Diagnosis And Testing - Winch: Notes

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2011 RAM Pickup and 2011 RAM Cab & Chassis. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

CONDITION	POSSIBLE CAUSES	CORRECTION
Winch does not hold the load.	Faulty winch drum brake.	Replace the winch assembly. Refer to Winch, Removal .
Winch does not hold the load.	Load exceeds rating for the winch.	Refer to operators manual for the correct line pull rating for the winch.
Brake overheats and will not hold the load.	The wire rope is on the drum backwards.	Remove all the wire rope and respool in the proper direction.
	The wire rope is spool onto the drum in the wrong direction and working against the brake in the "power in" mode.	The wire rope must always spool onto the drum as indicated by the drum rotation label on the winch. Winches are equipped with an automatic brake and WILL NOT FUNCTION if the wire rope spools in the opposite direction. The wire rope spooling can accidentally be reversed by running the wire rope all the way out and re-spooling in with the control switch in the "power out" mode.
	Load exceeds rating for winch	Refer to operators manual for the correct line pull rating for the winch.
	After a very long "power out" cycle, in excess of 50 feet under high loads, the brake has overheated and needs a cool down cycle of approximately 30 minutes.	These winches are rated for intermittent duty operations only. As the load is increased, the duration of power out cycles must be reduced to limit the brake temperature. Allow adequate time for the brake to cool between uses when performing extended power out cycles.
Difficult to spool the wire rope off the drum by hand.	Bent drum flanges or worn drum bushings.	Rotate the drum while it is still on the winch to see if the drum flanges appear to be bent. If the flanges appear to be bent, the winch will have to be replaced.
	Free spool clutch is damaged inside the gear train.	Replace winch. Refer to Winch, Removal .
	Wire rope is bound up on the drum.	Should the wire rope become bound onto the drum, connect the hook to a load, then by alternately "powering in" then "powering out", the wire rope will usually work itself free. WARNING: Do not put your hands anywhere near the wire rope when working a bind free.
	Winch is not mounted correctly, causing the drum to bind.	Check winch mounting and repair as necessary.
Winch lacks power or will not run at all.	Faulty ground cable attachment to the motor housing.	Verify that the ground cable is correctly installed to the threaded hole in the motor housing. See below. Refer to Motor Ground Test .
	The vehicle battery is inadequate in size, terminals are corroded, is defective or worn out, 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. Make sure all terminals are clean and the battery is fully charged. Replace battery if necessary.
	Faulty cable connections on battery or motor terminals	Clean and tighten all terminals.
	Faulty power supply to the winch.	Check for proper power supply. See below. Refer to Power Test .
	Faulty remote control switch or cord.	Check for faulty switch. See below. Refer to Remote Switch Test . Replace the remote switch is necessary.
When remote control switch is activated, there is only a "clicking" sound, and the winch does not operate in either "power in" or "power out" modes.	Low battery charge, corroded terminals, defective battery.	Use a fully charged conventional automotive battery with a minimum of 650 cold cranking amps rating to obtain peak performance from the winch. Make sure all terminals are clean and the battery is fully charged. Replace battery if necessary. Check for proper power supply. See below. Refer to Power Test .
	Faulty ground cable attachment to the motor housing.	Check for proper ground. See below. Refer to Motor Ground Test .
	Faulty motor armature, brushes, or water in the motor.	Replace the motor. Refer to MOTOR, Winch, Removal .
	Faulty control relay.	Check and replace relays as necessary. See below. Refer to Relay Pack Test . Refer to RELAY, Winch, Removal .
Winch runs slowly and lacks power when pulling a load, won't pull load, or stalls easily.	The wire rope is spool onto the drum in the wrong direction and working against the brake in the "power in" mode.	The wire rope must always spool onto the drum as indicated by the drum rotation label on the winch. Winches are equipped with an automatic brake and WILL NOT FUNCTION if the wire rope spools in the opposite direction. The wire rope spooling can accidentally be reversed by running the wire rope all the way out and re-spooling in with the control switch in the "power out" mode.
When the remote control is activated, the winch will operate only in one direction.	One or more of the control pack relays is damaged	Check and replace relays as necessary. See below. Refer to Relay Pack Test . Refer to RELAY, Winch, Removal .
	The remote control switch is damaged.	Check and replace switch as necessary. See below. Refer to Remote Switch Test .
Power-out mode only.	Tripped or damaged thermal switch	Let motor cool for at least 30 minutes, then try to power-in again.
	Tripped or damaged thermal switch	Check thermal switch. See below. Refer to Thermal Switch Test . Replace the motor if the thermal switch is faulty. Refer to MOTOR, Winch, Removal .
When the remote control is activated, the winch will not operate and no clicking sound is heard.	Tripped or damaged Low Voltage Interrupt (LVI)	Use a fully charged conventional automotive battery with a minimum of 650 cold cranking amps rating to obtain peak performance from the winch. Make sure all terminals are clean and the battery is fully charged. Replace battery if necessary.
	Tripped or damaged Low Voltage Interrupt (LVI)	Check LVI. See below. Refer to Low Voltage Interrupt (LVI) Test . Replace the relay pack if the LVI is faulty. Refer to RELAY PACK, Winch, Removal .