Ask the Editors: How Important is a Solenoid?
Dear ATVC: I have a Champion ATV winch (model no. 100243 3500) with no solenoid and only a remote. Will running it this way damage my winch or anything else? Olie
The starting solenoid to any electrical device performs a very crucial function- it acts as an electrical current valve. To summarize its function as simply as possible, it uses a small current from your machine’s battery to create a magnetic field- that field pulls on a set of contacts, completing the circuit between the battery and the starter motor.
We have known backyard mechanics who’ve managed to bypass the solenoid by hooking the battery directly to the starter motor but this is a risky maneuver and carries the potential to fry out the motor as well as prematurely drain the battery.
Our best advice would be to pick up a replacement solenoid for the Champion series winches. We found one here for $39.
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