The Coleman 550 UTV is an appealing machine for consumers who want an offroad vehicle at a budget price but that also comes standard with many accessories that would otherwise be considered “extras” with some of the bigger name models on the UTV scene.
Many owners report an overall positive experience with their Coleman 550. However, there are plenty more who would report the exact opposite experience. Some of these conflicting experiences can be partially attributed to owners’ differing expectations of what they’re getting for the cost. That said, many owners do tend to run into some of the same challenges and common Coleman 550 UTV problems.
Coleman 550 UTV Problems
Across online rider forums, social media groups and owner reviews, the most common Coleman 550 problems experienced are as follows:
- Bad Fuel Injector
- Engine Sputtering and Stalling
- Engine Won’t Start
- Clutch Issues
- Gears Grinding or Sticking
- Fuel Pump Issues
- Overheating
- Lack of Support & Service
This guide will take a detailed look at the usual causes for each of these issues, as well assist in troubleshooting them with proven fixes.
Bad Fuel Injector
One of the most commonly reported issues among Coleman 550 owners is with their machines’ fuel injector. A faulty fuel injector leads to a number of issues with these UTVs, such as the inability to idle correctly, hard starting, and loss of engine power.
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.
Engine Sputtering and Stalling
One of the top issues with the Coleman 550 is the engine sputtering, running rough, and even stalling out. This generally occurs when the UTV is idling. Aside from a potentially faulty fuel injector, as discussed above, there are two other main reasons this may be happening.
- Seat Belt Safety Feature
- Gummed Up Throttle Body
Seat Belt Safety Feature
Similar to the Coleman 400 UTV, this model has a seat belt safety feature that amounts to a sensor in the seat belts that will not permit the engine to get out of limp mode, where it can only go up to around 6 MPH, unless the driver side seat belt is buckled.
Though this feature is in place with good intentions, it can be an annoyance 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.
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 550 is at idle.
The throttle body can become gummed up by a buildup of dirt and sludge over time. 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.
Engine Won’t Start
If the engine in your Coleman 550 will turn over but not start, or seems completely dead, there’s likely an issue with one of the following:
- Battery
- Valves
- Spark Plugs
- Old Fuel
Battery
As the Coleman 550 is assembled with Hisun parts, Hisun stock batteries are well known for draining quickly, especially if supporting additional electronics.
You should test the battery’s voltage to ensure it is at 12+ volts. The fuel injection in the Coleman 550 is heavily reliant upon your battery getting at least 12 volts to function properly.
You can also try recharging your battery and ensuring all of the battery cables are tightly secured in place.
Valves
The Coleman 550 has both intake and exhaust valves. The most common occurrence is that these valves tighten too much, but they can loosen too much as well. 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 can be found in the service manual and are often listed on a placard under the machine’s front fender. Check to ensure both valves are set at the proper clearances, and make the proper adjustments if not.
Spark Plugs
Check your 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.
It should be noted that if your UTV use includes frequent short trips, such as a drive to the mailbox and back, you likely have a spark plug issue if you find that your engine won’t start. This type of driving can wreak havoc on spark plugs (as well as batteries), so inspect and replace them as needed.
Old Fuel
If your Coleman 550 won’t start after sitting without use for a while, you may have an issue with degraded fuel. 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.
MORE: Coleman 400 UTV Reviews, Specs, Pros & Cons
Clutch Issues
Coleman 550 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 you notice that when you initially rev your machine, it moves slower than it should be until it eventually catches and takes off, this is a sign your clutch may be slipping due to worn out clutch shoes and needs to be replaced. This can also happen when already in high gear, where you may rev it and the speed doesn’t increase 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 on Hisun UTV models 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.
Gears Grinding or Sticking
Many owners have reported the gears grinding or sticking in their Coleman 550. If your gear shift tends to stick and not engage, or you experience a grinding noise when shifting into low or high gear, you likely have an issue with your turnbuckle shift linkage.
