Snowmobile Polaris Widetrak LX (2015 year). Manual - part 12

50

OPERATION

Fuel

Fuel Safety

Gasoline is highly flammable and explosive under certain conditions.

• Always exercise extreme caution whenever handling gasoline.

• Always refuel with the engine stopped, and outdoors or in a well

ventilated area.

• Do not overfill the tank. Do not fill the tank neck.

• Do not smoke or allow open flames or sparks in or near the area where 

refueling is performed or where gasoline is stored.

• If gasoline spills on your skin or clothing, immediately wash it off with soap 

and water and change clothing.

• Never start the engine or let it run in an enclosed area. Engine exhaust fumes 

are poisonous and can cause loss of consciousness or death in a short time.

• Turn the fuel valve off whenever the snowmobile is stored or parked.

The engine exhaust from this product contains chemicals known to cause 
cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. Operate this vehicle only 
outdoors or in well-ventilated areas.

WARNING

WARNING

51

OPERATION

Fuel

Your POLARIS engine is designed to run on 87 octane non-oxygenated 
or 89 octane oxygenated pump gasoline. There’s a great deal of 
variability in the quality of the 87 octane gasoline available, so we 
encourage the use of premium fuel when possible. Do not use lower 
than 87 octane fuel. Do not use fuel containing more than 10% ethanol 
(including E85).

NOTICE: Using fuels with a lower than recommended octane or operating with 

obstructed fuel systems will result in serious and costly engine 
damage. Always use the recommended fuels for your snowmobile.

Fuel Reserve Capacity (Mechanical Gauge)

There are approximately two gallons of fuel left in the tank when the 
mechanical fuel gauge reads RES.

Fuel System Deicers

If you use non-oxygenated fuel, POLARIS recommends the regular use 
of isopropyl-based fuel system deicer or POLARIS Carbon Clean Plus. 
Add one to two ounces per gallon (8-16 milliliters per liter) of gasoline 
to prevent engine damage resulting from fuel system icing and lean fuel 
mixtures. Never use deicers or additives containing methanol. See page 
106 for the part numbers of POLARIS products.

If you use oxygenated fuel containing ethanol, additional alcohol 
deicers or water absorbing additives are not required and should not be 
used.

NOTICE: Prolonged exposure to petroleum based products may damage paint. 

Always protect painted surfaces when handling fuel.

52

OPERATION

Oil

Low Oil Indicator Light

The low oil indicator light may flicker at times due to oil movement in 
the bottle, but when the light comes on and remains on, add the 
recommended oil before further operation. See page 47 for oil 
recommendations.

Visually check the oil level in the bottle. The engine may be operated as 
long as oil is visible in the oil tank. If oil is not visible, continued 
operation may cause serious engine damage.

Never mix brands of oil. Serious chemical reactions can cause injection 
system blockage, resulting in serious engine damage. They may also be 
incompatible and the result could be sludge formation, filter blockage, 
and reduced cold weather flow rates. All POLARIS oils are compatible 
with each other.

Always maintain the oil level above the tank’s low level line. This is 
especially important when the snowmobile is operated in mountainous 
terrain. Maintaining the proper oil level will prevent system aeration and 
possible loss of pumping action, which could result in engine damage.

NOTICE: Mixing brands or using a non-recommended oil may cause serious 

engine damage. We recommend the use of POLARIS 2-cycle oils for 
your snowmobile. Never mix brands.

Operating the snowmobile without proper engine lubrication can result 
in serious engine damage. Always check the oil level when refueling.

53

OPERATION

Oil

Low Oil Level

Always do a visual check of the oil level when refueling. When the oil 
reaches the low level mark, add the recommended oil to the tank. See 
page 47 for oil recommendations.

The POLARIS oil cap on the oil tank may be vented to allow proper oil 
flow. See your POLARIS dealer for recommended replacement parts.

Carburetion

NOTICE: Making non-recommended adjustments could result in vehicle or 

engine damage as well as denial of warranty claims. We recommend 
that all carburetor adjustments be performed by your POLARIS 
dealer. 

Proper carburetor adjustment is critical. A lean mixture (too much air, 
too little fuel) may result in piston burning, bearing failure, or complete 
engine failure. A rich mixture (too much fuel, too little air) may foul 
plugs and cause generally poor engine performance. A lean mixture may 
be caused by things like fuel line restrictions, foreign matter in the 
carburetor or clogged fuel filters. A rich mixture may be caused by snow 
build-up on the pre-filter in the air intake system. Either condition may 
be caused by improper carburetor adjustment.