ch-onda rider 1 Posted June 1, 2023 im having a issue with my daughters rancher 350. i picked the bike up after it sat for 10 years, no mice got to it but it clearly sat under a pine tree. here it goes. the bike has full power to the digital display lights up the head lights work the tail light works. but there is no reverse or neutral light. i have attempted the bypass for the neutral light and i cannot get it to turn on so it will crank and get spark. ive even tried grounding it in the harness right before the display and it wont light up but, if i pull the display apart and ground the bulb the bulb is good. ive attempted to ground the system beside the seat, at the solenoid and directly at the display and it will not turn the light on. i disconnected the neutral sensor completely and grounded the harness and still no light. i tested the kill switch and its good ive cleaned all the grounds and pulled each connector and cleaned them. the previous owner said it was all working when it was parked in 2013 so i absolutely cannot see how this can happen. again this is a no crank, no spark even when i pull it over, no reverse light but it does turn on when grounded and no neutral light it wont come on no matter what i do. i know the neutral light has to do with the no crank and no spark so its my number one issue. im new to this forum so i want to say hi and thanks to anyone that can help me. ive tested this thing and grounded it everywere possible so please keep that in mind before you suggest a simple ground wire. is it possible to completely cut the neutral safety system out so it dosent even affect the cdi or starter solenoid without just a ground? ive seen other guys do a bypass where they have to cut and splice wires in 3 different spots but ive never had to do that before. this seems to be a common problem on these 350s every post i read is a no spark no light issues but ive tried almost everything i can think of or that ive read to try. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fishfiles 20,147 Posted June 1, 2023 Hi , welcome to ATVHonda forum >>> first thing that might help anyone trying to help is : What is the year and model ( ex : ES or FM ) of that 350 Rancher Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeepwm69 7,719 Posted June 1, 2023 Welcome aboard. I assume with all the work you've already done that you checked fuses first, right? Have you tried jumping the terminals on the solenoid to make sure it WILL turn over (you won't get spark, but making sure the starter, etc is good). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ch-onda rider 1 Posted June 1, 2023 thanks for the replys its a 2001 trx350fm 4x4. ive owned 2 in the past and both have lost the neutral light and spark usually its just a bad connection a bad safety switch or a wire broke so ive just ran a bypass ground and had no problems. this time i cannot get the light or cdi to take a false neutral ground. yes i have also checked the fuses i even went through the fuse block with a test light to ensure connection and continuity. i did cross the solenoid poles aswell to check for spark and it turns over. i took a jumper wire and ran it to the switch side of the solenoid and it closed turning the unit over as-well so i believe the solenoid is good. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeepwm69 7,719 Posted June 1, 2023 Hmmmm, I wonder if the issue might be in the CDI then. Basically when you jumper the ground wire you're tricking the CDI into thinking the machine is in Neutral. If doing so still doesn't pop the N light on and give you spark, I'd be looking at the CDI. @AKATV is our local meter rebuilder, and he's got a great working knowledge of what wire does what with the meter. My guess is you'll need to check signal into the CDI, and back out of the CDI to verify that's the problem. You can download the factory service manual free in PDF format at the top of the page. It has wiring schematics in the back, as well as troubleshooting instruction for a no-spark issue. Another suspect part on the older 350's (00 and 01) is the back of the shift drum which breaks off, but that can be bypassed by jumpering the ground wire like you've done. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites