Common Warn Winch Problems That You Should Know: With Fix

Last Updated on August 15, 2022

There are many winch manufacturer brands out there. Among them, the Warn winches are the most renowned as their product users do not suffer lots of defects like other brand models.

In the late 1950’s, Warn Industries started the development of the electric winch. In 1974, the company updated its Belleview Winch to the M8274. It featured more modern components and had and impressive an 8,000 lb. capacity. Ever since, they have been upgrading their winches regularly.

Today, I am going to discuss some common problems of warn winches and how to troubleshoot winch problems. Stay with me, it’s going to be insightful for you.

By the way, I have reviewed a few warn winch series. If you’re looking to buy a new one then you may find these helpful.

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• Warn VR vs. VR Evo Winch
• Warn Vantage vs. Provantage Winch
• Warn VRX vs. Axon Winch
• Warn Pullzall vs. Drill Winch
• Warn M8000 vs. M12 vs. M15 vs. M16.5 Ti
• Warn Utility Winch
• Warn Cti vs Ti vs XP vs XD Winch
• Warn Hydraulic Winch

Most Common Warn Winch Problems

1. The contractor often goes wicked

The major problems that are seen in winches especially warn winches is that the contractor frequently got wicked.

Generally, a controller is a small size black box that usually holds the relay switches controlling power when the power is sent to winch. Usually, you will find the controller box on the back part of the winch either terminals or wires on it.

However, warn is to seal this contractor for stopping water from getting into it. Later, warn has recalled some winch model as the quality of the contractor was poor. This poor quality might lead to fires.

As a result, the grim and mud frequently get into the contractor and results in a dead contractor. If you need to replace then check these winch contractors. Make sure to check if it fits your model.

2. Problems while spooling

Another major problem of warn winches that are seen is the spooling cable for the warns winches back into the place.

Lots of warn winch users complained about these spooling issues. According to them, spooling does not wind up easily and won’t free spool as your expectations until you turn on the switch.

It is recommended to use a synthetic rope instead of a steel cable as the synthetic rope is much easier to wind than a steel cable.

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3. Winch stuck in free spool

Winch free spool doesn’t engage?

To fix: Take the side cover of the winch off and there will be a spring/ramp mechanism. Grease it, put it back together, and check if it works. There can be many reasons behind it, best option will be to see a mechanic if basic checking doesn’t work.

4. Useless Remote

A dead winch can be renamed as a useless or dead remote, not the winch itself. It’s frequently seen that the remote control stops working properly.

However, it should not be a major problem as the warn winch is renowned for replacing dead parts quickly.

In the rear case, you need to keep in your mind about some problems with the remote controls, as the problem may be mistaken for a problem with the winch itself. Here is some warn winch remote replacement options.

5. Motor often stop working

Another reason for a dead winch is the motor can stop working. It’s often seen that the motor stops working for unknown reasons.

There could be lots of reasons behind a quitting motor. It can be getting stuck, the motor gears are faulty, a bad ground contact, or entrance of dirt into the casing of the motor.

However, the solution to deal with the dead motor is quite easy.

Firstly, you can try to free up the motor gears by tapping the housing with a hammer. Secondly, check whether you have solid ground or not. For this, you need to check the ground contact.

Lastly, clean the winch after taking it apart. After that, you will see that your winch is running well again.

6. Frayed rope resulting in a snapped cable

It does not matter whether you use steel cable or synthetic rope on your winch. Eventually, it will become frayed. Well, generally it happens by using the cable over time.

Remember that a frayed rope can normally spool close to the housing. Also, keep in mind that the cable can be snapped from the rubbing of the metal framework.

However, there is a simple solution to this problem. The solution is to ensure that you are bringing some sort of covering whenever you are going to wrap the cable around a sharp object.

You can use these type of straps too.

7. Provides low power while the winch is new

After a certain period of time, you are supposed to notice that the winch pulling capacity is not the same as it was before.

The reason behind this may be: The wrong installation, attaching the electrical grounding wire to the motor housing is not done, there is something that isn’t going right with the battery, or overheating the motor.

If you face this problem, then you should recharge the battery, replace the motor itself and its brushes, and clean the battery and wire terminals.

Conclusion

A winch is considered a good friend, when you’re in danger and in need of help. But did you ever find your helping friend not helpful?

Yes, I am talking about your friend: winch.

A winch is a machinery tool that is used to pull or lift any objects, especially while recovering your vehicle. Like other machinery tools, a winch may also have physical or functional problems.

These are some common problems that a warn winch user often faces and the same goes for other brands.

However, if you have good knowledge about a winch, then you will be able to deal with your emergencies effectively. If you are new to winching then I hope that this article has helped you to deal with the warn winch problems.

If you’ve liked this guide, then you might also like to read our guide on how to bench test a winch.