shake rattle and roll

[tbaker]

took my new 2 seat pioneer to the woods yesterday and this was my first ride in a side by side I have owned Honda 4 wheelers all my life Honda is all I buy. I have a 2003 Honda rubicon and we use it for most of everything and the hill we go up to deer hunt is not that bad and the rubicon with 2 grown people on it will eat the hill up with no shakes or rattles. so yesterday we went to the woods on our new pioneer up the same hill in 4 wheel drive and I thought we where going to have to push it up the hill. this is the first side by side I have been in always had 4 wheelers. the more gas I gave the pioneer the more it shook and rattled like the engine needed something else. is this common for a side by side. I can't run beside the thing to see where all the rattles come from. I thought this thing having a bigger motor and fuel injection it would just eat the hill up with no problem and never thought it would sound like it does the deer will here me coming from the truck with all this vibration the engine is not that loud its just everything else. the places we go on the 4 wheeler the pioneer is in a strain and I have to hit the gas and all the shaking starts. we used 4 wheel drive and the 4 wheel drive diff. lock and it was the same in both. any thoughts not very impressed to this point may have to hunt on my rubicon but that's why I got the side by side for. did not like the look of the big red so I waited for the pioneer to come out.

 

[Admin]

 

[DG Rider]

Sounds like something is wrong. I'd take it back to the dealer and tell them whats going on.

The Pioneer has a tranny that is much like a automobile. Automobile trannys can suffer from a shuddering type of slip if there are problems.
Also, this drivetrain is known to be sensitive to oil level in the Rincon, so I'd check the oil level...and run it as close to full as possible. If you havent put many miles on it and the level is really low, I'd take it back and demand a new machine for their failure to properly prep it.

 

[tbaker]

i checked the oil level the day I got it and just checked it again and the level is up to the upper mark on the dip stick. is this engine and tranny oil like on the rubicon where the engine oil and tranny oil are the same and no tranny oil just the same oil for both the engine and tranny. I have just put 35 miles on the pioneer.

 

[Jerry3]

There Is Something Wrong with The Machine. I Took Mine Up A Very Steep Trail That some 4Wheelers Struggle With And It Was Quiet And Had More Than Enough Power

 

[DG Rider]

i checked the oil level the day I got it and just checked it again and the level is up to the upper mark on the dip stick. is this engine and tranny oil like on the rubicon where the engine oil and tranny oil are the same and no tranny oil just the same oil for both the engine and tranny. I have just put 35 miles on the pioneer.

Same oil for engine and tranny. Tranny is nothing like Rubicon's other than being called an auto.

Sounds like the rare slip-up by Honda. Take it back to the dealer.

 

[Swamper]

Sxs's are larger and more complex than atvs so there are more places prone to rattling. One thing that is immediately audible is the rear axle rack and pinion. They've made tho unit very compact and you can hear the gear slack when you let of the gas or when coasting. It also makes a clunk when you put it in drive. I thought the tires were noisy on pavement but realized there is also a whining sound from the rear end gearing as speed increases. It's not bothersome to me considering how loud other sxs's are. Shake your doors and check for rattles there's a rubber bumper below the latch that's adjustable.

 

[pioneer2]

does it only shake in 4x4, can the same hill be climbed in 2 wheel dr not sure how long front drive shaft is but is there a hanger type bearing, something not tight allowing to move under load?

 

[DG Rider]

Maybe i am missing something here, but what i got from the post was that the machine nearly stalled on a hill that wasn't that tough. That alone warrants a trip to the dealer. Shakes ( and the rattles ) may be related due to chattering clutches or maybe a stripped shaft/CV somewhere. If not, they can be dealt with later.

 

[Lee 2]

My two seat is scheduled to be in Thursday. This post does not inspire a lot of confidence in the Pioneer.

 

[DG Rider]

My two seat is scheduled to be in Thursday. This post does not inspire a lot of confidence in the Pioneer.

Don't worry about it. Something is wrong with the OP's machine. It happens...they are mass produced, after all. It just happens to Honda's less than most.

 

[idahohntr]

Must be a slight glitch... took my 700-2 out for inaugural run last Sat. No problems whatsoever hill climbing in 2wd. Did notice some squeaking from bed, realized it was not quite closed enough. All good now! Very happy with purchase!

 

[wilyrockstar]

I got my Pioneer 4 yesterday and put about 5 miles on it cruising around, climbing hills, going down the road to a friends, etc. No issues. Plenty of power. I thought it was quieter than my Rancher or Foreman. It does have a different feel with than a 4 wheeler. This is also my first sxs but I am impressed so far.

 

[Mandride]

Only shake I have noticed is if you don't give it enough gas. If you try to inch and hang on a rock it can feel a little funny and you should simply apply more gas. IF he is flooring it and he isn't getting anywhere there is definitely a problem. I have already loaded mine with 4 adults and close to 800 lbs and had no problem on steep incline just don't inch along there is shake when you do that. The engine likes some RPM's

 

[Swamper]

One thing I'm very picky about is rattles... they irritate me! I've noticed that Honda has done a great job minimizing unwanted rattles and many areas that are prone to producing unwanted noise are somewhat adjustable. I've been chasing a rattle in the rear driver side door latch and found that it was not actually in the latch... it was in the latch for the tilt bed. After some tapping around and studying the tilt latch mechanism I found that the rattle was coming from the metal to metal contact where the latch holds the U-bracket on the front of the bed. The noise was due to not having enough contact force to hold the bed firmly against the rubber bumpers beneath the front lower bed. What I did was remove the U-bracket and I used a round file to lengthen the hole slots so that the bracket could be moved further upward by about 1/16th to 1/8". WOW what a difference this made it is now so much quieter without that metal to metal noise. Every machine will be slightly different due to slight variations with assembly but just wanted to share that this area may be a source of unwanted noise. Happy Tinkering!!

 

[chesterl35]

Thanks so much swamper! I have the exact same rattle in my drivers rear door area. I've adjusted the door six ways from sunday. Thanks, more I know where and what to do!

 

[Swamper]

Open the rear door and tap against the front bed wall with your hand. If it rattles with the door open its the tilt bed latch. In my case moving the bracket up made the latch force the bed firmly down against the rubber stops below the front of the bed.

 

[Hondasxs]

I have noticed that sometimes the doors do not shut all the way. Its like they have a dual stage lock. give it another push and it tightens up against the rubber bumper.

 

[Swamper]

Yea they are the same as an automotive door latch Honda prob borrowed the parts from their auto line. Since the doors are so light they sometimes stop on the first stage if you you don't give a good push.

 

[orange1954]

"tbaker", did you every get this issue resolved. Sounds troublesome. Hopefully for the rest of us, just a setup issue.

 

[ohanacreek]

I have tightened and adjusted everything and resolved all my rattles and squeaks except 1 .....My dump bed (700-4) has an incessant squeak .... I have tried adjusting everything I can find that is adjustable. The only thing that gets it to stop is filling the 55gal bed mount sprayer I have(@500lbs when full). Even then once it's half empty it starts to squeak again. I don't want grease everywhere but I have a feeling that may be my last option. Anyone have any ideas??