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Wiring winch power to aux switch

Discussion in 'Recovery' started by roary_tubbs, Dec 18, 2022.

  1. Dec 18, 2022 at 2:34 PM
    #1
    roary_tubbs

    roary_tubbs [OP] Active Member

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    I’ve searched the forum and interwebs and can’t seem to find any guidance here. I’m basically wanting to have a way to kill the power to my winch using and in-cab switch panel. The winch is currently wired directly to the battery and always has power. I’d like to move away from that and have a switch that completes the circuit. I’m not wanting it to actually control the in/out functionality of the winch. Appreciate the help.
     
  2. Dec 18, 2022 at 2:44 PM
    #2
    Rock Lobster

    Rock Lobster Thread Derailer

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    Easy peasy.

    Buy a relay that's rated to the winch power input.

    Put it between your battery and your winch.

    upload_2022-12-18_16-39-52.jpg


    30- relay to battery +
    87- the cable that currently powers your winch
    86- through the firewall to your switch. Find a low current power source inside the cab. When turned on, the switch energizes pole 86, which in turn makes the relay connect 87 to 30.
     
  3. Dec 18, 2022 at 2:56 PM
    #3
    0xDEADBEEF

    0xDEADBEEF Trash Aficionado

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  4. Dec 18, 2022 at 4:26 PM
    #4
    fb40dash5

    fb40dash5 Well-Known Member

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    I'd recommend finding 40A relays. If you put about 20 of them in parallel that should do it, you could mount them all in a row across the core support!

    But for real... your winch should already have a contactor (or solenoid(s) if it's old school or maybe really cheap) that's turning controller movement into running the motor. The contactor will have light-duty connections for in & out commands, and hopefully power & ground to the coils that operate it (although it's possible those could be internally linked to the motor power & ground, but hopefully they're separate).

    Anyway, provided that at least one of those is or could be separate from the motor power/ground, you'd want to break that circuit & put a switch inline. I ran mine through my switch when I did it years ago, but that was using an actual Contura rocker that could switch some actual load... if using those cheapo CH4X4 type switches you probably want to also use a relay there, cuz those switches are basically just a microswitch in a large housing.

    If you do that you'll still have power constantly running to your contactor/solenoid(s), but unless the switch is on, nothing but shorting terminals on them physically will make the motor run.
     
    Toy_Runner likes this.
  5. Dec 19, 2022 at 8:59 AM
    #5
    roary_tubbs

    roary_tubbs [OP] Active Member

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    This is super helpful, much appreciated.
     

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