I have a Honda 350 rancher with manual shift. Over the winter it started having problems with the shift indicator light. When I would shift into first gear, intermittently the green neutral light would remain on even though it had shifted into 1st gear. The same would happen when I was in first gear (with no light) and shift into neutral, the green light wouldn't come on. This is the where I couldn't ever get the light to come on and it will not start now. I believe it is the gear position switch.

 

If your going to keep this machine, then pickup a factory service manual. Get a Honda manual not an aftermarket. You will find most of your answers for this and future problems in that manual. Makes trouble shooting so much easier!

 

I have had a couple 350 that the end of shift drum would break which would cause this issue

 

Never had this happen and maintain dozens of 350s, but it would involve a complete crankcase split to fit a new shift drum. I would be tempted to fit a button to earth the neutral wire from the switch, press it to bring the neutral light up when starting, and put up with the wonky display on the dash. I had the same problem on an Eiger, I suspect the switch had gone on that, as it was on it's last legs I bridged the wire to earth, this put the light on whatever gear it was in, which cured the starting problem, but being sure when you are in neutral is useful, so it isn't a perfect solution.

 

When you do warranty work for Honda its had to be done the correct way

 

Thank you merryman and papa hogg scoot for the replies. In the manual I have it states to check the continuity of the neural and reverse terminal to determine if the switch is malfunctioning. If it is, I will talk to the Honda shop in town and see what it will cost to replace or ground out the neutral terminal altogether because I don't know if I have the knowledge to pull the engine and rear crankcase to fix myself. Either way, this is the first thing I have ever fixed on my 19 year old Honda 350 rancher. Thanks again for the advise and knowledge. Steve