Sidekick RTV-XG850 backfiring / loss of power

GreensvilleJay

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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
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So you go use it just 3 times a day, and you have to waste an HOUR of your time, twiddling thumbs while the engine warms up, and an hour's worth of gas ?
I'm still shaking my head over this.....
 

Sidekick

Active member

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Sidekick 850, BX3260, Z726XKW-3-60
Jul 29, 2023
150
77
28
N.Y,
So you go use it just 3 times a day, and you have to waste an HOUR of your time, twiddling thumbs while the engine warms up, and an hour's worth of gas ?
I'm still shaking my head over this.....
This thing is a gas hog. Now you know how I feel about Kubota.
It sounds like that dealer that gave you the fake number knows about the issue, but made up that number to make you feel warm and fuzzy about buying one. I can't figure out why the silence about this. Is it random ones that have this issue or is it all of them and no one cares what comes out of the crankcase at an oil change. Maybe people believe it is green because it makes it's own oil.
 

whitetiger

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Nov 20, 2011
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This thing is a gas hog. Now you know how I feel about Kubota.
It sounds like that dealer that gave you the fake number knows about the issue, but made up that number to make you feel warm and fuzzy about buying one. I can't figure out why the silence about this. Is it random ones that have this issue or is it all of them and no one cares what comes out of the crankcase at an oil change. Maybe people believe it is green because it makes it's own oil.
There may be a PSB of some type on the Canadian section of Kubota Link, there are none on the USA section.
We sell a lot of the RTV-XG850 units and have not had this condition on any of them. They are mostly bought by customers with a few acres to haul firewood, and trash, work in the yard, haul the kids or grandkids around, feed the horses, etc.
 
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Sidekick

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Sidekick 850, BX3260, Z726XKW-3-60
Jul 29, 2023
150
77
28
N.Y,
There may be a PSB of some type on the Canadian section of Kubota Link, there are none on the USA section.
We sell a lot of the RTV-XG850 units and have not had this condition on any of them. They are mostly bought by customers with a few acres to haul firewood, and trash, work in the yard, haul the kids or grandkids around, feed the horses, etc.
That is exactly what mine, the fellow west of me by Buffalo, and the OP in Michigan purchased them for. We are all in colder climates and have been turned away without a solution other then short tripping by Kubota. if you have sold many and haven't seen problems, maybe we just got unlucky and got lemons or there is a cold weather issue that affects them Kubota calls normal and blames it on short tripping. In the end I am stuck with a piece of junk I am afraid to use and damage the engine if used as purchased for.
 

catalyst

Member

Equipment
BX80, RTV-XG850
Sep 30, 2018
66
22
8
St. Clair
The state Atty General shot us down. Kubota seems to be citing that the primary issue is that we are a 2nd owner and did not buy it from a dealership. They also ref'd the manual and the "extreme operating conditions".

Here is Kubota's reply. We do now have an email for someone at Kubota Corporate though.

The machine has been returned to us. Funny thing - They drove it down out 1/4 mile long driveway to drop it back off. It wasn't backfiring at all. I have not had a chance to dig into it. I want to drain the oil and send it off for testing, but we need to confirm if the dealer changed the oil or not. The only thing that looks to have been replaced on the invoice was a faulty spark plug that they said broke. $500 in diagnostics.
 

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Sidekick

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Sidekick 850, BX3260, Z726XKW-3-60
Jul 29, 2023
150
77
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N.Y,
The state Atty General shot us down. Kubota seems to be citing that the primary issue is that we are a 2nd owner and did not buy it from a dealership. They also ref'd the manual and the "extreme operating conditions".

Here is Kubota's reply. We do now have an email for someone at Kubota Corporate though.

