honda rancher error code

[ak-fang]

submerged an 06 rancher 400 today which is now having some shifting problems i would appreciate some help with. if i put it in neutral and turn it off/start it up again it will run like normal for a while or until i stop; at which time "eps" starts flashing and it won't get out of first gear. if i put it in reverse it sputters. turning it off and putting it in neutral before starting remedies the problem for a while. when "eps" starts flashing i get 1 long flash followed by 5 short ones. from a little online research it seems like the angle sensor is the issue. my problem is that i've never heard of an angle sensor; or know where it's located on the rig. my hunch is that it just needs to be dried and cleaned. does it seem like i'm on the right track? is there a place i can download a repair manual for free or does could someone fill me in on where the angle sensor is located? would it make more sense to just replace it? i have also read that they need to be preloaded before final assembly.
thanks for any help!

 

[cwoods]

This is the Rancher 400AT correct? First I would purchase a shop manual from Honda as it will have specifics on code reading and initializing process of your ecu and tranny if you need. If you noticed the issue after dunking your machine in the drink you may be on the right track with the angle sensor being bad or perhaps a connection needing a cleaning..... I would remove the front rack/plastics and dielectric grease all connections myself.
Unfortunately the 400AT's with the Hondamatic are known to be problematic in the electrical department.
My 02' Foreman ES I no longer have was giving me fits and the code on the the display was pointing towards the angle sensor which I had to replace before.... Turns out the shift motor was going south so I had to replace it, you could have very well gotten water/mud in the shift motor and a remove/disassemble/clean/reinstall could fix the problem...happens very often on the electric shift Hondas.
I would for sure invest in the genuine Honda shop manual and grease all your connectors in your wire harness. Hope the issue jumps out at you quickly with your diagnosing....as an afterthought a good strong battery is a must to keep it all working properly in the shifting department. Good luck!

 

[outdoor fanatic]

I have a hard copy and electronic copy of the manual. The electronic copy is way to big to try and send. I live in Wasilla if you would like to stop by my house with a thumb drive I would give you a copy of the manual. PM me if you are interested.

 

[MacGyver]

Unless you want to be plague with problems, I would disconnect the battery and take a hair dryer and dry out every cable, electrical connection, switches, and computer if it has one. After they are dry, oil the cables and put dielectric grease on all the cables. This is something you need to be doing now not tomorrow or next week. By removing the moisture your error code may go away.

good luck

 

[ak-fang]

last night i did some reading on dielectric grease and it seems there are 2 different camps on using it. one camp swearing by it and the other camp saying it can lead to diminished conductivity. has anyone here used it with bad results? from what i've read it seems the users are the ones saying it's good while the ones saying it's bad have never used it.

Unless you want to be plague with problems, I would disconnect the battery and take a hair dryer and dry out every cable, electrical connection, switches, and computer if it has one. After they are dry, oil the cables and put dielectric grease on all the cables. This is something you need to be doing now not tomorrow or next week. By removing the moisture your error code may go away.

good luck

 

[MacGyver]

I've wonder the same thing and what I've found researching the questions if there is no possibility of moisture, heat or the metal forming a resistance film you do not need dielectric grease or some other product.

It's best used before you sink your ATV because once a connection is wet it will start corroding and unless you can remove the water or oxygen you will have problems in the future.

 

[ak-fang]

drained everything, pulled the battery and all the connections (luckily all the connections were bone dry and clean). since i have all the connectors removed i'll go ahead w/the dielectric grease. will be picking up all the fluids/filters and fill everything up. if i still get the error code i'll replace the angle sensor. the rear diff fluid and engine oil wasn't as clear as i would have liked to see. i replaced the crankcase oil twice before it came out the color i wanted to see; luckily it wasn't all that cloudy though.
thanks to everyone for their input..and thanks for the manual outdoor fanatic.

