honda 4x4 problems

davidh

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I suppose being I live on a farm this will fit here ?
I have a couple Honda Foreman ES 4x4's that I bought in 2000, 2001. very handy, good farm machines. I use them for skidding logs. towing nearly anything they will pull and also using them for snow plowing here in the northland. I
've always referred to them as "bullet proof" because of some of the abuse the have been put thru. they are not beat to hell just used as they should be, as a tool.
well, maybe not so bulletproof as I thought.
the first problem I noticed was that periodically one would not shift electrically when running on a trail. no response electrically when you came to a stop. this this one actually did this to me once in a while when it was pretty new but not often. about 5 or six years into their lives the dash displays quit working properly but that did not cause any problems for operating and they were about $200 each so I just left as is.
fast forward to this summer, the not shifting problem has come back in a vengeance. now it not only gets stuck electrically, in any gear your in, it also just quits running, not necessarly at the same time, and will not start until its cooled off quite a bit, then proceeds to run for a few seconds and quits again, and repeats its problem.
yesterday I couldn't keep it running long enough to drive it home.

this is most likely an electrical problem, but what part is crapping out and what does it look like, and where is it on the machine ?

ive tried to find a good, active honda forum but there is nothing I can find like this one we're on here. I would really like to fix it without taking it to a shop that I probably can't afford or at least don't want to drop a bunch of money at.

is anyone on this forum know anything about these things that would offer some suggestions or pointers ? I would be eternally grateful. . . .
 
check all your connectors (i.e. pull them apart and clean them with some electrical connecor spray, or eather)
Also check your ground lead to the frame and battery, also the engine case (i.e. clean each contact with sandpaper).
With the probblem occuring more in the heat, or when its hot, Id bet money on a ground problem.
Hope this helps you a little, and I hope the problem is a simple fix.
 
I had an 06 foreman. I know on it it had a low oil shut and a high temp shut down. I hit the high temp shut down once when I was mudding with it. Having vampires on it didnt help either lol. That has been my experience with them shutting down and not starting again.

Wait a minute, if it is getting hot and shutting down, could it be the coil?

Chris
 
the first problem I noticed was that periodically one would not shift electrically when running on a trail. no response electrically when you came to a stop...........................now it not only gets stuck electrically, in any gear your in............ .

If you could elaborate on the 'no response electrically', and 'gets stuck electrically, in any gear your in'?

Are the gears changed by flicking a switch which in turn operates a solenoid, or are you meaning something different?

M
 
Definitely unplug all the connectors, inspect, clean, and put in some dielectric grease.... For those who don't already know, these 4-wheelers use a non-traditional semi-automatic transmission which is shifted electrically.

John
 
While I can't directly answer your questions I can offer a little experience and advise. I have an aftermarket Harley repair shop and have learned in the last few years that electrical systems are the major players now as opposed to mechanical systems of days gone by.

The best advise I can give you is to get the Factory Service Manual and specifically the electrical manual. These two items will pay for themselves on this job alone most likely.

Having said that, I wouldn't expect the coil as they seem to be fairly bullet proof these days. If it was dying when hot then restarting after cooling somewhat and getting progressively worse I'd lean toward the crank position sensor primarily and secondly the cam position sensor.

I can't over emphasize the importance of the FACTORY service & electrical manuals. They're really time/money savers.

HTH,

Dale
 
The best advise I can give you is to get the Factory Service Manual and specifically the electrical manual. These two items will pay for themselves on this job alone most likely.

I can't over emphasize the importance of the FACTORY service & electrical manuals. They're really time/money savers.

HTH,

Dale

Couldn't agree more. Add a good quality digital and an analogue meter to those manuals to aid in diagnosis.

M
 
DavidH,

Look closely at the connectors for the trans and make sure there is no corrosion in the pins and connectors. Also look for relays that appear to have had water leaking out of them as evidenced by a drip mark where they mount. Water can enter them as humidity and really do a number on the contacts and cause all kinds of mixed up issues. Honda generally are among the best and most durable machines so I would look for the simple issues first, then proceed to more in depth problems later. I am willing to bet it is a combination of a little bit of corrosion in a connector and a tad of rust on an actuator rod or relay. It doesn't take much to muck up the works. Keep us informed on what you find.

Bob
 
thanks guys. what your saying makes god sense. both my machines are outside nearly all the time, summer and winter. however the one with the problems has spent a couple years in the barn, not used very much during that time. barn is very humid. . . ok, yup, that's probably it.

soo as it stops raining (again) i'll start pulling off the plastic and looking for all the connectors.

what I was trying to say about the electric being dead, the shift buttons on the handle bars makes the shift solenoids operate. . . the selected gear shows up on the digital dash, telling you where it is. that part and the clicking of the solenoid quits. it can be shifted with an aux shift wrench that you can attach to the shift hex on the side of the transmission so even without battery it can be mechanically shifted as tho Honda expected problems at some time during the life of the machine. I could still shift it to whatever gear I wanted or neutral for starting, that way but it would not start, altho it cranked over as it should have. . . just no "fire in the hole" so to speak.

I will document what I find for future ref. for others. thanks much again. . .
 
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