10 Routine Snowmobile Maintenance Tips Before Your First Ride

Nothing like hearing your sled roar to life after a long season of sitting around. Turn the key and nothing!!! Did you forget that your precious baby needs some TLC too?!? Let’s look at a list of pre-season maintenance things I like to do with my sleds. None of which is rocket science, nor is it the be-all-end-all, but it should help keep you out of trouble. Whether you own a Polaris, Ski-Doo, Yamaha, or Arctic Cat, or any other brand for that matter, some maintenance tips will vary by brand or model. For those who maintain their sleds, your snowmobile maintenance checklist may be different, but this is what works for me. Remember: a thorough pre-season inspection is extremely important for optimal performance, safety, and avoiding breakdowns deep in the bush, far away from a garage!

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What Maintenance Does a Snowmobile Need?

Whether you’re putting your sled away for the season or preparing it for the first ride, there are a few things we need to do to prevent breakdowns – all of which you could do yourself. From a quick engine tune-up, topping up fluids (or replacing), checking the track and suspension, to an electrical check, let’s break down what exactly is needed to maintain a snowmobile yourself. Come the season, finding a snowmobiling mechanic who’s free is not easy! And, if you live in an area where snow is scarce, that might mean the end of the season before it even really begins.

1. Inspect Your Snowmobile Belt to Avoid a Blow Out in the Bush

Let’s start your snowmobile servicing with a belt check. The average belt on a snowmobile lasts anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 miles. You’ll get a blown drive belt when you ignore the 1,500-mile lifespan, the frayed edges, or the fact that your belt is glazed from overheating and friction.

Before every ride, you should inspect the snowmobile belt for rips, cracks, tears, visible damage, and frayed edges. If in doubt, change it. When replacing the belt, purchase the correct type specific to your snowmobile’s make and model. Refer to the manufacturer’s manual or consult with a dealer for the right fit. 

Snowmobile Troubleshooting a Drive Belt

You’ll know when your drive belt is failing as it starts to whine and squeal, eventually leading to steering problems and an overheating engine. There’s little to no cell signal in the backcountry, so don’t count on being capable of looking things up. I suggest you practice changing the belt at least once in your garage, so you’re not learning this on a cold or wet trail, in the dark, when you’re exhausted and wanting to go home.

Carry a Spare Belt for Your Snowmobile!

Most sleds have a spot to carry a spare belt; if not, pack zip ties and add it somewhere in the engine bay, away from moving parts and exhaust. Don’t forget to also carry screwdrivers, a wrench/socket set, duct tape, and a spark plug socket as a basic tool set for on-trail repairs.

If anything breaks on a snowmobile, it’s usually the drive belt. It’s not super expensive, and carrying a spare is cheap insurance to get you home. I also suggest reading the snowmobile repair manual or watching a YouTube video on how to change your sled’s belt. Save the video or take a picture with your phone to avoid physically carrying a manual. 

2. Snowmobile Clutch Maintenance

A neighbour lent my son a 90s Ski-Doo snowmobile, which is now considered a vintage sled to try out. The winds on an open lake are atrocious, 400 metres from shore the sled stalls in deep snow with my wife and kid on it. They looked for a blown belt, replaced the spark plug, and nothing – still dead in the water. The cause – the TRA Primary Drive Clutch.

Snowmobile Troubleshooting: The Degraded Primary Clutch Drive

On a vintage machine, my kiddo noticed that the engine revved high and the track moved slowly or sometimes, not at all – these are symptoms of a tired primary clutch. My kiddo thought the track wasn’t moving because of the deep snow. Other signs to look for: jerky takeoffs, excessive belt dust, or the feeling that something slipping.

The most common failure points on a 90s Ski-Doo is the internal governor cup, ramps, primary spring, or fiber buttons. Over time, these degrade and become tired.

The Lesson:

Look at your snowmobile’s clutch. If you see any belt dust, blow it off with an air hose – this prevents a burning smell, slipping, and vibrations. Periodically change the clutch oil. I like to do mine yearly to prevent performance issues. By not changing the oil, you risk blowing up the clutch and/or power transmission. And, if your primary clutch has any issues, there are rebuild kits from EPI Performance with buttons, O-rings, and rollers you can buy to replace these worn out parts with.

