So here comes a longish post and I'm really hoping somebody can help. I bought a used 2015 Honda Foreman and I've been loving it. I've only had it a few months and have had pretty much no problems until recently. I would always turn my bike off in reverse so it could never roll backwards when I have it sitting on the trailer for only about 5-7 days at a time. I take it out every weekend so it definitely doesn't sit for long. But anyways, since I turn it off in reverse, I have to shift it back into to neutral to start it. A few weeks ago I started having a problem where it wouldnt shift up into neutral after pressing the shift up button multiple times. Ended up hitting the shift motor with a wrench and it ended up shifting perfectly the whole rest of the ride. Then a week later on the next ride, had to hit it again to get it to shift. Skip ahead a little bit, ended up doing an oil change and diff fluid change and decided to dig into the shift motor since I heard honda puts thick gummy grease in the shift motor or on the gears and causes it to freeze up over time. Ended up getting the shift motor and pulled the gears off with it and unplugged the connector on the side of the shift motor. I looked at the gears and it was like bone dry so I decided to put all temp lithium lube on it so it has atleast something. I never pulled apart the actual shift motor itself. I Ended up putting it back together and bolted it back into the engine and I switched my key to on and it still wouldn't shift, it was trying to shift but still couldnt. So I unplugged the connector on the side of the shift motor and replugged it back in and then all of a sudden it the shift motor makes no sound at all or acts like its even trying to shift. There is some dielectric grease on that connector and I see some dirt specs and what not so I may need to clean the connector but for some reason its like the shift motor is getting no power at all unlike before.



I also forgot to mention, the neutral light has been blinking ever since the shift motor supposedly "died" or getting no power at all. I checked the fuse, its perfectly fine. My battery is perfectly fine, charged it all night and still nothing. I also tried the truck where you hold the up and down shift st the same time and turn the bike key to on and still nothing.



I really hope somebody can help me with this.. I have spent hours doing research and read so many threads and its like nobody has had this same exact problem. I know im not the only one. Please help



PS: The neutral light blinks two slow times and two fast times. Cant find what the code means at all.

 

22 blinks

 

NEVER, EVER HIT THE SHIFT MOTOR WITH A WRENCH The magnets are perfectly capable of dropping off and jamming the motor, without you making them by hitting it. You have an emergency shifter for if it does fail to shift, use it. Same goes for the starter motor, on 420 and post 14 500/520 models, the crappy starter will shed it's magnets.

I haven't got the manual for the new 500 auto so no idea what code 22 is. Incidentally why do Honda still use the Morse system for fault codes? t is a pig to read, especially if you are getting more than one code up, and Hondas have had digital dashes for nearly 20 years so could just put the fault code numbers up on there, like Suzuki.

 

Noticed your machine is a 500ES not an auto so my old model 420 workshop manual may be the same regarding ES fault codes, anyway 22-2 is a code for either faulty shift motor or angle sensor, basically the ECU has energised the motor wires and not got a signal back from the angle sensor to say it has changed gear.