2016 Honda Pioneer 1000-3 shifting problems

Dick Miletich · August 16, 2021

After driving my Honda hard for about an hour, it doesn't heat up, but it shows 3 bars on the temp. Then what happens is the orange power steering indicator in the upper left corner on the instrument panel comes on. My steering feels fine, no problems there. Then the speedometer reads zero and never changes no matter how fast i'm driving. No matter if i'm in low or high gear, it does not shift, then I try to shift with the paddles and they don't work. as i'm going along at a steady speed, either in low or high gear, and start going downhill slightly, it starts free wheeling with no engine compression. Then after playing around with it a bit, I put my foot on the accelerator ever so lightly, and it seems to catch, as long as I have a slight bit of pressure on the throttle it acts as normal but still doesn't shift. If I shut it down for an hour it starts right up and runs perfect, shifts perfect. It seems as if after driving it hard for a while, a shift sensor, or something heats up and starts to act up. Anyone know what's going on?

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ElbowRoom · August 21, 2021

Sounds like a problem I had with a loose and corroded ground strap. Everything would run well when the engine was cold, but the expanding hot engine would create a small gap between the ground and the engine. I solved it by cleaning and tightening the ground.

Dick Miletich · August 22, 2021

Can you tell me approximately where this ground strap is located? Someone else told me it sounds like a ground problem, so I think you're right on.

ElbowRoom · August 22, 2021

I don't know. I now have a Honda Pioneer 1000, but the ground problem I had was on a different SxS. Here's a picture I saw on a Honda Pioneer forum which might help you find it..

SteveB · September 4, 2021

I have the same problem with my pioneer 1000 3 seat . It is in the shop for the fourth time I paid for a new computer into the repair $1500.00 so far and told the dealer you can’t just keep changing parts and charging me . The diagnostic tester keeps saying battery issues I think I will bring it home and try the repair on the ground cables that makes sense. My speedometer will start jumping from 0 to 13 mph back and forth then the check engine lights and power steering lights come on then it is stuck in low until you shut it off and let it cool for ten minutes. Then we are fine .

Dick Miletich · September 5, 2021

9 hours ago, SteveB said:

I have the same problem with my pioneer 1000 3 seat . It is in the shop for the fourth time I paid for a new computer into the repair $1500.00 so far and told the dealer you can’t just keep changing parts and charging me . The diagnostic tester keeps saying battery issues I think I will bring it home and try the repair on the ground cables that makes sense. My speedometer will start jumping from 0 to 13 mph back and forth then the check engine lights and power steering lights come on then it is stuck in low until you shut it off and let it cool for ten minutes. Then we are fine .

Mine is doing the exact same thing that yours is doing. I have been using it and haven't had time to fix it. Hopefully I will have time this week to check out the cable grounds, i think that's the problem. Keep me posted on your problem. 'That's sure not right what they're doing to you. It sounds as if it's a process of elimination. I don't blame you for trying to fix it yourself.

Hawk53 · May 5, 2022

I have the same problem. When this happens and only happened twice in the same terrain on two different years. I was traveling in hilly sandy terrain it is a 28 km stretch and could not get much road speed. I was also pulling a tub trailer loaded with gear and the sxs also loaded. When this would happen the trans defaulted and would not shift,speedo was inope and light on in the dash .Same as the other reports. i would disconnect the negative battery post , and then reconnect it. The unit would work work normal for a while and then act up again. When I got off this trail and got on the next section of trail which is wider and less steep of hills I was able to get more road speed. It never acted up again for the rest of the trip. 50km.