{"id":8328,"date":"2021-08-24T11:20:45","date_gmt":"2021-08-24T01:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.4wdsupacentre.com.au\/news\/?p=8328"},"modified":"2021-08-24T11:21:32","modified_gmt":"2021-08-24T01:21:32","slug":"troubleshooting-your-winch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/troubleshooting-your-winch\/","title":{"rendered":"Troubleshooting Your Winch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A winch<\/strong> <\/a>is an amazing tool to let you explore further with the confidence you need to know you\u2019re able to get yourself or someone else unbogged \u2013 but like any tool, it pays to understand what could go wrong with a 4×4 winch<\/a><\/strong>, and how to troubleshoot issues. So I\u2019m going to take you through how to easily and quickly diagnose and troubleshoot the most common issues that occur with any electric winch<\/a><\/strong>, to get yours working again. Even if you don\u2019t have any of these issues with your 4wd winch<\/a><\/strong>, this is great information that could get you out of a jam one day \u2013 and if you stick around to the end I\u2019ll let you in on my #1 tip to ensure trouble-free winch<\/a><\/strong> operation \u2013 and it only takes 5 minutes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FIRST STEP: CHECK THE BASICS <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With any sort of mechanical issue, always check the simplest things first!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you plug your winch controller<\/a><\/strong> in and there\u2019s no response from the winch<\/strong> <\/a>in either direction or it cuts in and out intermittently, pop the bonnet and check that the winch isolator is in the ON position \u2013 I\u2019ve forgotten to do this more than once so don\u2019t feel bad if this solves your problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The winch isolator<\/a><\/strong> can be removed and cleaned if it doesn\u2019t feel like it is engaging properly as you twist. Disconnect the positive lead from the battery and open by unscrewing both ends of the winch isolator<\/a><\/strong> in an anticlockwise direction \u2013 be careful when separating the two halves to avoids losing the internal spring. Check nothing has built up inside the winch isolator<\/a><\/strong> and it is making a positive connection when engaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, check for operation of the winch controller<\/a><\/strong>. Make sure that the pins aren\u2019t bent or broken, and with a small flat blade screwdriver, very slightly pry them open like this \u2013 the same as on a trailer plug. This ensures a proper connection when plugged into the control box. On Domin8r Xtreme winches<\/a><\/strong> with a wireless remote, make sure the battery hasn\u2019t gone missing or flat, and replace if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you\u2019ve got the bonnet open, check that the connections to your battery are done up tightly by giving them a wiggle. 4wd winches<\/a><\/strong> draw a heap of power under load so it\u2019s vital that these connections are done up tightly. If they\u2019re been loose for a while, corrosion may have built up under the terminals. Remove them one by one and sand clean using a bit of sand paper, give it a quick hit of electrical contact cleaner then refit and tighten properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now check the winch<\/strong> <\/a>operation again to see if this has solved your problem. If not, move onto step two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

STEP TWO: CHECK ALL CONNECTIONS ON WINCH MOTOR<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, let\u2019s check the connections on the winch motor<\/a><\/strong> themselves as over time these can be knocked loose, particularly if you\u2019ve been working in the area adding a driving light wiring harness<\/a><\/strong>, or servicing your vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because we\u2019re operating in a tight space and using a spanner to tighten the connections, you must disconnect the power to the winch<\/strong> <\/a>or risk shorting out by accidentally touching another terminal or a metal part of the vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One by one, pull back the rubber isolator boots and check for cleanliness and tightness of the connection. If the connections are loose or dirty, carefully remove them one by one, clean up with sand paper and contact cleaner, and refit. Make sure you wiggle the isolator boots properly back into position for each connector \u2013 and don\u2019t forget about the earth cable that\u2019s typically located on the opposite side of the winch motor<\/a><\/strong> to the power cables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the Domin8r<\/strong> <\/a>and Domin8r Xtreme winches<\/a><\/strong>, there\u2019s also a small diameter earth cable that goes to the control box \u2013 if you remove this make sure to reconnect it, but either way physically inspect to inspect it to make sure that there is no break in the connection. If there is, it must be repaired or the winch control box<\/a><\/strong> will not operate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once all connections are confirmed as clean and tight, re-connect the winch isolator<\/a><\/strong> and check for winch operation again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAULT-CHECKING THE CONTROL BOX<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a paperclip you can quickly fault-check your winch control box<\/strong> <\/a>to check the operation of the winch solenoids<\/a><\/strong>. It\u2019s important to note these instructions are for the Domin8r X<\/a><\/strong> and Domin8r Xtreme winches<\/a><\/strong>, and the terminals I\u2019m about to show you may be different for different brands of winches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the winch isolator<\/a><\/strong> connected to the ON position again, use a paperclip to momentarily bridge the two terminals next to this small keyway cut-out (where your winch controller<\/a><\/strong> plugs in on the control box. You\u2019ll get a small spark and should hear a click as the relay engages, and the 4×4<\/strong> winch<\/strong><\/a> should spool out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, use the paperclip to bridge the two terminals across the top next to the small arrow mark. Again, you\u2019ll get a small spark, hear the relay engage and the 4wd winch<\/a><\/strong> should then spool out. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the control box and winch<\/strong> <\/a>don\u2019t respond the right way, it points to an issue inside the winch control box<\/a><\/strong>. Because these are mounted right at the front of your vehicle they are subject to mud, dirt and debris, and often the issue is as simple as removing the control box cover and cleaning with sand paper and contact cleaner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before removing the control box, once again disconnect the winch isolator<\/a><\/strong>. Then, unbolt the control box from its mounting location and you\u2019ll\u00a0 be able to access the screws on the rear. Undo them and you can separate the housing from the winch control box<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 however it will still be connected via the wiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using contact cleaner and sand paper, give all accessible connections a good clean and re-tighten, and then give the entire assembly a spray of contact cleaner before re-assembling, refitting to your vehicle and connecting<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FIVE MINUTE SERVICE TO SAVE YOUR WINCH<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the simplest tip you\u2019ll ever learn, to ensure your 4wd<\/strong> winch<\/strong><\/a> stays in good operation!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After every 4WD<\/strong> <\/a>trip, or once a month when you wash your vehicle, spool your winch<\/strong> <\/a>all the way out with at least one full wrap on the winch drum and then spool it back in under tension. This gets the motor and gearbox turning over, gets it warmed up and prevents things from getting stuck through non-use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When spooling back in, use some sort of tension as you wind the rope back in. The easiest way is to connect to a solid anchor point and winch slighting up-hill, using the weight of the vehicle as the tension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This also gives you an opportunity to inspect the winch rope<\/a><\/strong> for damage, and as long as you\u2019re winching<\/strong> <\/a>in a straight line, will ensure the rope is neat and can be unspooled easily the next time you need it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A winch is an amazing tool to let you explore further with the confidence you need to know you\u2019re able to get yourself or someone else unbogged \u2013 but like any tool, it pays to understand what could go wrong with a 4×4 winch, and how to troubleshoot issues. So I\u2019m going to take you…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":123456,"featured_media":8329,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8328"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/123456"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8328"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8328\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8330,"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8328\/revisions\/8330"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}