 

[cwoods]

I have never had negative effects from using dielectric grease before problems arrise . I bought my 02' Foreman 450 new and had over 4000 hard hunting miles on it when I sold it this last spring. I greased all connections probably 4 times in those twelve years as preventive maintenance.
The angle sensor went bad 3 times in those years as well as the speed sensor once and the shift motor once. Those diagnostic codes your reading don't always steer you in the correct direction. Sounds like you sunk it pretty good eh?
Hopefully it was clear water and not silty Jim Creek or the like... I have sunk a few in years past racing cross country circuits, for the crank case a diesel flush works well getting the moisture out. Fill,start,shut right back down and drain. Glad its working out for ya.

 

[ak-fang]

update: replaced all the fluids, buttoned up all the connections w/dielectric grease, and replaced the battery. unfortunately, now my console screen is blank, and i'm still have the problem. my console screen backlight still lights but the screen is blank. i'm wondering if the ecm has gone south. thinking i may need to replace the ecm also. i slightly regret pulling all the connections as they looked so dry and clean when i disconnected everything. i'm hoping i just missed connecting one of them (i keep scouring every inch of the thing hoping i just missed a connection).

 

[cwoods]

When you swamped the machine did the digital display go under? Years back I dumped my Foreman end over end, cracked the display and got moisture in it and fried it...blank screen although didnt affect the shifting. I would replace the angle sensor(it ran 80 bucks for mine) and I would remove the shift motor to disassemble to inspect and clean... It threw the angle sensor code on mine when my shift motor went south and its quite common to go out on these ES machines. Very simple to remove and inspect.

 

[ak-fang]

i haven't dug into the shift motor yet, but will definitely be heading in that direction. the display did go under, but had worked with no problems until i started disconnecting everything. got a new angle sensor, ordered a new display and ecm, and will be getting into the shift motor next. after all that i'll be checking into the speed sensor and not sure where i'd go after that....there goes my new tires

When you swamped the machine did the digital display go under? Years back I dumped my Foreman end over end, cracked the display and got moisture in it and fried it...blank screen although didnt affect the shifting. I would replace the angle sensor(it ran 80 bucks for mine) and I would remove the shift motor to disassemble to inspect and clean... It threw the angle sensor code on mine when my shift motor went south and its quite common to go out on these ES machines. Very simple to remove and inspect.

 

[cwoods]

Definitely try the angle sensor and shift motor before throwing the ecm at it but I would be surprised if the display isn't a goner. Too bad on the loss of your tire option for now...

 

[ak-fang]

my ordered parts came in today. preloaded and installed the angle sensor, put in the new ecm, and went through the initialization procedure. didn't need to put in the new digital display because after i put in the new ecm the digital display started working normally. things are working like a charm now and i'm very excited that this seemed to do the trick! i appreciate all the input and advice given from each of you. thanks!

 

[cwoods]

That's great news! Get out and enjoy the summer trails.

 

[ak-fang]

thought i would give an update since i've had further angle sensor problems after the initial replacement of the sensor. even after following all the installation recommendations in the manual, i lost 2 more angle sensors due to moisture contamination. they would be working great, i would cross a small river or stream which would be deep enough to get the sensor wet and allow enough water/condensation in to eventually foul the sensor and warrant replacement. i tried several things to avoid replacement (placing the sensor in a bag of rice, also tried disassembling and cleaning) but i didn't have any success with those so i would have to buy a new part. on my third sensor i wised up and placed some sealant around the sensor prior to installing it and it has yet to foul even after hard use and lots of water crossings. so my advice to anyone who runs into these issues is to follow the installation instructions but also use some sealant.

 

[MacGyver]

This may be helpful in repairing and testing the angle sensor instead of buying new ones.

http://www.hondaatvforums.net/forums/honda-rancher/26227-how-fix-bad-angle-sensor.html

Not knowing what the resistance is across the contacts or a dead short. What would happen if you shorted the wires across it in order to get home?

 

[ak-fang]

This may be helpful in repairing and testing the angle sensor instead of buying new ones.

http://www.hondaatvforums.net/forums/honda-rancher/26227-how-fix-bad-angle-sensor.html

i tried following these instructions on a couple of my dead sensors but without success. i did find that i saved a lot of $$ by purchasing online.
i'm not sure about what would happen with shorting the wires but, judging by your name - macGyver, i'm sure you could get any broken 4-wheeler home with a little duct tape and chewing gum.