so today i hooked up my new winch and on the first hard pull my voltage would drop to 8 if i rev the motor up it would make no difference what do you think would cause this??
new winch drops my voltage meter to 8??
- Thread starter dozerking
- Start date
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Not knowing anything more than you've said so far, my guess is a weak battery. The stock alternator is only 55 amps on a 60 (I don't remember what a 62's does; 80, I think, but that has to power all the EFI stuff too). How old is your battery?
Beefy alt + weak battery = minor voltage drop at first, followed by further decreasing voltage.
Wimpy (i.e. stock) alt + strong battery = larger voltage drop, but much longer delay before the battery starts to run down.
Beefy alt + strong battery = little to no voltage drop.
Wimpy alt + weak battery = big voltage drop.
That's what my understanding of batteries and DC circuits says, anyway.
Another possibility? A bad connection somewhere, or a short.
Beefy alt + weak battery = minor voltage drop at first, followed by further decreasing voltage.
Wimpy (i.e. stock) alt + strong battery = larger voltage drop, but much longer delay before the battery starts to run down.
Beefy alt + strong battery = little to no voltage drop.
Wimpy alt + weak battery = big voltage drop.
That's what my understanding of batteries and DC circuits says, anyway.
Another possibility? A bad connection somewhere, or a short.
Dozer, check your earth points first, make sure they are clean and on fresh metal connections. If that makes no different start looking at amperage draw across battery and alt when powering winch.
Also assuming you are not running a dual battery setup with the winch wired to the second battery.
Also assuming you are not running a dual battery setup with the winch wired to the second battery.
I have a 10k winch with dual newish optima batteries, and it will punish my voltage too, never been too worried, as it returns to normal shortly after recovery. That is a large Amp draw. Maybe I have a problem too. Not too worried myself. does the charging system recover after? Also I am still running a stock 55 amp alternator. Also have a GM 65 amp in place of my A/C compressor in the event I toast my stocker.
- Thread starter
- #5
well i have the stock alt. battery isnt two old but its not a very big battery when i hit the switch to suck it in the voltage will drop to about 12 for a few seconds then goes to 8 if i let off the button and let it sit for aabout 10 second it will do a repeat of what i just said if i hit the switch right after letting off it then it goes right back down to 8 so it must just be a week battery huh i want to get the optima and upgrade to a 62 alt or chevy alt thanks everyone for the help though!!!
I had the same problem (Warn M12000 winch w/ stock alt and WalMart batt). It was fixed with new ground and battery wires, DieHard Platinum group 31M battery, and a Mean Green Alternator. In my opinion these stock alternators are super weak and if you have a suspect battery you will have a problem powering a high draw accessory like a winch. I really want to see someone run a Chevy alt. Go for it! back in the day there was a FJ-45lv up here that ran dual Chevy Alts with dual batterys. Crazy stuff, but it was a super slick setup. I just wish I would've taken some pics.
TK
TK
The specs below are for the Warn M12000. (OK, the chart didn't turn out that great, so here is a link to the website it came from: http://www.warnfactoryoutlet.com/Winches/Heavyweight-Series/Warn-M12000-Self-Recovery-Winch-24v.axd) As you can see, it draws 67 amps without any load. If you are pulling 4000 pounds, it jumps to 210 amps, at 12000 pounds, 440 amps. This massive amount of current is coming from the battery mostly unless you have a special alternator. Your battery has internal resistance which causes internal voltage drop. So, as you draw more current out of the battery, the internal resistance drops a corresponding amount of voltage inside the battery. At the levels of current draw you are getting with a winch, there is a lot of voltage dropped inside the battery. By the way, this voltage drop inside the battery also generates heat internal to the battery. If you draw too much current for too long, you can melt the internals of your battery. If you are going to be using a battery in a winching operation, you might want to check the specs of the battery and the specs of the winch to make sure you don't have a catastrophic battery event at the worst possible time and place.
12V DC PERFORMANCE SPECS
Line Pull Line Speed Motor
Lbs.(Kgs.) FT./min(M/min.) Current
0 30(9.14) 67 amps
2000(910) 14(4.27) 140 amps
4000(1810) 8.62(2.63) 210 amps
6000(2720) 6.92(2.11) 250 amps
8000(3630) 5.80(1.77) 320 amps
10000(4540) 4.39(1.34) 370 amps
12000(5440) 3.86(1.18) 440 amps
12V DC PERFORMANCE SPECS
Line Pull Line Speed Motor
Lbs.(Kgs.) FT./min(M/min.) Current
0 30(9.14) 67 amps
2000(910) 14(4.27) 140 amps
4000(1810) 8.62(2.63) 210 amps
6000(2720) 6.92(2.11) 250 amps
8000(3630) 5.80(1.77) 320 amps
10000(4540) 4.39(1.34) 370 amps
12000(5440) 3.86(1.18) 440 amps
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- Thread starter
- #8
ill do the new cables this weekend for sure!! dual batterys would be awesome i run a power conveter in the cab and the winch two kcs for now 6 more to come when i do the roof rack the cb and cd player that alot of draw!!! or maybe just a good alt. and good batt could handle all that?? how do you like the mean green what does it put out for power??
