I'm sure you guys have heard this story a few hundred times.

I've been having some problems with my electric shift on my 2002 Rancher ES 4x4. I started experiencing the first problem a couple of years ago but really didn't give it any thought. If I was idling and the motor died with it still in gear, I had the hardest time getting it back into neutral. I'd have to rock it back and forth forever so that it would finally downshift. But recently I've started experiencing a problem while riding. For some reason when I try to shift, it won't go to the next gear. You can hear it trying to change gears but it will never actually change gears. It does it going into reverse, or upshift or downshifting into just about any gear. There is never any specific gears that I have problems with as I have had this problem with it in any gear. It seems like the lower gears I have more problems with, but that might just be me. My warranty just expired and I doubt anything would be covered now. It only has 570 miles on it and about 75 hours. Does anyone have any insight as to what might be happening and how to fix it? PLEASE HELP!

 

Its not that unusual to have to rock it back and forth to make it shift at a standstill.
How long since the oil was changed and the clutch adjustment done?
Hows the battery doing? You can get it load tested for free, at almost any auto parts store. While youre removing the battery, look over the batery connections, and shine them up,before reattaching them.

 

try using the manual lever, it doesn't sound a es problem if its trying to shift

 

The manual lever has been tried, so I know it works.

 

Having to rock the machine with it in gear to shift to neutral with the engine off is NORMAL. Mine does it, as well as 99 percent of the other manual gearbox ranchers out there.

your battery might be weak making the shift motor move too slowly and not have enough power. Have it load tested and/or replaced.

Next, DO THE FRIGGIN' CLUTCH ADJUSTMENT!! if you dont know how, get a manual. It's a very basic adjustment that, in my opinion, should be done every ride. If it's not adjusted properly, it's like trying to shift gears in a manual transmission without pushing the clutch in----hard to do, and hard on the tranny!!

next, check the electrical connectors at the ECM, Shift motor, and the angle sensor and make sure they are clean and tight. If they are dirty, clean them or cut the wires and buy new connectors and solder them on. If they are clean, put some electrical grease on them and put them back together.

A common part to go bad on these older models is the Angle sensor. If you want to throw a part at it, put a new one on. The part is about $50 at most honda dealers.

The ES problems are common, but doing these simple checks first might save some time and money

 

The procedure for the clutch adjustment goes like this.
Warm up the motor with a short ride. It doesnt have to be hot, a few minutes is enough.
Turn off the motor.
Inside the left footwell. look at the foward side of the motor. In the circular area of the engine case, is a small slotted screw , with a lock nut. Loosen the lock nut, about one turn. Dont remove it, just loosen it. Turn the slotted screw, ccw, until you feel resistance. From there, go back (cw), 1/4 turn. Hold the slotted screw stationary, and snug up the lock nut.

 

take it to the dealer, bad angle sensor see it all the time. pm me if you got more questions

cooper