I have a 2005 Honda Rancher AT that has had intermittent shifting issues where it feels like the brakes are on and not allowing it to move freely. This seems to be more noticeable in AUTO mode than ESP mode when going up any type of hill. If I slow down from 15MPH to around 5MPH then hit the throttle again, it will just bog down. If I come to a complete stop, it will pull up the hill fine. My dealer looked at it about six months ago and couldn't find anything wrong and will not replace any parts unless they are bad. Strangely, since then it has ran fine until about two weeks ago when I tried to pull another tree.......immediately after it started the same sluggish shifting issues and lacking power. FYI.... I didn't put too much stress on my Rancher when trying to pull the tree....when it didn't want to move it with the throttle wide open, I immediately let off the throttle. Also, the 2005 are not under any type of recalls like the 2004 models were for shifting issues.

Anyways, I'm now trying to figure this issue out on my own. I've got a service manual and have been looking over things and testing stuff. I've started with the angle sensor and have found what seems to be an irregular reading.

The lowest reading I can obtain with the sensor removed and without turning the sensor shaft is 70 ohms...when I start turning the sensor shaft, I will go up and down between 70 and 90 for half of the entire turn, but then starts climbing smoothly all the way up to 2.1K ohms. The Honda Service manual states that the measurement should increase smoothly from a standard "0 to 1.6 - 2.4K" ....this info is found on page 24-43 of the factory service manual. FYI....both of the other test are within spec...voltage was around 5V and the first resistance check was around 2.0K

So what I'm asking is does this indicate that my Angle Sensor is bad since it will not go to 0 ohms? Does anyone happen to have a known good one that you could test out for me and check the readings on it? I prefer not to pay $$ for a new one without first being sure. Also, does this sound like something that would be causing my shifting issues.......or is there anything else I should check out?


Thanks for any advice and help!

 

First of all I don't think a new sensor will read down to o ohms....that means no resistance at all (perfect conductivity)

Secondly-are you checking the sensor without voltage because you should be far as I know

I really don't know the part you are describing but maybe get one of these guys who have the same quad to do the same test..."Atten 2005 Honda Rancher AT owners"

 

Oh geez, I have a 05 AT that exhibits the same symptoms sometimes. Now I have to rip into it and see what I find out. I have the factory service manual as well. Your theory makes sense. I'll let you know what I find out.

 

I just worked on a Rancher AT that had these symptoms. It also would surge if kept at a steady 3 or 4 mph. Checked it over, got the same angle sensor readings you did, checked a known good one, same readings so I know the original is good and yours probably is also. After putting a some time into this machine, I called Honda and they said to replace the clutch. Replaced the clutch and it ran perfect. The one I had was an '04 and had the ECM update done a year earlier but was one of very, very few that had problems after the update was done. Even though yours is an '05, I would have your dealer call Honda tech line. If they won't, find a new dealer. When I called Honda, they knew exactly what to do and could probably have told me what symptoms I was experiencing w/ out even telling them. The machine I was working on was out of warranty by about a year but everything was covered thru goodwill. Good luck.

 

squeege....I'm definitely checking the sensor in the proper way....you can never measure resistance with power applied....just like you have to have you test equipment inserted in series with a circuit to measure current.

dirtbiker5....keep me updated on what you find out. I've noticed quite a few people on various boards complain of the same issue.......the intermittent part is what's so weird. I'm just afraid that it will eventually break something else with the way it acts. It can't be good on the clutch. I just wish Honda would fix it, because I like the Rancher AT much better than I liked the 2003 Honda Rincon I owned.

1988TRX250R....I don't have an issue with surging...yet...at least. As for having the dealer call the Honda tech line....they supposedly did the first time I took it too them. I'm out of warranty also and my dealer is wanting to charge a service fee just to look at it and tell me nothing is wrong with it. Plus my dealer is a 150 mile drive for me.

Thanks for all of the advice so far!

 

I also have a sensor problem for recon 250
Bought aftermarket one from amazon. reading 334 K ohms
Bought one from the honda dealer 1.069M ohms
Both show no movement when shaft is turned
honda specs say 4 to 6K ohms across power terminals
and rising and falling values depending on which way shaft is turned at center terminal
everything else checks out OK
Was wondering if someone has a good sensor that works showing good values
that they could sell me.? I really dont know what else it could be.
Thanks Much
Michael sharpe
9198069253

 

You have put this post in totally the wrong place. The 400 AT was a hydraulic drive automatic, you have a manual gearbox with electric shift, which uses a different angle sensor altogether. Your sensor should vary in ohms as you move the bit in the middle round. The ES system has a fault code and should tell you if the sensor has gone bad. However all it does is tell the ECU when to stop the motor and, if the ECU doesn't get the signal in a certain time, it fault codes and shuts the system down. This can mean the motor has taken too long to turn the shaft due to worn brushes, dirt, or a bad connection, so a fault code for the angle sensor does not always mean a bad angle sensor. There are hundreds of posts about ES faults on here, find them and check the fault symptoms you have against them.