The Axis 500 has been slowly growing in popularity over the last few years as Lowe’s featured UTV.
It comes with quite a few accessories standard, but adding a handful of the best Axis 500 accessories can really transform this model into a very well-rounded vehicle for the money.
But as appealing as these vehicles may be, there are some downsides in the form of 8 common Axis 500 problems that seem to recur in these models.
Axis 500 UTV Problems
The following are the most common problems likely to be encountered as an owner of the Axis 500 UTV:
- Rattling & Squeaking
- Wet Clutch Issues
- Overheating
- Blown Head Gaskets
- Faulty Fuel Injector
- Engine Won’t Start
- Engine Sputtering & Stalling
- Gears Sticking
Each of these issues will be explored in this guide, along with probable causes and proven fixes.
Rattling & Squeaking
One of the top complaints with the Axis 500 UTV is the tendency to hear rattling or squeaking coming from the body or the dump bed when driving. This is likely due to issues during the assembly process.
As the Axis 500 is sold through Lowe’s, the machines are generally shipped to them unassembled. The folks at Lowe’s are then responsible for their assembly. No disrespect to the employees of Lowe’s, but they just don’t have the same expertise as a mechanic at an official dealer would when assembling these machines or performing their pre-delivery inspection.
This can lead to issues during the assembly process, such as nuts and bolts not being fully tightened or parts being installed wrong. Most of the time these issues are minor, but these loose nuts and bolts are the main cause of this rattling and squeaking.
A best practice for owners of a new Axis 500 UTV is to comb over the machine and tighten every last nut and bolt. Once tightened, apply grease to all available fittings and zerks, as this is rarely done during assembly at retail stores. For owners experiencing squeaking, pay special attention to the bolts around the seats and frame of the machine as those are typically the offenders.
Wet Clutch Issues
The Axis 500 UTV makes use of a wet clutch, meaning the clutch is lubricated and cooled with engine oil. A wet clutch is ideal for prolonging the life of the transmission in UTVs, but these clutches are prone to malfunctioning in some instances.
If you notice that when you initially rev your machine, it moves slower than it should be until it eventually catches and takes off, your clutch is likely slipping due to worn out clutch shoes and needs to be replaced. This can also happen while in high gear and revving it with no increase in speed.
There are two leading causes of a failing wet clutch. 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 Axis 500 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. A full synthetic oil will do as well. The use of regular motor oil with a wet clutch will lead to failure before long.
Overheating
The engines used in the Axis 500 UTV are prone to overheating, which tends to occur due to issues with the temperature sensor or an air blockage in the coolant system.
Temperature Sensor
The Axis 500 UTV uses a Hisun engine. A major flaw with Hisun engines is they are factory-set so the temperature sensor on the radiator will not trigger the fan until reaching temperatures that are oftentimes too high for the engine to withstand, especially in warm weather. As such, the fan may not trigger in time to stop the engine from overheating.
To alleviate this, some owners have resorted to bypassing the temperature sensor altogether in a couple of different ways.
Some have installed a toggle switch on their dash, which runs between the wires of the temperature sensor and essentially bypasses it, enabling them to turn on the fan with a flip of the toggle switch as they see fit.
Others have gone to the extent of rigging their machines so that the fan automatically engages and runs constantly whenever the engine is on.
Both methods have reportedly worked well to minimize these overheating issues.
Air Blockage In Coolant System
Your Axis 500 UTV may also be overheating due to an air pocket blockage somewhere in the coolant system. How can an air pocket form?
Many times if the cooling fan is not triggering correctly, your engine will overheat and allow air into the system. The air will usually find its way to the water pump, which won’t pump air. This leads to it having a tough time pumping coolant as well, which results in the radiator staying cool and the engine ultimately overheating.
Once this air pocket is in the system, your engine will continue to overheat until the air is bled out. To bleed the air from the coolant system, follow the steps below.
