Are you experiencing issues with your WARN winch solenoid, and you do not know how to go about it? Worry less, in this article; we will discuss some of the common problems that a WARN winch solenoid may experience and help you come up with a diagnosis.
The most common problem that WARN winches to have is that a WARN winch clicks. Unfortunately, WARN winches cost quite a dime, so while you are trying to fix them, it is worth noting that you should learn how to diagnose this problem and follow the instructions to avoid damaging it further.
What Does It Mean When A WARN Winch Solenoid Clicks?
An electrical winch entails a lot of components in it. Eac of the components plays a specific role in ensuring a smooth operation. However, some parts of the winch are more vital than others since they provide smoothness and efficient function of the winch.
Those parts include the winch motor, the drum and the solenoids. These parts are too important that the winch can not operate without them. For instance, the winch motor provides enough power to pull the winch; conversely, the drum complements the motor by preventing it from damaging itself and the winch cable. Lastly, what does the WARN winch solenoid do? Let us look into that.
What Are WARN Winch Solenoids?
Winch solenoids are electromagnetic switches but different from the winch witch in terms of performance. You can use the WARN winch solenoid to activate the winch motor by delivering an equal amount currently. The winch solenoid controls the current that flows into the motor, preventing it from being damaged.
If one of the four solenoids in your winch is faulty or damaged, there is a high risk of suffering from motor damage. The winch switch directs currents from the battery to the solenoid. The solenoid then redirects the current to the motor, which turns the winch drum. Each solenoid functions differently in turning the motor. If you have a high-quality winch, you will notice that it has two solenoids, a pair that reverses the motor while another forwards it.
To tell that a winch solenoid is working, you should hear the solenoids' clicking sounds. But thee is also a possibility that you can hear the clicking sounds, and the winch drum is not working. Here is how to diagnose the problem.
WARN Winch Just Clicks, But The Motor Is Not Working
There could be a few possibilities of why your WARN winch solenoid clicks, but the motor does not work; let us look into them.
In each solenoid, there exist little materials called contacts. The function of the solenoid is to bump the contacts together to deliver the correct current to the motor. When these contacts bump together, they cause a clicking sound in the solenoids. If you hear the clicking sounds, the WARN solenoids, it means it is working properly, but if the motor is not functioning, the problem could be:
Dirty or Pitted Contacts: When the contacts are dirty or pitted, it may affect their ability to deliver current.
Poor Connection: When there is a bad connection between the solenoid and the motor, the solenoid may fail to deliver the current to the motor.
Faulty Wiring: If your solenoid has rust on its wiring or the wiring is damaged. The capacity of the solenoid to deliver current is compromised.
Diagnosing Your WARN Winch Solenoid
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Check whether the connections from the winch solenoid to the moto are o. Look out for damages in the wiring and ensure all the terminals are re-clean and properly connected.
If you notice that the wires are damaged, have a direct replacement or repair the wires. If the wires are corroded, you can clean them using a wire brush or have a replacement. If one of the terminal connections is loose, you can rectify it.
Disconnect the cables from the solenoid and unscrew the solenoid cover. Examine all the connections in the solenoid and ensure they are all secure.
Once you have confirmed that all the connections are in the best condition, you can try to switch the winch again. First, use a voltmeter to see if you get power to the motor. The motor should have 12-volt reading.
If the motor is not getting any power, examine each solenoid connection. Then, check all the solenoids in the winch. Finally, check all the motors again and ensure all the terminals have a 12V reading when you activate them.
If the motor is still not working, then the problem could be that it is broken. You know that the WARN winch solenoid is working through the clicking sounds.
After diagnosing that the motor is the problem, try repairing it yourself or seek professional help. Another option is to buy a replacement. If you do not have experience repairing a motor, it is best to seek professional help to avoid damaging it. If you want to be sure that the motor is the problem, try bypassing the winch solenoid.
Bypassing WARN Winch Solenoids
Here is how to test and bypass a WARN winch motor.
- Put the winch in free spool mode and, disconnect the positive connection from the battery, leave the ground connection alone.
- Disconnect the three cables on the three posts and ensure you label the cables so that you can connect them later on.
- Each of the three posts has a different motor label A, F1 and F2. {8 ga works fine} Connect the A post to the F1 post, then connect the battery to the F2 post. The motor should turn in one direction if you do the process correctly.
- Try connecting A to F2 and connect the battery to F1. If you follow the procedure correctly, the motor should turn in the opposite direction.