I got a winch from a friend and am mounting it. Got it all mounted and wired, I think. But when I start 'er up and hit the winch switch I get absolutely nothing. There is a 1 and 2 on the winch itself. I have the wire on the same side of the block as the battery positive wire going to 1 and the negative going to 2. I tried it both ways and nothing. Any ideas. The winch came off an Arctic Cat but a Warn winch should be a warn winch I would think.

 

Come on. Someone has to know this. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]

 

Need to know more about how its hooked up. Using Solonoid or contactor? what type of switch is it running? Can you hook straight voltage to the winch and watch it turn? That would eliminate your winch motor or something inside there.

 

Thanks 400PrarieXLT. Here's more info.

1. I hooked the winch to battery and it works fine so that's good.
2. It uses a solenoid.
3. The switch is a rocker switch. The thing I did notice is there is an extra plug about halfway up the rocker switch wire from the solenoid that has a 2 plug connector I don't know what it is for.

I'm trying to get ahold of my buddy that had it before me to ask him but can't get ahold of him yet.

Thanks....

 

Im not familiar with the rocker switch setup, I have the huge rotary switch, but if you have a multimeter, or a test light, you could check to see if your soloniod is allowing power through it. Mine was dead when I got my winch second hand. I just wired it up without it. If its not that then I would have to believe your on the right track with the switch, I have heard though that the rocker switches dont last too long when they have the full current going through them. Good luck!

 

Whereisthemud,

What size of winch is it and describe what your rocker switch looks like.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. Hopefully we are getting closer.

The rocker switch just has in/out labelled on it and is in the neutral position in the middle. You roll your thumb either way to make it rock to the in or out position.

As for the solenoid, I haven't tried bypassing that and hooking the rocker up direct. I'd have to look at that closer cause I don't wanna burn anything out of course. I have heard they should click when they get power but it doesn't. Now I don't know if that clicking is supposed to happen when I move the rocker to the in or out position. I would think so.

I'll go out and play with it again in a little while. Any insight in this is extremely helpful.. Thanks all... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

That clicking is supposed to happen as soon as you turn on your key. You should have a small power wire on the side of the solonoid coming from a switched ignition source, then it is either grounded through another small wire you run to the frame on a similar small post, or it is grounded through the frame of the solonoid itself. With power on, it simply allows current to flow from one of the big posts to the other. If its not clicking, then the contacts inside arent moving and it wont work at all. NORMALLY bypassing the solonoid doesnt hurt anything. The only thing the solonoid is there for is to cut winch power when your ignition is off, it does nothing else.

 

Thanks for all your help jimmyjack and 400PrarieXLT. That plug that is halfway up the rocker switch cable needed to be cut and the red from the rocker goes to power and the black from the contactor side goes to ground. Voila it works. Now I just need to permanetly mount the wiring.

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Your welcome! I'm glad that you called me and we were able to figure it out.