3. Inspecting the Track is Basic Snowmobile Maintenance

Imagine doing 120 km on a frozen lake, when all of sudden you loose speed and are coasting down the lake hoping the snowmobile stops BEFORE you get to shore. It’s not a great feeling!!! Laughing, my buddy pulls up beside me asking me if I lost something, while pointing to my track drapped over HIS snowmobile. I was lucky that it slid right out and didn’t fly around and hit me in the back – I’ve heard some nasty stories of this happening to a few people.

Snowmobile Troubleshooting: The Blown Out Track

If your snowmobile track has:

• dry rot (rubber naturally degrades around 7 years)
• deep cracks
• frayed cords or rips
• missing or torn lugs/chunks
• missing or worn track clips

Then it’s time to replace the track. If in doubt, get an opinion from a trusted friend or dealer. Mine was almost $1,000! It’s one of those items you don’t want blowing in the bush, but you also don’t want to change it if you don’t need to. You can use a maintenance stand to elevate your snowmobile for a thorough inspection of the track.

To ensure optimal performance and longevity, you should adjust the track tension on your snowmobile and check track alignment. Start by taking a sag measurement to confirm the track is within the recommended tension range – check your manufacturer’s manual for the range. This helps maintain the structural integrity of your suspension components and prevents future issues.

How To Spot the Warning Signs Before It Blows

If your snowmobile vibrates excessively at certain speeds, that’s usually your first clue. This signals that your track is out of alignment, is stretched, or the internal rod is broken.

Another warning sign is ratcheting or loud clicking noise during hard acceleration. This means your snowmobile track is loose and skipping teeth on the drive sprocket.

As with cars, uneven wearing on slides is another tell-tell sign. When the track alignment is off, it puts uneven tension on one side of the track, which wears down the side rails quickly or unevenly.

4. Change Your Fluids on Your Snowmobile!

Chain Case

Every snowmobile has a chain case. The oils vary from machine to machine, so please take the time to look up what your sled needs. A good brand of chain case oil is from Amsoil. If you can’t find the manufacturer’s recommendations, contact your snowmobile brand’s service dealer or places like Royal Distributing or sled repair shops. Most snowmobile brands have their own chaincase oil.

Engine Oil

How often should snowmobile oil be changed? If your snowmobile’s a 4-stroke engine, an annual oil change is a must. If you snowmobile heavily, you’ll require extra oil changes during the season.

Modern 2-stroke engines have an oil reservoir and an oil injector. It’s not a part of “changing” fluids. Instead, treat this like a part of filling up when you get gas. Don’t be lazy either – you’ll thank me when your machine doesn’t shut down for a low oil alarm in the middle of nowhere.

Coolant

For me, a snowmobile coolant flush is done at a 4-5 year service interval. It can be corrosive for motors with aluminum parts, and it also becomes dirty over time. When I perform a coolant change, I flush and backflush everything until clear water comes through. Then, I drain and fill with the correct mixture of antifreeze and water. Do check your level and condition before the snowmobiling season and occasionally during the season to prevent engine overheating.

Brake Fluid

Check your brake fluid, if applicable. It should be full. If not, you probably have a problem that needs to be checked. I have never replaced any brake fluid in any of my vehicles – there’s no need.

My take is – it’s hydraulic fluid that contains corrosion inhibitors. Yes, it absorbs water, but it’s in a sealed system. And, technically, there’s no real exposure to moving parts that would quickly degrade or dirty it. I’m not saying it doesn’t go bad, but I would consider a change every 5-10 years. If it gives you the warm and fuzzies, feel free to do it more often – just don’t blame me if you don’t.

Routine Snowmobiling Maintenance Scheduling Tip

I work on my sleds before the season because it’s exciting. I just can’t seem to get into it in the spring. For what it’s worth, it would be better to perform fluid changes before summer storage so they sit with clean fluids.

