Yesterday while using my winch to move some gravel with a plow, my mini rocker switch seemed to mess up. I started having trouble with the IN button not working some times. I would have to hit the out button and then quickly hit the IN button before it would lift. THEN the IN button would not work at all and my OUT button began lifting the plow . In other words my OUT button became my IN button so the plow lifted but now I could not let the plow down. What is wrong? Please help!

Robert Dobraski

P.S. The winch is on a 2005 Yahama Grizzly and has been used very little. But I had noticed the IN button giving me a little trouble last year.

 

Lots of those little rocker switches are just plain cheap garbage and don't last long at all. The one on my winch did a lot the same as yours. Couldn't find a rocker to replace it with but did find, at NAPA, a momentary on/center off/momentary on switch. This switch is marine rated and I was able to fit it inside the housing the rocker switch fit in. Wiring is very straight forward with just three wires involved.

Much better quality switch and I like the toggle way better than the rocker especially when wearing gloves.

 

It sounds like your swithch shorted out somehow. Crossing the wires at the selinoid or winch are the only other ways of making this happen for you.

If you take your switch off and take it into an off-road truck parts store they should also have them on hand.

You might also see if you can take the switch a part and clean its connections. But they are usually cheap enough to just replace it.

SJ

 

It could be just something like a piece of sand, dirt, or ice getting inbetween the connectors inside the switch. if you could open it and scrub off the metal parts, it might work like new again.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. It will be a while before I get to check out the problem. I was moving the gravel at my Father-in law's new garage and we are trying to get everything there completed.

I sent an email to Warn and I got a phone call from a rep last night. Boy I was shocked. He said he had never heard of this exact problem. His suggestions were to check the reel cable wasn't reversed, check the switch, and maybe it was the contactor if the switch is good. Of couse the warranty has ended.

No new ideas there, but I was just shocked that I got a phone call.

There sure isn't much room to get these big paws inside the machine and trace the wiring. I'm 59 and not quite as limber as I once was. Also maybe a "little" heavy.

This seems to be a nice forum. As you can see on site I just joined and hoped to get some advice and you came through with some ideas.

Thanks, I hope I get more info.

 

ive had a couple of times where my line would get bound a little on the spool some how and the same thing happened. my IN became OUT, and my OUT became IN. my simple fix was put the winch on free spool, pull it all out, then reel it back in useing the IN button of course. basically my line got turned around (it got a loop in it) on my spool. maybe give this a try.

 

I think my winch did the same thing that mudslinging fool said his did. But mine is so tight I can't PULL it loose by hand on freespool. I will have to hook the cable to something and use the atv to backup to free it. I may try that. And my rocker in button still only works some times so I wil probably have to replace it too.

Has anyone used the Amsteel rope?

 

ive got the warn xt 3000lb. winch on mine, it comes with synthetic rope and i love it. no more bloody fingers from shreded cable. hopefully youll be able to get the cable pulled out of there. when mine did that i also had to hook it to my truck then back up like you said. good luck!

 

Well, I hooked the winch cable to my boat and pulled and it came free. Sure had some good kinks and flat spots. But my IN switch still will not work 99 % of the time. When you push the IN switch the contactor clicks like a solenoid. I think the switch is good but the contactor is bad... I am buying the Amsteel rope, an aluminum hauser and a kit that includes a switch and a contactor on Ebay. Surely this will sove the problem. The switch/contactor kit is only $24.00 while the Warn switch alone is $28.00.