Ask the Editors: Instant Belt Slippage?

It doesn’t take as much as you think.

Believe it or not, it isn’t only possible, it’s almost assuredly what happened. Surprisingly, water does indeed make it into our CVT cases on a regular basis. More often than not, the problem works itself out before we are even aware its happening. However, every once in a while the right amount of water can enter the CVT intake and contact the belt to cause legitimate slippage.

When that happens, the best thing to do is to shut off the machine, get off, and drain the CVT right there on the trail. There is a drain plug on the bottom of the CVT case for this specific reason. What tool do you need to get it open? Well that varies depending on make and model. Some machines (like Polaris) are famously known for having CVT drain plugs that can be turned with a quarter. Others can be made it work with an 8mm wrench.

We often joke around here that this is situation that usually happens to riders on the trail only once. After that, you figure out in a hurry what your machine’s manual says to use and you carry that tool with you from that moment forward. Newer quads will come with the correct tool in the onboard box.

Drain that water you picked up out then return the plug. You should be good to go. For all the rest of us, it’s a good practice to open these plugs during regular maintenance to assure any water collected, even if it isn’t yet causing belt slippage, drains before it can cause damage.

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