Winch troubleshooting

[ABBB]

Hey all - hoping for some help troubleshooting.

I’ve got a ComeUp seal slim 9.5rs. Used once since it was installed in May. Use was about a week ago in the Cascades of southern Oregon, pulled a guy out of a snowy ditch. Line is synthetic. Did just fine out in the elements, wound back in carefully but noticed a lot of buildup on the line from 6 mos of wheeling and travel. This morning, I freespooled the line out to clean it and let it dry. This evening, I went to spoil it back in and…nada. Clutch is engaged. The winch motor is operating, getting power. I get clicks from the motor when I press In and Out, but the drum doesn’t turn a lick. I can still freespool out but I’m just about out of line, at the point I shouldn’t take it out any further.

Any theories?


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[billiebob]

dead battery
bad connection.... loose nut, dirty terminal, broken wire
maybe just not getting enough power

 

[ABBB]

dead battery
bad connection.... loose nut, dirty terminal, broken wire
maybe just not getting enough power

If it was a dead battery, wouldn’t I not get that clicking sound when I press in/out?

I’m a novice, this is my first winch, any thoughts how I’d begin troubleshooting any of those possibilities?


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[billiebob]

If it was a dead battery, wouldn’t I not get that clicking sound when I press in/out?

I’m a novice, this is my first winch, any thoughts how I’d begin troubleshooting any of those possibilities?


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yes, you would get the clicking if the battery is almost dead, same as trying to start a car with a dying battery, there is enough power to click the solenoid but not enough power to turn the starter. Your winch is the same, the winch motor might draw more power than the starter.

check all the connections if the vehicle starts fine
try winding the cable on with the vehicle running

 

[ABBB]

yes, you would get the clicking if the battery is almost dead, same as trying to start a car with a dying battery, there is enough power to click the solenoid but not enough power to turn the starter. Your winch is the same, the winch motor might even draw more power than the starter.

check all the connections if the vehicle starts fine
try winding the cable on with the vehicle running

Gotcha, makes sense. Is it like a car battery then, run the engine for a bit, leave it on, let it recharge?


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[NatersXJ6]

This isn’t intended to be condescending, but the way you asked that question makes me think you might not understand that the winch is using your car battery. It isn’t “like” a car battery, it actually “is” your car battery powering the winch. As a general rule, don’t winch without the vehicle running and running fast (1500+ RPm, not low idle) unless you have an emergency. You can very easily kill the car to a point of not starting. I suspect from the sound of things you have a bad electrical connection or a dying battery as well. You might also have a bad ground. Did you install the winch yourself? If so, you should know where all the connections are and check that they are tight and not corroded.

 

[ABBB]

This isn’t intended to be condescending, but the way you asked that question makes me think you might not understand that the winch is using your car battery. It isn’t “like” a car battery, it actually “is” your car battery powering the winch. As a general rule, don’t winch without the vehicle running and running fast (1500+ RPm, not low idle) unless you have an emergency. You can very easily kill the car to a point of not starting. I suspect from the sound of things you have a bad electrical connection or a dying battery as well. You might also have a bad ground. Did you install the winch yourself? If so, you should know where all the connections are and check that they are tight and not corroded.

I didn’t install, it came with the vehicle. The way the previous poster answered it sounded as though the winch had its own power supply. I understand it runs off the truck’s battery, so was news to me if that was the case. Not having any other battery issues, vehicle is a 2021 and everything, including the winch, is new. I’m learning the equipment as I go, no training in electrical parts/wiring, so if the question came off as naive in any way, that’s bc I am.


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[WOODY2]

Don't forget to check the small ground wire, it's often overlooked when trouble shooting.

 

[ABBB]

Gonna have to do more investigating in daylight tomorrow. Thanks for the tips, may be back for more.


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[NatersXJ6]

I didn’t install, it came with the vehicle. The way the previous poster answered it sounded as though the winch had its own power supply. I understand it runs off the truck’s battery, so was news to me if that was the case. Not having any other battery issues, vehicle is a 2021 and everything, including the winch, is new. I’m learning the equipment as I go, no training in electrical parts/wiring, so if the question came off as naive in any way, that’s bc I am.


