Bad boy buggy problem shifting out of 4 wheel drive

Deere hunter

I am new to the bad boy buggy ambush I have a problem shifting out 4 wheel drive . it will not shift in to gas or electric. There is what looks like a solenoid
On the rear axle and it make a loud noise when i switch from gas to electric it never Made that noise before .
Is there a Parts list and service manual or a book on how to repair bad boy buggy ? Thank you

BGW

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ncorry

Which year do you have?

Deere hunter

It was made 09 /12

hayseedfx

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hey deere hunter.... mine had the same problem, actually still has... took it back a few times to the dealer during warranty and they managed to make it somewhat better but never really fixed it...

it runs fine in electric.... but after attempting to use gas it would not disengage the clutch of the gas motor.... so once switching back to electric, it would actually drag the motor.... if the gas motor/clutch was stuck in forward and you needed the electric to back up, it would not over power the gas....

the problem is in the solenoid linkage/setting... it still does it quite often now but not as bad....

stumbled onto this site lookin for a repair manual for other issues...

be sure to watch your front wheel bearings.... mine went out in a few months... dealer replaced for free....

we just putter around the farm in ours so it was not from abuse.....h

HiTechRedNeck

There is a electronic control box for the mechanical shifter.
It is expensive. Hard to get to (behind sepex controller).

Check mechanical shift actuator for mud/derbies preventing movement.

Look at wiring check fuse under hood ( 5 amp) should be black capped fuse holder labeled "controller"

Noise from actuator/servo mech. makes me think it is mechanical.

Sorry -- Not much more to look at.

It is either the actuator or the control box. Both expensive.

erkme73

Wow, am I glad I found this thread! I have the 2014 Ambush with the same issue. As soon as the undercarriage gets wet, the R/N/F selector goes nuts. Dealer is useless - kept it for 6 months trying to get gremlins worked out. BBB extended my warranty (reluctantly and only after threats of going to the media) by 6 months (excluding batteries).

Long story longer, the problems never went away. The warranty guy at BBB sent me a their technician/service manual for the 2014. It's 200 pages (25mb) and has a lot of info.

I was able to solve most of my other issues, and the thing flies on gas now. The electric was faster because all the cable linkages were so sloppy and loose, it never reached top speed in gas.

Anyway, I've been spraying water on various connectors and components under the back half of the buggy to see what triggers the selector issue. I've narrowed it down to the component under the direction selector motor/actuator. It's a black box with two multi-cable connectors. I pulled it off, and there was evidence of dried water. Still, I don't think that's it.

On the top of the transmission, just behind the engine is a neutral switch. It has a two-wire harness that connects to it in an odd way. The terminals look like nail heads, and the harness slides over them. They're completely exposed. I think when they get wet - especially with dirty water - it makes the cart think it's in neutral, even though the shifter is trying to engage.

BTW, my actuator makes a continuous sound once it shifts into gear (with engine off) like it's trying to get just a smidge further than it's able to. I ran through the "actuator calibration" (see attachment) and that solved that noise issue.

I've attached a page from the service manual dealing with the direction actuator and the neutral switch. The manual does not describe whether the switch is normally open or closed, or if it works off of resistance/impedance. So I'm a little in the dark. Just waiting for it to dry out again so I can try one last attempt on just the neutral switch.

Hopefully there's enough useful information for the previous years models.

Attached Images

634511 Ambush iS Repair Manual 2014 77.jpg (203.3 KB, 0 views)

kab69440

Wow! A real-life service manual? You might be a very popular guy here. So many people need BBB information and the company seemingly won't lift a finger to help those that purchase their products.

HiTechRedNeck

Can we get the rest?

erkme73

Sure, I don't see why not. Any idea on the best untraceable way to get it out there?

BTW, my theory on the neutral switch in the differential being the culprit didn't pan out. It appears to be normally closed. If I disconnect the harness, the R/N/F indicators will show R/F, but will refuse to show N, even when it's in neutral. That's exactly opposite of the symptoms I'm experiencing when the components get wet... It shows N even when it is clearly in R or F.

Frustrating. I used a sports water bottle to methodically soak one harness/component at a time. It seems as soon as the actuator box gets wet - not the transmission control module (which is bolted beneath it), the direction switch/indicator no longer reflects F or R in gas mode. As soon as I hit it with a blast of compressed air, it works again.

I took the actuator cover off (no easy task since BBB seems to be obsessed with using lock nuts in the most inaccessible places) but underneath is a linear motor with a hard-wired cable. No connectors or other interface that looks susceptible to water.

I think it's a grounding issue. The motor for the actuator is 24VDC. I don't know if BBB is using a separate DC-DC converter to get to 24V, or if they're just powering it with 12V. Either way, none of the electrical components (12V or 48V) use chassis ground. So, if that motor is somehow grounding out to the frame, but only when it gets wet, perhaps that's it?

Oh, how I would love to be able to call BBB and talk to a tech. If only.

paracefan3

Great post, I just bought a 2014 ambush IS and it has gremlins, my headlights just quit and I have the exact problem with the forward reverse lights. I'd truly appreciate and help on getting a headlight wiring diagram. I'll buy a copy of the manual too