I bought a 2002 ReconES last year. The electric start doesn't work most of the time. Once it's started, the 1st gear light starts blinking and won't allow the gears to be changed....unless it's manually!

I hauled it back to the dealership once and they said it was because something got wet! Isn't that what quads are for?

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could fix it without hauling it back and paying lots of $$?

 

The first gear light blinking is telling you that there is somthing wrong with the es system. The Honda repair manual will tell you how to count the blinks and the problem. If you don't have one call the dealer and ask them what the trouble code is. Or just bring it in and get them to fix it. Also the ES system will lock itself out when it sees a problem, in order to save it self from doing further damage. So it wont work right until the is problem is fixed or you can reset the system. Good luck

 

Sounds like sound advice from rideredinvt. However first you could try charging your battery and verifying if it's good. Then check your battery terminal connections. These are soft metal and will "loosen" especially after the first time they've been tightened. If all is good there, you may have a loose or wet coupler. Here's where knowing what problem the flashing light indicates is nice. You would go to that component's coupler first. The couplers have locking tabs that must be manipulated to unplug them, don't force them or you will be adding to your problems!! If you can just unplug the coupler, it was loose and could be your problem. Then look inside the coupler closely for water, corrosion etc. If found clean with light dry compressed air. Buy yourself some stuff at an autoparts store called dielectric grease and treat the coupler lightly with it. If all that fails, test the questionable component per shop manual if possible, or if it's not too expensive, just replace it. As far as water goes, you didn't say how the thing might have gotten wet, but Honda couplers are usually pretty waterproof. You can play in a reasonable amount of mud and water but over the long run it's hard on things, especially if you're not watching your maintainance, fluids etc. be cool.