My first WARN product... garbage!

[da_jokker]

This may come across rough, but I'm pretty pissed right now.

When I wired up my winch, I wanted to do it right. One of the features was I wanted a relay in between the winch and the battery so that the big thick power cable running through the engine compartment and out to the front wasn't energized unless I needed it to be.

To make it even cooler, I wired up the relay to an upfitter switch (10a).

Anyway, after doing some research I had stumbled across the Warn winch relay...

https://www.warn.com/warn-industries-72631-winch-solenoid

This sounded perfect and after reading some reviews on Amazon about people getting non-genuine Warn relays, I decided to order my directly from Warn and take no chances.

Yesterday, I decided to test the winch (You know, test it before you need it!) So I pulled the full lenght of my winch line out and started to pre tension....

Now I didn't just hold the "IN" button, but was off and on it. Within 5 minutes, my winch stopped working. Took me a bit with a test light but found out the relay wasn't getting the power signal from the Upfitter. Checked the fuse and it was blown.

I was kind of like WTF ford..this relay should not have blown that 10a fuse but at this point I just need to get my winch line back in so I can drive. I replaced the fuse and my winch still didn't work.

Then I tested across the primary post on the relay...dead as can be.

So apparently, my Warn Winch Relay, which they claim is for their 10,000 lb winch...is total ggarbage. Glad I don't own any other Warn products.

i was able to move one of the cables over to the other post to bypass the relay and finished the job.

off to buy something better on Amazon..found a 500amp battery isolator that more than one person said they are using it for their winch... here's to hoping for better reliability!

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[Area51BS]

Not familiar with that particular relay. There are times when a spike is produced by the relay coil which requires a diode across the coil terminals. This spike could cause of fuse failure. You can Google this issue yourself. Might be a 50 cent fix. Or just a bad relay.

 

[grayshadow]

Guess you‘re to young to remember when every Ford had a starter relay and sometimes they failed.

 

[da_jokker]

Guess you‘re to young to remember when every Ford had a starter relay and sometimes they failed.

Nah I remember those. But they were designed for a quick hit whereas this relay was supposed to be for a winch. So I'm not saying it's 100% duty cycle, but on and off the winch for less than 5 minutes...it should have been able to handle it.

I know the other alternative is to buy like a 400 amp fuse and just put it in line... But I really like the idea of a relay and not having the cables powered the whole time.

If my next idea fails, I'm just going to get one of those mechanical battery disconnect switches. I'll just have to pop the hood and reach in if I want to use the winch.

 

[Riverjeep]

I'm with you, hard to believe that 10 amps is not sufficient to keep a solenoid closed.

 

[Snacktime]

Most people have gone to a marine battery isolator switch. Warn is not the same old warn it use to be. I learned the hard way with their manual hubs.

 

[MNBigfoot]

An Anderson connector is about $7. One for the winch, one for a portable air compressor,

 

[Area51BS]

Looks like relay solenoid draws about 4 amps. That a pretty good draw and spike when you let in and off the switch.

 

[Grumpy]

He bought direct from WARN he says,
f*ck WARN he says
I'm quitting WARN he says

I'M BUYING FROM AMAZON he says,

 

[Area51BS]

Here is some information

https://electronicsarea.com/why-is-there-a-diode-connected-in-parallel-to-a-relay-coil/

 

[BroncoAZ]

Nah I remember those. But they were designed for a quick hit whereas this relay was supposed to be for a winch. So I'm not saying it's 100% duty cycle, but on and off the winch for less than 5 minutes...it should have been able to handle it.

I know the other alternative is to buy like a 400 amp fuse and just put it in line... But I really like the idea of a relay and not having the cables powered the whole time.

If my next idea fails, I'm just going to get one of those mechanical battery disconnect switches. I'll just have to pop the hood and reach in if I want to use the winch.

Keep in mind that winches are drawing well in excess of 400A near their rated pull. Most solenoids, battery isolators, and marine switches are not rated for that kind of amperage continuously. On my 87 Bronco I had dual batteries with 300A ANL fuses and marine switches in line. The XD9000i on the front of the truck would easily pop the 300A fuse if only one battery was switched on, it needed both to draw half of the 450 amps from each. The marine switches were rated for 300A continuous, 500A intermittent (5 minute), so they were (barely) adequate.

Blue Sea now makes a single throw 600A continuous switch, that is what I would use if I wanted to disconnect the winch from the battery. The switch could be mounted right on the bumper or under the hood.

https://www.bluesea.com/products/category/11/35/Manual_Battery_Switches/HD-Series

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Battery-Switch/dp/B000MMDLB6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=6G5MR8WEVHXV&keywords=blue+sea+3000+heavy+duty+on/off+battery+switch+600a/900a&qid=1678030984&sprefix=Blue+sea+3000,aps,94&sr=8-1

There is no harm in having a winch wired directly to the battery. There shouldn’t be any draw unless the winch is in use.

 

[Lcubed]

gotta ask, are you sure you wired the relay properly?

 

[TwoSerious]

Could have just been a bad relay, have you tried getting a replacement from Warn?

Also upon further inspection this looks like an internal relay for the winch. I believe they run two for in and two for out but correct me if I am wrong. I believe this is what you need https://www.warn.com/power-interrupt-kit-62132

 

[DBC Offroad]

If it's made by humans, it can fail... I wonder if you just got a faulty part from the start. Thanks for the info.

 

[da_jokker]

I'm with you, hard to believe that 10 amps is not sufficient to keep a solenoid closed.

In looking at the specs for other relays, 1 amp should be sufficient to engage the relay.

Either it was that feedback that people are talking about, or the internals of the relay shorted and that's what caused the fuse to blow.

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