Retro
Thanks, I browsed the manual but overlooked that part, obviously. Am interested in your temp sensor mod.
I haven't implemented my adjustable temp sensor idea yet, since I'm only about half the way through my resto project. But I intend to do that when its complete. I am going to make it a plug-in affair, since I still have the old hacked up wiring harness to rob all four of the necessary plugs from. I proof-tested that idea
HERE using a 100k trimmer potentiometer paralleled across the two oil temp sensor leads. Note: I'll probably order a different infinite-adjustable 100k pot than that one I tested the idea with, from mouser for the mod... one having a higher wattage capacity to insure it lasts for several decades. It will be assembled using solder and be weatherproof. I intend to put up a build thread for the mod when I get there... feel free to take the idea and run with it if ya want!
What sort of accessories are folks putting up there?
I imagine a gazillion different gadgets have wound up wired to those plugs over the years. Honda may have put them there for farmers and ranchers to use... not sure that was the full intent, but its possible. They've had spot lights, various emergency lighting, crop sprayer equipment, various pumps, additional accessories and lighting for the machine, 110v AC inverters, DC boost/buck converters ,etc. Use your imagination... got nearly 15 amps available to safely power your stuff, provided the RPMs are kept up. Some folks even put a bigger battery in their machine to extend the current draw reserve capacity depending on the need...
I'll probably use my plug to provide multi-voltage DC boost & buck converters (fully adjustable regulated voltages + adjustable current limiting) to power/charge everything I own from 3 volts DC up to 20 volts DC for my laptop. I imagine by the time I get around to adding my regulators I'll think of something else to piggy-back into it...
I also have one other question. My 98 has the headlights where the running lights are on the '86. Has anyone added headlights there or totally moved them there? If you place something on the front rack you are SOL for seeing where you are going.
Well, the Foreman (TRX350D) models from '87 up have 25 watts each accessory lights mounted in the front grill (vs. 5 watts each accessory lights on the TRX350), so you may be able to modify your existing lights with brighter Halogen (low watt) bulbs or replace those yellow lights with the clear glass Foreman ones... and add low watt Halogens to those. Maybe you'll think of something even better... bright LEDs might work if you can find some suitable. I still prefer Halogens over the LEDs on a vehicle though. Cheaper, very common and easy to find, and usually brighter, while consuming few watts. Your call...
retro
I went back and looked at the manual under the cooling system and did not see anything on testing either the fan motor or the sensor. It just covered R&R.
There is more info in Section 20 (Lights & Switches) including some basic troubleshooting steps and multimeter tests of each component. I don't remember exactly where I found the info to ground the blue wire going to the sensor... the FSM has info fragments scattered about in different sections, which makes it hard to keep track of stuff... But anyway, due to the way the fan controller works through decreasing resistance through the oil temp sensor, its logical that if you ground the sensor wire, the controller should kick on the fan and light up the oil temp warning light at the same time. The other tests covered in section 20 are all relevant too... so those should not be ignored. Before doing anything... make sure your fan motor is not seized up. It should turn freely and smoothly with your hand. If the fan motor is dragging or seizes up on an '86 - '87, the fan controller will be overloaded and can destroy itself quickly. On '88 and up models, the fan controller shuts itself down (to save itself) if the fan motor ever draws excessive current for any reason. I think the '88 and up models have the RRL CDI on them too... and its possible that the fan controller may be integral to that RRL signal line and shut the motor off if it detects a seizing fan motor. I'll study those schematics a bit closer someday and get my head straight on how that works... or whether it can't work that way.