slcfj62, that was a very enlightening post! I had no idea that the winch drew that kind of current.
dozerking, I feel that I'm good with just one battery, but with the load you will eventually have, you may consider two.
The Mean Green specs out @ 200amps. I really like it! I have yet to be able to put it under 12 volts even with my lights, HAM radio, cb radio, and stereo all on at once a idle. They are spendy though.
TK
dozerking, I feel that I'm good with just one battery, but with the load you will eventually have, you may consider two.
The Mean Green specs out @ 200amps. I really like it! I have yet to be able to put it under 12 volts even with my lights, HAM radio, cb radio, and stereo all on at once a idle. They are spendy though.
TK
- Thread starter
- #10
just for fun to compare the two winches mine is an engo 10,000 pull at is 80 amps 4000 lbs is 170amps and 10,000 pounds 370 funny thing the 12,000 pound engo runs 80 amps at 0 4000 lbs is 170amps and 10,000 is only 300 it tops out at 360 amps kinda weird how a bigger winch would pull less amps then again im not a wiring guy so who knows what the deal is!
Warn's 8274-50 specs as drawing 450 amps on a 8000 lb pull.
I've started putting together a dual battery setup, and hope to get a second alt mounted up to feed mine without taxing things too much. Last pull I did was with a half dead battery and the alt just couldn't put out enough to compensate. Had to snatch block the load to move it.
Why do different winches have different current draws at a given pull rating? Gearing and line speed. (and efficiency of design I suppose)
I've started putting together a dual battery setup, and hope to get a second alt mounted up to feed mine without taxing things too much. Last pull I did was with a half dead battery and the alt just couldn't put out enough to compensate. Had to snatch block the load to move it.
Why do different winches have different current draws at a given pull rating? Gearing and line speed. (and efficiency of design I suppose)
- Thread starter
- #13
thats kinda what i was asking i thought it to be weird that my 10,000 drew more amps than a 12000 dual batts would be sweet ive read a few write ups on them and have the coin to do it but im going to try a optima batt and upgrade my alt. and see how that goes before dropping twice the coin on duals kinda makes sence to me dont ya think?
well I think that with a winch you need the highest output ALt you can find. 2nd you need the largest battery (as rated in CCA cold cranking amps), and 3rd you should install dual batteries (automotive style) batteries. Even then the alt is going to suck the amps right out of the system....the dual batteries can give you a little buffer on that.
the largest case battery you can get with the largest rating as measured by CCA, and of course the highest output alternator. then dual batteires, and making sure you have the appropriate wiring between the winch and your battery and or batteries and ALT.
700 + CAA is a good starting point...
THe stock alt does something like 65 amps? SO if the winch draws...300+amps under load, and you have a low rated CCA battery...its not a good setup.
the largest case battery you can get with the largest rating as measured by CCA, and of course the highest output alternator. then dual batteires, and making sure you have the appropriate wiring between the winch and your battery and or batteries and ALT.
700 + CAA is a good starting point...
THe stock alt does something like 65 amps? SO if the winch draws...300+amps under load, and you have a low rated CCA battery...its not a good setup.
I have a 1.5 yr old Denso (OEM) alt in my 62, a Warn 9000 winch, ALL new battery grounds (and good connex) and a duralast 950 CCA batt - biggest they had. The Batt is a little too big but I got it to fit. Pulls like a champ though for long pulls I tend to keep the engine running for good measure.
I also have the old alt which I thought was bad but it was something else. I'd love to put that where the smog pump is and have one alt on top of another once I commit to a desmogged 62. Gotta look into that.
I also have the old alt which I thought was bad but it was something else. I'd love to put that where the smog pump is and have one alt on top of another once I commit to a desmogged 62. Gotta look into that.
Important to mention here, if you are looking for dual batt and gonna have 'em isolated .. take care of the amp rating on the isolator if youa re going to attach your winch to the second ( non alt direct V ) batt ..
And then isolated batts are just like one batt with backup ..
Option will be run same age, model etc batts in paralell .. that will give you big batt .. but when it dies you are dead ..
So couple of options to choose ..