The Kawasaki family of side-by-sides, including the Mule, Teryx and KRX are a formidable contender in the off-road community. Kawasaki really came to play with rugged looks and durable builds, but are also packed with features to enhance the UTV rider’s experience.

Sometimes, though, complexity of features can lead to potentially sticky situations.

What could possibly go wrong?

We’ve all likely been through it at one point: driving down the road in our car to work and you see an intense, angry little amber or red light turn on.

At first you may have dismissed it, but then upon a second glance you immediately recognize the icon you’re seeing. That angry little amber outline of an engine. The much maligned Check Engine Light.

Although a check engine light (CEL) coming on doesn’t always mean something catastrophic has happened to your side-by-side, its occurrence should always be taken seriously. Ignoring a CEL without knowing what the issue at hand actually is can lead to permanent damage of your Kawasaki Mule, Teryx or KRX.

Now if you feel attacked by this next statement, then it was definitely directed towards you: Do NOT put a little piece of black electrical tape over your check engine light if it comes on!

Talk about putting a bandaid over a stab wound!

So, what exactly can cause a Kawasaki Teryx check engine light? And what about the Mule or KRX?

If I am completely honest, the answer to that question would take me many more blog posts to get through. So today we will cover some of the most common CEL error causes that can muck up your day.

Kawasaki Mule Fuel System Issues

Although you may not realize it, there are more parts on your side-by-side that help it to deliver and utilize fuel. Fuel injectors, fuel lines, and even Kawasaki Mule fuel filters can all have their faults.

You may have heard of someone’s fuel injectors failing or malfunctioning. This will not only cause your machine to operate erratically, but will usually cause it to throw a check engine code as well.

Believe it or not, a simple pinched fuel line somewhere along the chain, or the wrong Kawasaki Mule fuel additive has been known to cause a CEL to show its ugly head.

Kawasaki Teryx Electrical Issues

No one wants to hear that their brand new Kawasaki may have an electrical problem causing a check engine light to show up all of a sudden, but it happens more commonly than you might think.

Take a look around your UTV next time you’re in it, and take notice of everything that requires electricity.

It’s a lot. Let’s start with your battery, though, shall we?

A lot of avid off-road enthusiasts tend to replace their own battery in their Kawasaki Mule, Teryx and KRX. Why? Well, partly because they can, but also because there are Kawasaki Mule replacement batteries available that are definite upgrades from the stock one your side-by-side comes with. Some even go so far as to set up a Kawasaki Teryx dual-battery kit in order to be able to run a Kawasaki Teryx winch or other electronic accessories without risking the longevity of your primary battery used for starting your UTV reliably day after day.

All of these upgrades and modifications can easily lead to a CEL error being thrown due to simple mistakes.

Failing to properly attach the terminals to your Kawasaki Teryx replacement battery can cause power issues, or even a short, that can cause the dreaded light to come on. The same goes for hooking up that dual-battery kit. Wiring it incorrectly, or even just forgetting to tighten things all the way can easily lead to a frustrating situation of a dead battery, in addition to your favorite CEL.

Furthermore, your UTV’s spark plugs, as well as the cables, boots and caps attached to them can all be damaged and cause your side-by-side to run poorly or misfire and throw a check engine light.

Thankfully, a set of Kawasaki Teryx cable boots or replacement spark plugs will usually remedy that situation in a pinch.

Even with everything we have talked about so far, we’ve barely scratched the surface of common issues that can cause a check engine light to turn on in your Kawasaki Mule, Teryx or KRX.

Something as simple as a stick or branch lodging in your cooling fan in front of the engine can trigger the light to illuminate. And we all know blazing down trails in the wilderness is one of the most fun ways to spend time in your UTV, right?

The point I made at the beginning of this post still stands: as much as you may be tempted to ignore a check engine light and hope it is a simple issue, it is a much safer bet to just get it checked out.

Your dealership should always have the tools needed to run a quick diagnostic and figure out the issue for you. And better yet, if your machine is still under the Kawasaki factory or dealership warranty, they should then remedy the issue for you as well!