[Eaglekeeper494]

Parked my Foreman 400 in the shed with everything working fine. A week or so later turned the key on to start it and nothing. No dash lights, no headlights, won't crank. Flashing green light for hour meter flashes as it should - functions correctly. I can pull start it or jump it at the solenoid and while running there are still no dash lights or headlights. Already changed the ignition switch with OEM Honda part. Nothing. Had battery tested - OK. Neutral/reverse switch seems to test good (I'm not so good at reading multimeters). All my fuses are good. Diode in the wire tested good. I don't know where to go from here.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[Goober]

Do you have the service manual? There’s one here for it but will take you awhile to get to the schematic.
I would check the battery connections and clean them. Think you already did that.

Then check the left hand kill switch assy; starter button, lights. maybe you got rain in the housing—pull off the backshell and spray the connections with contact cleaner—use flux brush to remove any debris. Follow the harness down to the connectors and clean them too. Use a little permatex dielectric grease on a clean flux brush.

 

[shadetree]

unless the battery is bad ?, my money says you are missing a bad fuse ?, bad ground from battery to engine ?, or the ignition switch is not the correct switch or you wired it wrong ?. when checking fuses , always use a 12 volt dc test light, check both sides of ALL fuses on both going in, and going out of the fuse. you can do this on top of each fuse while they are pushed into the fuse block. on top of each fuse you can see the metal of each side, use the 12 volt dc test light to check for power going in, and coming out of the fuse, never assume they are good just by looking at them !.

 

[Eaglekeeper494]

All the fuses have power including the main fuse. Battery is good. The ignition switch is not getting any power.

 

[shadetree]

All the fuses have power including the main fuse. Battery is good. The ignition switch is not getting any power.

your missing the black rubber box near the battery, there is a metal fuse inside it !.

 

[shadetree]

number #16-----------------> https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/honda/atv/2000/trx400fw-a-fourtrax-forman/battery .

 

[Eaglekeeper494]

That's the one I called the main fuse. It's good.

 

[LedFTed]

maybe, ya have to take you connectors apart, look for. burnt spots, refill with dielectric grease. i dont know if there is anything here, that directly tells you how to read a multi-meter. should be plenty of info online.

 

[Eaglekeeper494]

Fixed! After going over everything I could find, I found the problem. One of the male connectors in the 5-pin plug by the battery had pulled back and was not making contact with the female side. I have no idea how that happened, but I pulled it back in place with needle nose pliers and that did it. So much aggravation and taking apart the whole front end but it's done and back in business. 19 years never had a problem other than normal wear and tear issues. Love that Honda!

Thanks for all the input folks.