Frequently Asked Questions

My gearbox will not shift into gear. Do not shift in and out of gear while the motor is turning the spool or gears. (This will strip the gears and damage the gearbox). This abuse is not covered under warranty. The clutch handle controls the engagement of the gears. If the clutch handle will not move (shift the gears) then gently rock the wire rope spool with your other hand. (This movement will help to align the gears and allow the sliding gear to engage or disengage the main planetary gear set). Electrical cables are getting hot There are several possible reasons for this: - Your battery is low or bad, causing the winch to draw too many amps. - Connections could be loose or dirty. - The ground connection is bad. (Do you have a ground connection?) - The electric cables could be corroded - Check all cables and repair or clean as necessary. - Always operate the winch with the vehicle’s motor running so that the battery is being charged and full amp power is being delivered to the winch. - You are running the winch motor for a longer period than the recommended duty cycle. Only run the winch motor for a minute or two at a time. Allow the motor to “rest” between run times. This will keep the motor from overheating. The cable will not spool evenly on the drum. This could be because of the angle at which the cable comes into the fairlead, and then onto the spool. Always exert some pressure (tension) on the cable as it is being retrieved onto the spool. The wire cable should spool evenly across the face of the spool. If the cable is not spooling correctly, freewheel some cable off the spool and start the process again. Cable that has been damaged should be replaced.

The motor solenoid sticks open (or closed) or flutters. The solenoid has contacts inside which can wear out over time. If the solenoids flutter with the wired remote, there is a loose or broken wire either in the wired remote or control box. If the solenoids flutter with the wireless remote, the remote’s transmitter batteries could be low. There could be an obstruction between the transmitter and receiver at the winch. You are too far away; stand within 10 feet with a clear line of site, and then slowly move away to understand the range of your remote. If the solenoids stick (closed), the winch motor will continue to run. If the solenoids stick (open), the winch motor will not work. In both cases, replace the solenoids.