The machine has been returned to us. Funny thing - They drove it down out 1/4 mile long driveway to drop it back off. It wasn't backfiring at all. I have not had a chance to dig into it. I want to drain the oil and send it off for testing, but we need to confirm if the dealer changed the oil or not. The only thing that looks to have been replaced on the invoice was a faulty spark plug that they said broke. $500 in diagnostics.
That is what I expected after the way Kubota has been handling this engine issue. They call short tripping extreme conditions and just blow off the issue. Never thought a company like Kubota would handle problems like this that weren't included in sales literature as a customer problem. I really made a mistake being loyal to Kubota when I bought the Sidekick. All we can do now is hope this info helps others looking for a side by side and saves them the stress we have been put through. The day I got that machine was the happiest day of my life and now I am totally disgusted about this purchase. Kubota Doesn't Care contrary to what they claim. Hopefully this thread will save others from making the same mistake if they are considering this machine because it seems too late for us. I will try that email next.
 

catalyst

Member

Equipment
BX80, RTV-XG850
Sep 30, 2018
66
22
8
St. Clair
That is what I expected after the way Kubota has been handling this engine issue. They call short tripping extreme conditions and just blow off the issue. Never thought a company like Kubota would handle problems like this that weren't included in sales literature as a customer problem. I really made a mistake being loyal to Kubota when I bought the Sidekick. All we can do now is hope this info helps others looking for a side by side and saves them the stress we have been put through. The day I got that machine was the happiest day of my life and now I am totally disgusted about this purchase. Kubota Doesn't Care contrary to what they claim. Hopefully this thread will save others from making the same mistake if they are considering this machine because it seems too late for us. I will try that email next.
I think you are in better shape with yours, as you are under warranty and are the original purchaser. It does not fix the issue for you, but they will at least cover the repairs until your warranty expires.

My family is completely hosed - I don't think we'll ever buy another Kubota product again - especially a used product, as the manufacturer has ZERO intent to actually support the product for any owner who purchases something down the road. This completely kills resale for any Kubota product in my eyes, given that stance.
 

sciencecalc

New member

Equipment
rtv xg850, LX2502
Feb 26, 2024
1
1
3
Kentucky
I think you are in better shape with yours, as you are under warranty and are the original purchaser. It does not fix the issue for you, but they will at least cover the repairs until your warranty expires.

My family is completely hosed - I don't think we'll ever buy another Kubota product again - especially a used product, as the manufacturer has ZERO intent to actually support the product for any owner who purchases something down the road. This completely kills resale for any Kubota product in my eyes, given that stance.
I think for my first post this is going to be an interesting view point.
I can understand frustration with the company but are you expecting help on a unit that has no history and was purchased second hand? In my 40 years of life I have never seen a manufacture stand behind something that is outside of its warranty period and is a second hand owner. I know first hand that these things can be frustrating but I do wonder is blasting the email of an employee that works within the company is a good move.

I had an issue with my XG850 getting fuel in the oil, and I will say that i started using the unit more in low range for short trips and it has helped. I have also stopped following the hour recommendation for oil changes and do two oil changes per year (once in the fall and once in the spring). I don't put a tremendous amount of hours on my 850, but I figure they extra oil changes cant hurt anything.
 
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Sidekick

Active member

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Sidekick 850, BX3260, Z726XKW-3-60
Jul 29, 2023
150
77
28
N.Y,
I think you are in better shape with yours, as you are under warranty and are the original purchaser. It does not fix the issue for you, but they will at least cover the repairs until your warranty expires.

My family is completely hosed - I don't think we'll ever buy another Kubota product again - especially a used product, as the manufacturer has ZERO intent to actually support the product for any owner who purchases something down the road. This completely kills resale for any Kubota product in my eyes, given that stance.
That's probably why the dealership owner said the only way to get Kubota to do anything about this is to run it hard and try to blow the engine before the warranty expires. Guess Kubota considers an almost 70 year old man driving grandkids around the yard SEVERE DUTY. I see one more just popped up here with this problem and 2 more west of you that I am trying to get details of.
On the Forestry forum I had a PM from a fellow that saw my posts over there and asked if it was resolved because he was considering one. His choices were the same as my original ones. Ranger, Mule, or Sidekick and I definitely eliminated sidekick from his list. I also have it posted on several other large forums.
Mine would need an oil change every 5 hours to have half a chance of surviving and that makes it junk to me. You pay top dollar for the Kubota name and we need laws to make companies disclose this pertinent information prior to the sale, not in a manual that is only delivered when the machine is dropped off.
Guess this is why so many low hour used ones are for sale and Kubota wants nothing to do with them.
 
