Image by Can-Am.
Make sure your Commander is always up for hitting the trails or a long day of work with routine upkeep and maintenance. Not only is this important for keeping your rig running, slacking on your maintenance can negatively affect the performance, longevity, and even the safety of your Commander. Maintenance keeps smaller problems from turning into larger, more expensive problems and will keep you and your Can-Am tearing up the trails instead of sitting in the shop or garage.
Not all maintenance is time-consuming. By taking these quick steps before every ride, you can help keep your side-by-side performing at its best and rest easy knowing that you aren’t heading out with any major problems. Before you ride, always:
Outside of the tasks you should complete before every ride, it can be hard to remember which maintenance tasks need to be done at what time. And some may need to be done infrequently or based on riding hours—our team has put together a guide on the basic schedule for those kinds of tasks. If you ride often, the following tasks should stay top of mind:
To go from playing hard to working hard, and then back again, you need your Commander’s engine working at its best. This makes checking and changing your oil critical, especially because waiting for too long can cause damage. Check the level often and don’t forget to look at the oil itself to ensure that it isn’t discolored or dirty. It’s also important to check your oil filter for buildup, debris, or signs of damage. If your oil or filter needs replacing, do it immediately to help prevent engine issues.
Inspect your drive belt periodically to help keep your drivetrain in top condition. Look for cracks, fraying, and slick areas, which are signs that your belt is going bad. A worn-out belt can result in power dips or slippage—or it can even snap while you’re out on a ride. When it’s time to replace an old belt, choose a high-performance aftermarket option to ensure your Commander can reach the top levels of drivetrain performance.
When you go to check transmission fluid, make sure your engine is warmed up by turning on your side-by-side and letting it run for a couple of minutes. After that, put your machine in neutral or park, check your owner’s manual for specifics there. Take out the transmission fluid dipstick, clean it, and reinsert. Remove the dipstick again to check the level against your warm mark. If you have dirty transmission fluid or if your level is low, change it.
Reliable stopping and slowing down is important for both handling and safety, so test your brakes to see if they are engaging properly and check your brake pads to ensure they are still at the correct thickness. Replace pads that are wearing thin with top-quality, reliable brake pads. If your brake calipers aren’t responding effectively, they should be replaced as soon as possible.
Radiator coolant needs to be checked when the engine is off and cold, unlike transmission fluid. This is usually a quick task, just check your coolant overflow bottle. If the level is low, add fluid—if the level is good to go, you’re all set. To keep your radiator working at its best, clean any grime, debris, and dirt you see while you are checking your fluid level.
If you want your Can-Am Commander to be able to handle the toughest trails, suspension and steering maintenance can’t be overlooked. Every few rides, check your suspension’s pivot and movement points and lubricate them regularly. Also check your suspension components for signs of wear and tear, replacing parts like A-arms and ball joints when they start to fail.
Handle the tightest trails by keeping your steering responsive and smooth. Take a moment to look at the power steering fluid level and replace it if it is getting low. If your rig is still mostly stock, you can upgrade your overall steering performance with an aftermarket power steering kit.
The last thing you want is to be out on a ride and your headlights die or your electrical system goes kaput. Best practice is to always check your headlights before you ride, but this is especially important if you are going to be out near dusk or after dark. And if you want to always see where you’re going, an aftermarket lighting kit or bar will light up the darkness.
However, don’t go wiring up too many lights or other accessories—these can strain your electrical system if you don’t have enough power. Most regular electrical system maintenance is about picking and choosing the accessories you add to stay within the power limits of your Commander, but you should also occasionally check your Can-Am’s battery to see if it needs replacing.
While your Can-Am Commander is always ready to ride in tough weather and over tough terrain, you shouldn’t store it outside. Keep your side-by-side out of the weather and elements any time you aren’t riding. If you live somewhere with an offseason, prepare your rig to be stored by:
Waiting too long for maintenance tasks can result in reduced performance or even damage to your Can-Am. Tracking the maintenance you do and when you do it can help you stay on schedule and keep your rig running at its best. It may feel like extra work, but knowing when you perform maintenance is worth it when you can get the best out of your machine on every ride. To make things even easier, check out SuperATV’s model-specific schedule to make sure you are performing the correct maintenance at the right time.
If you find yourself in need of anything for your Commander, you can check out our great selection of parts and accessories. Questions about maintenance? Drop a comment below or get in touch with our team—we’d be happy to help.
