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Warn M12000 winch
- Thread starter BTYM
- Start date
Buckgnarly
Well-known member
Check with Warn as a lot of their winches and parts are warrantied. The US made ones used to be lifetime IIRC.
I've gone through a couple X8000i's and a 6k pound Warn winch, and they are pretty straightforward. Contact Warn directly, they will email you schematics for any of their winches, M12000 included.
**Most** winch problems can be initially traced to wiring problems with the solenoid packs, as they can easily corrode in the weather. Second most common problem I've seen is with the free spool clutch/collar not sliding correctly due to old & hardened grease.
Best start is to begin troubleshooting the solenoid packs. I am not sure if its the same as my Industrial Series 12k winch, but there should be four solenoids wired together. Disassemble the solenoid pack completely, removing all the individual solenoids, wires, and buss bars. Pay close attention to how everything is assembled and wired, it will need to go back this exact same way. Clean ALL the electrical connections, including the solenoid contacts, individual wires, and the buss bar contacts. I have found that a cone shaped wire wheel on a Dremel or soft wire wheel on a bench grinder makes this much easier. Once you have everything cleaned, begin testing each of the solenoids. You will need a 12v source and a multimeter with continuity. The point is to run 12v too each solenoid to see if it "clicks", then confirm you have continuity across the terminals. You will be able to find out if you have a bad solenoid, but, if they all check out, reassemble the solenoid pack. It would be best to follow an electrical schematic from Warn, as I have seen these packs wired incorrectly.
Once you have the pack wired correctly, wait before you hook it back to the motor. The winch motor should have three posts, and there is a way to test the motor with a 12v battery and set of jumper cables. This will allow you to see whether the motor is rotating both ways correctly. If it does work, listen to both it and the gears to see if there is any grinding, rubbing, etc. If everything checks out, rewire with the solenoid pack and have fun!
If you do have to disassemble into the gear pack, it really isn't that complicated. Its just a couple of planetary gear assemblies, and if you pay close attention to how everything is removed and take lots of pics, reassembly won't be a problem. Just be aware that they recommend a different type of gear oil for winch gears, and you typically have to order it.
Let me know if you have any questions!
**Most** winch problems can be initially traced to wiring problems with the solenoid packs, as they can easily corrode in the weather. Second most common problem I've seen is with the free spool clutch/collar not sliding correctly due to old & hardened grease.
Best start is to begin troubleshooting the solenoid packs. I am not sure if its the same as my Industrial Series 12k winch, but there should be four solenoids wired together. Disassemble the solenoid pack completely, removing all the individual solenoids, wires, and buss bars. Pay close attention to how everything is assembled and wired, it will need to go back this exact same way. Clean ALL the electrical connections, including the solenoid contacts, individual wires, and the buss bar contacts. I have found that a cone shaped wire wheel on a Dremel or soft wire wheel on a bench grinder makes this much easier. Once you have everything cleaned, begin testing each of the solenoids. You will need a 12v source and a multimeter with continuity. The point is to run 12v too each solenoid to see if it "clicks", then confirm you have continuity across the terminals. You will be able to find out if you have a bad solenoid, but, if they all check out, reassemble the solenoid pack. It would be best to follow an electrical schematic from Warn, as I have seen these packs wired incorrectly.
Once you have the pack wired correctly, wait before you hook it back to the motor. The winch motor should have three posts, and there is a way to test the motor with a 12v battery and set of jumper cables. This will allow you to see whether the motor is rotating both ways correctly. If it does work, listen to both it and the gears to see if there is any grinding, rubbing, etc. If everything checks out, rewire with the solenoid pack and have fun!
If you do have to disassemble into the gear pack, it really isn't that complicated. Its just a couple of planetary gear assemblies, and if you pay close attention to how everything is removed and take lots of pics, reassembly won't be a problem. Just be aware that they recommend a different type of gear oil for winch gears, and you typically have to order it.
Let me know if you have any questions!