Winch/Hoist Contactors, Control Packs and Solenoids
Whether you call it a contactor, solenoid, control, control pack or relay, the fact is without it your winch or hoist won't operate.
Contactors and solenoids are wear items, they will wear out after enough usage cycles. There are things you can check to prevent premature failure, though.
Be sure your battery is healthy, and has enough cold cranking amps to supply the winch or hoist. We can't say enough about good connections, be sure that all connections from the battery to the winch, and all points in between are clean and tight. Poor connections cause voltage drops, which will lower supply voltage and cause excessive heat and amperage, which can damage contactors and solenoids. Always ground your winch directly to the battery or the contactor, depending on design. Using the vehicle frame as part of the ground circuit adds at least two more connections that can deteriorate and cause problems.
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