Fixing and Modifying the Electrical System in Your Kawasaki Side-by-Side!
Apr 10, 2022
With everything there is to worry about while out on the trails, your Kawasaki UTV's electrical system is the last thing you want on your mind.
But somehow, electrical issues always seem to creep up on us when we least expect them. Thats why today we are going to go over some common electrical issues with the Kawasaki Mule and Kawasaki Teryx. On top of that, we're also going to touch on a few fixes/mods to make your rig's electric system bulletproof!
Ready or not, let's jump on in!
Kawasaki Teryx Cooling Fan Relay and Temp Switch
An increasingly common Kawasaki Teryx electrical issue we have seen reported by owners, are faulty cooling fan relays and temperature switches.
Owners will notice irregular power cycles of their Kawasaki Teryx cooling fan, resulting in the UTV running hotter than normal, or even overheating. You can also test for this issue by listening to your cooling fan to see if it continues running after you switch the ignition off after a long ride.
If the fan continues to run, as it should, the problem may not be with the relay or switch. But if the fan turns off immediately after turning the key to the off position, you may very well have a faulty cooling fan relay and/or temperature switch.
Thankfully, this is a relatively straightforward fix to get your fan back in working order. And while you’re at it, you should also consider modifying your Kawasaki Teryx electrical system by adding a Kawasaki Teryx Radiator Fan Override Switch by UTV Inc. This way, you can decide when and for how long the cooling fan stays on.
Kawasaki Teryx Wiring Issues
Now as far as Kawasaki Teryx wiring issues go, some of them can be self inflicted.
Many owners make the decision to add Kawasaki Teryx light bars, audio systems winches and other power-hungry accessories. This is all fine and good, but you really need to tread carefully while wiring those accessories to the bus bar and battery.
Why?
Because it is much easier than you think to cause a major problem here.
Simple issues that can arise are things like not properly tightening the battery leads or bus bar leads during the installation of your accessories. Simply tighten everything down and you will be good to go.
Sometimes, though, disaster strikes without you knowing it.
Pinched or cut wires can easily cause a short that will at best leave you with a dead battery. And at worst, these types of shorts can actually cause electrical fires. So if your battery is randomly dead after you installed a new electronic accessory, check all of your connections and search for exposed or pinched wires.
If an electrical fire happens, you’ll usually know fairly quickly. The smell of burning rubber and plastic (we’ve all smelled this at some point) will tell you what is wrong immediately. It is important to turn off your UTV, disconnect the battery leads and get to the root of the issue as soon as you can.
This is a fantastic reason to keep a Kawasaki Mule / Teryx Fire Extinguisher by Pro Armor on your UTV and in your garage at all times!
Faulty Kawasaki Mule Key Switches
Many owners have told us about faulty key/ignition switches that wreak havoc on the Kawasaki Mule electrical system.
When the key switch goes out, which it can do from normal use, you’ll lose the ability to do many things. Namely, you may find yourself unable to start the vehicle at all. Replacement Kawasaki Mule key/ignition switches are readily available online, making this fix doable for most home mechanics!
Dead Kawasaki Side-by-Side Batteries
We have all encountered a dead battery at some point in our lives, right?
Whether in a car, truck, tractor, or in your UTV, this always seems to happen at the most inconvenient of times. Many owners have complained of a dead Kawasaki Teryx battery that left them stranded on a trail, far from home and miles from help. And even more have griped about how a dead Kawasaki Mule battery left them unable to complete work around the property that day.
Aside from the wiring issues we’ve discussed causing your battery to drain prematurely, sometimes they do just die on their own of old age.
The stock Kawasaki UTV batteries are… not the best to say the least.
Replacing them with something like a Kawasaki Mule PS Series - PSX14 by XS Power Batteries will yield much better results and increased reliability.
And if you find your battery draining faster due to the amount of electronic accessories you use on a regular basis, check these out:
Adding a dual battery kit will allow you to run all of your auxiliary electronic accessories off of a dedicated secondary battery. This way, your primary battery will remain charged and untouched.
No more disappointments on the trail, and no more dead batteries from listening to music all day on your sound bar! Just make sure to pick up a Kawasaki Mule / Teryx TecMate 3x4 Battery Charger by Optimate so that you can keep both batteries fully charged while storing your UTV for long periods of time.
Although there are certainly endless amounts of Kawasaki UTV electrical issues that can pop up, we hope you can sleep a little easier with the knowledge we dropped today!