Winch power issue

[Apache]

Goran, being a Sparky you'll have a current clamp meter around. Stick it on your winch cable +ve and see how much current its drawing in operation.

Find the current spec for your alternator with engine at idle (I bet it'll be <40A or so, rising to maybe 70 - 80A above 1500rpm) and if your winch draws more than the current available at idle - there's your problem - the rest of the required current is being supplied from the battery.

Solution - fit a high-idle switch to make sure your alternator is supplying sufficient current. Whatever accessories you fit, they should NEVER impact the charge state of the battery.

Not being able to charge a vehicle battery on the vehicle is utter nonsense by the way...

[blackpoolsparks]

Make sure the winch/bumper are well grounded and there's no chaffing/shorting on the power cables.

Theres a 25mm cable from the negative terminal of the battery thats directly connected to the bottom of the winch with a 10mm bolt.
Do you mean this or are you talking about earthed (bolted well) to the winch bumper?
If its the later I think I know whats happening.

[blackpoolsparks]

Goran, being a Sparky you'll have a current clamp meter around. Stick it on your winch cable +ve and see how much current its drawing in operation.

Find the current spec for your alternator with engine at idle (I bet it'll be <40A or so, rising to maybe 70 - 80A above 1500rpm) and if your winch draws more than the current available at idle - there's your problem - the rest of the required current is being supplied from the battery.

Solution - fit a high-idle switch to make sure your alternator is supplying sufficient current. Whatever accessories you fit, they should NEVER impact the charge state of the battery.

Not being able to charge a vehicle battery on the vehicle is utter nonsense by the way...

Sounds like a plan, with one hicup, I dont have the manual or even know what make the winch is.
I'll use your figures and see how close to that it actually is.

[BUSHWHACKER]

pmsl no i almost did even woke the littlen on the sofa up ...................

Did you really type that or is my Babel fish on the fritz?

[dannyboy77]

just to throw my limited knowledge in of car electrics did you try the winch when the engine was idling? as i know if i turn the fan and lights on my revs drop about 75 in idle as i havent sorted out my idler contorl! and when my mate had his winch before someone stole his landy he needed to rev it to at least 2000 to get the power out of it. i am probably wrong when i say this but it could draw too much power when in idle and put to much resistance on the alternator and stall the engine??

[Apache]

i am probably wrong when i say this but it could draw too much power when in idle and put to much resistance on the alternator and stall the engine??

You're reasonably close.

An alternator (generally) only produces its rated output with engine revs up above ~1500rpm. Below that, you can get anything down to around half rated power. On a Jimny, I imagine this is going to be <40A or so. Not enough to run a winch under load without drawing current from the battery.

[mud skipper]

This

Hi Gordon.
that pic was of you at Bala about 3 mins before you snapped that rope

in an ideal world you need a deep cycle (caravan) battery for running the winch off, its not a good idea to run the winch from the engines battery as it will overload the alternator and you will end up with a stalled engine, a flat battery and a fried alternator. been there and done that, that black disco i had the winch fried the alternator which seized up and stalled the engine, i had to slash the serpentine belt and run without an alternator,water pump and pas....not good, all this on a welsh mountain top in the dark and in deep snow.
with my 90 i have put a second battery in the rear tub and wired the winch direct to it again not ideal as i guess i will have volt drop due to long cable run and still on a single standard alternator. but haveing said that i have done some serious winching and so far it hasnt failed.

BTW do you fancy a go at a very tight and extreme quarry? checkout Wrexham mudbashers site they are doing a run to Chirk (just south of wrexham) quarry on the 27th of this month