The Coleman 400 UTV has become increasingly more popular among consumers in recent years, with big name distributors like Tractor Supply and Lowe’s offering them onsite.
The combination of an attractive exterior build, plenty of bells and whistles, and an affordable price tag have many buyers willing to give them a shot at their approval.
And even older models rank among the best used side by sides for sale under $5,000.
And while the feedback from owners seems to be overwhelmingly positive, that feedback has also highlighted a number of common Coleman UTV 400 problems.
Coleman UTV 400 Problems
The five most common Coleman UTV 400 problems reported among owners across various social media groups, rider forums, and reviews are the following:
- Grinding or Sticking Gears
- Rattling and Squeaking When Driving
- Engine Sputtering and Stalling
- Engine Not Starting
- Clutch Issues
This guide will detail each of these issues along with the likely causes and proven fixes.
Grinding or Sticking Gears
One of the most commonly reported problems in the Coleman 400 UTV is the gear shift sticking when attempting to change gears, a persistent grinding noise during or immediately following shifting to a new gear, or the inability to shift to the desired gear at all.
This issue happened so frequently that Coleman issued a maintenance bulletin in early 2021, with instructions on making an adjustment to the shift linkage, which seems to be the root cause of this sticking and grinding.
Shift Linkage Adjustment
This problem generally occurs due to one or both of the lock nuts that hold the turnbuckle shift linkage in place vibrating loose, resulting in the shift linkage transferring to an incorrect position. You’ll need to readjust it back into place.
You can download the Coleman maintenance bulletin for more detailed instructions, but essentially you’ll need to locate the shift linkage under the front hood of the UTV.
Using a wrench, hold the turnbuckle in place while using another wrench to loosen the two locking nuts on both ends as needed. Once fully loosened, rotate the turnbuckle counter clockwise shifting it to the left until it kicks into low gear.
You can then test it out by turning on the ignition switch and attempting to shift gears to ensure it’s in the correct position. The gear shift should not stick and the gears should not grind if the positioning is right.
Once you’ve confirmed it to be in the correct position, tighten your locking nuts to hold it in place. If the issue persists, continue adjusting and testing as needed until you experience no more sticking or grinding.
Lengthen the Shift Lever
While making an adjustment to the shift linkage works for some units, for others it may not fully solve the problem. For those whose issue is not solved, it is likely that their shift lever does not have enough travel to make a proper gear shift.
In this case, the shift lever will need to be extended to afford enough travel. Some owners have made this modification themselves by installing a ¾ piece of flat iron to extend the shift lever, which seems to fix the problem.
For others who have no desire to make this adjustment themselves, they’ve been able to work with a Coleman dealer to make the modification to their shift lever or send them an already modified new shift lever.
Rattling and Squeaking When Driving
Another common complaint with the Coleman 400 UTV is a tendency for the dump bed and tailgate to rattle, or for the UTV to make a squeaking noise when driving.
This is most likely due to some of the nuts and bolts not being assembled as tightly as they should be, as well as the fact most new units do not come with grease applied.
A best practice for owners of new Coleman 400 UTVs, and for owners of used vehicles experiencing these symptoms, is to meticulously comb over every inch of the UTV and ensure every last nut, bolt, etc. is fully tightened.
Once tightened, apply grease to all available fittings and zerks. For squeaking machines, pay special attention to the cage and seat bolts as these are typically the main culprits.
MORE: Coleman 400 UTV Reviews, Specs, Pros & Cons
Engine Sputtering and Stalling
The engine sputtering, running rough, and even stalling out is another common issue experienced among Coleman 400 owners. This generally occurs when the UTV is idling, and affects the Coleman 550 UTV as well. There are three main causes of this.
- Seat Belt Safety Feature
- Bad Fuel Injector
- Gummed Up Throttle Body
Seat Belt Safety Feature
The seat belt safety feature amounts to a sensor in the seat belts that will not permit the UTV to go faster than around 10 mph unless the driver side seat belt is buckled. This low speed may be accompanied by a surging or jolting feeling from the UTV.
Though this feature is in place with good intentions, it can be a nuisance to drivers who don’t want to buckle and unbuckle constantly while performing work tasks or casually driving their properties.
Fortunately, you can bypass this seat belt safety feature by purchasing a seat belt blank that fits into the seat belt at all times and satisfies the sensor. These can be bought online from a couple of different places for fairly cheap. You can also simply buckle the seat belt behind you.
