Winch Not Working Just Clicking, What Should I Do?

Is the winch not working just clicking? Here’s the matter of understanding why it doesn’t work in time. Keep your winch always ready to go. Very frequently, check out the wiring system and solenoid. Make sure the battery connection is leakless and up to date.

Imagine you and your family are traveling, and an unexpected incident occurs; your car gets caught in a hole. It will not take long to get on your way again because you have your winch, so there’s no problem.

But always, circumstances won’t favor you. It might not be functional if you keep the winch left for a long time. Nearly in most cases, winch users find the power source issues. The battery terminal might get dirt and loose over time and become malfunctioning. The solenoid will then just click and not work the right way.

If the winch solenoid is not working and just clicking, a basic understanding of the probable reason will give you an instant solution. In this guide, we have brought together those winch functioning that may be fruitful in need.

Understanding Problems, ‘Why Does My Winch Just Clicks?’

A winch is one of the tools you use for recovery, rescue, or utility work. As it enables you to transport heavy things, it is among many critical pieces of equipment. It includes several electrical parts, including a solenoid, a power source, a tow truck winch, and power cords. The three that come to mind are your solenoid, drum, and winch motor.

Particularly if you own a winch, you should be familiar with the function of your winch motor and drum. Basically, your winch’s motor provides pulling power, and the winch drum handles the rest. No lifting or pulling is possible without a winch drum.

All these are the basic understanding of this tool. It will be an added advantage if you know the basics and function of a winch. You might have to face instantly created some unwanted circumstances.

Imagine that you have all these going on, bring your dependable winch out, put it all up, and then discover that it is only partially functional due to a technical issue.

What to do right then? Never lose your patience. Carefully observe your winch and its parts. Try to focus on connections. Below are some functional discovery channels that cause trouble.

Why Is Your Winch Not Working The Right Way and Only Clicks?

Carefully look at the solenoid wiring system and try to find out the possible causes of the solenoid clicking issues. Keep your winch attached to the car for some time without movement. Most frequently, this issue exists because of a detached battery terminal or a problem with the power source.

If the winch is only clicking, there may be a connectivity problem. The winch will not operate if the solenoid lacks proper wiring to the switch or battery. We suggest you verify the integrity of each connection between the battery, control box, and winch.

For first-hand usage, the solenoid often clicks once or twice, but after that, they should not click. If it still happens, it is because the battery connection might be loose or disconnected.

Could The Winch Solenoid Be The Problem?

An electromagnetic switch is a functional part of a winch solenoid. How is the solenoid different from the winch switch? The solenoid turns on the motor. It also provides a precise quantity of current. The solenoid prevents the winch motor from being damaged by regulating the current flowing into it.

The winch requires high electricity draw to crank heavy loads. The extreme electric flow might damage the switch and the motor if no solenoid is used.

The solenoid resists the electromagnetic draw and protects your winch motor and the switches.

Although the usage of solenoids varies from winch models, the 4-poles solenoid is very useful to most winch users. People also use a separate solenoid to winch forward and reverse. However, the 4-terminal solenoid works better for any winch model.

The solenoid receives current from the battery via a winch switch. Each solenoid contains tiny components known as contacts. The solenoid bumps up these contacts together to supply current. The clicking noise you hear is by these contacts rubbing against one another.

It also might be a possible reason if there is any faulty line between these contacts.

What If The Solenoid Clicks, But The Motor Is Not Working?

We believe there are a few potential causes when the winch solenoid simply clicks without working the right way.

Firstly, the motor cannot receive current when the contacts are dirty. The rusty connection troubles providing smooth current flow, and the winch motor stops working.

Secondly, the solenoid and the motor have a poor connection. It may happen that your winch solenoid will not be able to supply your winch motor with the precise amount of current it needs. It happens because of a poor or improper connection between the winch motor and the solenoid.

Thirdly, the motor won’t work because of improper wiring and damaged or rusted wire. As a result, the solenoid is unable to supply sufficient current.

How To Find The Issue By Yourself?

To fix this issue, the first thing that you must do is examine the connections which link the motor and the solenoid. There should be no damaged or rusted wires; if found, complete the wiring properly and check that all the terminals are clean.

If you discover a damaged wire, replace it right away. If you see a corrosive terminal, either replace it or clean it with a wire brush.

Unplug the cord from the solenoid and use a screwdriver to pry open the lid. Verify if the connection is reliable and secure. Once done, turn on the winch and use a voltmeter to check if the solenoid transmits current to the motor.

Recheck and make a proper connection between the two if the solenoid is not receiving power. Make sure that each terminal is reading 12V when activated. If still not functioning, the motor is broken or defective.

The solenoid’s clicking sound indicates it is operating flawlessly; the battery, winch switch, and solenoid connection are okay. If you followed these instructions and the issue persists, we highly recommend you talk to a professional.

Final Reminder

Your winch has several parts. The entire system could be affected if any of them got broken. Most frequently, it happens with electric winches. If it occurs, keep your car battery charging and the engine running.

Additionally, verify whether the solenoid or contactor is receiving power. Your winch will not pull if it does not receive the necessary power.

It is evident from the above discussion that the dirt contacts, poor connection, or improper wiring may cause the solenoid not to work. Adhere to these instructions if your winch is not working, and click only.

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