[duane1969]

Just had a weird shifting issue and I am hoping someone may have some input.

This morning I rode down to the post office (yes I live in the boondocks). Rode down in automatic and had zero issues. I left it running in neutral while I stepped inside and dropped my mail in the slot, walked back out hopped on, put it in drive, pulled forward, dropped it in reverse, backed up and turned to head back down the road, dropped it back in drive and headed back towards the house. Immediately it would not shift. I got up to 8MPH and the engine RPMs were very high. I went maybe 50 yards, pulled over, shifted to neutral, then reverse, then back to drive and took off and it still did the same thing. I stopped repeated the process, then switched off and restarted the engine, repeated the shifting process again and it still would not upshift. I hit the gas again figuring I would limp home (about a mile) and try to not blow the engine. On a whim (with the selector still on AUTO) I hit the manual shifter button and it suddenly shifted into 2nd gear, I shifted all the way up to 6th gear on my way home with the selector in AUTO the entire time.

150 yards from the house I pulled over, switched the selector to manual, then back to auto, and I heard the transmission change, while in auto I hit the gas and rode to the house with it shifting just fine.

I let it sit for about 2 hours, went back out and rode it around the property switching back and forth between auto and manual several times and it worked just fine.

Any ideas what could cause this? I am baffled. Any help is appreciated.

 

[retro]

350 Ranchers are not automatics but the '04-'07 Rancher 400FA models are. Do you have one of those? It sounds like a ESP switch issue, it may have gotten bumped a bit or gotten wet. I wouldn't worry about it unless it happens again.

 

[duane1969]

You are right. It is an '04 400. I got it mixed up with my Big Bear 350. I am thinking it is the switch too. At first I thought I had fried the tranny, but when it started working again and letting me manually change gears while in auto I figured it was electrical. I may just go ahead and buy a new switch to have on reserve in case it happens again. Thanks for your input.

 

[retro]

Those switches rarely fail so no point in buying another one. We have no idea why it acted like that since it only happened once. I suspect that the ESP switch was bumped by your hand (or a low hanging branch) accidentally, or it possibly just needs a cleaning. Its wiser to spend time and money on maintenance.

 

[duane1969]

UPDATE: Took it out riding a few days ago and saw the D for drive was changing to -- and did some online digging to figure out I was getting an ECM error code. I figured out how to check the code (downloaded an online repair manual) and am good there.

My only question is when I count the number of times that it blinks, do you count the blinks only or does the last time that the N comes on and stays on count as a final blink?

To be specific...after I release the ESP buttons the N blinks 4 times and stays on the 5th time it comes on. That is 4 blinks, right?

TIA