I'm thinking about wiring up the t1500 winch I just bought a little differently than the manual says. I've been doing a lot of reading in the ATV forum and you guys seem to be the most qualified to answer questions on winches. I, like everyone else, don't like the idea of having a constant flow of power going to the winch (keeping all the wires and circuits hot). I also dont like tapping into a harness that Honda has worked so hard to seal up.
Tell me what you think of these ideas---Good or Bad......possible problems with either.

1. Which do think would better:

a) wiring up the winch with a cigerette lighter plug-----when not plugged in winch is not connected to a power source (good points- you don't have to tapp into the wiring harness..........bad points-- you have a cigerette lighter plug flopping around

b) wiring it up like the instruction manual says (directly to the battery) and putting in a toggle switch in between the battery and circuit breaker. ( good points-- a little easier to follow the manuals directions........Bad points--tapping in directly to the harness)

My only other question is where do you ground the system and where would be the best place too put the "shortstop" circuit breaker in the loop in both examples?

 

Whatever you decide to do make sure you pay attention to amperage ratings. If you start puting in auxilary power terminals and toggle switches make sure all the components can handle the peak current draw of you winch under load. Your winch came with 10 or 12 awg wire. The manufacturer uses heavy wire for a reason, be careful. You don't want to burn your machine down or melt out some wiring. As far as the grounding goes just use the negative terminal of the battery. 4-wheelers are wired like cars, they use the frame as a floating ground.

Do you only want power to the winch when the machine is on or only when you are going to use the winch? I have a Warn winch and I have a solenoid that only powers up the winch when I turn the key on. The solenoid also acts as a breaker should a short occur.

 

As discussed privately, a cigarette lighter plug will not handle the 100 or so amps a T1500 draws at full pull. If you plan on interrupting the circuit with a switch or disconnect, make sure the components you choose can handle 100 amps at 12 VDC as TheArcher cautions you.

A continuously live lead to the rocker switch of a T1500 would not bother me, as long as the wiring path remained free of rub and abrasion points, and the insulation remained sound. Good luck with your installation.

Tree Farmer