For example, with boats, I change the lower unit oil in the fall on the day I cover the boat for storage. It has to be changed once a year anyway. My point is that I have a schedule or routine that works for me. I know what gets done and when. If you don’t have a pre-season or end-of-season snowmobile maintenance set, it’s probably wise to start now. It keeps you accountable for your maintenance efforts.

5. Check your Spark Plugs

When you have unburned fuel, oil, or carbon coating the plug’s electrodes, it blocks the electrical spark from properly firing – this is called a fouled spark plug. If your sled is hard to start, occasionally misfires, or doesn’t haul like it used to, it’s time to change your plugs. And no, you can’t just put new ones in – you need to gap them BEFORE putting them in 🙂

Before you toss the old ones, you may want to learn how to read them. Sadly, it’s a dying art, but reading your spark plugs tell you exactly, cylinder by cylinder, what your snowmobile’s engine is doing and its health.

6. Fuel Treatment

I use premium fuel in small engines, but not for my sleds, ATVs, and boats. I don’t see the need for the added expense. Unless you have a high-compression engine that calls for it, there’s no need for it. Many people may disagree with me on this, and I respect that. But I have NEVER had a fuel-related problem.

Premium fuel used to be ethanol-free, which is why many people bought it. Ethanol use in premium varies from station to station, so be sure to ask or look for a sign if that’s why you are using it. I’ll tell you from experience that many gas operators can’t or won’t answer this question. A quick search will tell you that in Canada, the government is “requiring that gasoline at the pump contain an average of 5%”, provinces may up this. In the US, it’s about 10% ethanol. This includes premium!

I add some Startron to all my gas cans before filling them. The gas cans end up in my engines, so I have a system of constantly dosing and delivering a fuel system cleaner and fuel stabilizer. This way, I know the carburetor or injectors, depending on the motorized vehicle, are always getting a little cleaning. I’m also slowing down the deterioration of the gasoline and ethanol.

7. Yes, Fill Up Your Snowmobile!

Should I store my snowmobile with a full tank of gas? YES! A common problem people have is water in the fuel system. When the stator failed on the Yamaha Attak, my neighbours stopped to tell me I had water in the fuel. I’m proud to say that I’ve NEVER had that problem. And it’s because I fill up after each ride!

Most gas tanks are vented, meaning gas goes out, and air comes in. If it’s full of gas, there is no air space in your tank and no room for air, which condensates into water droplets as temperatures fluctuate. I also know that my next outing is with a full tank of gas. The last benefit is that if there is ever an emergency, whatever machine I grab is always ready to go!

I don’t generally trust gauges either, so it’s nice to see the gas come right up when I fill.

8. A Dying Battery Gets You Stuck!

For snowmobile battery maintenance, when the sled is in storage, I usually do an automatic trickle charge for a day or two, once a month. Always at the beginning of the month, not to forget. It’s not good for a battery to sit too long in a discharged state, and NEVER store it on concrete.

Before every season, check and clean your battery posts and cables to ensure good contact. Make sure they’re nice and tight.

I also have a digital load tester that will give me a percentage of battery life. It is surprisingly accurate, and I bought it as I was tired of constantly guessing the health of all these different batteries over the years. I appreciate that not everyone has this tool, but if in doubt, some shops will check your battery.

For the roughly $150 that a battery costs, it’s just not worth taking any chances of getting stranded when it reads or acts (if you can’t measure) a bit weak. The Ski-Doo I have has a pull start, but it will not run without a battery! I’m not sure, but it might be an issue with the digital security key. Nevertheless, don’t count on the pull start alone.

9. Don’t Forget Your Lights

We’ve snowmobiled many trails that start off wide and quickly narrow, are super windy, or aren’t properly marked and you’re left guessing which way the trail goes – not fun, especially on open lakes, where the makers are barely visible. The biggest nightime danger are ice fissures, open water, and walls! Confused as to why walls? Living on the lake, plenty of snowmobilers get lost at night and look for a way off the lake – without proper lighting, unfortunately some of them drove straight into a stone retaining wall.

