I just bought a used P650 last Monday. I love it.

I was working on it today playing around. It came with a warn atv winch with a grey round switch. 2000? 2500? I did not like where the wires to the switch were mounted so I stared moving them. I moved them to a better location but in the process, I determined it does not have a solenoid.

I am an investment broker not a mechanic, but my old atv had the same exact warn winch on it, with the same switch. but that one has a solenoid on it. I know this because I am getting ready to take it off I am selling the bike and winch seperately.

The funny part about it was I called the guy up and asked him about it. And he said the dealer put his winch on the day he bought the bike and he had never looked at it.

Is this a huge deal? should I get the solenoid off my old bike and try to wire it in. I figured if the dealer has it this way it must not be too bad.

One more thing (sorry so long) anyone have a good location to buy a cheap, small, switch I can mount on the bars? I don't like the rack mount switch that well. I know warn makes one but its expensive.

Could this cause a fire or cause me to fry my electrical system or something? The guy I bought the bike from said he had used the winch several times, with no trouble.

BTW the bike came with the extended warranty sold by the same dealer who installed the winch.

 

The solenoid is not exactly necessary on the A2000 kit. All the current is handled by the switchosaurus (big monster switch). The solenoid just prevented the winch from working w/o the key. No biggy.

The contacter (DPDT relay) on the A2500 kit allows you to use a very small switch. See this URL for my stealthy switch location. I like it there quite a lot.

The contacter and some wires and the funny remote switch are the only difference between the A2000 and the A2500 (same winch, more current = more yank).

My friend converted his A2000 winch to an A2500 by getting the contacter from a Warn distributor. He then got a small waterproof switch and mounted it sortof like mine so he could more easily raise and lower his plow.

 

Thanks Nyroc, I love your web sight. Thanks for going to that trouble. One of the reason's I wanted a P650 (besides the fact my friend let me borrow his for a couple of hours) is because of all the good information out there about it, I doubt there's an ATV with a more loyal following.

So if I understand you correctly. If I want to go to a small handle bar mount switch then I will need a dpdt relay, also called the contactor. If I get this part I can use about any automotive electrial type switch I want.

Can I use the Solenoid in place of the contactor? or is it just used in my application, so I can hook my winch up to the Key switch.

 

I had a Superwinch with a small handle bar switch. With out a solenoid all the power ran through the switch and kept frying it. At $35 a pop it gets expensive to replace. I would recommend running the solenoid.

Tim

 

With a properly connected A2000 kit, the switchosaurus carries ALL the winch current, with or without the SPST solenoid. It has nothing to do with switch life or winch life.

The solenoid that the A2000 has is a SPST. You would need 4 SPST solenoids to do be able to actuate with a low current switch. SYou could use 4 ford starter relay solenoids. they could handle the current, but they are large and 4 of them would take up space and probably cost as much as the warn DPDT switch. They might not be able to handle continuous duty either, but I am not sure about this.

Don't try using small relays that can't handle that much current. They will fry.

Just get the warn DPDT relay. It works great. You can use a very small switch that way. I guess you could leave it like it is. Many people I know use their A2000 without a relay like that without problems.

 

THANKS, for the info. Gonna have to find me a relay.

 

Letcher, the cheap switches you are refering to won't work with your winch. Most of those switches are just continuity switches. For example, a continuity switch will turn on DC power to a set of auxiliary lights (an example) when you flip the switch.

OK, time for a little electrical lesson. DC (direct current) power can flow two different directions, positive to negative and negative to positive. That is how your winch is able to have power in and power out. The cheap switches will turn on the power, but they won't reverse it. You would have to have two switches to run your winch. One for power in, and one for power out. The Warn switches have built in stuff to reverse the current flow. That's why they're expensive.

 

letcher,

if you get the warn DPDT relay, all you need for the handlebar mounted small switch is a momentary DPDT (center returning) rocker or toggle. It needs to be waterproof too. Do not use separate switches for this since energizing the relay in both directions would be a bad thing to accidentally do.

DPDT relays are common enough, however the warn one is already hard wired to reverse the polarity.

DPDT toggle switches are everywhere, except not waterproof. You probably can find a waterproof one somewhere online, but a really good electrical supply store should have one too. sometimes the waterproof toggles just have a rubber boot that fastens over the top of the toggle.

 

Im wiring up my winch now, im not going to use the selenoid, doesnt prevent any fire hazzards, and is nothing but annoying when they quit working or get wet. The Warn switch is made for full current load, so im not worried at all. Someday I will get the contactor and a smaller switch, I allready have a warn 6 foot remote switch from a truck winch, maybe just plug into a new contactor from warn?
Also, I have seen the DPDT switches at boat stores, they should be pretty much waterproof to use on a boat, maybe check there.

 

oh yeah, mine is a 2000 not the 2500 like I though it was. Just picked it up last night. oh well. gotta change my sig.