2012 YAMAHA GRIZZLY 550 engine coolant

EBU17420
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LOCATION OF THE WARNING AND
SPECIFICATION LABELS ............................ 1-1
SAFETY INFORMATION .............................. 2-1
DESCRIPTION .............................................. 3-1Left view ...................................................... 3-1
Right view.................................................... 3-1
Controls and instruments ............................ 3-2
INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL
FUNCTIONS .................................................. 4-1 Main switch ................................................ 4-1
Indicator lights and warning lights .............. 4-2
Multi-function display .................................. 4-5
Handlebar switches .................................... 4-7
Throttle lever ............................................ 4-13
Speed limiter ............................................ 4-13
Front brake lever ...................................... 4-14
Brake pedal and rear brake lever ............. 4-14
Drive select lever ...................................... 4-15
Fuel tank cap ............................................ 4-15
Fuel .......................................................... 4-16
Seat .......................................................... 4-18 Storage compartments .............................4-18
Front carrier ..............................................4-21
Rear carrier ...............................................4-21
Adjusting the front and rear shock
absorber assemblies ...............................4-21
Auxiliary DC jack .......................................4-23
PRE-OPERATION CHECKS ..........................5-1 Fuel .............................................................5-3
Engine oil ....................................................5-3
Final gear oil ...............................................5-3
Differential gear oil ......................................5-3
Coolant .......................................................5-3
Front and rear brakes .................................5-3
Throttle lever ...............................................5-4
Tires ............................................................5-4
Chassis fasteners .......................................5-7
Instruments, lights and switches .................5-7
OPERATION...................................................6-1 Starting the engine ......................................6-1
Operating the drive select lever and driving in reverse ......................................6-2
Engine break-in ...........................................6-4U1HS60E0.book Page 1 Tuesday, April 26, 2011 7:53 PM

Parking ....................................................... 6-5
Parking on a slope ..................................... 6-5
Accessories and loading ............................ 6-6
RIDING YOUR ATV ...................................... 7-1 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR ATV............... 7-2
RIDE WITH CARE AND GOOD JUDGMENT .............................................. 7-2
BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU RIDE ............. 7-9
TURNING YOUR ATV .............................. 7-12
CLIMBING UPHILL ................................... 7-13
RIDING DOWNHILL.................................. 7-16
CROSSING A SLOPE............................... 7-17
CROSSING THROUGH SHALLOW WATER ................................................... 7-18
RIDING OVER ROUGH TERRAIN ........... 7-21
SLIDING AND SKIDDING ......................... 7-21
WHAT TO DO IF... .................................... 7-22
WHAT TO DO... ........................................ 7-23
PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND
ADJUSTMENT ............................................... 8-1 Owner’s manual and tool kit ....................... 8-2
Periodic maintenance chart for the emission control system ........................... 8-3
General maintenance and lubrication chart ......................................................... 8-5 Removing and installing panels ................8-10
Removing the radiator grills ......................8-20
Checking the spark plug ...........................8-20
Engine oil and oil filter cartridge ................8-22
Final gear oil .............................................8-27
Differential gear oil ....................................8-29
Coolant .....................................................8-32
Cleaning the air filter element ...................8-39
Cleaning the spark arrester ......................8-42
V-belt case drain plug ...............................8-44
Adjusting the throttle lever free play .........8-45
Valve clearance ........................................8-46
Adjusting the drive select lever safety
system cable ...........................................8-46
Brakes .......................................................8-46
Checking the front and rear brake pads ...8-46
Checking the rear brake hose protectors ................................................8-47
Checking the brake fluid level ...................8-48
Changing the brake fluid ...........................8-49
Checking the front and rear brake lever free play ..................................................8-50
Adjusting the brake pedal free play ..........8-50
Axle boots .................................................8-52
Checking and lubricating the cables .........8-53
Checking and lubricating the front and rear brake levers .....................................8-53
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3-1
3
EBU17680
DESCRIPTION
EBU17690Left view
EBU17700Right view
1. Radiator cap
2. Battery
3. Fuses
4. Air filter case
5. Spark arrester
6. Engine oil dipstick
7. Oil filter cartridge
8. Coolant reservoir
5
1. Rear shock absorber assembly spring preload adjusting ring
2. Rear storage compartment and tool kit
3. Fuel tank cap cover
4. Front shock absorber assembly spring preload adjusting ring
5. Spark plug
6. Brake pedal
7. V-belt case drain plug
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4-2
4
EBU26695Indicator lights and warning lights
EBU17990Low-range indicator light“”
This indicator light comes on when the transmis-
sion is in the low-range position.EBU17980High-range indicator light “”
This indicator light comes on when the transmis-
sion is in the high-range position.EBU17860Neutral indicator light “”
This indicator light comes on when the transmis-
sion is in the neutral position.EBU17830Reverse indicator light “”
This indicator light comes on when the transmis-
sion is in the reverse position.EBU17970Park indicator light “”
This indicator light comes on when the transmis-
sion is in the park position.
1. On-Command differential gear lock indicator light “DIFF. LOCK ”
2. Low-range indicator light “L”
3. High-range indicator light “H”
4. Neutral indicator light “N”
5. Reverse indicator light “R”
6. Park indicator light “P”
7. On-Command four-wheel-drive/differential gear lock indicator “”/“”
8. Engine trouble warning light “”
9. Coolant temperature warning light “”
10.Electric Power Steering warning light “EPS ” (for EPS
model)U1HS60E0.book Page 2 Tuesday, April 26, 2011 7:53 PM

4-3
4
EBU30530Coolant temperature warning light“”
This warning light comes on when the engine over-
heats. When this occurs during operation, stop the
engine as soon as it is safe to do so and allow it to
cool down for about 10 minutes.
The electrical circuit of the warning light can be
checked by turning the key to “” (on). The warn-
ing light should come on for a few seconds, and
then go off.
If the warning light does not come on initially when
the key is turned to “” (on), or if the warning light
remains on, have a Yamaha dealer check the elec-
trical circuit.NOTICEECB00891
The engine may overheat if the ATV is over-
loaded. In this case, reduce the load to spec-
ification.
The engine may also overheat if mud or dirt
has accumulated on the radiator (i.e., after
riding in wet terrain). In this case, see page
8-20 for an explanation on how to access the
radiator.

