Hey guys. Just bought a BF 650 and am loving it. Coming up on the 10 service period. Didn't look like a big deal to change the fluids myself, but does anyone recommend having the dealer do the service. If I do it, what oils/filters should I use? Thanks!

 

i really dont see no need to take it to the dealer. Its very simple to do all the fluid changes yourself. You will be good by yourself

 

Do it yourself. The dealer will overcharge you for the service. Right now I am using Amsoil 10W-40 High performance in my engine and front diff with a Bosch 3323 oil filter. After extensive research and to save a little money on synthetics I am going use Rotella-T and a Wal-mart Supertech ST7317. Also, you have to use a hydraulic fluid in your rear diff because of the wet brakes, the kawa chem wet brake oil is good for this, but you can also use just a regular tractor hydraulic fluid. The tractor fluid is a little difficult to find in quarts. I saw that Wal-mart has gallons available. The Kawa chem comes in a quart, but you can get a gallon of tractor fluid at wal-mart for the price of a quart of kawa chem.


You can get a gallon of Rotella synthetic from Wal-mart for $13 and the Supertech filter for around $2.

The Amsoil will cost you around $6 a quart and the Bosch filters are $5-6

By the way the Bosch 3323 and the ST7317 filters are a little longer than the OEM filter, so don't be alarmed. The shorter automotive filters are available and they are the same as your OEM. The longer filter increases the capacity of the filter and provides a little more filter area.

 

I had the dealer, RMC in Tuckwilla, Wa., do a full service when they did the recall on the front end or our Prairie. Cost was just over $40.00 as I recall which I thought was reasonable. Mechanic also gave it a good checking over and could find nothing else that needed attention.

 

OK, use Kawa chem for the 6 month warranty period then switch to superior products when the warranty expires.

Some dealers will say that your warranty is only good if you take it to them for service. That's absolute BS because most dealers will gouge you with very high hourly rates for a simple 20 minute service like the 10 hour service.

Plus, your warranty is only as good as the dealer that will stand behind it. Many guys have been jacked out of legitimate warranty complaints because the dealer falsely determined the cause of the complaint.

IMO the warranty is a selling point, most people will never use it, especially in the first 6 months. The extended warranty is BS too because if you run your ATV the way it was designed, you run the risk of getting denied warranty work by your dealer.

If you happen to take a warranty claim to a different dealership than the one you purchased your machine from you may be in for a long wait. For some reason warranty claims just seem to go slower than the repair jobs the dealership is making more money on.

Dealerships are expensive! My local dealers charge $85.00 for labor, that is ridiculously overpriced. Oh, and they will take their sweet time doing repairs too. For example go to your dealer with your ATV and a jet kit. They will tell you it takes 3-4 hours to re-jet. And it may be true the first time a mechanic tries it, but for mechanics that are supposed to be experienced, factory trained and qualified it should only take about an hour to re-jet and road test a Brute Force, but they will charge you the 3-4 hour rate despite actual repair cost and time. (my most recent re-jet and road test of a Brute Force took me 45 minutes to complete)

Dealerships are out to make money, and believe me, they will give you many lines of BS to take it. Best advice, service your own machines. Use superior to OEM products and ride like crazy.

It's your money. If you want to give it to a dealer go ahead, but it is not the best value. There are plenty of resources around to help you do anything on your quad. All you have to do is ask.

 

Yep, still under warranty. I purchased a 2005 non-current. Good Deal I thought.

 

I'm coming up on 10 hours too. What fluids are replaced? Just the engine oil?

Thanks,

Larch

 

Even though the manual says to replace engine oil/filter, I woud at least inspect all the other fluids as well. I would even replace the front diff gear oil (10W-40) as well since it takes less than a qt anyway. Use synthetic.

 

So is it just the oil/filter required at this service??? I thought i read oil/filter, front <u>and</u> rear diff.

 

This is what the manual says:
Engine oil/filter: First 10 hr, then every 1100 miles or 90 days of use.
Front & Rear Diff: Every year of use. (meaning once a year).

The rear diff on the Kawi is really tough. I wouldn't lose a sleep because of it. The front diff requires some attention though.