Diagnosis And Testing - Winch: Notes

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2017 RAM 2500 HD. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

CONDITION	POSSIBLE CAUSES	CORRECTIVE ACTION
When the remote control is activated in either direction, the winch does not function and no "clicking" sound of the solenoids are heard. This indicates an open circuit where the winch and/or solenoids are not receiving power.	The vehicle battery is inadequate in size, is defective, or is not fully charged.	Use a fully charged conventional automotive battery with a minimum of 650 cold cranking amps rating to obtain peak performance from the winch. Ensure the battery is fully charged. Replace battery if necessary.
	Faulty power and/or ground cables, corroded connections, or shorted wiring between the battery and winch.	Inspect the winch power and ground cables at the battery, winch motor, and control unit for loose connections, corrosion, or damage. Clean and tighten the battery terminals, motor ground bolt, and control unit power cable connection. Conduct the POWER TEST and MOTOR GROUND TEST to verify continuity. Replace control unit if cables are worn, frayed, or otherwise defective. Refer to CONTROL UNIT, WINCH, REMOVAL .
	Faulty or shorted wiring between the control unit and remote receptacle.	Inspect the control unit and remote receptacle wiring for loose connections or damage. Conduct to verify continuity. Refer to CONTROL UNIT TEST . Replace control unit if defective Refer to CONTROL UNIT, WINCH, REMOVAL .
	Faulty remote control switch or cord.	If available, test winch operation with replacement remote control, otherwise conduct to verify switch continuity. Refer to REMOTE SWITCH TEST . Replace the remote if defective.
	Tripped or damaged Low Voltage Interrupt (LVI).	The LVI prevents the winch from operating in either direction at low voltages. Conduct for continuity. Refer to LOW VOLTAGE INTERRUPT (LVI) TEST . Recharge or replace battery if the voltage is below 10.5 volts. Replace control unit if LVI is defective. Refer to CONTROL UNIT, WINCH, REMOVAL .
When remote control switch is activated, a "clicking" sound of the solenoids is heard but the winch does not operate in either power-in or power-out mode. This indicates that some or all of the solenoids have power but the winch motor does not.	The vehicle battery is inadequate in size, is defective, or is not fully charged.	Use a fully charged conventional automotive battery with a minimum of 650 cold cranking amps rating to obtain peak performance from the winch. Ensure the battery is fully charged. Replace battery if necessary.
	Faulty cable(s), corroded connections, or shorted wiring between the solenoids and motor.	Check motor and control unit wiring for loose connections or damage. Clean and tighten all connections on the motor and solenoids. Conduct the POWER TEST , MOTOR GROUND TEST and CONTROL UNIT TEST to verify continuity. Replace control unit if cables are worn, frayed, or otherwise defective. Refer to CONTROL UNIT, WINCH, REMOVAL .
	Defective, worn or damaged motor.	Conduct the MOTOR TEST . Replace motor if defective. Refer to MOTOR, WINCH, REMOVAL .
	Multiple solenoids are not functioning.	Conduct the SOLENOID TEST . Replace defective solenoids. Refer to SOLENOID, WINCH, REMOVAL .
When the remote control is activated, winch operates in only one direction. This indicates that a control circuit is open either at the solenoids, remote switch, or at the thermal interrupt switch.	Faulty remote control switch or cord.	If available, test winch operation with replacement remote control, otherwise conduct the REMOTE SWITCH TEST to verify switch continuity. Replace remote if defective.
	Faulty or shorted wiring between the control unit and remote receptacle.	Check the control unit and remote receptacle wiring for loose connections or damage. Conduct the CONTROL UNIT TEST to verify continuity. Replace control unit if defective. Refer to CONTROL UNIT, WINCH, REMOVAL .
	One or more of the solenoids is not functioning.	Conduct the SOLENOID TEST . Replace defective solenoids. Refer to SOLENOID, WINCH, REMOVAL .
	Tripped or damaged thermal interrupt switch.	The thermal interrupt switch will allow the winch to operate in power-out mode only if the motor temperature gets too hot. Allow the motor to cool for at least 30 minutes and try again. Conduct THERMAL SWITCH TEST to verify continuity. Replace motor if thermal switch is defective. Refer to MOTOR, WINCH, REMOVAL .
Winch runs slowly, lacks power, or stalls easily when pulling a load.	Wire rope is spooled onto drum in the wrong direction and is working against the brake in the power-in mode.	Verify drum rotation matches directional label (on drum support) when powering in. If incorrect, remove all wire rope from the drum and re-spool in the proper direction.
	Faulty cables, corroded connections, or shorted wiring.	Inspect the winch power and ground cables at the battery, winch motor, and control unit for loose connections, corrosion, or damage. Clean and tighten connections. Replace control unit if cables are worn, frayed, or otherwise defective. Refer to CONTROL UNIT, WINCH, REMOVAL .
	Load exceeds winch rating.	Refer to the Winch Operators Manual for the correct line pull rating for your winch. DO NOT EXCEED THE LINE PULL RATING SHOWN ON THE IDENTIFICATION LABEL.
Winch brake does not hold load.	Wire Rope is spooled onto the drum in the wrong direction.	Verify drum rotation matches directional label (on drum support) when powering-in. The wire rope must always spool onto the drum as indicated. Winches are equipped with an automatic brake function and WILL NOT FUNCTION if the wire rope spools in the opposite direction. The wire rope can accidentally be reversed by running the winch all the way out and re-spooling in with the remote control switch in the power-out mode. If incorrect, remove all wire rope from the drum and re-spool in the proper direction.
	Load exceeds winch rating.	Refer to the Winch Operators Manual for the correct line pull rating for your winch. DO NOT EXCEED THE LINE PULL RATING SHOWN ON THE IDENTIFICATION LABEL.
	Overheated brake.	When powering-out the rope, the brake is still being applied but is being overpowered by the winch. This causes the brake to wear and heat up. Under very long power-out cycles (50 ft or more), the brake may overheat which reduces its ability to hold load. These winches are rated for intermittent duty operation only and pulling the rope out by hand when the clutch is disengaged is advised when possible. Allow adequate time for the brake to cool between extended power-out cycles.
	Brake inside winch drum is badly worn or broken.	Powering-out of the winch works against the brake causing wear. Disengaging the clutch and free-spooling the rope out by hand is advised when possible. Replace the winch if the brake no longer holds rated load when at ambient temperature. Refer to WINCH, REMOVAL .
Difficulty in spooling wire rope OFF the drum by hand when the clutch is disengaged.	Bent drum flange.	Rotate the drum on winch and inspect for bent drum flanges. If the flanges appear to be bent, replace winch. Refer to WINCH, REMOVAL .
	Free spool clutch inside gear train is damaged.	Rotate the clutch lever between engaged and disengaged positions while pulling out the rope to test for function. If the clutch is found to be defective, replace winch. Refer to WINCH, REMOVAL .
	Wire rope is bound up on the drum by either "knifing" or the rope is in contact with the tie rods.	By connecting the hook to a load and alternately powering-in and powering-out, the wire rope will usually work itself free. IMPORTANT: DO NOT PUT YOUR HANDS NEAR THE WIRE ROPE OR FAIRLEAD WHEN ATTEMPTING TO FREE A BOUND ROPE. "Knifing" is where the rope wedges itself into the bottom layer(s) of rope which can be avoided by evenly winding the rope on the drum while maintaining tension.
	Winch is not mounted correctly which causes winch to bind.	Be sure all mounting bolts are tight. Check winch mounting for deformation and repair as necessary.