Honda Honda TRX500 Shifting Problems

[Hudson Charlton]

I have been having shifting problems with my Honda TRX500 Fourtrax Rubicon (automatic transmission). It seemed that ever since we got it, it never liked to shift down. It always shifted up at the perfect timing, but it never shifted down quickly when you needed power. Whenever you would approach a hill, it would be struggling trying to climb it because it wouldn't shift down. You could let off the gas, and give it a chance to shift, and it usually would shift down. This didn't seam like a big deal, but as time went on, it got worse and worse until it would not shift up or down at all. When ever it would not shift up or down the screen would start flashing. This is what would flash:

 

drive 1

drive 2 

  esp

 

Usually, you could just shut it off and turn it back on an hour later and it would run. However, one day, I was back in the bush, just about to clim out of a creek and it started flashing and wouldn't shift. It was stuck in 3rd gear (obviously not enough power to climb out of a creek), so I turned it off and came back in about 8 hours, turned it back on and this time it did not stop flashing and still wouldn’t shift up or down. It was a lot of fun dragging that thing out of the bush! It hasn't shifted since. What kind of trouble shooting should I do? I looked in the manual and  I did notice it kept talking about a OEM censer. It appears that the OEM censer has something to do with the automatic transmission?

[rslampton78]

Have you checked tangle sensor. You can put dielectric grea see on the connections and perform the shifter reset and usually it's fixed.

[Hudson Charlton]

Have you checked tangle sensor. You can put dielectric grea see on the connections and perform the shifter reset and usually it's fixed.

 

Sorry for getting back to you so late. I would assume you made a mistake and meant to say angle sensor? I actually checked that, did a test on in with a volt meter, and according to the manual it was faulty. It didn't fix it. When we installed the new sensor, I did notice the the flat metal bare the sticks out of the transition (what the angle sensor connects to) was in a different position that what it showed in the manual. I don't know if that would affect anything? Could the actual control motor be faulty? When I pull it off what should I look for to know if it is faulty? I couldn't really tell were the noise is coming from... defiantly the bottom end. I did a lot of research, but no one seams to have the same problem.

[rslampton78]

I can't say much about the the metal plate behind the angle sensor but the shift motor I have been told that either it works or it doesn't. Also be sure the fuses are good and the battery has adequate voltage. It kind of sounds as if the ecm doesn't know what shift mode is being used.

[doug the slug]

You should go back and make sure that angle sensor is mounted correctly. They have a spring in there that needs to be preloaded while you're installing it. The manual shows how to do it, but it's easy to get it wrong at first. Did you get any blinking to indicate a fault code? The number of blinks tells you what might be the issue - the manual also details this. Yes the control motor could be faulty, but check for codes & angle sensor setup before going down that path.

[Hudson Charlton]

I will try to explain what I mean by the metal bar. The manual calls the metal bar, the "joint" and the "joint" goes into the sensor. Another word to describe it would be a shaft.

The manual shows the maximum you are supposed to turn it after you set it in, and the way that "joint" was I had to turn the angle sensor the maximum distance the manual allows. That is what is concerning; the different position of the "joint" than is what is in the manual. Is it different because it is stuck in 3 gear? 

I did check the fuses, and they are all fine. The engine runs great, starts good, sounds good when idling, but when you rev it in neutral it makes a funny noise. I'll see if I can post a video tomorrow of how it sounds. The noise is what is scary, because it sounds deep in the tranny    

I did do the code read, but I haven't finished the trouble shooting yet.

[Hudson Charlton]

 

Hear is the link to the atv running. See if you can hear the odd sound the transition is making. I haven't been able to pin point from where the sound is coming from. 

[doug the slug]

I think you're right about it being stuck in gear - the shift motor may be at fault. Do you have anyway to try another one, or test the one you have?

[Hudson Charlton]

I think you're right about it being stuck in gear - the shift motor may be at fault. Do you have anyway to try another one, or test the one you have?

 

I was wondering that. Maybe I will pul it off. I'm sure the manual would have a way of finding out if it is faulty. Looking at the pictures in the manual, the hondamatic transmission sure looks complicated! I just can't seem to find exactly were the noise is coming from.

[doug the slug]

no kidding - I don't think they're rebuildable at all. With those trannys It's replace only with a complete assembly which is big bucks!!

[Hudson Charlton]

I think I got to the bottom of the problem. I did some more tests with the control motor and it turned out, it wasn't working. I took it apart and it was the magnets were broken up. I have a new motor on order. I will let you know if it works.

[Hudson Charlton]

Problem solved! I replaced the control motor and it runs perfect. I really noticed how it shifts at the perfect timing! Thanks for all your help!

[doug the slug]

I'm glad it worked out for you - they're a great bike for sure!

[1gr8bldr]

What do you mean by "control motor".............  I have a 500 been giving me problems for years.......... Rather than leave it for 8 hours, just reset it when needed. google the reset. It is key off, in neutral, press up and down at the same time, turn key and release up and down at the same time, when you hear angle sensor going through a cycle then press throttle open and release. You have just reset everything. No waiting

[1gr8bldr]

I found the control motor in my manual. LOL, thought it may have been the starter

[Hudson Charlton]

What do you mean by "control motor".............  I have a 500 been giving me problems for years.......... Rather than leave it for 8 hours, just reset it when needed. google the reset. It is key off, in neutral, press up and down at the same time, turn key and release up and down at the same time, when you hear angle sensor going through a cycle then press throttle open and release. You have just reset everything. No waiting

 

Does your model let you do a code reading? I finally realized that when reverse doesn't work, it wont shift gears, and the screen flashes, it is just trying to tell you there is a problem.

[1gr8bldr]

Did you brushes fall out. DA>>, I have been trying to get them back in for 1 hour, counting the 25 minutes looking for the spring that shot out. I have no choice now but to get a new control motor. It is impossible to get the brushes back in and held in while you thread the cap and bearing back through. For future reference for anyone wanting to take it apart. You will be buying another, good or bad

[1gr8bldr]

Does your model let you do a code reading? I finally realized that when reverse doesn't work, it wont shift gears, and the screen flashes, it is just trying to tell you there is a problem.

 

 

I took the speedometer off several years ago because of a roll over. It worked just as well without it, months doing well and months doing bad. The code was always 6. I replaced 3 angle sensors and no change. Cleaned every plug and added dielectric grease. I can tell before I get going if it needs resetting by putting it in reverse. This model is the "Problematic"