# Solenoid questions



## Mike8623 (Dec 8, 2020)

I am repairing the winch for my truck. It has two solenoids with 6 posts on each. My head is just spinning trying to find out where each wire goes just what each post does. Can someone school me on solenoids, what they do and what posts do. Any information would be greatly appreciated


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## John O (Dec 8, 2020)

Link to another web site




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						12vdc 6 post winch solenoid - DoItYourself.com Community Forums
					

12vdc 6 post winch solenoid - Electrical - AC & DC



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apparently you need 2 to make it reverse


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## Asm109 (Dec 8, 2020)

Get a multi meter and put it on ohms.  Measure resistance between pairs of posts.  Some should be open, some have low resistance.
My guess is 5 and 6 are the activation signal and the return to ground.
The big posts are probably two pairs of contacts that are Normally open.  Powering up 5-6 makes power go from one large post to the other.
The two pairs of large posts are entirely separate.

Essentially a double pole single throw switch.

If there were only 5 posts I would guess that it is One power in and one Normally open and one Normally closed contact.


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## Mike8623 (Dec 8, 2020)

That is the type of information I need. I do have 2 and it would make sense for one to be the in solenoid and the other the out solenoid.


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## Mike8623 (Dec 8, 2020)

John O said:


> Link to another web site
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> 
> ...




That chat started off perfect then headed down another direction


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## Mike8623 (Dec 8, 2020)

I mean there must be positive and negative posts on these, so what are the other four for. There is a copper L shaped piece of metal that goes from a post on one to a post on the other. I assume this would be to do the same action on one solenoid as on the other.....sure hope someone out there knows this stuff and responds


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## Mike8623 (Dec 8, 2020)

The winch motor has 3 post on top of it and one on the bottom. It does run in and out.


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## Superburban (Dec 8, 2020)

See if this helps. The L pieces are the red lines on the right side of the solenoids. To wrap your head around it, remember the two side posts are connected with the power off, and the two top posts are connected with the power on (or the other way). as you deduced, one solenoid gets power for in, and the other for out.


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## Mike8623 (Dec 8, 2020)

Probably should have posted when I first started


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## Mike8623 (Dec 8, 2020)

What would be very helpful I think would to say:

#1 is a so and so and does this

#3 is a so and so and does this

And so on and so on.

If know what each is and does would I think help me


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## Superburban (Dec 8, 2020)

Ok, it is basically reversed left to right from the diagram I found. Then the one solenoid is flipped upside down.

I would start by adding power to the fat red cable, and ground. Then test the cable, and I assume it has a wireless controller. in or out should only activate one solenoid at a time.

Give me a few hours and I will study your pic, and point out wher the motor wires go.


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## Superburban (Dec 8, 2020)

Are these two side terminals connected with a buss bar?


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## Mike8623 (Dec 8, 2020)

They are connected to each other with a piece of copper at #4 ,on each solenoid


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## Mike8623 (Dec 8, 2020)

Sorry I'm a little slow. I had knee surgery yesterday and supposed to be laid up two days in bed with elevation and ice


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## Superburban (Dec 8, 2020)

No problem, I have to run out for a bit. But see if the wires coming from the wire controller match this. Do not disconnect the PC board. With this, you should be able to hear each solenoid click for each direction. And hopefully the wireless controller also works. I think I have the wiring figured out, just need to take a second look with a fresh mind. I'll be back in a few hours.


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## Mike8623 (Dec 8, 2020)

Here's the motor three wires on top one on bottom. I figure the center red one on top to be positive. The black one on bottom to be negative


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## Superburban (Dec 8, 2020)

Did you stamp the in and out on the terminals?  At the back end of the motor, you have the insulated terminal, and the back has the ground, both those go to the armature (Through the brushes). The two at the other end go to the field winding's, positive to one, and negative to the other goes in one direction, reverse them, and it will go in the other. What brand is the winch?

I have to unload, and do a few things, then I will be back.


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## Mike8623 (Dec 8, 2020)

I did stamp them in. The winch was one of the cheaper ones vortex 12000.


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## Mike8623 (Dec 8, 2020)

Current wiring
1. A large red wire runs from the positive post on the battery to post #4 on the 1st solenoid. On post #4 a piece of copper jumps to post #4 on the other solenoid #2.

2. The black negative wire from the battery runs to the bottom of the winch motor to a post there.

3. On the top of the winch motor a large red wire runs from the center post of the motor to the #1 post on the 1st solenoid. From there (first solenoid) another shorter red wire runs (jumps) over to #1 post on the 2nd solenoid.

4. On the 1st solenoid a thinner red wire runs from post #6 , post #6 on the 2and solenoid.
        * now on that red wire that bridges both solenoids runs another red wire which runs to post 4 on the 1st solenoid.

  * another red wire also runs from that wire ( the one that bridges post 6 on each solenoid) to the circuit board.

#5 on the top of the winch motor a black wire ( which runs the motor in) runs to post #3 on the 2and solenoid.

#6 on top of the winch motor a black wire (which runs the winch motor out) runs to post #3 on the 1st solenoid.

#8 on the circuit board a white wire runs from the board to post #5 on the 2and solenoid.

#9 on the circuit board runs a black wire from the board to the remote control switch ( R/C).

#10 on the circuit runs a red wire that runs back and ties into the red wire jumping both #6 posts on each solenoids.

