Winch not working? Here's how to test the solenoid

Electric winches are awesome aren't they! Well, not when they don't work! It's that heart sinking 'clicking' sound but no movement of the motor....well, this could be for a number of reasons but the solenoid pack is often the cause of the problem.
In this video I use a common WARN solenoid pack which has a fault. Included in the video is the wiring diagram, testing & disassembly of the complete component to show the internals & more importantly why it failed.
Enjoy
Andy
Now, remember, you can get your dirty hands on the new Andy Mechanic Merchandise through the new Andy Mechanic Zazzle store, just click on the link below:
www.zazzle.co....
Also, if you’re keen to get an embroidered work shirt or jacket then visit:
andymechanic.un...
Both Zazzle & UniformNZ can ship to anywhere in the World so if you are far far away then just email them for a quote.
You can also become a Patron to the Andy Mechanic KZbin channel. Patrons get special access to up and coming projects, future info about the channel & of course background info on the Tool Girls too! Here’s a link:
www.patreon.com/Andymechanic
If you'd like to send something through by post - a letter to be read out in the 'Mail Call' videos or maybe a parcel containing a surprise for your favorite Tool Girl, maybe a new tool for us to use in a video or a KZbin channel sticker for the cabinet door or toolbox then you can send it here:
Andy Mechanic KZbin channel
PO Box 6265
Victoria Street West
Auckland
Post Code 1142
New Zealand
You'll be sure to get a shout out on one of the videos too!
….or just flick me an email: [e-mail]
Oh…and here’s Tool Girl Lilli’s web site, that’s right, Lilli has her very own web site! Damn….
www.lillisteele.com
Thanks for all your support, until next time...
Andy

[@COZMICTOM]

THANK YOU ANDY YOU WERE A GREAT HELP FROM A 74YR OLD SCHOOL ENGINEER IN WISCONSIN ( RETIRED FROM CHICAGO ) THANKS MATE

[@AndyMechanic]

No problem Sir, pleased to be of help. All the best Andy

[@garneauweld1100]

One of the most practical and helpful presentations, ever. Thank you!

[@charlesmoore5369]

Now that’s an intro,I came here for the tech data,thanks for the eye candy.!subbed

[@coreyneedtoknow3959]

Your video was spot on. After a fight to get the 'universal bracket' on the plow, get the plow on, the winch would only go in, not out. Fight with thr button, then found a fuse blown...then nothing...then take the solenoid off and check to see your video if it could be taken apart...sure enough...the one was jammed same. Clean it then release oil...boom.

[@AndyMechanic]

Awesome, great job All the best Andy

[@markkurdys943]

This was amazingly good, step-by-step troubleshooting AND fixing the problem. I'm going through the same process on my ATV winch solenoid. Well done1

[@joebatch112]

thx😂

[@johnathanainsworth4138]

Thank you, this was very informative. I love tinkering with things that everyone else thinks is garbage. More people need to try things before they just scrap it.

[@murrengurk]

Great informative video, thanks heaps! Pulled my not working winch out today and after watching this I'll pull it apart tomorrow and hopefully save myself 3K by fixing it. Legend!!!!

[@wowlord37]

This freaking video🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏just learnt me everything there is to know about solenoids and I finally got the plow down on my atv😂😂😂 aaand learned that the relay is fine! Thank you so much for this!

[@ramonazteca]

thank you for the great video. you probably saved me $3-400. never underestimate what some lubricant and persistent bobbing can do.

[@renegademanxxx]

Yup…. The most interesting, entertaining, and helpful channel on the KZbin 😎 A new subscriber from Newfoundland 👍

[@oby-1607]

Intro was worth a sub just by itself. Rest of the video was great as well.

[@AndyMechanic]

Thanks Oby-1 :-)

[@steverobinson8123]

Tdhanks a bunch for this great video. I was able to track down my problem to a faulty switch using your instruction. Saved me a lot of money!

[@AndyMechanic]

No problem Steve, good to know it was of help. Thanks for your feedback. Cheers Andy

[@geoffreyrobinies8592]

Thanks for the help video I can now fit the winch . Cant think why they didn't put a wiring diagram in the box. In the light of the information on corrosion I am going to put two 1/16" holes in the top of the casing and two 3/32 holes in the bottom for injecting wd40 and airline blow through points and fit the cut out switch. cheers

[@gamalielmahachi4984]

Thanx Buddy, honestly this was well done, & stripping it open made it even clearer as to how these solenoids work. I actually thought the clicking in the solenoid was it malfunctioning, but turns out it’s the winch that was toast. I guess, I normally would not hear the solenoid clicks over the sound of the winch. Saved me buying a new solenoid for nothing.

