As visually appealing vehicles with rugged body-styling, Bennche UTVs certainly look the part.
And while you won’t find them on the list of best cheap utility vehicles, most come at a bargain price relative to many of their counterparts.
But do they act the part as well?
You can get a feel for their strengths and weaknesses by reading a review of Massimo UTVs or Hisun UTVs, as they’re both extremely similar to Bennche’s line of utility vehicles.
When it comes to the downsides of Bennche UTVs, there are five common problems that tend to recur in these vehicles, including:
- Trouble shifting gears
- Running rough or stalling at idle
- Clutch slipping
- Engine overheats
- A very noisy ride
Read on for what causes these problems, along with several proven ways to both prevent and fix them.
Trouble Shifting Gears
One of the most common issues experienced by Bennche owners is a grinding noise happening when shifting into Low gear.
It can happen going into High as well, but is more common going into Low.
The problem usually flares up after 100 or so hours of riding and signals an issue with your shift linkage, which causes problems in Massimo UTVs as well.
Fortunately, you can fix this on your own fairly easily.
Fix
You’ll need to adjust your shift linkage back into the correct place.
First you’ll need to access it by removing the seats and center console to expose the turnbuckle shift linkage that’s responsible for changing your gears.
Hold the shift linkage turnbuckle in place using an 8mm wrench while loosening the locking nuts on either end (if they’re not loose already).
Then rotate your turnbuckle counter clockwise shifting it to the left or right until it’s back in place.
You can test out the proper location by turning on the ignition and shifting gears to make sure there’s no more grinding and the shift takes places smoothly.
Running Rough Or Stalling At Idle
Idling can be iffy at certain points during the life of your Bennche, and you may experience sputtering or stalling while at idle.
This usually occurs because of one of the following:
- Throttle body has gummed up
- Fuel injector has gone bad
- Fuel pump has gone bad
Throttle Body Has Gummed Up
The throttle body in these machines is prone to developing buildups of carbon deposits, dirty, and sludge over time.
This is the main cause of rough idling or stalling at idle, and can be alleviated by doing the following:
- Remove the throttle body from your Bennche.
- Use a can of WD-40 Throttle Body Cleaner to spay it down and then scrub it down real good.
- Be sure to open the electronic blade and spray into the shaft bearing area to remove any buildup from here as well.
- Hook the electrical back up to your throttle body and test it out before reinstalling.
- Turn on ignition and ensure the throttle blade opens slightly.
- If it does, you’re all set and can reinstall.
Fuel Injector Has Gone Bad
For fuel injected machines, your fuel injection may also be causing these idle issues. You’ll want to locate the fuel injector and pull the injector out.
Point it at a towel or cloth, turn on the ignition, and see what the spray pattern looks like when fuel sprays out.
If it sprays a fine mist, your fuel injection should be fine. If it’s more of a stream of fuel that sprays out, you likely have a clog or the injector has gone bad and will need replacing.
Fuel Pump Has Gone Bad
Similar to the fuel injection, you’ll want to inspect your fuel pump as well to see if it may be the cause of these issues.
Test it by removing the hose and starting your Bennche to ensure that fuel sprays out as it should.
If so, your fuel pump should be fine. If not, this is likely your issue and you should install a replacement.
Clutch Slipping
The clutch is another known issue in Bennche UTVs, but operator error usually plays a large part in this occurring.
If you drive at prolonged slow speeds when in High gear, or haul or tow heavy loads in High gear, you’re asking for clutch problems.
When the Bennche stock clutch becomes damaged, you’ll experience any of the following:
- Delayed throttle response
- Belt slippage
- Jerky acceleration
- RPMs surging
Fixes
If your clutch starts to go, the fix usually isn’t easy and usually isn’t cheap.
You’ll most likely either need to replace your clutch shoes, or replace the clutch system altogether.
You’re best off letting your dealer diagnose and handle problems with the clutch system.
Engine Overheats
Another problem with Bennche UTVs is the tendency for the engine to overheat, which can usually be blamed on one of the following:
- Radiator fan
- Air bubble blockage
- Head gasket has blown
Radiator Fan
Bennche engines are slightly flawed in that they are factory-set so that the radiator fan won’t trigger until engine temps hit 210 degrees or so.
The problem is that if you live in a warmer climate or are riding at high elevations, the fan won’t trigger in time to keep your engine within the safe temperature range.
So the engine temp will continue to climb despite the fan coming on, and eventually will overheat.
The best way around this problem is having your ECU tuned, as a tune usually comes with the added benefit of reprogramming the radiator fan to trigger at lower engine temps to prevent this overheating problem.
You can also wire a toggle switch to your dash that essentially bypasses the temperature sensor and enables you to start the fan anytime you want to with a flick of that switch.
Air Bubble Blockage
Another common cause of overheating is an air bubble forming and finding its way to your coolant system.
Air bubbles can form anytime the engine gets too hot, and when one forms it will block the water pump from doing its job and pumping coolant properly.
The only way to overcome this is to follow a bleeding process to bleed the air from your system.
If while doing this you have bubbling from your radiator fill area that won’t seem to stop, you may well have blown a head gasket.
Head Gasket Has Blown
Blown head gaskets are an unfortunate symptom of overheating in your engine, that can then lead to additional overheating until fixed.
You can purchase a head gasket test kit to confirm whether a head gasket has blown, or simply make a replacement if you think this is your issue.
A Very Noisy Ride
Unless you’re riding around in one of the best electric UTV options, you expect some noise while out in your utility vehicle.
But similar to problems with Hisun UTVs, the Bennche models are known to make some excessive noise while riding.
This noise is usually in the form of:
- Excessive engine noise in the cab
- Lots of rattling from various parts
Engine Noise
The engine used in Bennche UTVs are deemed to be high-quality, but these things let off some real noise.
If you’re accelerating or near the Bennche’s top speed, it’s going to be loud in the cab to the point where you likely won’t be able to hold a conversation with your passenger.
Fixes
To cut down on the engine noise in the cab, the best fix is to install some sound deadening mats in areas that amplify this noise the most like under and behind the seats, in the console, and on the underside of some of the plastics.
Rattling
You’ll also likely hear a good bit of rattling while out cruising in your Bennche UTV, assuming you’re not already deaf from the engine noise.
If you have a roof or windshield installed as many do, there are the most common offenders as far as this rattling is concerned.
Fixes
Installing some adhesive weather stripping is the best way to tone down the rattling.
Throw some of this onto any areas where there are small gaps in the roll bars or body plastic.
Installing some foam insulation along the top of the roll bars where they impact the room and windshield should also help.
Final Note
Bennche UTVs can make for a pretty good value considering their lower price points, but they do suffer from some common problems.
That said, even the biggest-names in the industry have common issues that affect them which you can read about below:
