I have been looking at atvs for 3 years now and finally bought one. I have always like Arctic cat so I went to a local dealer and looked at there inventory and talked to the sales rep and called a couple of other dealerships before I bought my atv. They sold me the 400i auto and I have second thoughts about what I did! I had planed on buying the manual 400i but I figured with my wife and kids riding it, they would be able to ride it easier! Did I get a good atv for off roading or should I have gotten the manual? This is a list of questions that I have and if anyone can answer them, It would be a big help!!

1) What oil do you use? I have 9 miles on my atv and need to change it at 100 miles.
2) How are the autos in the mud and hill? How does it compare to manual shift power wise?
3) Any auto problems that I should know about? Are they dependable or do they slip alot?
4) How much does a replacement belt cost and is it hard to replace? How long do they last?
5) What are some problem spots on the whole atv? What should I look for and what are some good maintence technequies that you can give?

Any thing you care to answer or add about the pros and cons regarding this atv will be appreciated!!

Many thanks and safe riding!!!

 

I can't answer any of your questions about the Auto as I have a manual.With that said here are my answers to 1,5.#1 I use Arctic Cats synthetic oil,you can get this in a kit that comes with a filter that dealer sells.#5 I haven't had any serious problems with my 400i you just have to make sure you keep an eye on stuff like the cv boots,air filter etc.Congrats on your new A/C and good luck.

 

i have a 02 375 4x4 auto which is the same as the 03 400 i have not had any trouble in the mud with it , it gets stuck right next to the manuels and can fling mud with no problems . as far as slipping the belt it hasnt done it yet and i have 350 miles on and have been in water up to the gas tank and got some water in the tranny vent just drianed the housing and finished out the ride with no problems even pulled out a yamaha 250 4x4 and a polaris 325. the only real problem i have had was the master cylinder but i think that was fixed on the 03 &04s . over all i,m very pleased with my bike and after a while you will to.

 

How much did you pay out the door? In US $$???

 

Hey want2Bmuddy
congrats on the new cat 400i
I hope you burnish your brakes (because they will not last long if you didn't) it tells you how in your manual.
If it's an 2003 you might want to put on a good set of mud tires. And I never heard of anyone replacing the belt, as for the oil, use a synthetic like vhcat400i said.

 

My 400i is a 2003 and I payed $5000.00 plus tax of $225.00 out the door.

 

Well congrats..
I have bought 2 new \arctic cats in the past 4 months now.. both 400i's first was the auto.. rode it for 240 miles or so and bought a manual for a bit more power and then sold the auto.. I have about 88 miles on it now and am riding a bit every other day or so till I get to 100 to do my first tune up and oil change. For oil I use regular 10w30 or 10w40 I prefer texico brand. If you use fully synthetic oil to start, say till about the 3rd oil change, the motor will never seat the rings and bearings correctly.. after the motor is fully broken in and you have all the power you are gonna get from the motor you should use fully synthetic oil, it will make the motor and all it's internal parts last longer. and definately get some real tires.. those dunlops suck bad..

I bought some Maxxis Bighorn Radials and love them.. I do not do alot of mudding but they have a 28/32 tread depth, but they ride like glas on hardpack and will handle any trail you throw at them..
$299 to the door.. and I put them on myself.
mudlites are very good aswell but to get the good tread depth you have to go to a 26 tire and 10"wide in the front.
I have stock size all around..

 

You've got a great machine, and it sounds like you want to take good care of it. I've a 2000 A-C 500 Auto, and I'll tell you how I'm doing it. I've researched oils and filters on the 'Net as well as talked to mechanics, so I'm confidant that this will work well for me.

Make sure the engine is well broken in, and do it by the Owner's Manual. The first couple of oil changes should be with regular oil, and be sure to change filter- you don't want to leave a pint of dirty oil in the engine. I recommend that you stay with stock filters at least thru break-in; Suzuki-Arctic Cat filters are very good. After I had 500+ miles, I switched to Mobil 1 full synthetic formalated for 4 stroke motorcycles- it won't eat up clutches, etc. Now, I'm useing A-C synthetic oil and filter for convenience. I also change oil once a year and everything looks good.

The auto is always in the powerband and works really well on hills and in the mud. If you want a little more power, you might try the Minehunter's Tranny Trick that puts the engine rpms a little deeper in the powerband. If you get rid of the Dumbflop tires and go with a taller, more aggressive tire (highly reccommended), this mod will help a bunch.

I've never slipped my belt except when I tried to water cool it... They don't like getting wet at all! But, all you have to do is drain the tranny with the engine running IN NEUTRAL!! (don't ask how I know...) Blip the throttle until the belt has squeegeed the pulleys dry, and put the plug back in. I read a long time ago on a forum that the A-C Auto belt is designed to last 10000 miles. My dealership has never replaced a belt, so I think they'll last.

Sooner or later, you'll chew up one or both front wheel bearings. If you're mechanically inclined, you can replace them yourself. My advice is to disassemble the new bearing and completely fill it with a high quality waterproof grease- I use Mobil 1 grease- and as you re-assemble the knuckle keep adding grease- get messy! If it's full of grease, it's harder for water and mud to get in.

Like I said, you've got a good machine, so go out and get muddy and wet, and have a ball! Sometimes I think they're trying to outlaw ATV's because they're so much fun and they're jealous![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] If they don't like it, they can kiss my ( ! ) !

 

Your AC was delivered with Synthetic Oil. Why change?

If your family is going to be riding this quad, why not have an auto? It's simple and easy to operate.

Service what the manual tells you to do. Use AC replacement brake pads. They last longer on my 500i.

Keep the radiator clean after riding through mud & water.

Stick with the stock air filter too. Buy a spare to keep on hand when you spend time riding away from home for periods of time. I keep my spare in a coffee can with cover. Wrapped in a glad bag, all oiled, ready to go.

Belts are touchy! You never know when they're gonna go. Keep a spare when away from home. Teach yourself how to change it in a pinch. I've seen friends change them on the trails with ease...
Chuck