Start the engine after making sure that the
warning light is out. Continuous use while
the warning light is on may cause damage to
the engine.EBU30480Engine trouble warning light “”
This warning light comes on or flashes when an
electrical circuit monitoring the engine is not work-
ing correctly. When this occurs, have a Yamaha
dealer check the self-diagnosis system. (See page
4-7 for an explanation of the self-diagnosis device.)
The electrical circuit of the warning light can be
checked by turning the key to “” (on). The warn-
ing light should come on for a few seconds, and
then go off.
If the warning light does not come on initially when
the key is turned to “” (on), or if the warning light
remains on, have a Yamaha dealer check the elec-
trical circuit.EBU30570Electric Power Steering warning light “EPS ”
(for EPS model)
This warning light comes on when the key is turned
to “” (on), and then goes off once the engine is
started. If the warning light remains on or comes on
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5-1
5
EBU19201
PRE-OPERATION CHECKS
EBU19224Inspect your vehicle each time you use it to make sure the vehicle is in safe operating condition. Always
follow the inspection and maintenance procedures and schedules described in the Owner’s Manual.
WARNING
EWB00481Failure to inspect or maintain the vehicle properly increases the possibility of an accident or equip-
ment damage. Do not operate the vehicle if you find any problem. If a problem cannot be corrected
by the procedures provided in this manual, have the vehicle inspected by a Yamaha dealer.Before using this vehicle, check the following points:
ITEM ROUTINE PAGE
Fuel 
Check fuel level in fuel tank, and add recommended fuel if neces-
sary.
 Check fuel line for leakage. Correct if necessary. 4-16, 5-3
Engine oil 
Check oil level in engine, and add recommended oil to specified lev-
el if necessary.
 Check ATV for oil leakage. Correct if necessary. 5-3, 8-22
Final gear oil Check ATV for oil leakage. Correct if necessary. 5-3, 8-27
Differential gear oil Check ATV for oil leakage. Correct if necessary. 5-3, 8-29
Coolant 
Check coolant level in reservoir, and add recommended coolant to
specified level if necessary.
 Check cooling system for leakage. Correct if necessary. 5-3, 8-32
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5-3
5
EBU19541Fuel Make sure that there is sufficient fuel in the tank.
(See page 4-16.)EBU19560Engine oil Make sure that the engine oil is at the specified lev-
el. Add oil as necessary. (See page 8-22.)EBU19590Final gear oil Make sure that the final gear oil is at the specified
level. Add oil as necessary. (See page 8-27.)EBU19600Differential gear oil Make sure that the differential gear oil is at the
specified level. Add oil as necessary. (See page
8-29.)EBU19631Coolant Make sure that the coolant is at the specified level.
Add coolant as necessary. (See page 8-32.)
TIPThe coolant level must be checked on a cold en-
gine since the level varies with engine tempera-
ture.EBU29082Front and rear brakes Brake levers and brake pedal
Check that there is no free play in the front and
rear brake levers. If there is free play, have a
Yamaha dealer check the brake system.
Check for correct free play in the brake pedal. If
the free play is incorrect, adjust it. (See page
8-50.)
Check the operation of the brake levers and
pedal. They should move smoothly and there
should be a firm feeling when the brakes are ap-
plied. If not, have a Yamaha dealer check the
brake system.
Brake fluid level
Check the brake fluid level. Add fluid if necessary.
(See page 8-48.)
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6-1
6
EBU19881
OPERATION
EBU19901Read the Owner’s Manual carefully before riding
the ATV. If there is a control or function you do not
understand, ask your Yamaha dealer.
WARNING
EWB00631Read the Owner ’s Manual carefully to become
familiar with all controls in order to help pre-
vent any loss of control, which could cause an
accident or injury.EBU30560Starting the engine NOTICEECB00150See the “Engine break-in ” section on page 6-4
prior to operating the engine for the first time.1. Turn the key to “” (on) and the engine stop
switch to “”.
The following warning lights should come on
for a few seconds, then go off.

Coolant temperature warning light

Engine trouble warning light
The EPS warning light should come on, then
go off when the engine is started. (for EPS
model)
NOTICEECB00824If a warning light does not go off, see page 4-2
for the corresponding warning light circuit
check. To avoid possible damage, do not oper-
ate the ATV if a warning light stays on.2. Apply the brake pedal, and then shift the drive select lever into the neutral or park position.
The corresponding indicator light should
come on. If the indicator light does not come
on, have a Yamaha dealer check the electrical
circuit.TIPThis model is equipped with an ignition circuit cut-
off system. The engine can be started under the
following conditions:
The drive select lever is in the neutral or park po-
sition.
U1HS60E0.book Page 1 Tuesday, April 26, 2011 7:53 PM