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Winch Install Gone Bad - Lost All Power

HoosierDaddy

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Grrr, 😡
sometimes that diagram i posted shows ....sometimes not .... B6G gremlins.

Trying to fix THAT now!!! LOL
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Bigmoose

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Sounds like you shorted the battery if you connected both positive and negative to that switch.
 

Brian_B

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Ok - I'm gonna have to go buy a volt meter. I'm at the lake house and can't find in here.

The winch comes with a switch, which I mounted in the engine comp. + and a - wire from the winch to the switch. Then + and - wire from the switch to the battery terminals.
it's a Badland Apex from Harbor Freight.

IMG_1009.webp


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Looking at the switch, I only see 2 terminals there, but you say you wired (+) and (-) to it.

the switch is just to interrupt the (+) - there shouldn’t be any (-) at all to that switch.

(+) from battery to switch. From switch to (+) on winch control box. (-) on winch to chassis or battery ground. That switch does not have a solenoid operator, it’s just a manual disconnect (the diagram @HoosierDaddy posted would be for a relay type connection with a remote cutoff). Place the switch as close to the battery as you can conveniently mount it.

so.. how exactly did you connect the wires and … did your battery jump, explode or pop when you flipped the switch.

If you direct short the battery without a fuse it’s fairly dramatic
 

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Sounds like you shorted the battery if you connected both positive and negative to that switch.
Yep - that's what I did. I fucked that up big time. Off to the auto parts store for a new battery....
 

HoosierDaddy

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If you direct short the battery without a fuse it’s fairly dramatic
Can you imagine how hot those wires got?
Something had to open the circuit or it would have been.... fairly dramatic.... and smokey.


As soon as I saw the + and - symbols on top of that switch, plus the description in post 1, I knew where this was going.
 

HoosierDaddy

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You might be able to trickle charge it back to life
Was wondering the same, if the charge did take, the life span of the battery has been dramatically shortened.
Although, these AGM's are pretty damn stout... the one thing Ford did get right was the battery.
 

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Brian_B

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Can you imagine how hot those wires got?
Something had to open the circuit or it would have been.... fairly dramatic.... and smokey.


As soon as I saw the + and - symbols on top of that switch, plus the description in post 1, I knew where this was going.
Yeah that switch or one of those wires may be done, although if nothing smoked and the battery didn't explode (which is a miracle), that may explain why the battery is all the way down to 4V.

I wouldn't be surprised if that switch no longer turns, or some of the plastic insulation on the wiring is ... toasty. At a minimum I would inspect all of that wiring.
 
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Bronco_MI

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Yeah, that was a fuckup, boys! I don't know too much about electrical and these install directions were confusing.
 
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Bronco_MI

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You might be able to trickle charge it back to life
I've got a battery charger for my boat batteries than does AGM and has some sort of "repair" function. Worth a shot hooking that up? If the battery is damaged, I don't want to risk anything trying to recover it.
 

HighVelocity

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I've got a battery charger for my boat batteries than does AGM and has some sort of "repair" function. Worth a shot hooking that up? If the battery is damaged, I don't want to risk anything trying to recover it.
Disconnect the battery out and charge it. The BMS will figure out what needs to be done, don't worry about the charger settings.
 

RagnarKon

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I've got a battery charger for my boat batteries than does AGM and has some sort of "repair" function. Worth a shot hooking that up? If the battery is damaged, I don't want to risk anything trying to recover it.
I'd just remove the battery from the vehicle and try the repair outside of the vehicle.

But yeah... sounds like the battery got shorted with no fuse to interrupt. Surprised you didn't hear anything honestly.

EDIT— Just for some added details: AGM batteries are considered to be fully discharged around 10.5 - 10.7 volts. When it's below that voltage it's considered "deeply discharged" and typically permanent damage occurs. And you said you were around 4 volts... so.... it's probably safe to assume the battery is dead or severely damaged. Hence why you want to keep it away from the Bronco.
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