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catalyst

Member

Equipment
BX80, RTV-XG850
Sep 30, 2018
66
22
8
St. Clair
I think for my first post this is going to be an interesting view point.
I can understand frustration with the company but are you expecting help on a unit that has no history and was purchased second hand? In my 40 years of life I have never seen a manufacture stand behind something that is outside of its warranty period and is a second hand owner. I know first hand that these things can be frustrating but I do wonder is blasting the email of an employee that works within the company is a good move.

I had an issue with my XG850 getting fuel in the oil, and I will say that i started using the unit more in low range for short trips and it has helped. I have also stopped following the hour recommendation for oil changes and do two oil changes per year (once in the fall and once in the spring). I don't put a tremendous amount of hours on my 850, but I figure they extra oil changes cant hurt anything.
So first off - you had the exact same issue with gas in your oil and you see nothing wrong with that?!? What about all of the other owners having the same issues. Heck, you've already tossed your factory maintenance schedule and you're doing extra oil changes trying to buy yourself extra time so don't blame me for the crap design that was never disclosed or communicated to me.

And actually, yes - I consider an engine failure at 400 hours a bit extreme and outside of the norm.

The standard Kubota RTV warranty period is: 24 Months or 1000 Hours. The machine is at less than half of the rated warranty coverage for hours, so I would consider a 400 hour failure quite premature and is indicative of some type of mechanical defect if no abuse is found to be the case.

Quite frankly, if it was both over 1000 hours and 2+ years, I would feel differently.
 
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Sidekick

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Sidekick 850, BX3260, Z726XKW-3-60
Jul 29, 2023
150
77
28
N.Y,
Something that I was just told on another forum is if there is gas in the oil, being told to run it in low gear at high RPMs is a bad choice due to the decrease in lubricity and increased wear caused by diluted oil along with shorter engine life. I don't know how accurate this is but sounds like Kubota is giving bogus info to solve this problem. Apparently modern oil is better at handling moisture then gasoline without breaking down. Just wondering others thoughts about increased wear at higher RPMs with contaminated crankcase oil. Why would a company recommend something like this to hide an design issue?
 
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Siesta Sundance

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L305DT, MX 5200, SVL 75-2, (Sold M7060))
Oct 23, 2022
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Something that I was just told on another forum is if there is oil in the gas, being told to run it in low gear at high RPMs is a bad choice due to the decrease in lubricity and increased wear caused by diluted oil along with shorter engine life. I don't know how accurate this is but sounds like Kubota is giving bogus info to solve this problem. Apparently modern oil is better at handling moisture then gasoline without breaking down. Just wondering others thoughts about increased wear at higher RPMs with contaminated crankcase oil. Why would a company recommend something like this to hide an design issue?
I think you meant to say, 'gas in the oil'.

No, it's never good that the fuel ends up in the crankcase. There should never be excessive blowby past the cylinder rings/valve seals etc.

Sir, I mentioned this before, I would swith to a much thicker weight oil, its not gonna harm the motor.

All companies every now and then produce crap products, and the Kubota Sidekick 850 that you purchased may be one of them. I agree Kubota should make good and/or fix or replace the product if under warranty.
 
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Sidekick

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Sidekick 850, BX3260, Z726XKW-3-60
Jul 29, 2023
150
77
28
N.Y,
I think you meant to say, 'gas in the oil'.

No, it's never good that the fuel ends up in the crankcase. There should never be excessive blowby past the cylinder rings/valve seals etc.

