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TundraDriver

2004 Foreman 450 ES Shifting problem

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Hi guys,

 I'm new on here. 

 Bought a 2004 honda Foreman 450 ES this spring. Been using just a little, yard work ect.

 Last few weeks been towing a portable turkey coop, the thing is heavy. Moving it about 10' a day.

 Tonight when using it it doesn't want to down shift into first gear. Upshifts just fine and down shifts all the way down to first then won't go into first without several tries. I can hear the shift motor trying but just doesn't shift. Seems to be getting worse real fast.

 I also don't know how to manually shift it. So help with that would be great too.

 I'm not real mechanically inclined but can figure most things out with a little guidance. I don't have any manuals for the machine.

 Any help would be appreciated!

Edited by TundraDriver

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52 minutes ago, TundraDriver said:

Hi guys,

 I'm new on here. 

 Bought a 2004 honda Foreman 450 ES this spring. Been using just a little, yard work ect.

 Last few weeks been towing a portable turkey coop, the thing is heavy. Moving it about 10' a day.

 Tonight when using it it doesn't want to down shift into first gear. Upshifts just fine and down shifts all the way down to first then won't go into first without several tries. I can hear the shift motor trying but just doesn't shift. Seems to be getting worse real fast.

 I also don't know how to manually shift it. So help with that would be great too.

 I'm not real mechanically inclined but can figure most things out with a little guidance. I don't have any manuals for the machine.

 Any help would be appreciated!

there should be an emergency shifter tool under the seat, it fits on the left side hex shaft behind the foot rest. service manual you can down load from the site here. i would remove the cover over the transfer gears, clean out all the old factory grease, put some fresh grease back in, see if that helps ?. also, make sure the battery is fully charged ?, they don't like weak batteries !.

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Welcome Tundradriver

What Shadetree said, and also,see if it will shift down into first with it not running while rocking ATV back and forth a bit

If it does, try turning your idle down a bit and see if it makes a difference

Download your Service manual here 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15eWwngQ5SdlsIfbgpm5ZJWJYBYx3vJ7s

 

 

 

Edited by AKATV

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Thanks shadetree! 

 I'm going to try the battery first. That would make sense as it was after dark so I was using the headlights and also just idling for quite awhile. We'll see what happens.

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Welcome to the forum Tundra ....

 

  there is another way to skin the cat , there is a shift by-pass harness for the 450 ES , and that is one thing that came down in price , they were $119 when the first came out and you can get ine for $85 now days , as long as the shift motor is good then it will by pass the electrical problems associated with the FE / ES ----can save a lot of time , money and aggravation 

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55 minutes ago, Fishfiles said:

Welcome to the forum Tundra ....

 

  there is another way to skin the cat , there is a shift by-pass harness for the 450 ES , and that is one thing that came down in price , they were $119 when the first came out and you can get ine for $85 now days , as long as the shift motor is good then it will by pass the electrical problems associated with the FE / ES ----can save a lot of time , money and aggravation 

 Does this still shift it electronically, just bypassing the Honda wiring harness or is this to convert it to  a manual shift?

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6 minutes ago, TundraDriver said:

 Does this still shift it electronically, just bypassing the Honda wiring harness or is this to convert it to  a manual shift?

it does not convert it to manual shift, its still remains a electric shift.

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Hi, the by-pass works well. But on mine (98) the gear read out dosen't display 2,3,or 4th. Easy to install. Go to Hondaesbypass.com. I believe.  

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