2004 YAMAHA WOLVERINE 450 engine

5-21
WARNING
_ Wait for the engine and radiator to cool before
removing the radiator cap. You could be
burned by hot fluid and steam blown out under
pressure. Always put a thick rag over the cap
when opening. Allow any remaining pressure
to escape before completely removing the cap. _
EBU01083
Throttle lever
Check to see that the throttle lever operates cor-
rectly. It must open smoothly and spring back to
the idle position when released. Have a Yamaha
dealer repair as necessary for proper operation.
EBU01162
Fittings and fasteners
Always check the tightness of chassis fittings and
fasteners before a ride. Take the machine to a
Yamaha dealer or refer to the Service Manual for
correct tightening torque.
U5ND61.book Page 21 Thursday, June 5, 2003 7:02 PM

6-3
EBU00673
Starting a cold engine
WARNING
Always make sure all control cables work
smoothly before you begin riding in cold
weather. If the control cables are frozen or do
not work smoothly, you could be unable to
control the ATV, which could lead to an acci-
dent or collision.1. Apply the rear brake lever.
2. Turn the fuel cock to “ON”.
3. Turn the main switch to “ON” and the engine
stop switch to “”.
4. Shift the drive select lever into the neutral or
park position.
U5ND61.book Page 3 Thursday, June 5, 2003 7:02 PM

6-5 a. Starter (choke)
1. Fully open
2. Half open
3. Closed
a. Starter (enrichisseur)
1. Complètement ouvert
2. Mi-ouvert
3. Fermé
a. Starter (choke)
1. Abre completamente
2. Semiabierto
3. Cerrado
NOTE:

When the drive select lever is in the neutral or
park position, if either indicator light does not
come on, ask a Yamaha dealer to inspect its
electric circuit.


The engine can be started in any gear if the
rear brake lever is applied. However, it is rec-
ommended to shift into neutral or park before
starting the engine.
5. Use the starter (choke) in reference to the fig-
ure:
Position
1: Cold engine start-
ambient temperature below 5 °C.
Position
2: Cold engine start-
ambient temperature at 0 °C–30 °C
and warming up position.
Position
3: Cold engine start-
ambient temperature above 25 °C
and warm engine start position.
6. Completely close the throttle lever and start
the engine by pushing the start switch.
U5ND61.book Page 5 Thursday, June 5, 2003 7:02 PM

6-7 a. Starter (choke)
1. Fully open
2. Half open
3. Closed
a. Starter (enrichisseur)
1. Complètement ouvert
2. Mi-ouvert
3. Fermé
a. Starter (choke)
1. Abre completamente
2. Semiabierto
3. Cerrado
NOTE:

If the engine fails to start, release the start
switch, then push the start switch again.
Pause a few seconds before the next attempt.
Each cranking should be as short as possible
to preserve battery energy. Do not crank the
engine more than 10 seconds on each at-
tempt.


If the battery is discharged, pull the recoil
starter to start the engine.
7. If the engine is started with the starter (choke)
in position
1, the starter (choke) should be
returned to position
2 to warm up the en-
gine. If the engine is started with the starter
(choke) in position
2, keep the starter
(choke) in this position to warm up the en-
gine.
8. Continue warming up the engine until it idles
smoothly and return the starter (choke) to po-
sition
3 before riding.CAUTION:
See the “Engine break-in” section prior to op-
erating the engine for the first time.
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6-9
EBU00180
Starting a warm engine
To start a warm engine, refer to the “Starting a cold
engine” section. The starter (choke) should not be
used. The throttle should be opened slightly.
EBU00182
Warming up
To get maximum engine life, always warm up the
engine before starting off. Never accelerate hard
with a cold engine! To see whether or not the en-
gine is warm, check if it responds to the throttle
normally with the starter (choke) turned off.
U5ND61.book Page 9 Thursday, June 5, 2003 7:02 PM

6-13 1. Drive select lever
a. L (Low)
b. H (High)
c. N (Neutral)
d. R (Reverse)
e. P (Park)
1. Levier de présélection
a. L (Rapport inférieur)
b. H (Rapport supérieur)
c. N (Point mort)
d. R (Marche arrière)
e. P (Stationnement)
1. Palanca de selección de marcha
a. L (Baja)
b. H (Alta)
c. N (Punto muerto)
d. R (Marcha atrás)
e. P (Estacionamiento)
Shifting: Neutral to Reverse and Reverse to
ParkNOTE:_ The drive select lever cannot be shifted into or
from reverse or park without applying the rear
brake. _1. Bring the machine to a complete stop and re-
turn the throttle lever to the closed position.
2. Apply the rear brake pedal.
3. Shift from neutral to reverse or from reverse
to park and vice versa by moving the drive
select lever along the shift guide.NOTE:_

When in reverse, the reverse indicator light
should be on. If the light does not come on,
ask a Yamaha dealer to inspect the reverse
indicator light electrical circuit.


Due to the synchronizing mechanism in the
engine, the light may not come on until the
ATV starts moving.
_
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6-17
EBU02101
Engine break-in
There is never a more important period in the life of
your machine than the period between zero and
20 hours.
For this reason, we ask that you carefully read the
following material. Because the engine is brand
new, you must not put an excessive load on it for
the first several hours of running. During the first
20 hours, the various parts in the engine wear and
polish themselves to the correct operating clear-
ances.
During this period, prolonged full throttle operation
or any condition which might result in excessive
engine heating must be avoided. However, mo-
mentary (2–3 seconds maximum) full throttle oper-
ation under load does not harm the engine.
Each full throttle acceleration sequence should be
followed with a substantial rest period for the en-
gine by cruising at lower r/min so the engine can
rid itself of the temporary build up of heat. If any
abnormality is noticed during this period, consult a
Yamaha dealer.
U5ND61.book Page 17 Thursday, June 5, 2003 7:02 PM

6-19
0–10 hours:
Avoid continuous operation above half throttle. Al-
low a cooling off period of five to ten minutes after
every hour of operation. Vary the speed of the ma-
chine from time to time. Do not operate it at one
set throttle position.
10–20 hours:
Avoid prolonged operation above 3/4 throttle. Rev
the machine freely but do not use full throttle at any
time.
After break-in:
Avoid prolonged full throttle operation. Vary
speeds occasionally.
EBU00612
Parking
When parking, stop the engine and shift the drive
select lever into the park position, then turn the fuel
cock to the “OFF” position.
U5ND61.book Page 19 Thursday, June 5, 2003 7:02 PM