- Raise the front end of your vehicle about a foot higher than the back end by parking on a hill or via a lift
- Ensure the engine is cold
- Remove any bleeder bolt from the radiator
- Remove radiator cap
- Fill it until coolant comes out of the bleeder
- Reinstall the bleeder bolt
- Continue filling radiator until it overflows
- You’ll need to repeat steps above for any overflow reservoir as well
- Start the engine and let idle – you’ll most likely see bubbles
- Once the bubbles stop, shut off engine and replenish coolant if necessary
- Repeat this process until you no longer see bubbles
- Reinstall radiator cap (and reservoir cap if applicable)
Your coolant system should be free of any air blockage at this point. However, if you have excessive bubbling from the radiator fill area that won’t subside, you likely have a blown head gasket.
Blown Head Gaskets
Blown head gaskets are a common occurrence in the Axis 500 UTV due to the tendency for the Hisun engine to overheat. Each time the engine overheats, the head gaskets are at risk of blowing. The maddening part is that blown head gaskets will then lead to additional overheating. A head gasket test kit can confirm whether either of the head gaskets are blown and will need to be replaced.
Faulty Fuel Injector
Another of the most commonly experienced issues with the Axis 500 UTV is with the fuel injector being prone to going bad. This is usually accompanied by the vehicle running rough or stalling out.
The main reason for this is that the factory fuel injectors are not known for being high quality. Many owners have resorted to purchasing a superior aftermarket fuel injector online and seeing better results.
To inspect the fuel injector, remove the seats and console to expose the engine bay and throttle body. Locate the fuel injector and pull the injector out. Turn the ignition on and inspect the spray pattern of your fuel injector.
A properly functioning fuel injector will spray out a fine mist, while a faulty injector may spray out one or two streams of fuel.
Engine Won’t Start
If your Axis 500 will turn over but won’t start, or shows no sign of life, it’s likely due to an issue with one of the following:
- Valve Clearance
- Battery
- Spark Plugs
- Degraded Fuel
Valve Clearance
The Axis 500 UTV has two valves – the intake valve and exhaust valve. The most common occurrence is that these valves tighten too much creating an issue, but they can also loosen too much. Both tightening and loosening affects your valve clearance, which if not maintained at the proper level, can result in your machine not starting.
The proper valve clearances are generally listed on a tab under the driver’s side fender of your machine, or in the service manual. Check to ensure both valves are set at their proper clearances, and make the proper adjustments if not.
Battery
Axis 500 stock batteries are prone to draining fairly quickly, especially if supporting any added electronics. If your vehicle has been sitting without use for a bit, or isn’t used frequently in general, you should hook it up to a battery tender when not in use to prevent it from draining.
You should also test your battery’s voltage to ensure it is at 12+ volts. The Axis 500’s fuel injection is heavily reliant upon the battery getting at least 12 volts to run properly.
You can also try recharging your battery and checking to ensure all of the battery cables are tightly secured in place.
Spark Plugs
The stock spark plugs in the Axis 500 UTV are prone to fouling rather quickly, as they are not of the best quality.
Check your spark plugs to ensure they are not coated with a foreign substance such as fuel, oil, or coolant. You can also inspect the color to ensure the tips look normal and have not turned to a gray or black which would indicate fouling.
If your spark plugs appear to be fouled, that is most likely your issue and you should replace them. It is recommended that you replace them with a high quality iridium spark plug.
Degraded Fuel
Another common cause of your Axis 500 engine not starting is old fuel that has degraded after sitting for more than 90 days. If you suspect this to be the case for your machine, 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.
Engine Sputtering and Stalling
The engine sputtering, running rough, and even stalling out is another common issue experienced among Axis 500 owners. This generally occurs when the UTV is idling. While a faulty fuel injector can cause this, so too can the seat belt safety feature or a 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.
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.
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 Axis 500 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.
Gears Sticking
If you own an Axis 500 UTV, you may experience the gear shift sticking when attempting to change gears. This is likely a sign that your shift linkage needs an adjustment. This problem generally occurs due to one or both of the lock nuts vibrating loose, resulting in the shift linkage transferring to an incorrect position. You’ll need to readjust it back into place.
Locate the turnbuckle shift linkage within the engine bay. 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 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.
Conclusion
While some of these common issues are unavoidable, others can be avoided by ensuring proper maintenance and preventative care. Though it’s important to be aware of the Axis 500 UTV problems faced by owners, it’s also important to realize that there will be common issues experienced with any UTV model. This considered, the Axis 500 UTV still makes for a solid choice for consumers who need a practical utility vehicle but who don’t want to pay top dollar.