[@AndyMechanic]

No problem, pleased to be of help. Happy winching Cheers Andy

[@ferrariguy8278]

Hah.. I have been taking mine apart while watching your video. Mine didn't have the sticker on the top to disguise the 2 Phillips screws holding the top on so I managed to fully disassemble w/o tearing it up. Nice video.

[@kakagaga6246]

Thanks Andy for your so prompt answer. I am a woman, solo sailing, and on top of that I am french! Ahahahaha..... See how clear your explanations were? Cheers man!

[@erocgr00t6]

Excellent job on explanation of how they work and troubleshooting. Thank you!

[@georgemcfly7358]

Brilliant. I fixed it thanks to you. It looked the same inside

[@curtklemenz4783]

Excellent video: persistence and thoroughness

[@jondwyer3037]

Very interesting, Andy.

[@falseprofit4u]

Excellent video, very informative and detailed 👍

[@AP9311]

Well Andy, that was interesting experiment!!! Great fix. Wish it was saved to live another day! Like Ivan's motto, no parts required, lol!!! Many thumbs up!

[@AndyMechanic]

Yep. Shame that main spring had corroded away. Plus I destroyed the top casing by not spitting those top screws! Lol

[@AP9311]

@@AndyMechanic haha, right!!

[@clydestamp6970]

Outstanding vid. I now posses knowledge needed to repair mine. Thank You.

[@makemaniachannel1354]

Thank you for this. Very helpful informations for me like a base before installing a remote control on my winch!

[@4pevans]

Thank you you've helped me wire up my new winch!

[@cerwin21]

Nice video. Going to clean up mine up and seal them with right stuff permatex

[@motorcyclesplusparts7309]

Very nice well explained video! Appreciate it mate!

[@brettparry2052]

Thanks man J7st one heads up . Soleinod is for electric winch Relay is for hydraulic winch. Relay is just a switch

[@brianmyers466]

Great video….. thank you sir

[@yurabonehed83]

Oh my goodness, you are very helpful! Unbelievable how many videos are totally useless. You helped me so much.

[@albertoramirez3903]

Very Good video Thank You For Explain Everything ..

[@andrewcox710]

I've always coated the solenoid in wd40 or innox before a trip. Also before fitting a really thin coat of silicon around the plastic joints! Never bothered to take one apart though! Thanks heaps, it was very helpful!

[@williamhillis4185]

Very informative video. Worth the time to watch and learn.

[@christopherringston3298]

Great video Andy, thanks

[@paulmarcusholleman4556]

Thanks dude

[@danielalamo2075]

Thank you for the tips about battery cut off switch.

[@danlux4954]

My winch won’t work until the key is on.

[@AndyMechanic]

Cheers Dan, your winch may be wired up in a way that the trigger circuit for the contactor doesn't get a voltage supply until ignition is on. If so the main power feed to the contactor (heavy cable from battery positive) may still be permanently live - this is a problem as the contacts inside the contactor will be live & will corrode. Best to fit an isolation switch which will stop this & also allow you to cut power to the winch motor if the contactor fails when spooling in or out. Cheers Andy

[@danlux4954]

@@AndyMechanic my last Warn contactor had a recall. Replaced for free. Nice to see the insides.

[@barry8458]

Thanks for wasting your time dismantling it…lol…I was just about to do it but seemingly direct jumping of relay to winch works both ways ( in and out)…both my wired remote ( handle bar) switch and remote switch don’t work…it seems that center common contact for switches is the problem ( I think )…thanks for the vid and destructive understanding 👍🏼…LOL

[@geezer4444]

perfect tutorial of how to. could also be an idea to fabricate a small Perspex case make it waterproof to house the solenoid ?

[@AndyMechanic]

Thanks :-) There are much better/waterproof solenoids available on the market so it would be best to just upgrade to one of them. All the best Andy

[@geezer4444]

thank you for your reply that gives me an incentive to subscribe to your channel

[@willytwo53072]

Thanks, well done.

[@kakagaga6246]

Hi Andy, thanks for your video, you are very clear. My solenoid is different, with only 3 big plots instead of 4. It goes with my boat windlass. Anyway, I shunted it to test my windlass and the windlass works. When I connect it to the solenoid it doesn't. I tested my solenoid the way u show it, with the multimeter. There is a clicking sound on both side... but hardly any voltage! 3.5, 4 V... Does it mean it's totally dead? I did open the box, it was surprisingly clean, no corrosion or hardly, I cleaned everything, but still same result. What is your opinion? Shall I replace the whole thing? The coils inside are hidden by some kind of plastic wrapping, so I couldn't check them. But the rest looks OK, springs etc.. Thanks man!

[@AndyMechanic]

Hi, yes, it certainly sounds like an internal fault with the solenoid, I'd suggest replacing it. Thanks for the feedback, pleased you found the video helpful. Cheers Andy

[@edwinthomas618]

This was the.cooliest video ever

[@mikejordan6244]

Great video!