Sir, I mentioned this before, I would swith to a much thicker weight oil, its not gonna harm the motor.

All companies every now and then produce crap products, and the Kubota Sidekick 850 that you purchased may be one of them. I agree Kubota should make good and/or fix or replace the product if under warranty.
I thought I fixed that right after posting. It has been tough being diagnosed with long covid that I got from the second vaccine and brain fog is the worst part of it. Kubota has not offered changing the oil viscosity as a fix to anyone yet. That just affects viscosity and not lubricity changing. Letting the internet come up with a solution to a manufacturers problem just isn't the proper way to handle it. Really getting some mad at Kubota and others happy to let you know Kubota doesn't know how to make gas side by sides. Sure seems that Kubota knows nothing about how to fix this engine that they just used from a closing down Subaru small engine division. Having to swap out parts to figure out what the problem is as the mechanic told me, really doesn't sound right in this world of sustainability and computer data gathering abilities.
 

GreensvilleJay

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Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
9,976
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Greensville,Ontario,Canada
curious went to Kub CDA, 'rtv's. seems that 850 has 50 HP, all the diesels(5-6 versions) are 25HP +-, so have to wonder why anyone bought the gas version ?
I know 25hp is a magical diesel number ,but from an OPERATIONAL USE what's the advantage of the gasser ?

Also Kubota is know for great diesels, so why put a gasser in their product ?
 

#40Fan

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Jul 21, 2022
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USA
Sometimes, you want to go fast. That, I'm sure, is why they built it. To get into that go-fast market.

Diesel is a premium option too. $$$$
 

mikester

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M59 TLB
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Sometimes, you want to go fast. That, I'm sure, is why they built it. To get into that go-fast market.

Diesel is a premium option too. $$$$
I wanted a diesel but the hydrostatic drive and slow speeds was a no go for me. Surprisingly the XG850 has better tow ratings than the more expensive diesels. I bought my xg850 during covid after I sold my 20 year old golf cart for more than I paid for it 20 years ago. UTV's were unavailable everywhere at the time and I found mine at a local dealer still in the crate and got a good deal on it.

The op should consider getting a gas golf cart. Perfect machine designed for short tripping.
1709115451616.jpeg

I had a four seater like this and swapped a flat bed for the rear seat and added a trailer hitch. They tow 1200lbs and run forever on 5 gallons of gas. I wish my XG850 had a start-stop engine like the golf cart.
 

Sidekick

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Equipment
Sidekick 850, BX3260, Z726XKW-3-60
Jul 29, 2023
150
77
28
N.Y,
We have an electric golf cart for short trips. Won't make up from my pond with a little moisture on the ground. Once it looses traction you start sliding down backwards praying a tree doesn't stop you. Kubota has redefined the term short trips now to include 20 minute rides.
The ATV market is expected to grow to almost 30 billion by 2030 with 86% of those sales being gas machines. That is probably why Kubota tried to enter the segment. Gas and diesel are just temporary if you go over and read the EPA papers on new emissions standards over the next couple years. Under 25 HP diesels will be finally required to met strict standards that could add 5 grand to the price. Also the sales and use of them are being banned in several states over the next couple years. Gas engine ATV will also have issues meeting the new standards and bans so they also will be phased out due to expense and state laws. Electric will eventually be the only option that is legal to buy and use in many states the way we are heading if no new engine technology is introduced. I think Kubota tried to jump in with a quick short term solution to grab some sales. Probably why they just grabbed a cheap Subaru engine and don't care about making a long lasting gas side by side. You can see some companies like Polaris are taking a long term commitment to the changing market already with EV models and better emission standards on the gas machines. I imagine Kubota will also be switching to electric machines with government and business contracts requiring them more and more everyday. I am guessing the Sidekick was just cheap to try and get the Kubota name in the fastest growing gas market to eventually step to the electric according to experts if EPA and local laws remain in place.