Winch horror story, true or not??

Could be true, but I think folklore.

Lotsa people put an isolator switch in under the bonnet.

Has happened ... I saw the result of one "attack" just out of Cairns a few years ago. Seems there was a spate of such happenings at the time.

What I have heard as being the best remedy is to remove the control box (or whatever it is called) from the winch and locate it under the bonnet. I *think* a couple of the guys in my 4WD club have done this.

Jack

Michael,

No need for a big switch. On the late model Warn Winches there is a small black wire that goes to earth. It is only short and thin about 1mm in dia.

Connect this short lengthof wire to a longer length of wire the same size and run it to the dash inside the cabin. Using a toggle switch connect the wire from the winch control box to one side of the switch and on the other side of the switch connect a length of wire to a good earth.

This wire is the earth for the solenoids and if the switch is not turned on then the winck does not work, and having the switch in the cabin means you must have access to the vehicle and know what where the switch is before the winch can be used.

Placing the control under the bonnet is also good as it also keeps the solenoids dry and less prone to failure.

Wayne

Thanks for the replies guys. I had a look with 'Google' to try and find out some more about this, especially what the aftermath looks like, but to no avail.
I think I will work on the disconnection of the GND to the solenoids in the control box to stop this happening to me. I can't really move the control box, my under bonnet real estate is cramped enough as it is (Hilux TD).
I would hate to come back to my 4x4 to find that someones nice new BMW 5 series has become my new 'hood ornament'!!

Nah... the Jeep pic on OL???? I reckon it was a tree that did the deed on it!!!!!

I've seen the aftermath of a patrol that had a slight variation done, the winch cable was run out sideways to a concrete pillar in a carpark, patrol hung a hard left and proceeded to crush the cars between it and the pillar.
Fortunately the carpark attendant had a 4wd himself and at risk to himself climbed onto the patrol and pulled the paperclip out of the socket.
That is why later warn winches have 5 connectors in the socket rather than three, you need to cross two connections rather than one.
I don't have a remote socket on the winch, it only works from inside via an springloaded aerial switch.