#11 there is also a red wire running from the circuit board that goes to nothing. I assume it is an antenna


That is it except for the R/C switch and the socket the rc cord plugs into.


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## Superburban (Dec 8, 2020)

Ok, I think I got this right, going by your descriptions. 

Looking at the pic, it looks like you have two wireless circuit boards, upper left, and the black box at the bottom center. The bottom one has the blue wire that goes no where, which is the normal color for an antenna. ok, somewhat normal. I have also seen green white, and red.

The #5 terminal on each solenoid gets ground from the circuit board, or the controller switch to trigger the solenoid. only one at a time.

Not sure what your number 9 does, assume it is ground for the circuit.


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## Mike8623 (Dec 9, 2020)

Take a look at this, does it make sense to you


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## Superburban (Dec 9, 2020)

Yes, looks good.


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## Mike8623 (Dec 10, 2020)

So it looks like the basic wiring is alright.
1. Is it safe to say that one solenoid is for out and the other is for in?

2. On the remote control circuit board there are 4 wires and one that is red and looks to be an antenna wire. So on the other 4 
* one is red and goes to the red wire that jumps post 6 on both solenoids. Is that wire hot?
*one is white and goes to post 5 on the 2nd solenoid.
*one is blue and goes to post 5 on the 1st solenoid
* one is black and goes to the on/off remote control switch.

So is it safe to say that the red wire provides the power from the circuit board to the solenoids for in and out. Would it be safe to say that the white and blue wires tell which solenoid to work and therefore go in or out. Would it be safe to say the black wire  when turned on tells the whole to work.


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## Superburban (Dec 10, 2020)

Yes, I think you have it nailed.


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## Mike8623 (Dec 10, 2020)

First of all I want to thank all that have responded, but still have some things to figure out.

My winch runs so that is great. When it quit working a while back I was winching on a small shed. I heard and saw a couple sparks from the winch and it all stopped. I thought solenoid shorted out. That was a few months ago. Since then I bought two new solenoids and wired them in as the two old ones were, I also discovered one of the wires on the female remote control cord had broke inside the box.

This morning I had my winch out in front of my truck and connected to the battery. I was trying to figure out which wires hooked to what on the socket (remote control cord) so that the remote would work. So the winch is connected to the truck with all wires where they go except the r/c ones (3 of them). One of those wires is attached to post 5 on solenoid #2  and one of them is attached to post 5 on solenoid 1. The 3rd one is just hanging. Well i touched one of the wires that is connected to the frame of the winch and it started right up. I then touched the other wire from the other solenoid and it also started right. So i discovered that by touching those wires to the the frame the winch ran in and out depending on which wire i touched it with.

So how do i wire those 3 wires into the female socket on the r/c cord and which goes where so that the winch will run when the r/c cord is used.....does all that make sense


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## Superburban (Dec 10, 2020)

The three wires, ones should go to ground, and the other two one goes to each solenoid as you already know. Ground provided to each #5 terminal, is what turns on each solenoid. The control just connects one or the other to ground.


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## Mike8623 (Dec 10, 2020)

I will be getting a brand new remote control cord this saturday. It is 3 pronged. Just wondering what wire goes to what prong hole.


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## Mike8623 (Dec 10, 2020)

I think my problem is on this sheet with one or more of the wires here.

I think the wires from #5 post are fine. The wire going from the circuit board to the r/c rocker switch is fine. That leaves the one going from the "remote controlled female socket" to the r/c rocker switch or the one going from the r/c rocker switch to grounded on the frame. I didn't know where it went so I grounded it to the frame. What do you think about these wires and where they go. That ground one I just did


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## Superburban (Dec 10, 2020)

You have the right idea. Without testing the remote, I cannot say which terminal is which. If you have a meter, the remote will connect one of the wires to the other when the switch is pushed one way, and then to the third when pushed the other. That common wire is the one that gets grounded.


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## Mike8623 (Dec 12, 2020)

I think I am closing in on this. Got my new remote, it has 3 wires. I think the blue and black would go to the #5 posts on the solenoids and the red would go to the rocker switch. What do you guys think am I on the right track. If this is correct then the rocker switch is all that is left


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## Mike8623 (Dec 12, 2020)

I'm sorry green wire not blue


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## Superburban (Dec 12, 2020)

You almost had me there, I was thinking my computer was not showing the colors right. Yes, especially since they have the blue green and black wires separated from the red.


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## Mike8623 (Dec 12, 2020)

Thanks, I just hooked the green and black wires to the #5 posts of the solenoids. I then touched the red wire to the winch frame the winch works. So now all I have to do is figure the 3 wires going to the r/c on off switch. That red wire should go the bottom connection on that switch as that was where it was before started messing with it all, so that just leaves those other two wires


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## Mike8623 (Dec 12, 2020)

Whooowie, got it all working. I hooked up that red wire (from the rc cord) to the bottom of the on off switch. I then hooked up the next up wire on that switch to a ground on the winch frame...the last wire was hooked up to #2 post of the 1st solenoid and it all worked as it should
....what a great day


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## Mike8623 (Dec 12, 2020)

Well can't tell everyone how excited I am to get my winch back in operation. All I have to do is make all connections permanent and button it all up. Again guys thank you so much for leading me through this and putting up with me. A special thanks to Superburban for your help.... without you I would still be scratching my head


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## Superburban (Dec 12, 2020)

You did most of it, just needed a little encouragement. Take pride in what You did, You earned it.


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