Well I have an 06 Honda Rancher 400 Automatic with gpscape equipped. I bought the vehicle at an auction and therefore could not talk to the previous owner about the vehicle.

When I first got on it and rode, for about 300 miles it ran completely fine, I changed the oil in it, with air and oil filters. There is no manual so I'm not completely sure when to change the transmission oil or how to change it anyway. Lately on high slopes, the transmission would skip completely, and not allow the engine to give power to the wheels. I am completely stumbled on what it is, as it happens whenever, but more likely during the end of a run.

One time, I stopped on a slope for a picture, after which I couldn't move at all, the thing just skipped. I tried giving it a different gear, but it skipped anyway, so I had to get off and push it down the slope, after which it caught right on.

It really makes me mad because whenever I go up a slope out of the forest on sand, it skips right before the top and I am unable to get out of it. Even after several tries, it stops almost in the same spot, and I'm always having to get help to climb out of it.

Any help is appreciated. Also what is service that I should do regularly on it? My Kawasaki Prairie is almost carefree as you only need to change oil and air filters with engine oil, and check if the rear axle oil is at the appropriate level and thats it.

 

Get a service manual or at least an owner's manual! Big mistake to mess around with an unknown machine without these....

The engine and trans share the same oil, so no problem there as long as you can see something on the dipstick. I do think there is a seperate drain hole for the trans and engine, as I recall (?).

This model has had a history of trans problems. Honda only produced it for a short time, then dumped it from the lineup...probably for some good reason. Do a search and you may trun up some posts that might help, as we have seen these issues before.