Winch is in the mail.. Wiring questions

From what I have read, it is a simple Positive/Negative to the battery and thats it? Should I wire a Kill switch inline with it?

I went with the RC 9500# winch..

 

A kill switch for the winch? Or for the truck's starter?

 

Mine has an on/off switch at the winch.

 

It should come with all the wiring, relays and switch. Just follow the instructions.
All the electric winches I’ve ever owned have come with either a corded switch that plugs/unplugs from the winch body and then gets thrown behind my seat when not in use. Or a remote control, non-corded switch that I would keep in the glove box. For me, I’ve never needed or seen the benefit of installing a Kill Switch..

 

A kill switch on the positive lead to the winch will keep the 5' or so of isolated until you need winch power. Leaving the wire connected and powered is not a problem if it never chafes, cuts, front end collision, etc, but if it does there could be a short to ground on a AWG4 or larger cable and that is a recipe for melting metal, batteries, etc.

 

Just follow the instructions. I've never ran a kill switch in the decades I've owned my winches and no issues. If you actually need a winch then you will use it enough to ensure proper maintenance such as line inspection, wire inspection etc.

The winch only pulls power when in use it so a kill switch doesn't accomplish anything. It's no different than any other idle accessory wired under the hood.

 

I have a 300amp blue seas surface mount fuse going to my wire. So far she hasn't popped while in use.

 

It is different because it's not fused. It's hard to perform proper maintenance, inspect a wire, etc while you're rear ending someone. A kill switch removes voltage and isolates the entire power cable from the battery when not needed.

 

Cool Story but a fuse only prevents too much draw, not that there isnt any. If you rear end someone your winch still isnt drawing power. Adding a 300-500 amp fuse accomplishes nothing when not in use, just like a kill switch. Those battery cables when not in use aren't even drawing a whole amp

 

If one lives where they use road salt or where you can drive on a beach, definitely put in a kill switch near the battery and/or a fuse.

 

You don't understand how a switch works or why not having power to a large wire in front of the radiator might be good in the case of a collision? I didn't say anything about a fuse, however a 300 amp fuse would isolate the power wire is it shorted to ground because it would certainly draw more than 300 amps on a battery cable shorting the + post directly to ground.

 

I'm saying thats its no different than any other wire under the hood. Do you think those winch wires are just chilling under the hood at 400 amps? I'm curious to how many amps you think are running to an unpowered winch.

I guess we should add kill switch's to the entire vehicle just to be safe right....let's contact Toyota corporate and complain. How dare they make such an unsafe vehicle without another redundant kill switch in the event of a collision.

 

You can go direct to your battery, add in a fuse, or wire in a remote switch. I agree with JoeCOVA, but I wired in a remote switch anyways with this a remote switch from warn. Mostly because now I can use my winch and not open the hood. Also finished this thing I’m waiting on a harness to wire that switch in. Ps sorry for the awkward camera angles.

 

Every other wire is fused. A kill switch isn't redundant if there is no fuse or other switch. Feel free to contact Toyota, they will laugh at you but it won't be for the reason you think. There is nothing confusing or tricky to explain here. I can't understand it for you.

 

I think at this point you are so spun up you have lost reality with how the world really works. Take a step back do some research and by that I mean practical research then come back with your findings on the risks associated to unpowered devices on low volt/amp circuits.

 

If the The winch itself has a switch, then any additional switches are redundant. Works for fuses too. You just need to change out the words.

 

Weird candy bro

 

every drop a crescent wrench across a battery?