[@tobytollefsen8802]

Awesome video. Thank you.

[@lyleerickson7398]

great job show every thing needed to do

[@srdjan272able]

Thank you.

[@roland4953]

Those solenoids are not made by Warn but by Albright here in the UK.

[@AndyMechanic]

Interesting. Thanks for the info. Maybe they should watch this video then! :-)

[@mapleridgefarm1026]

Hey Andy! Thanks for sharing! I know better how a silonoid work now. Im still having a hard time figuring out what going on though. What if i dont have anything connected to the brown switch connector? It was working before so its not the problem but just curious how to why there is nothing connected there.

[@aschroer]

Spot on!

[@Luisrod56]

Great,great,great . Video

[@abraaofelipe8370]

Ótimo vídeo consegui resolver minhas dúvidas graças ao vídeo obrigado.

[@davidhayniern8973]

saved the day , thanks

[@BillsBayou]

Thanks for the testing instructions. I was able to determine my solenoid is operating correctly. Do you have any battery isolation switch recommendations? I'm reading good things about the Blue Sea 9003E. It's made for marine use. (I am not a Blue Sea affiliate in any way) Would you also recommend an ON/OFF switch for the trigger circuit just in case the OUT/IN rocker gets stuck or goes rogue? And thanks for the disassembly. I love taking broken things apart and learning how they work (and how I broke them).

[@GF-wb7xt]

Thank you

[@simonrawle7885]

fixing scrap parts is always fun

[@AndyMechanic]

Sure is :-)

[@forevercomputing]

Reviving scrap*

[@chrisgerlt4957]

I have a 12 volt winch when test the control box the red lights up tester when pushing the in on the controller and on the black when I push the out. When plugged to winch it lights up in and out on both the positive and negative post on winch. Tested the plug for winch plugged in same thing but unplug winch control box lights like it should??????

[@lockporttransport]

Very informative. Is there a circumstance where the solenoid would still 'click' but no current on that side? 🤔 Thx

[@AndyMechanic]

Yes, definitely - usually the internal contacts will be badly burnt when this happens. Worn brushes or burnt windings in the motor will also cause the same symptoms - but would occur in both spool In & out. Cheers Andy

[@justincranford7249]

Just wondering if you have a video or know where to get parts for the DC motor on a liftmoore 2000 the magnets have a spring loaded spacer and they got smashed and don't hold them in place anymore

[@usaquick5468]

Good job! Nice to see someone test a solenoid correctly for once. BTW, those solenoids are water 'resistant' not waterproof, despite the label. There is no such thing as waterproof....

[@sexymarine29]

I have a Traveller 9k winch on my car hauler with a wireless co troller but not getting feedback to the winch to let it unroll and reel it into the spool what gives

[@spundyo9]

Andy what is the difference between the 4 terminal unit you have and a 3 terminal unit on an anchor winch ?

[@tambitre1]

Thank you very much! A question.. what happens when one uses a bigger relay than needed.? A 8000lbs winch relay for a 2000lbs winch..

[@AndyMechanic]

it will be just fine. no problem at all :-)

[@tambitre1]

@@AndyMechanic one more question.. how do you do this with the girls 😂? Just kidding. thank you very much.. great help 🙏

[@Sethjxl]

If you use a solenoid from a heavier winch, it will probably be for a series wound winch, they are wired differently.

[@lucasnjtube]

Very informative. Cheers!

[@jimk575]

Great video Andy I have that same battery load tester. Wow does it get hot when you test a good batter.

[@AndyMechanic]

Sure does :-) great for those cold days!

[@forevercomputing]

Mine just smokes and gives a burning smell. Other than that, it does what I need.

[@shoreangler3383]

So, in the field, we just bypass the relay and energize it directly. But interesting video, anyway.

[@AndyMechanic]

Yes, I have done that a few times too...a neat trick to get you out of trouble when the solenoid fails. Great feedback. Cheers Andy

[@Heavens7thCloud]

@@AndyMechanic Lets say my winch is stuck because of this same issue. How would i bypass it correctly so that i can get some slack in my winch??

[@alonsoelectro1052]

Felicidades desde 🇵🇦

[@AaaAaa-mu1ro]

Daniel Kistler from Australia has a good video on how to access the contacts and bussbars in a Albright solenoid by taking bottom nut off 4 terminals and removing the 4 terminals which are like studs in copper retainers he then removing the copper retrainers with pliers so you can clean the contacts by remove the top cover without destroying the solenoid which when cleaned you can retain as a spare. he used sandpaper between the 2 contact surfaces worth bit of a look as could all be done on the track

[@bigzoffroad]

Andy, I got a winch that’s passively drawing 12amps from my battery. I have pulled it all apart, checked the solenoid, the solenoid is good, but the winch still just draws the power from my battery. Do you know what the issue could be?

