2012 YAMAHA GRIZZLY 550 warning

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7

Shift your weight to the uphill side of the
ATV.
Never attempt to turn the ATV around on any
hill until you have mastered the turning tech-
nique as described in the Owner’s Manual on
level ground. Be very careful when turning
on any hill.Traversing a sloping surface on your ATV requires
you to properly position your weight to maintain
proper balance. Be sure that you have learned the
basic riding skills on flat ground before attempting
to cross a sloping surface. Avoid slopes with slip-
pery surfaces or rough terrain that may upset your
balance.
As you travel across a slope, lean your body in the
uphill direction. It may be necessary to correct the
steering when riding on loose surfaces by pointing
the front wheels slightly uphill. When riding on
slopes, be sure not to make sharp turns either up
or down hill.
If your ATV does begin to tip over, gradually steer
in the downhill direction if there are no obstacles in
your path. As you regain proper balance, gradually
steer again in the direction you wish to travel. CROSSING THROUGH SHALLOW WATER
WARNING
EWB01641Operating this vehicle through deep or fast-
flowing water can lead to loss of control or an
overturn. To reduce your risk of drowning or
other injuries, use care when crossing through
water. Never operate this ATV water deeper
than the depth specified in your Owner
’s Man-
ual, as tires may float, increasing the risk of an
overturn.
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The ATV can be used to cross slow moving, shal-
low water of up to a maximum of 35 cm (14 in) in
depth. Before entering the water, choose your path
carefully. Enter where there is no sharp drop off,
and avoid rocks or other obstacles which may be
slippery or upset the ATV. Drive slowly and care-
fully.
Test your brakes after leaving the water. If neces-
sary, apply them several times to let friction dry out
the linings. Do not continue to ride your ATV with-
out verifying that you have regained proper braking ability.
WARNING! Wet brakes may have re-
duced stopping ability, which could cause loss
of control.
[EWB02621]
After riding your ATV in water, be sure to drain the
trapped water by removing the check hoses at the
bottom of the air filter case. Also, remove the drain
plugs from the front and rear storage compart-
ments and the V-belt case to drain any water that
may have accumulated. NOTICE: Undrained wa-
ter can cause damage or improper operation.[ECB00841]Wash the ATV in fresh water if it has been operat-
ed in salt water or muddy conditions.
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7
RIDING OVER ROUGH TERRAIN
WARNING
EWB01651Riding improperly over obstacles could cause
loss of control or a collision. Before operating
in a new area, check for obstacles. Never at-
tempt to ride over large obstacles, such as
large rocks or fallen trees. When you go over
obstacles, always follow proper procedures as
described in the Owner
’s Manual.Riding over rough terrain should be done with cau-
tion. Look out for obstacles which could cause
damage to the ATV or could lead to an upset or ac- cident. Be sure to keep your feet firmly mounted on
the footboards at all times. Avoid jumping the ATV
as loss of control and damage to the ATV may re-
sult.
SLIDING AND SKIDDING
WARNING
EWB01662Skidding or sliding improperly may cause you
to lose control of this ATV. You may also re-
gain traction unexpectedly, which may cause
the ATV to overturn.
Learn 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.Care should be used when riding on loose or slip-
pery surfaces since the ATV may slide. If unex-
pected and uncorrected, sliding could lead to an
accident.
To reduce the tendency for the front wheels to slide
in loose or slippery conditions, positioning your
weight over the front wheels will sometimes help.
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EBU28783
PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND ADJUSTMENT
EBU21674Periodic inspection, adjustment, and lubrication
will keep your vehicle in the safest and most effi-
cient condition possible. Safety is an obligation of
the vehicle owner/operator. The most important
points of vehicle inspection, adjustment, and lubri-
cation are explained on the following pages.
WARNING
EWB01841Failure to properly maintain the vehicle or per-
forming maintenance activities incorrectly may
increase your risk of injury or death during ser-
vice or while using the vehicle. If you are not fa-
miliar with vehicle service, have a Yamaha
dealer perform the service.
WARNING
EWB02562Turn off the engine when performing mainte-
nance unless otherwise specified.
A running engine has moving parts that can
catch on body parts or clothing and electri-
cal parts that can cause shocks or fires.

