Winch wiring

[redrooster]

Alright all you wiring gurus, help me out.
I run a Warn XD9000i wired straight to an orbital (dry cell) battery. THe problem I'm having is that under heavy use it has twice melted the lead battery post clamps and part of the battery post. Yesterday, I was winching to a tree limb while chainsawing the limb (to pull it away from the house before hurricane remnants blew it down) and the positive wire for the winch got so hot it melted the insulating cover off as well as the terminal.
Give me the low down on how to remedy this problem. I'm not an electrical kind of guy, but if you tell me what it needs I can handle the repair.

 

[stacker46]

What guage wire are you running from the battery? Could be that you need a heavier guage wire to handle the load that it pulls.

 

[Joopin]

I have the same Winch, actually made in 1987! I have it hooked up to the side terminals of my RedTop Optima battery. So far it has taken all I gave it, no melting. Some people have told me not to put the winch on the side terminals but on the main posts instead. I guess the side terminal connection isn't as strong.

I believe Warn winches come with the appropriat wires, so I doubt that could be the issue if they are the originals. Perhaps your battery is the problem, I don't know how it comares to an Optima, whatever you have... but there is not much you can screw up on a winch install. I say buy an Optima and see if you have the same results.

Joop

 

[redrooster]

The battery is solid. It's an Exide version of the Optima.
I spoke to Warn customer service and they could not tell me what was up except that you are supposed to use the primary posts on the battery be it the top or side posts. I bought the battery for a CJ which used top posts and that is what I'm using.
The wire is the original Warn cable. I am going to check out the ghetto-licious battery post clamps from Homey Zone today and see if they have some souped up gold ones that can handle some amps. If the problem continues I will go to the side post. If it happens after that I will swap the cables over to welding leads.

 

[White]

check the voltage when its under a HEAVY load. If it drops to 10 or so thats the problem.
As the voltage decreases the Amperage increases. (spell)

thicker wire might be solve it. Iam running 1/0 and it generates a little heat.

 

[redrooster]

So if the voltage drops even when I do have thicker wire, what then? Upgrade the alternator?
I would love to do that. Anybody know of any upgrades short of a Mean Green? I also need a new alternator bracket. Mine is a nightmare to tighten.

 

[Inspector-Gadget]

Rooster wrote:

So if the voltage drops even when I do have thicker wire, what then? Upgrade the alternator?

Rooster, if the overheating problem persists after eliminating any and all winch electrical-mechanical problems, you might want to consider adding block and tackle to your winch setup.

Using the mechanical advantage of b&t to your advantage will provide equal mechanical pulling force with less electrical current drawn (thus, less heat) from the winch battery and through the associated wiring.

Just a thought that might serve well if you should get to the point of grasping at straws for a solution despite having implemented the good thoughts volunteered in the previous posts.

Regards,

Gadget