How to Adjust the Idle on a Polaris RZR

by TJ Hinton

Polaris equipped their 2014 RZR 170 models with a 22 mm Mikuni mechanical-slide carburetor. The factory recommends checking and adjusting the idle speed after every 10 hours of operation, 100 miles or once a month, whichever comes first. Inspect and service RZRs subjected to severe use more frequently. To do a thorough job, you should change the adjustment of the throttle cable in order to put some slack into the system and isolate the carburetor from its influence.

Step 1

Set the brake and shift the transmission into neutral. Start the engine and let it warm up at idle for about five minutes. Turn the engine off.

Step 2

Look through the right-side front wheel well and locate the throttle cable adjuster. Squeeze the small end of the protective boot and carefully pull back the boot to expose the adjuster. Using a pair of open-end wrenches, loosen the locknut, then collapse the adjuster to slacken the throttle cable.

Step 3

Locate the carburetor at the end of the air-cleaner discharge pipe, then locate the idle speed adjuster screw on the side of the carburetor, near the slide tower. Start the engine. Using a No. 2 Phillips screwdriver, adjust the screw in or out to raise or lower the rpm as needed until the rpm is acceptable. There is no set specification for idle on the RZR 170. Set the idle speed high enough that the engine does not stall and low enough that it will shift smoothly. Turn the engine off.

Step 4

Extend the throttle cable adjuster, while monitoring the freeplay at the throttle pedal. Adjust the cable until you have 1/16 to 1/8 inch of freeplay at the pedal before the cable begins to actuate the slide in the carburetor.

Step 5

Using a pair of open-end wrenches, tighten the adjuster locknut. Wipe a light coat of grease in the boot, and slide it over the adjuster. Test drive the RZR.

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