Can-Am DS 450 EFI, X xC & X mX (2009) ATV Operator's Guide (P/N 708 200 114)

BRP's 2009 Operator's Guide (P/N 708 200 114) covers the Can-Am DS 450 EFI, DS 450 EFI X xC, and DS 450 EFI X mX. It provides operating instructions, routine maintenance procedures, and model-specific chassis adjustments.

Text Search, Bookmarks, and Included Pages

Search and page navigation: The main chapters and specification tables support text search. Some text on covers, labels, and forms does not turn up in searches. The embedded bookmarks use source filenames and page numbers as labels.

The download is one printable English PDF with 156 pages total, including 152 numbered pages and four unnumbered cover and inside-cover pages. The original warranty information, ownership forms, and numbered pages with only headers and footers are included in that total.

Riding, Routine Service, and Chassis Setup

These selected topics show what the guide covers. It also explains what to do if the ATV becomes submerged and where to secure it for trailer transport.

• Operation and safety: Controls, pre-ride inspections, break-in, engine starting, transmission shifting, and post-ride checks.
• Engine and cooling: Engine oil and filter changes, oil-tank strainer cleaning, coolant replacement, air-filter service, radiator inspection, and muffler spark arrester cleaning.
• Chain and clutch: Drive-chain inspection, lubrication, and tension adjustment, plus slider and sprocket checks and clutch free-play adjustment at the lever and cover.
• Steering and suspension: Toe alignment, model-specific track-width, caster, and camber adjustments, plus spring preload, compression damping, and rebound settings.
• Electrical maintenance: Spark-plug replacement, battery removal and cleaning, fuse identification and replacement, headlight aiming, and bulb replacement.
• Troubleshooting: Symptom-based checks for starting problems, power loss, overheating, misfire, rough shifting, and check-engine lamp indications.

The guide is written for DS 450 owners and operators. The owner-maintenance procedures are intended for readers with the mechanical skills and tools needed for the job.

Scheduled Maintenance, Lubrication, and Cooling

The Periodic Maintenance Chart distinguishes owner tasks from dealer service. It identifies the first oil and filter change and the initial dealer inspection separately from recurring maintenance. The chart also flags items that need more frequent attention in dusty, sandy, wet, or muddy conditions.

The dry-sump Rotax engine shares its oil supply with the transmission. The guide gives step-by-step oil and filter change instructions and illustrates the separate oil tank, strainer, and outlet assembly. Coolant coverage includes draining, refilling, and leak checks. Air-filter service includes checking the housing drain tube.

Drive Chain, Clutch, and Throttle Controls

The chain-adjustment table shows why identifying the trim matters: the X mX uses the opposite adjustment direction from the DS 450 and X xC. Choosing the procedure for the right trim helps prevent damage during chain adjustment.

The clutch section identifies the quick cable adjuster on the X xC and X mX and lists clutch adjustment wrench 529 036 076. The guide warns that overly tight adjustment can cause premature clutch-disc wear. If lever free play disappears and the clutch cover screw needs adjustment, BRP recommends a dealer inspection of the clutch plates.

Throttle coverage includes cable lubrication and lever free-play adjustment. The lubrication procedure identifies cable luber 529 035 738.

Steering Geometry and Suspension Settings

Steering alignment applies to all three models. The X xC and X mX have rear track-width and caster adjustment, and the X mX also has camber adjustment. The track-width table shows where the hub spacers go, and the caster and camber guides show the corresponding shim positions.

The front and rear suspension tables give factory baselines for each trim. They cover spring preload, low-speed compression, and rebound, with high-speed compression settings for the X xC and X mX. The guide explains how steering and suspension changes can affect handling.

Specifications, Troubleshooting, and Repair Limits

The specifications identify the liquid-cooled DOHC Rotax engine, EFI, wet clutch, and five-speed transmission. Reference tables cover fluid capacities, fixed idle speed, wheel-nut torque, and model-specific tire pressures.

The troubleshooting section separates an engine that won't crank from one that cranks without starting. It also explains what a steady or flashing check-engine lamp can indicate, including limp-home mode, and when to contact a dealer.

The guide shows how to check brake fluid and gives pad and disc wear limits. It assigns brake-fluid replacement and brake-system repairs to a Can-Am dealer. Follow the guide's precautions for hot engine parts, pressurized shocks, and brake-system work.

For internal engine or transmission repairs and electrical wiring diagrams, a workshop manual is needed. The maintenance chart lists cooling-system pressure tests and engine management system fault-code checks as dealer tasks.

Sample Chain, Clutch, and Alignment Settings

The drive-chain table specifies 22 mm (7/8 in) of free play for all three models, measured midway between the sprockets with the rider or equivalent weight on the ATV. At the clutch lever, nominal free play is 10–15 mm (3/8–5/8 in).

Total front toe-in, measured with the ATV on the ground at the center of the tire tread, is 0–6.35 mm (0–1/4 in) for the DS 450 and X xC, and 6.35–12.7 mm (1/4–1/2 in) for the X mX.