2008 YAMAHA WOLVERINE 450 stop start

7-23
7With practice, over a period of time, skill at con-
trolled sliding can be developed. The terrain
should be chosen carefully before attempting such
maneuvers, since both stability and control are re-
duced. Bear in mind that sliding maneuvers should
always be avoided on extremely slippery surfaces
such as ice, since all control may be lost.
WARNING
EWB01661Learn to safely control skidding or sliding by
practicing at low speeds and on level, smooth
terrain.On extremely slippery surfaces, such as ice,
go slowly and be very cautious in order to re-
duce the chance of skidding or sliding out of
control.
WHAT TO DO IF...
This section is designed to be a reference guide
only. Be sure to read each section on riding tech-
niques completely.
WHAT TO DO...
If your ATV doesn’t turn when you want it to:
Bring the ATV to a stop and practice the turning
maneuvers again. Be sure you are putting your
weight on the footboard to the outside of the
turn. Position your weight over the front wheels
for better control. (See page 7-12.)
If your ATV begins to tip while turning:
Lean more into the turn to regain balance. If nec-
essary, gradually let off the throttle and/or steer
to the outside of the turn. (See page 7-12.)
If your ATV starts to slide sideways:
Steer in the direction of the slide if you have the
room. Applying the brakes or accelerating is not
recommended until you have corrected the
slide. (See page 7-22.)
U3C262E0.book Page 23 Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3:36 PM

7-24
7

If your ATV can’t make it up a hill you are trying
to climb:
Turn the ATV around if you still have forward
speed. If not, stop, dismount on the uphill side of
the ATV and physically turn the ATV around. If
the ATV starts to slip backwards, DO NOT USE
THE REAR BRAKE IF THE ATV IS IN 2WD –
the ATV may tip over on top of you. Dismount
the ATV on the uphill side. (See page 7-14.)
If your ATV is traversing a sloping surface:
Be sure to ride with your weight positioned to-
wards the uphill side of the ATV to maintain
proper balance. If the ATV starts to tip, steer
down the hill (if there are no obstacles in your
way) to regain balance. If you discover that the
ATV is going to tip over, dismount on the uphill
side. (See page 7-14.)
If your ATV encounters shallow water:
Ride slowly and carefully through slow moving
water, watching for obstacles. Be sure to let wa-
ter drain from the ATV and CHECK YOUR
BRAKES FOR PROPER OPERATION when
you come out of the water. Do not continue to
ride your ATV until you have regained adequate
braking ability. (See page 7-19.)
U3C262E0.book Page 24 Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3:36 PM

8-36
8
EBU23940Adjusting the carburetor The carburetor should be checked and, if neces-
sary, adjusted at the intervals specified in the peri-
odic maintenance and lubrication chart. The
carburetor is an important part of the engine and
requires very sophisticated adjustment. Therefore,
most carburetor adjustments should be left to a
Yamaha dealer, who has the necessary profes-
sional knowledge and experience. The adjustment
described in the following section, however, may
be performed by the owner as part of routine main-
tenance.CAUTION:ECB00480The carburetor has been set and extensively
tested at the Yamaha factory. Changing these
settings without sufficient technical knowl-
edge may result in poor performance of ordamage to the engine.EBU24000Adjusting the engine idling speed The engine idling speed must be checked and, if
necessary, adjusted as follows at the intervals
specified in the periodic maintenance and lubrica-
tion chart.
NOTE:A diagnostic tachometer is needed to make thisadjustment.
1. Start the engine and warm it up.NOTE:The engine is warm when it quickly responds to thethrottle.
2. Attach the tachometer to the spark plug lead.
3. Check the engine idling speed and, if neces-
sary, adjust it to specification by turning the
throttle stop screw at the carburetor. To in-
crease the engine idling speed, turn the throt-
tle stop screw in direction (a), and to decrease
it, turn the screw in direction (b).
U3C262E0.book Page 36 Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3:36 PM

8-51
83. Remove the defective bulb from the headlight
unit by pulling it out.
WARNING
EWB02220A headlight bulb is hot when it is on and imme-
diately after it is turned off. Wait for the bulb to
cool before touching or removing it. You can
be burned or a fire could start if the bulb touch-es something flammable.
4. Install a new headlight bulb into the headlight
unit by aligning the projection on the bulb with
the groove in the headlight unit.
CAUTION:ECB00650Do not touch the glass part of the headlight
bulb to keep it free from oil, otherwise the
transparency of the glass, the luminosity of the
bulb, and the bulb life will be adversely affect-
ed. Thoroughly clean off any dirt and finger-
prints on the headlight bulb using a clothmoistened with alcohol or thinner.
5. Install the headlight bulb holder by aligning the
projections with the holes in the headlight unit,
pushing it inward, and turning it clockwise until
it stops.
6. Install the headlight bulb holder cover at the
rear of the headlight.
1. Do not touch the glass part of the bulb.U3C262E0.book Page 51 Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3:36 PM

INDEX
AAccessories and loading ................................................ 6-6
Air filter element, cleaning ............................................ 8-31
Axle boots .................................................................... 8-44BBattery .......................................................................... 8-47
Brake fluid, changing .................................................... 8-41
Brake fluid level, checking ............................................ 8-39
Brake lever free play and brake pedal position (rear),
adjusting and checking .............................................. 8-42
Brake lever free play, checking the front ...................... 8-41
Brake lever, front ............................................................ 4-8
Brake levers, checking and lubricating ......................... 8-45
Brake light switches ..................................................... 8-44
Brake pads, checking the front and rear ...................... 8-38
Brake pedal and rear brake lever ................................... 4-8
Brake pedal, checking and lubricating ......................... 8-46
Brakes, front and rear .................................................... 5-4CCables, checking and lubricating ................................. 8-45
Carburetor, adjusting .................................................... 8-36
Chassis fasteners ........................................................... 5-7
Cleaning ......................................................................... 9-1
Coolant .................................................................. 5-3, 8-26
Coolant temperature warning light ................................. 4-2
Cowlings and panels, removing and installing ............... 8-9DDifferential gear oil ......................................................... 5-3Differential gear oil, changing ....................................... 8-24
Drive select lever ............................................................ 4-9
Drive select lever and driving in reverse ........................ 6-3
Drive select lever safety system cable, adjusting ......... 8-38
EEngine break-in .............................................................. 6-5
Engine, cold start ........................................................... 6-1
Engine idling speed ...................................................... 8-36
Engine oil ....................................................................... 5-3
Engine oil and oil filter cartridge ................................... 8-17
Engine, starting a warm ................................................. 6-3
Engine stop switch ......................................................... 4-4FFinal gear oil .......................................................... 5-3, 8-22
Four-wheel-drive indicator .............................................. 4-3
Fuel ......................................................................... 4-9, 5-3
Fuel cock ...................................................................... 4-10
Fuel tank cap .................................................................. 4-9
Fuses, replacing ........................................................... 8-48HHandlebar switches ........................................................ 4-4
Headlight beam, adjusting ............................................ 8-52
Headlight bulb, replacing .............................................. 8-50IIdentification numbers .................................................. 11-1
Indicator lights and warning light .................................... 4-2
Instruments, lights and switches .................................... 5-7
U3C262E0.book Page 1 Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3:36 PM