How to Wire a Winch Without a Solenoid in 6 Steps

To wire a winch without a solenoid, jumper wires, spinners/pilers, and a winch solenoid wiring diagram will be necessary. The wiring diagram will assist you in understanding the winch solenoid wiring system and changing it to wire the winch without a solenoid. Arrange the parts and proceed as instructed.

Step 1: Understanding the Solenoid Wiring

A winch solenoid wiring diagram will assist you in understanding the solenoid connections with the winch; the wiring diagram in the image below shows the motor design.

This diagram will help you label the cables and terminals later on. Wiring the winch without a solenoid should only be done for troubleshooting.

How to Wire a Winch Without a Solenoid

Step 2: Disconnect the Solenoid

Because our goal is to run the winch without a solenoid, we must first detach the solenoid; as shown in the diagram, the solenoid is located between the winch motor and the battery.

Disconnect the solenoid’s positive cable first, then the others. You must be careful when removing the wires from the solenoid. Mark the cables so that they may be recognized afterward.

Step 3: Put the Winch in Free Spool Mode

You must set the winch to free spool mode, which you can accomplish by turning the knob to allow the system to move freely. You can also look for the “Disengage” option written on the winch and push it to put it in free spool mode.

Putting the winch in free spool mode is equivalent to putting your car in neutral. Ensure that the winch is empty and that no weight is connected; the cable must be spooling in a tangle-free way.

Step 4: Disconnect the Winch from Battery

Disconnect the winch from the battery, start it from the positive lead. The grounded lead must be kept active. While disconnecting the wires, refer to the diagram and label them accordingly.

As shown in the diagram, the four wires in the motor are F1, F2, A, and the negative from the battery. Labeling is essential since it will help reconnect the wires without the solenoid.

Step 5: Connect the Jumper Wire

You’ve already arranged a jumper wire, which will be used in place of the solenoid to prevent the circuit from overheating.

Connect the wire from point A to F1 and then to the battery through F2. When you finish this step, the winch motor will only operate in the forward direction, which shows the wiring is successful.

To operate the motor in reverse, repeat the process using A and F2. Connect the cable from point A to F2 than to the battery via F1; the motor will operate in the reverse direction. It should be noted that this procedure is only for troubleshooting and should not be used regularly.

Step 6: Let the Winch Run Without a Solenoid For a While

As explained previously, wiring the winch without a solenoid should only be done for troubleshooting purposes.

Turn on the winch and let the engine run for a while; if the filthy gases continue to rise, the solenoid is not faulty. If the filthy gases persist and there is overheating, the solenoid may be defective; you can have it fixed or replaced.

Safety Suggestion While Wiring a Winch

How to Wire a Winch Without a Solenoid

When working with a winch, keep in mind that they are designed to pull enormous forces, which requires a lot of power, so think about safety before attempting to wire the winch without a solenoid. Working with electric wires requires the use of safety precautions first.

  • Safety Cautions: Always proceed with caution while handling the electrical connections since the winches are designed to draw enormous forces that require a significant quantity of electricity to execute the pulling. With such a high power present, you must use utmost caution while wiring.

  • No Loose Clothes or Jewelry: Because the winch includes moving parts, it is best not to wear any jewelry, watches, or loose clothing to avoid accidents.

  • Use Gloves: As previously said, winches pull heavy items; the winch cables also contain metal splinters on them; gloves can protect you from mishaps. Furthermore, the gloves will protect you from electric shock.

  • Tidy Up the Working Space:  The Working space must be cleaned before starting to work. Anything that causes a trip or slip might lead you to be harmed by the winch. Do not work near the water, and it may become hazardous when working with electric wires.

When do We need to Wire a Winch Without a Solenoid?

The solenoid is utilized to protect the device from overheating, and it is definitely an important component of the winch.

Even if wiring a winch without a solenoid is possible, it is never recommended to winch heavy weights or automobiles with such a winch. Hauling high weights requires a large amount of electricity, which creates heat; the solenoid prevents heat from entering the winch system.

However, in some cases, such as troubleshooting, you can connect a winch without a solenoid. If you find some contaminated gasses in the winch system, this indicates an overload, and there must be a problem somewhere in the winch system.

Brent
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