Modified high mount melting cables

[noodle]

Got a high mount winch with 6hp motor. I am running an albright solenoid and all cables are 50mm2 with quality terminal ends. The car is a GU patrol.
Whilst running the winch under load for the first time I smelt burning plastic, found out the earth cable on my UHF was completely melted right back to the circuit board.

I soldered in a new cable today and fired up the winch under load and the earth cable to the UHF is still getting hot. The winch is earthed back to the battery with 70mm2 cable and the battery has the standard 35mm2 ? earth back to the body and engine.

I believe it to be an earth issue and am considering both upgrading the battery earth to 70mm2 and adding another earth between the gearbox chassis and body.

Any thoughts ?

Cheers

[DamTriton]

Earth the chassis, body, engine, and winch back to the battery separately. Make sure the eath's between the two batteries are good as well if you have a dual battery system. If needed or wanted for tidiness go to a marine shop and get an earth buss bar so all the leads are not hanging off your earth battery terminal.

[-Scott-]

First step is to disconnect your UHF altogether, and confirm that you still have an earth from your winch through other paths. Then work on getting those earths to be as low resistance as you can.

[blacklion]

Earth, earth earth... everything!! as said above run an earth from body to batt, chassis to batt, than a good earth between the 2 batteries,earth the 2nd battery to the body and chassis also, then run the earth from your winch to the chassis earth from either battery...... Over kill on earths is the best way to do it.... as they say overkill never killed any electrics..

[bazzle]

I always ran a seperate earth -ve back to the Batt -ve terminal, and +ve .Never rely on a join anyware. Same for duals.

Bazzle