Stupid questions? Winch Fusing

[Quack]

How do you fuse a winch? Or rather, how do you protect your car from going up in flames caused by an electrical fault on the winch?


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[Wave]

The winch pulls too many amps to fuse.

Best option is to buy a kill switch, get a decent brand that can handle the amps, the cheap ones just melt. Mount it as close to the battery as possible. I got mine from ATS as the Motorsport industry requires these.

Leave this in the off position until you need to winch.

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[Mad Manny]

Go to an auto shop and ask for the size fuse required or DC circuit breaker.

Not sure a "Go ask somewhere else" response is helping Quack...
But thanks for your invaluable contribution...

[Wave]

Adding to my post, I'm sure you can get a Heavy Duty fuse, go to an automotive sound shop, some of those guys run wire twice as thick as welding cables and have fuses and fuse holders to accommodate the high amperage the winch will pull.

[Apocalypse]

the amperage draw on a Warn 9500 12V winch is 482Amps at full load - a Starter motor on a big diesel pulls around 400Amps

There are fuses and fuse holders available in that region - this is the one doing duty for the standby invertor at my house... 150Amp fuses x 3 (only using 2 )

You can get bigger ones - that one is about 3k with fuses

In reality the most likely failure on any aftermarket installation is that the positive cable will chafe through where it runs through thee body work somewhere because the installer was too idle to fit a grommet and protect the cable.

So you either need a fuse near the battery or a switch as Wave has shown, or a heavy duty solenoid that you can switch on when the need arises.

Ideally you should be able to turn it off - some people have been known to have a lot of fun by wrapping the winch cable around the vehicle and bridging out the 'in' terminals ....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtZxLGFNV3A

[Mad Manny]

Question: If you have a dual battery (or Duel as they call it on lesser Forums), should the winch draw from the primary battery or the secondary battery?
Off the top of my head I'd say secondary, because, as happened on Road To Hell, the Winch eventually flattens the battery, even though the motor is idling as the idle charge is way less than the draw.

But I don't know if I'm right...

[Panda]

Manny i only run single battery, but when winching i take the rpm to 2500 and try to keep it there. Defiantly not on idling

[Mad Manny]

Defiantly not on idling

Defiantly?
I think you meant definitely...

[Panda]

ja Ja ek is nie n soutie nie...... en die auto correct se kop raas....

[Wave]

Question: If you have a dual battery (or Duel as they call it on lesser Forums), should the winch draw from the primary battery or the secondary battery?
Off the top of my head I'd say secondary, because, as happened on Road To Hell, the Winch eventually flattens the battery, even though the motor is idling as the idle charge is way less than the draw.

But I don't know if I'm right...

I asked this question and the answer I was given is the primary battery, as the wires to the 2nd battery are 1/2 as thick as the winch cables, so the alternator does a better job of delivering power to the 1st battery to charge and power the winch. Even the charge cables to the primary battery from the alternator are thicker than the wires to the 2nd battery.

[grips]

There is no fuse in your cars main starter circuit. Depending on the engine size and type of starter it can draw up to 400A.
Now a winch is powered by a modified Starter motor. I will not put a fuse in there. If needed a cut-off switch like Wave suggested. Just make sure it can handle at least 500A

[Ricof4e]

Not that I know anything about winches, can you use an amp regulator (much the same as an alternator uses to ensure sufficient charge to a battery)?

[BushWacker]

I think some armatures have a temperature sensor wound into their winding so once the temp becomes excessive they cut out ? eg my lawn mower?
Would this not be appropriate to limit the draw of a winch ?

[Anthony Forgey]

Don't use a fuse. Use an isolator switch.

Manny, the winch must run off the cranking battery, not the auxiliary battery in typical applications.

[Martin de Jager]

Question: If you have a dual battery (or Duel as they call it on lesser Forums), should the winch draw from the primary battery or the secondary battery?
Off the top of my head I'd say secondary, because, as happened on Road To Hell, the Winch eventually flattens the battery, even though the motor is idling as the idle charge is way less than the draw.

But I don't know if I'm right...

Manny,
I believe our condition was extreme and lasted very long, certainly consider the extreme circumstances, near 4.5 hours, at angles that required Grips's mighty Cruiser to anchor yourself.
In the end my winch supplied by Adendorff Auctioneers lasted, together with Bugger's mighty Syncro winching with me again anchored to the Cruizer got us out.
As everyone will agree it got extremely hot, yet it did not let us down.
Both Batteries lasted the trip and runs fully charged everyday.