Troubleshooting an M12000

[Arya Ebrahimi]

I picked up an M12000 for a song, but it doesn't work properly

When I hooked it up to the battery originally it didn't work at all. After figuring out that one of the prongs on the controller wasn't fitting into the plug and fixing it, it started making clicking noises when I tried to spool in, but nothing when I tried to spool out.

I pulled the cover off the solenoids and hosed it all down with brake cleaner. Surprisingly the winch now works 50% of the time when I go to spool in, but still nothing when I go to spool out. I do get an ever so faint clicking sound when trying to spool out.

Any suggestions?

The controller I've got(5-prong) and solenoid box have seen better days cosmetically. Are these readily available besides directly from Warn?

Sorry if these are simple/obvious questions, this is my first winch.

Thanks

 

[65-fj45]

I would try pulling the solenoids out one at a time and cleaning the conections, even the smallest corssion/ rust will stop them from working. also clean the connection between the solenoid and the metal base, thats where the solenoid gets its ground from.
I had this problem with my 8274, once i cleaned all the connections and grounds the winch worked fine.

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Well I'll be damned. I pulled them and cleaned them and it's 90% fixed. It works 100% pulling in, but spooling out it still doesn't work every time, just clicks. I think I just need to do more cleaning.

 

[65-fj45]

try running a small ground from the motor housing to the metal plate that the solenoids are bolted too. The warn solenoids are tempermental and need good grounds. They ground through the metal plate and if the groungs are not good they will click.

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

I think I'm gonna try bolting the solenoids to the plate first ;p They're just retained with little tabs right now...