been watching a lot of videos of these gators in deep water and mud ? The reason I ask this if I'm out and I confront a water hole or mud pit I want the confidence that if I decide to go through it that my machine won't suck up water or short out my electrical components
Thanks
C

[Kiwi06]

The biggest issue is your engine air intake. Water in your intake can be a very expensive problem! (Water is not compressible, and it can cause a whole host of problems that will require engine rebuild at best!) If you want to hit deep water, you need a snorkel for that. Second in my list of deep water mods would be a snorkel on the transmission cooling intake. From what I know of the design, I'm not sure you can seal off the rest of the transmission, and I've heard of people experiencing a lot of belt slip with a wet transmission. I haven't got experience with more than about 18" of water (no snorkel - yet - so I'm staying conservative), so I can't really give you much more on that. I'm sure others will chime in.

- Steve in smoky CO

[pcbunn]

I don't think the 825 is really made for deep water; puddles and the occasional ditch but nothing but trouble if you submerge the running gear and engine. I would avoid deep water if possible.