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 an 8mm wrench, hold the turnbuckle in place while using a 14mm wrench to loosen the two locking nuts on both ends. Once those have been loosened, rotate the turnbuckle counter clockwise shifting it to the left until it kicks into low gear.
The gear lights on the dash should activate letting you know which position it is in as you adjust it. 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 and is no longer grinding when you do.
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 it as needed until you experience no more sticking or grinding.
MORE: Axis 500 UTV Reviews, Specs, Pros & Cons
Fuel Pump or Fuel Pump Relay Issues
A loss of speed and acceleration in your Coleman 550 UTV, idling issues, or the engine failing to start are all indicators that your fuel pump may need to be replaced.
You can test your fuel pump by removing the hose and starting up your machine to see if fuel will spray out. If it does, your fuel pump should be in good shape.
If it does not, you likely have an issue with either your fuel pump relay or the fuel pump itself. Before assuming your fuel pump needs replacing, inspect the relay for any corrosion or other deterioration. If it appears in bad shape, that may be your issue and you can order a replacement online.
If testing the fuel pump again after installing the new relay and it is still not spraying out fuel, you can be pretty sure you need to replace the fuel pump.
Overheating
Overheating issues seem to be a frequent problem in the Coleman 550 UTV, and in most Hisun UTV models for that matter. This overheating occurs for a few different reasons.
- Temperature Sensor
- Air Blockage in Coolant System
- Blown Head Gasket
Temperature Sensor
A major flaw with the Hisun engines installed in the Coleman 550 is they are factory-set for the fan switch to not trigger until reaching higher temperatures (220 degrees plus) when the engines are not capable of withstanding those temperatures. As such, many times the temperature sensor will not trigger the fan in time to stop the engine from overheating, especially if you are located in a warmer climate.
To combat this, many owners have resorted to bypassing the need for the temperature sensor to automatically engage the fan switch 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 as they please with a flip of this toggle switch.
Others have the action above to a different level, rigging their machines so that the fan automatically engages and runs constantly when the engine is on.
Both methods have reportedly worked well to minimize these overheating issues in the Coleman 550.
Airlock In Coolant System
An air bubble blockage somewhere in your coolant system is another of the main culprits of an overheating Coleman 550. How can an air bubble 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, and your water pump 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 air is in the system, your engine will not stop overheating until that air is burped back out. To burp the air from the system of your UTV, follow the steps below.
- Raise the front end of your UTV about a foot higher than the back end by parking on a hill or via a lift
- Ensure the engine is cold
- Remove the 10mm 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 overflow reservoir as well
- Start the engine and let idle – you’ll most likely see some bubbles
- Once 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 out of the radiator fill cap area that won’t subside, you likely have a blown head gasket.
Blown Head Gasket
Any overheating the engine experiences puts your head gaskets at risk of blowing. And blown head gaskets will lead to recurring overheating. This can be a maddening cycle for owners.
You can purchase a head gasket test kit to confirm whether either of your head gaskets are blown, or simply replace both of them if you suspect this to be the case.
Lack of Support & Service
As the Coleman 550 is manufactured and offered through Hisun, owners must rely on Hisun’s customer support for assistance with troubleshooting issues. Though they have a support center located in Texas, the common consensus seems to be that this support is fairly lacking. And to complicate the issue further, many service centers and mechanics are less familiar with the Coleman 550 and steer clear of working on them, leaving a potential lack of repair options depending upon your location.
That said, owners of the Coleman 550 find themselves needing to be rather self-reliant when it comes to diagnosing and repairing issues with their machines.
Conclusion
It is important to keep in mind that as an owner of a Coleman 550, there will likely be a need for some degree of self reliance when it comes to dealing with some of the more common mechanical issues experienced with these machines. If you are willing and able to troubleshoot on your own time, the tradeoff for the lower price point and added accessories you get with this model may well be worth it.
And though some of these issues are completely out of owners’ control, others can be avoided by ensuring proper maintenance and keeping in mind the Coleman 550 UTV’s limitations as a mid-performance machine when using it.
