Will check it out Bear. Thanks. I will post back my findings.

 

Sum,

You've mentioned a couple of times your concern about the main wiring harness plug you plugged into. Obviously you are concerned it might be that. Don't be - you got the right one. It is hot with the switch "on" and energizes the relay in the solenoid. Acting in consort with the switch on the handlebar which "trips" the relay to provide power to drive the winch.

I recently installed a AC Warn 2.5 on my own machine. You are right, it's an easy install and the posts on the solenoid are color coded. Very difficult to "get it wrong," but... it's a tight fit and those heavy wires to and from the battery and winch don't have much room on and in the vicinity of the solenoid. Be sure and see that these wires are in no way touching one another prior to removing everything.

Bear is right. There is a short somewhere, either in the solenoid itself or one of the heavy wires between the solenoid and the battery. If the short was between the solenoid and the winch, the winch would activate (I think, Bear help me if I'm wrong with that).

Jim

 

If it was one of the wires from the solenoid to the winch, the solenoid would have to be activated. Otherwise if the winch isn't running there is no power on the solenoid to winch wires. As to the plug he plugged into, that should have power to the winch switch with the key on only. The winch won't run with the key off. However there is battery power from battery to the solenoid on one big terminal and that is bridged on the solenoid to a second big terminal. So I would check the big wire from the battery to the solenoid and then the terminals on the solenoid first. I don't really think it is one of the small wires, first off they are all fused and secondly enough current draw to melt the insulation on the battery ground to frame wire would fry the smaller wires so bad they would probably burn in half like a fuse and there would have been lots of smoke.

 

Thanks Jimja and Bear.
You guys are alot of help.
I will check the solenoid closely to be sure those wires are not touching. I drilled holes in my batt box and mounted the sol. inside the box and yes its a tight fit. Bear when your speaking of a smaller wire burning in half are you talking about the small wires on the solenoid or the small wires on the atv chassis? I will have a chance to look at this thur or fri and will post my findings.
I really appreciate the time and help.
Greg

 

Either of the small wires could burn, but like I said, if you melted the insulation on the battery to frame wire, probably an 8 gauge wire, a 14 or 16 guage small wire would get hot like a heating element in a toaster. So I don't think it is a small wire problem because when they get red hot the stink from burning insulation and the burning wire itself are real noticably. Check to make sure the seat latch mechanisum isn't touching a terminal too, even close could cause the problem with shifting of seat and plastic and frame while riding.

 

wow, this is interesting. I just installed my new warn 2500lb winch 2 weeks ago and so far the only problem I ran into was finding the stupid two prong plug which wasn't where it should have been. I think the first thing you should do is trace your wire routing and make sure no wire insulation has no chafing going on. Also take a look at the way your wires feed into the solenoid, especially the pos and neg cables from the battery. Make sure they do not tough anything other than the correct post. And yes, that ground wire is pretty skimpy.

Also, since it does appear that this is caused by the winch and/or wiring, could be caused by other wires in the wire harness and NOT the winch? Could the timing of the problem coinside with winch installation? Just a thought though.

 

Installation ERROR! I bet your all surprised. Not. At least it wasnt a dumb one though. Well, maybe not.

I think I found it. My instructions said to mount the solenoid to the rear (external) of the battery box but I thought I would be smart and drill two new holes in the box and put the noid in the box for better protection. That box is a tight fit. The positive wire where it attaches at the noid has a rubber boot on it and well the connector is metal and it was pushed pretty snug against the batt box. I guess from vibration and riding for an hour that day it ate a small hole thru the plastic boot and touched the metal box and presto, smoke!

Strange thing is that I didnt see where the metal connector had arched on the box. No other wires were pinched or scuffed. The chassis ground was replaced tonight with new #8 and the solenoid attached outside the battery box with special attention and detail to wire runs. I also coated the connections with liquid tape and wrapped them with rubber tape. Hopefully no more smoke!

Should I put an inline fuse on this thing? It didnt come with one or say to splice one in.

Thanks to everyone for all the help and comments.

 

You will need a 100 amp fuse or curcuit breaker. Two 50 amp breakers in parallel will also give you the 100 amp. From what you say you have done, I wouldn't. You however should do what makes you comfortable with the install Glad you found the problem.

 

You wouldnt install a fuse? It seems like such a good idea, why do they not need one?

 

It's a long shot but I had to send my selenoid back to warn. They recalled the one that orginally came with my winch. I am not sure if your winch would fit into the catagory but you can check the recall section of the Warn website to see if your selenoid falls into the issue. They stated that the selenoid was a fire hazard. Figured I would pass the buck on.

http://www.warn.com/atv/a2000_recall_notice.shtml not sure if it applies but you could try.

Its a white rogers selenoid