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No worries then. Everyone learns somewhere.

If you didn’t install the winch, there are a few things to check out when you start tracing wires in the daylight.

check the sizing of the main cables to the winch. Often they are small for the amp draw and could cause issues.

Check that the battery connections are tight and they have the strongest / most contact area possible. Newer vehicles have smaller and lighter terminals at the battery all the time. Your winch can draw several times as much power as a starter motor, so that connection is critical.

Did the installer run a main ground wire back to battery? If they are relying on grounding through the frame there could be trouble.

It probably isn’t the issue, but check if the controller has any corrosion or a loose connection.

Check all the power cable routing. Any sharp edges should be protected and the entire thing should be tightly secured agains rubbing.

If you aren’t the installer, make sure they didn’t use a fuse that might be blown (although you probably wouldn’t hear the clicking).

I don’t know if that is a solenoid winch or a full contractor model, but you could have bad solenoids too.

I don’t remember you saying, does it power out and just not in? That would eliminate a number of possible issues.

 

[ABBB]

No worries then. Everyone learns somewhere.

If you didn’t install the winch, there are a few things to check out when you start tracing wires in the daylight.

check the sizing of the main cables to the winch. Often they are small for the amp draw and could cause issues.

Check that the battery connections are tight and they have the strongest / most contact area possible. Newer vehicles have smaller and lighter terminals at the battery all the time. Your winch can draw several times as much power as a starter motor, so that connection is critical.

Did the installer run a main ground wire back to battery? If they are relying on grounding through the frame there could be trouble.

It probably isn’t the issue, but check if the controller has any corrosion or a loose connection.

Check all the power cable routing. Any sharp edges should be protected and the entire thing should be tightly secured agains rubbing.

If you aren’t the installer, make sure they didn’t use a fuse that might be blown (although you probably wouldn’t hear the clicking).

I don’t know if that is a solenoid winch or a full contractor model, but you could have bad solenoids too.

I don’t remember you saying, does it power out and just not in? That would eliminate a number of possible issues.

Appreciate it. Yep, picking up what I can anywhere I can, didn’t grow up with this stuff but like to learn. Thanks for lending some expertise.

Will get a better view in daylight, but to eliminate a couple items: they did run a main ground back to the battery, it’s not on the frame. The controller isn’t the issue as far as I can tell; the winch is a newer one and comes with a wired controller and a Bluetooth controller. The behavior is identical no matter which controller I use.

It doesn’t power either direction currently, drum does not roll at all. I was freespooling the line out for cleaning and there’s a section that was pancaked down and sticking; sticking badly enough that the winch would start to respool itself when I got to that point in the line. So when I hit that point again I had my wife feather the controller while I gave it a little extra pull. Freed it up and continued freespooling the rest of the line out. When I went to spool it back that’s when the clicking/no power started. I’ve tried feathering on the in/out controls while shifting the clutch gently from engaged to disengaged but that hasn’t brought any change. Wiring I’ll look at and take some photos in the AM.


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[Alloy]

For/Rev switch try tapping it with something heavy.

 

[NatersXJ6]

Check the actual battery voltage. Do you have a multimeter? Even a cheap one will be sufficient for 90+ percent of what you will do in basic 12v wiring and troubleshooting.

 

[ABBB]

Check the actual battery voltage. Do you have a multimeter? Even a cheap one will be sufficient for 90+ percent of what you will do in basic 12v wiring and troubleshooting.

Thanks for the guidance. With all the brainstorming here and multiple convos with Rod at ComeUp I think we narrowed it down to the contactor. A new one arrived yesterday in the mail and I’m having a local shop do some diagnostic work to see if that’ll be the fix.


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[tcari394]

Thanks for the guidance. With all the brainstorming here and multiple convos with Rod at ComeUp I think we narrowed it down to the contactor. A new one arrived yesterday in the mail and I’m having a local shop do some diagnostic work to see if that’ll be the fix.


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Hi! Sorry to bump an old post, but this same exact thing happened to me today with my ComeUp 9.5rsi. Did you ever end up finding out what happened?