It’s fall, and for some of us it’s the best time of the year. It’s a wonderful time to get out in the woods and hear the leaves and twigs crunch under our feet or the tires of an ATV. But if you’re someone who’s afraid of a little cold air and snow, it’s also time to put your quad away until spring.

If your one of those people, here are a few ATV winterization tips to help make sure your quad works well next spring when you come out of hibernation.

Change the fluids:

Changing the fluids in your utility quad should be part of a routine maintenance schedule anyway, so why not tackle it during your ATV winterization procedure? It’s inevitable that moisture will contaminate oil and lubricants on ATVs — and cars, trucks, heavy equipment that is run through mud and water, too — through a seal while driving through a mud hole or as a result of hot/cold cycles (condensation).

Allowing that water to sit in there will lead to premature wear and eventually failure of the part or system. In extreme cases, if there’s a lot of water in a gearcase, for example, and you live in a cold climate, the water will freeze and could cause the housing to crack when the ice expands. Change the engine oil and filter, transmission/gearcase and four-wheel drive oil. Water-contaminated oil has a milky appearance, so you’ll know it when you see it.

Fog the engine:

Fogging the engine is an important step of ATV winterization to help ensure long engine life. Storage fogging oil coats the internal components of an engine with oil so they don’t rust during the off-season. You might ask, “But isn’t my four-stroke engine bathed in oil already?” Yes, but that oil is in the lower half (crankshaft, crankcase) of the engine, so it does nothing to protect the raw metals of the top end components such as the piston, rings, cylinder and cylinder head (intake and exhaust valves, cam shaft).

To do it, gain access to the air box as necessary and remove the air filter. Start the engine and spray the fogging oil into the throat of the carburetor or throttle body (if EFI equipped). Continue to do this for about 30 seconds to make sure a layer of oil has coated the internal parts of the engine. The engine will smoke a lot and rpm will drop, or maybe almost quit altogether, so feather the throttle while you spray the oil to keep the engine running.

Remove the battery:

Prolonged exposure to cold air and a dormant state are two of the worst conditions for an ATV battery to be exposed. To help make sure your ATV battery lasts for at least a few seasons, remove it from the quad and store it in a warm area.

Store it on a shelf, or if you want to keep it on the floor, set it on a piece of wood. Charge the battery at a slow rate (2 amps) for a few hours every four weeks to keep it active. Top off the cells with distilled water, if possible.

Treat the fuel:

Fuel stabilizer is an important step of ATV winterization to prevent fuel system problems in the spring. Most importantly, the additive helps prevent the gasoline from drying up and leaving behind gunk that plugs jets and passageways in the carburetor.

(The only way to correct that is to physically remove it with carburetor cleaner and compressed air, and that can be a costly repair). Stabilizer also helps maintain fuel’s volatility, helping to make sure your ATV runs well when you roll it out of storage next spring. Before your last ride this fall, add the right ratio of fuel preservative according to the label. If you’ve already taken your last ride this the season, add stabilizer to the tank and run the engine for a few minutes. Do this before you fog the engine.