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5 Most Common Problems with Kawasaki Mule 4010

5 Most Common Problems with Kawasaki Mule 4010

Kawasaki, the brand itself is well renowned because of its uncompromising commitment to bringing quality vehicles combined with class and comfort for the riders.

The Kawasaki mule 4010 side-by-side model is no exception either and is known as the mid-sized powerhouse that runs smoothly even on hard days over rough conditions.

However, there are several common troubleshooting issues with this one, which many owners and users have already acknowledged.

So, let’s learn more about the 5 most common problems with the Kawasaki Mule 4010 –

Common Problems of the Kawasaki Mule 4010:

1. Problem With Fuel Pump and Wire Harnesses

In some Kawasaki Mule 4010 model users have already encountered fuel pump issues where they noticed one or more fuel pumps stop working properly and eventually die.

However, remember one thing that the fuel pumps do not tend to die by themselves.

Generally, it happens when the fuel becomes dirty because of the excessive amount of debris. Even the fuel filters get affected by that debris and get clogged.

Fuel filters tend to lubricate and cool down both motor as well as the fuel pump. But when the filters turn bad, your fuel pump will starve for fuel.

Also, when all the lube and coolant are gone, the fuel pump will last around five minutes before dying. 

In most cases, filter and fuel replacement fixes the issue. But when the condition becomes worst, you must replace the fuel pump too.

Another thing that several users have mentioned is the loose or faulty harnesses.

In that case, you have two solutions, one is pulling the connector apart and pressing the female pins a little bit with a pick or screwdriver to put a little more pressure against the male pins.

Another easy solution is to replace the harness or contacting your dealer for help.

2. Problem With Throttle Body And Sensor

The throttle body and sensor issues are quite common for the Kawaski Mule series, and the bad news is TPS sensors are only available with the entire throttle body as an assembly.

This problem arises because the crankcase is vented directly to the air intake tubing per US EPA regulations, not to the atmosphere.

So, when oil vapors get into that vent system, it gets sucked into the engine and eventually gets burned. Also, these oil vapors tend to gum the throttle body.

One easy solution at the early stage of damage is removing the inlet hose from the TB and then, while running the engine against the governor, spraying throttle body cleaner into the throttle body.

For a bad sensor, all you have to do is replace it with a new one.

In such cases, Kawasaki also recommends re-routing the closed crankcase vent or CCV hose to another location. Also, Kawasaki offers a special kit to use whenever this issue arises.

Another possible reason can be the tighter-than-spec intake valves, which cause carbon buildup inside the throttle body. This buildup of carbon combines with those oil vapors causing the commotion.

Also, when you have a poorly-engineered CCV system and throttle assembly, this type of commotion is expected.

To fix the valve issue, you need to do some adjustments and remember one is supposed to do the valve adjustment after every 200 hours to avoid the valve issue.

3. Overheating Issue under Seats & Poor Idling

Several users have complained about heat emission under their vehicle seats and the warm air that blows behind the front seats.

It happens because the pierced air vents assembled beneath the floor send unrestricted airflows towards the engine compartment, which initiates the heating issue.

And quickly becomes a very upsetting problem for the riders, especially during the warm or hot seasons.

But Kawasaki does not provide any heat protection shield as a factory assembled part, which is upsetting.

However, an aftermarket heat shield kit will easily fix this problem.

Another issue is the poor idling, where several owners have claimed that sometimes while riding the vehicle, they felt the engine started stalling or idles poorly.

Soon it looks like if they lift their foot off the pedal, the engine will die at any moment.

For this commotion, the throttle body is primarily responsible. Because when the hot exhaust gases reverse to the engine’s top, the carbon deposits or black soot gather up inside the throttle body.

Mostly, if you are under warranty, you can fix this free of cost. But those out-of-warranty period consumers can also solve it by simply cleaning the throttle body with cleaner while keeping the electronic sensors intake.

4. Trouble With Gear Shifting

Many owners and users have also complained about the gear shifting issue because of the faulty or poor factory design.

A group of users claimed that while attempting to downshift and upshift the vehicle, they noticed a jammed gear stick causing the trouble.

Some particularly mentioned that the issue is visible while shifting the gear from low to high or even high to reverse mode.

Although the instant doubt goes to whether the culprit is the transmission mechanism or something related to the transmission mechanism, the good news is the entire transmission mechanism of the Kawasaki Mule 4010 model is completely fine.

However, in some of the models, this issue may appear because of the manufacturer’s fault in designing.

5. Engine & Electrical Power loss

Several owners have mentioned that sometimes, they notice acceleration declining and significant power loss after some hundred hours.

They also mentioned that when they checked further, the fuel pump was working perfectly. Also, no sign or evidence of a blockage in the fuel lines either.

Even the engine sparks are on the mark. But still, the vehicle struggles to climb up the hill even with the low gear.

Surprisingly the only possible reason behind this commotion is the lousy fuel causing the filters to turn bad or clogged to disturb the fuel and airflow movement.

Sometimes you cannot figure out this at one take since fuel lines or filters blockage issues do not always show the signs initially.

Another possible issue that owners may also encounter with this Kawasaki side-by-side model is the electrical power loss.

Electrical power loss happens when your vehicle battery has issues such as not having enough charge, not charging because of the bad charging system, loose battery terminals, or corrosion clogged the battery wiring connections, or even if the battery is broken.

What Majority of the Users Feel About Kawasaki Mule 4010?

While researching to find out the consumers’ reaction after owning and using the Kawasaki Mule 4010 side by side model, I found out that it mostly has positive reactions from the users.

Most consumers have expressed their satisfaction and said this vehicle model is worth the money they have spent for.

Most owners have claimed that this vehicle model is exactly the same as the company advertised and comes with enough power, durability, comfort, and flexibility to consider this as the versatile one. 

However, they also agreed that they encountered minor issues with it just like any other vehicle they have previously owned or currently have. too. 

Final Thoughts

The Kawasaki Mule 4010 model is a middle-sized, two-passenger vehicle with high-capacity power, superior quality muscle, and endurance for a full-day operation.

Even the towing and Cargo capacity is outstanding and very comfortably take care of all the heavy loads. Despite all these exceptional features, this model also comes with limitations that lead to those earlier mentioned and discussed problems.

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