A brake light is a safety feature – make sure it works. As for a headlight, you won’t be riding at night without one, so double-check it. This should be part of your regular snowmobile maintenance. I also suggest checking it before any trip that potentially has you coming home in the dark. Even if you think you’ll be back in an hour, Mother Nature may have other plans – it’s better to be prepared when venturing away from home!

10. Grease and Lubricate

Older snowmobiles need all grease fittings and suspension pivot points lubricated. If you skip this, be prepared to open your wallet to some costly mechanical breakdowns. This preventative snowmobile maintenance step extends the life of your suspension components. Keeps the ball points and pivot joints from squeaking and freezing. Prevents bearings, bolts and shafts from rusting. Regular greasing can prevent premature wear and potential performance issues down the line.

11. Cable Adjustments

Lastly, before your first ride of the season, check to see if your snowmobile needs a brake adjustment. If so, no worries, it’s a quick fix – use the barrel nut to remove the free play in the brake lever. Depending on the type of sled, the nut can be found by the handlebar or caliper. Again, look for damage to the housing, kinks, or frays. Replace it if you do find any damage. The same goes for the throttle cable. Failing to adjust a loose throttle equals lost power! Not enough slack (2 to 3 mm) makes for a sticky throttle.

Most Common Repairs Needed on Used Snowmobiles

Vintage snowmobiles are very different from modern machines. They are very simplistic machines, which meant repairs were easy. They’re also slower, lower to the ground, making it perfect for the kiddos to ride. Buying used is great, especially if you live in an area where the snowy season is short. However, it does come with it’s own can of worms. Some are easy to fix, others not so much. Here are the most common wear-and-tear fixes:

1. Engine & Ignition: rusted, fouled or dry-rotted spark plug and caps. Top-end rebuilds on 2-stroke – replacing rings, pistons, or cylinder re-plating.
2. Steering & Brakes: play in the steering, worn out brake pads, moisture in the hydraulic fluid, worn out or damaged carbide runners.
3. Fuel System & Carburetors: fuel lines maybe cracked or hardened. Carburetors are usually clogged (may need to rebuild carb or cleaning).
4. Track & Suspension: suspension shocks may need new seals or replacement, worn-out bogies. Track might have missing lugs, tears, or pulled studs. Worn-out plastic slider shoes (side rails).
5. Drivetrain & Clutches: seized or dry bearings on the driveshaft & jackshaft. Primary and secondary clutches can have worn down bushings, grooved sheaves, or belt dust. Drive belts fray, disintegrate, or crack.

Just because you buy used, doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll face all of these issues. Some of these are common wear-and-tear items that you’re replacing or repairing during your regular routine maintenance schedule any way. I’ve had a few used sleds in my day, and I can tell you that the only issue on my son’s ’78 Jag was a missing motor mount. On my ’95 Ski-Doo it needed a carb cleaning as did our 80s Ski-Doo. Our newer machines were bought used as well, and fortunately on those, there weren’t any issues. So again, used doesn’t mean you’re toast, but at least you know what to look for. 🙂

FAQ’s

Surviving Breakdowns in the Bush

We’ve gone through preventative maintenance, but even if you take all the right steps, things go wrong, and they go wrong in the most inconvenient of places – like the bush. In our ‘Snowmobiling for Beginner’s’ guide, we provide a downloadable checklist of all the gear and parts you should carry, like tow straps, plugs, tools, and survival gear. You’ll also learn how to use the parts on your snowmobile to survive until help finds you.

If your maintenance fails, you need a backup plan. Download our Free Snowmobile Survival Checklist from our Beginner’s Guide to make sure you have the exact tools and fire-starters you need to stay warm until the tow arrives.

👉 What do you do differently to maintain your snowmobile? Comment your DIY snowmobile maintenance tips below.

More on Snowmobiling:

• Snowmobiling for Beginners: a quick how to guide
• Is Snowmobiling in Trouble: a look at the costs, weather and trail service
• Routine ATV Maintenance: for after the season is done and it’s time for the new toy

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