Running the engine while servicing can lead
to eye injury, burns, fire, or carbon monoxide
poisoning - possibly leading to death. See
page 2-3 for more information about carbon
monoxide.
WARNING
EWB02690Brake discs, calipers, drums, and linings can
become very hot during use. To avoid possible
burns, let brake components cool before
touching them.The intervals given in the periodic maintenance
charts should be considered as a general guide
under normal riding conditions. However, DE-
PENDING ON THE WEATHER, TERRAIN, GEO-
GRAPHICAL LOCATION, AND INDIVIDUAL
USE, THE MAINTENANCE INTERVALS MAY
NEED TO BE SHORTENED.
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8-33
8protected against frost and corrosion. If
water has been added to the coolant, have
a Yamaha dealer check the antifreeze con-
tent of the coolant as soon as possible,
otherwise the effectiveness of the coolant
will be reduced.
[ECB01011]
TIP
The radiator fan is automatically switched on or
off according to the coolant temperature in the
radiator.
If the engine overheats, see page 8-68 for fur-
ther instructions.EBU27766To change the coolant
WARNING
EWB01890Wait 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 place a thick rag over the cap
when opening. Allow any remaining pressure
to escape before completely removing the cap.1. Place the ATV on a level surface.
2. Remove panel D. (See page 8-10.)
3. Remove the footboard by removing the bolts
and nuts.
1. Coolant reservoir cap
2. Maximum level mark
3. Minimum level markCoolant reservoir capacity (up to the maxi-
mum level mark):0.24 L (0.25 US qt, 0.21 Imp.qt)
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86. Wash the sponge material gently, but thor-
oughly, in solvent. WARNING! Always use
parts cleaning solvent to clean the sponge
material. Never use low-flash-point sol-
vents or gasoline to clean the sponge ma-
terial because the engine could catch fire
or explode.
[EWB01941]
7. Squeeze the excess solvent out of the sponge material and let it dry. NOTICE: Do not twist
the sponge material when squeezing it.
[ECB00441]
8. Check the sponge material and replace it if damaged.
9. Apply Yamaha foam air filter oil or other qual- ity foam air filter oil to the sponge material.
TIPThe sponge material should be wet but not drip-
ping.10. Install the mesh and the sponge material into the air filter case. NOTICE: Make sure that
the air filter element is properly seated in
the air filter case. Never operate the engine
with the air filter element removed. This
will allow unfiltered air to enter the engine,
causing rapid engine wear and possible
engine damage. Additionally, operation
without the air filter element will affect the
fuel injection system with subsequent
poor performance and possible engine
overheating.
[ECB00761]
11. Insert the projections on the air filter case cov- er into the holders on the air filter case, and
then install the air filter case cover by hooking
the holders onto the cover.
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8
8. Start the engine and rev it up approximately
twenty times while momentarily creating ex-
haust system back pressure by blocking the
end of the muffler with a shop towel.
9. Stop the engine and allow the exhaust pipe to cool.
10. Check the gasket for damage, and replace it if necessary.
11. Install the purging bolt and its gasket, and then tighten the bolt to the specified torque.
WARNING
EWB02380Never run the engine in an enclosed area when
purging the spark arrester, otherwise it could
cause injury to the eyes, burns, carbon monox-
ide poisoning, possibly leading to death, and
start a fire.
Always let the exhaust system cool prior to
touching exhaust components.
Always wear eye protection, and make sure
no one is behind the ATV.
Make sure there are no combustible materi-
als in the area.EBU23931V-belt case drain plug After riding in water deep enough to allow it to en-
ter the V-belt case, remove the V-belt case drain
plug to drain the water from the case.
1. Purging bolt
2. Gasket
2
Tightening torque:Purging bolt:27 Nm (2.7 m ·kgf, 20 ft ·lbf)
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EBU24060Valve clearance The valve clearance changes with use, resulting in
improper air-fuel mixture and/or engine noise. To
prevent this from occurring, the valve clearance
must be adjusted by a Yamaha dealer at the inter-
vals specified in the periodic maintenance and lu-
brication chart.EBU24071Adjusting the drive select lever safety
system cable The drive select lever safety system cable stretch-
es with use, which can result in improper function.
Therefore, the safety system cable should be
checked and adjusted by a Yamaha dealer at the
intervals specified in the periodic maintenance and
lubrication chart.EBU29601Brakes Replacement of brake components requires pro-
fessional knowledge. Brake service should be per-
formed by a Yamaha dealer.
WARNING
EWB02571Operating with improperly serviced or adjust-
ed brakes could lead to a loss in braking ability
and an accident.EBU27470Checking the front and rear brake pads The front and rear brake pads must be checked for
wear at the intervals specified in the periodic main-
tenance and lubrication chart. Each brake pad is
provided with a wear indicator groove, which al-
lows you to check the brake pad wear without hav-
ing to disassemble the brake. If a brake pad has
worn to the point that the wear indicator groove has
almost disappeared, have a Yamaha dealer re-
place the brake pads as a set.TIPThe wheels need to be removed to check the
brake pads. (See page 8-64.)
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