Bad Fuel Injector
Another potential cause of sputtering or rough idling with your Coleman 400 UTV may lie in a bad fuel injector. Fuel injectors tend to go bad fairly frequently with Coleman UTVs as the factory fuel injectors are not known for being well-built.
Many owners have resorted to purchasing a superior aftermarket fuel injector online and seeing better results.
If your UTV exhibits any of the classic signs of a faulty fuel injector, you should test it by locating it within your engine bay and pulling the injector out. Then point it at a cloth of some sort and crank your engine to determine the spray pattern.
A properly functioning fuel injector will spray a fine mist, while a faulty injector will spray out a stream of fuel.
Gummed Up Throttle Body
This issue is not quite as simple to fix as the one above, but is the most likely cause of sputtering or stalling while your Coleman 400 is at idle.
Over time, the throttle body can become gummed up by a buildup of black soot, dirt and grime. This buildup will negatively affect engine performance and routinely causes idling issues. In this case, the throttle body and its parts will need to be thoroughly cleaned following the steps below.
- Remove the throttle body from your UTV.
- Spray it down using a can of cleaner such as WD-40 Carb/Throttle Body Cleaner and scrub down the outer and inner portions using a toothbrush or scrub pad.
- Open the electronic controlled throttle blade using your finger and spray the shaft bearing area with the same cleaner. Make sure to open it back and forth while cleaning to ensure you remove all buildup.
- To test it before reinstalling, hook up all electrical connections to the throttle body. Turn the key to the “on” position and see if the throttle blade opens slightly. If it does, you should be good to go. Reinstall the throttle body and start up your machine.
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Engine Not Starting
If the engine in your Coleman 400 UTV will turn over but not start, or seems completely dead, there’s likely an issue with one of the following:
- Valves
- Battery
- Spark Plugs
- Old Fuel
Valves
The intake and exhaust valves in the Coleman 400 tend to tighten or loosen too much, affecting the valve clearance. If the valve clearance is not maintained at the levels recommended in the owner’s manual, the machine may not start.
Check to ensure the valve clearances are correct and make adjustments if not.
Battery
As the Coleman 400 is assembled with Hisun parts, Hisun stock batteries are known for draining quickly, especially if supporting additional electronics.
You should test the battery’s voltage to ensure it is getting 12+ volts. The fuel injection in the Coleman 400 is heavily reliant upon your battery getting at least 12 volts to function properly.
Owners should also inspect all of the battery cables to ensure they are connected properly.
Spark Plugs
The stock spark plugs in the Coleman 400 have a tendency to wear out rather quickly. If your spark plugs are blown or fouled, your machine is not going to fire up.
Inspect the spark plugs to ensure they are not coated with a foreign substance such as fuel, oil, or coolant. You should also inspect the tips to ensure they do not look burnt or corroded which would indicate the need for replacement.
Replacing the factory spark plugs with a superior spark plug, such as those made by Iridium, can prolong spark plug life, give your machine more power, and even improve gas mileage.
Old Fuel
If your Coleman 400 won’t start after sitting idle for some time, you may have an issue with degraded fuel. If you suspect this to be the case, replace it with new fuel and add some Sea Foam Motor Oil to your fuel tank in order to flush any remnants from the fuel lines.
Clutch Issues
Coleman 400 UTVs make use of a wet clutch, meaning the clutch is lubricated with engine oil and cooled that way. A wet clutch is ideal for prolonging the life of the transmission, but these clutches are prone to malfunctioning in some instances.
If when revving your machine you notice it moving slower than it should be until eventually catching and taking off, the clutch is likely slipping due to worn out clutch shoes and will need to be repaired or replaced.
This can also happen while already in high gear, where revving it does not increase the speed as it should.
A wet clutch may fail for a couple of different reasons.
Driving in high gear at low speeds too often, as well as hauling heavier loads in high gear, can make the wet clutch in the Coleman 400 susceptible to failure.
Additionally, it is essential to use an oil approved for wet clutches rather than a regular motor oil. Most oil that is made specifically for ATVs or UTVs should suffice, but ensure that it is labeled “JASO” on the back of the bottle.
The use of regular motor oil with a wet clutch will eventually lead to failure.
Final Thoughts
While the Coleman 400 UTV is manufactured and offered through Hisun, one of the more common complaints among owners is with the perceived lack of support provided by Hisun when attempting to troubleshoot issues with one of their models.
This is important to keep in mind if considering the Coleman 400 UTV, as there will likely be some necessary level of self reliance in overcoming these common problems.
Before you go, check out the following three guides that may interest you:
