Why Steve's winch BURNED

[Kevin B]

YIKES

[DennisAJC]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Hummer Man:
Steve, I am glad you got the true meaning of my POST.
You are obviously the most liked person on the forum. Your films are still talked about in circles far beyond this forum. Including some higher ups in the GM office.

However I am the most despised person on the forum. I have been accused of everything from having sex with animals to being gay to just plain being a pompous *******! Atleast one of those titles almost fits!
In the truest sense any attempt at an attack on you was only done to further lower everyones opinion of me!.

Finding fault with you was like calling Santa Claus a fake!

Best Regards!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


TRANSLATION: Steve, I wanna spread honey all over you and lick you clean baby!

HAHAHA! What a suck!


Steve, I`m sorry your witch burned. They still do that sort of thing?

He ain't heavy.....
He's ma HUMMER baby!
03 NUDE Pewter Lux H2
03 Dressed Range Rover

[Kevin B]

Dennis,

ROTFLMBO

No Ill H.M.

[JohnB.GWU.]

Hummer man,,,sucks that your gay bro, id rather be a pompous ******* (and am) myself...peace

John R. Benda

[Steve R]

Hey guys...

This thread is supposed to be about my winch going up in flames....NOT HummerMan!!

HummerMan...there was a guy in my college fraternity that we called SillyPudd. He was the clown, the goof and we incessantly teased the heck out of him. The thing is.....he was still part of the group and we liked him just the same.

Not for better, but certainly for worse...you've fallen into a SillyTrap and emerged the whippin' boy for a few of the rough-edged boys on the forum. But there's good reason: some of your antics, claims, representations, accusations, implications and...shall we say "unique" way in which you choose to express yourself...have brought this upon you. HummerMan is what HummerMan does.

You are not the most hated person on the forum nor should you let it get to you. Just mellow out and try to fly right. Alrighty then.


Phil,

Yeah...you're right. The guy (who may read this forum and I may see again...hint,hint) was just another H2 owner who no longer has his H2. He sold me his roof-rack, GPS, PIAA lights, Warn Winch and many other accessories for an amazingly low price...I'm still well ahead. Course...when I realized the GPS software was missing and asked him if he had it...his response was just two words: Buyer Beware.

He has seen the pics and has not yet contacted me. In our phone conversation he didn't convey any sense of concern nor apologize to me....just denied that he could have wired the thing wrong. When I said "goodbye" to him...he said nothing and merely hung-up the phone.

As I figure...he didn't do it intentionally and his lack of proper social grace in accepting responsibility and/or apologizing reflects entirely upon his character....or lack thereof.

Again..I just never imagined the wiring was anything less then factory. What's more, the winch worked for both us a long time before the paint wore away and shorted out. Bizarre thing....the only component on the whole vehicle that has no fuse protection!

[Klaus]

Sounds like you need a fusible link:

Fusible Links

A fusible-link wire is a circuit-protection device that consists of a conductor surrounded by heat-resistant insulation. It is the only cost-effective, reliable protective device for preventing shorts to ground; it works on a continuous duty, high-amperage circuit such as the alternator charging wire, main feed to dash and electric motors (such as radiator fans). Unlike cartridge-type fuses, which can blow from momentary overload or melt down from generating heat over a period of time, the fusible link can last over 30 years and still work perfectly. Check out stock 1966 Chevelles.

The fusible link only burns as a last resort to prevent a major fire. Other surrounding wires or devices won’t be damaged because the melt-down occurs inside the link’s nonflamable insulation. Fusible links should be between 5 and 7 inches in length and four wire-gauge sizes smaller than the wire it protects (for example, protect a 10-gauge wire with a 14-gauge fusible link).

Klaus

"God made some men big and some men small, but Sam Colt made them all equal."

[Dan]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PhilD:

...so ladies we are waiting for your testimony <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

This one refused to make an official statement, but mumbled something about HM being gay and it being time to destroy his nudie boys diskettes.




- Dan

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SUT on order since 12/02 - 9 months to go!
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[Hummer Man]

Hey Dan,

The best pics I have are the ones your wife sent me of her in various poses!

She mumbled something about your short-cummings! I could'nt tell what she was saying her mouth was full!

[Kevin B]

Dan,

your killing me. That was way too funny. I knew the monkey was going to come back to haunt H.M.

Is it just me or was that a sign of desperation calling out someone's wife? It's kind of like saying "your mother wears combat boots"

[Steve R]

Come on now....boots & H2's go together just fine!

(an oldie but a goodie)

[Dan]

Desparation indeed! That's about 3rd grade level. Not bad from a NAMBLA member though...

- Dan

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SUT on order since 12/02 - 9 months to go!
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[WinchMan]

Thankfully, a passing motorist with a fire extinguisher and some quick thinking prevented a serious disaster.

The really important issues are, no injuries and minimal property damage. However, I've a problem with the failure analysis.

Reversed polarity of the quick-disconnect plugs and jacks is a contributing factor to the mishap, but the explanation of the short-circuit seems questionable, because--

Warn winch motor terminals are ISOLATED electrically from chassis ground; that is, neither winch motor terminal is permanently connected to "ground," or to the negative battery terminal.

This electrical isolation of the winch motor terminals can be tested; first, DISCONNECT both winch motor terminals; then, check continuity between chassis ground and each winch motor terminal with an ohm-meter; I think a proper system will show an open circuit. Or, with winch motor terminals disconnected, one may "jump" each winch motor terminal to battery positive voltage; no sparks, no motor rotation, nothing should happen.

The winch motor termninals must be isolated electrically from the chassis ground to permit the winch motor to reverse its direction of rotation when commanded "OUT" or "IN."

Thus, the explanation, "He [the previous owner] wired the winch polarity backwards and positive juice was flowing right into the ground/carriage of the winch," doesn't fit, entirely, as the cause of the short-circuit.

At rest, with the winch control switch in its neutral position, both winch motor terminals are shunted, connected together by the solenoid relays in the control box; the shunt provides "dynamic braking," applying an electrical load to a spinning winch motor when power is disconnected (the motor acts as an electrical generator when in this transitory state), reducing "coasting" of the moving system.

When connected properly, the winch motor terminals are shunted to the battery negative connection. If polarity of the power cables is reversed, both winch motor terminals would be connected to the positive battery connection when at rest. No problem, as long as the electrical isolation of the battery terminals from chassis ground does not break down.

The failure mode I suspect is: the quick-disconnect polarity was reversed, the winch motor terminal shunt connected both winch motor terminals to the positive battery terminals when at rest, and the electrical isolation of the winch motor terminals broke down, possibly as a result of mechanical shock from the dynamic G-loads the winch experienced when mounted to the moving vehicle.

When the electrical isolation of the winch motor terminals from chassis ground failed, a path for current from the winch motor terminals (both connected to battery positive voltage from the "backwards" quick-disconnect) to ground resulted in the short-circuit and the consequent fire.

The failure appears dynamic (breakdown of winch motor terminal electrical isolation), because otherwise, the short-circuit would have been constant; i.e., would have existed from the moment the winch was connected.

The, ". . . paint on both the carriage and H2 recepticle had kept things insulated well, but finally it contacted," hypothesis seems unlikely, because--numerous fasteners (e.g., bolts) have "naked" threads providing electrical continuity between the winch motor chassis and vehicle ground (the winch carriage is connected both physically and electrically to the vehicle frame through the receiver hitch and hitch pin, when mounted), these electrical paths would trump any paint-as-insulation, seems to me.

So, reversed polarity of the quick-disconnect plugs and jacks is a contributing factor to the malfunction; but, the immediate cause of the short-circuit appears to be a breakdown in winch motor terminal electrical isolation from chassis ground.

That's the way it looks to me; I welcome correction.

[DRTYFN]

After dreaming feverishly about Steve's wife HummerMan woke up covered in peanut butter with all of the dogs in his heighborhood frantically trying to lick that last bit of Jiffy from his crack. HummerMan was again in heaven.

[Kevin B]

winchman, thats exactly what I thought too, Im just not a profecient typer, thanks

[SOFTTAILJC]

SANTA IS FAKE?????????****, THERE GO MY NEW RIMS.......

[Steve R]

Winchman,

No problem...I'd much perfer to be "corrected and know the truth" then to be "mistaken and THINK I know the truth". I welcome your interest and knowledge in this matter!!

I too had the very same thought. The winch motor has to operate in both diretions and thusly must have alternating polarity applied in order to accomplish an IN and OUT operation....a grounded-to-carriage conept seems odd.

So here's the deal: we're both right. I went out and checked....the two wires coming off the winch attach as follows:

One lead goes from the connector straight into the solenoid housing. The other lead goes straight to a terminal just under the winch motor which is labelled "Motor ground".

The terminal marked "motor ground" is in fact grounded to the entire carriage and consequently the ground of the vehicle. This was formerly where the positive power was being directly connected!!!!!! The previous owner had (moronically) run the + coming off the connector straight to the winch motor terminal marked "motor ground". It was a short-circuit for sure, only insulated by the paint of the cariage/recepticle.

I had assumed that the winch came wired by the Warn factory, and figuring that it worked fine for the previous owner...that it was in fine shape. As Gomer Pyle said: surprise, surprise, sur-Fin'prise!!

It absoultely was the case that the paint was the only factor isolating the juice from hitting the ground. Strange...yes, but once the paint wore away and solid contact was made...that's when she started smokin'.

The front bumper is apparently isolated from the ground/frame and there is a wire running from the negative battery terminal going straight down and connecting to the front bumper itself. This wire, probably about #10 in size, got so hot that it glowed red and before breaking lit the insulation on fire!

Now...here's what I also noticed. There are 2 wires (besides the motor ground) going into the winch motor housing. One is marked F2 and the other marked A. I suspect it's much like the wiring of a PIAA lamp where there is a low-beam and a high-beam: One negative and two inputs for positive. Maybe you can shed some light on this. To aid...here are some pics. I suspect the previous owner, who has still yet to contact me....completely screwed up the wiring and got it drastically wrong.

The flash of the camera alomst has the label un-readable, but the terminal is the winch motor ground and this is where one of the wires feeds in.

[Steve R]

here is a pic showing where to other inputs are connected. This one is a terminal called "A", which likely stands for armature?

As detected, when the winch sits unplugged and with no power applied, this terminal has continuity with the ground. The other terminal, marked "F2" does not have continuity with the ground.