[@AndyMechanic]

Yep. It has to be a solenoid fault. The solenoid, when the winch is not in use, should disconnect all of the heavy cables to the winch so there should be no circuit I'd suggest replacing the solenoid - 12 Amps draw is very high. Also make sure you have a battery isolation switch fitted on the main 12v positive from battery to solenoid - without one things can go really bad if solenoid jams in spool in mode.... Cheers Andy

[@bigzoffroad]

@@AndyMechanic aight! I have a replacement solenoid ready to go, so I’ll give it a try! And yes, after watching your video i was like “yeah, i need a switch!” What kind of switch do you run for that kind of job?

[@AndyMechanic]

Usually the type they use in really cars...normally rated to 100 Amps. If winch draws more current then you can get a larger one from a truck parts supplier

[@bigzoffroad]

@@AndyMechanic thank you for the help!!

[@walterjoncas12]

well done

[@Jimcool1942]

Very helpful and clearly presented. Thanks!

[@dynamicworktrade924]

Im thinking of using marine solenoid should it work ank 2000lb winch ampere is 35 - 150. Should it be okay?

[@AndyMechanic]

Yep will be just fine though remember the winch solenoid is a duel change over relay, not a standard type relay. Cheers Andy

[@dynamicworktrade924]

@@AndyMechanic but can i use 2 relays from a motorcyle type 100a?

[@dynamicworktrade924]

@@AndyMechanic the winch worked with it but cant figure out how to wire it 🤣

[@AndyMechanic]

Hmmm.....how many wires to the winch motor, 2 or 3

[@dynamicworktrade924]

@@AndyMechanic 2 only i have

[@brandanrobbins4039]

So let’s see the side of the winch that was working was the outside to let the winch out my watch has a free turning switch where I can just click over and pull it out so sorry I didn’t check it and then I realized my winch will not return but it was still go out I could switch the polarity on the load side to make that change to be the return then and be able to make it home with my vehicle instead of having to walk because my Winch only had 1 side working is that correct or would I change The polarity on the low-voltage side and it will automatically switch it on the high-voltage side

[@AndyMechanic]

you'd have to switch over the two heavy cables to the winch motor for it to reverse. The fault is likely in the contactor - if not then in the actual switch that controls the winch. You'd have to do some simple tests... Hope this is of help. Cheers Andy

[@ZhangyXD]

There are solid state reversers now that can handle this power, no need to repair again

[@doc559]

🏆🏆🏆👍🙏 . Thank you for sharing

[@forevercomputing]

Why didn't you wire from the solenoid first, then wire the battery last? Maybe you didn't think of that at the time. Avoids the surprise sparks.

[@AndyMechanic]

Sparks are fun :-)

[@forevercomputing]

@@AndyMechanic Only when you expect them. lol

[@jfrog180000]

Sparks are way more fun when you aren't expecting them! It gets your heart racing and just reminds you that you are still alive 🤣

[@AztecWarrior69_69]

2:06 " my background is 4 wheel drive winches warn....." , Seem more like you just have a little bit of experience with them not a background in them.

[@AndyMechanic]

Correct....I have fixed a few over the years on our 4x4 recovery vehicles & Unimog (rear anchor winch) - had a hydraulic on the front. Plus a few ATV winches too...

[@nicholsceramiccoating8284]

So I've have had the problem of winch goin out but not in, replaced solenoid, and switch with new one but still have same problem 😡😡😡 only thing left is winch, right?

[@danlux4954]

Switch maybe.

[@FirstLightAdv]

6:00 the schematic

[@phantomwalker8251]

if theres a spring at bottom//top. its rusted to fk. id say..

[@AndyMechanic]

yes, exactly....these are not waterproof despite what Warn claim! Cheers Andy

[@midlandt4249]

They are called busbars not buzzars.

[@AndyMechanic]

Yep. Busbar...maybe I was talking a bit quick. Sorry

[@aussiejas6599]

FURST

[@randy-sx7ho]

Nuts ? Ruined it thats why they is 2 nuts on each post

[@Alpacalover_123]

Holy Cummings again..Don't moves even one's millimeter she not done Cummins yet again

[@SuzukiJimnyOffRoadArmenia]

Thanks for the video. my question is the following. I have Axon 45s installed. But its works in wired way. When try it in both ways (in and out) it works with clicks. It turns and stops, turns and stops. Please see the video (kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6bHk6Nnrcqoe6s). Any idea what causes this? I think this model is with integrated contractor, and no solenoids are there correct? Will appreciate your help.

[@bryancaro8481]

how do you expect us to learn anything with all the distractions...all that junk in your shop distracts me...

[@alientrade]

Nice girls, but 56 minutes to test a solenoid??

[@davidmartin5179]

Thanks for the great video