Windlass reversing solenoid

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deising
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Windlass reversing solenoid

Post by deising »

In the vein of “it worked the last time I used it,” I recently took the boat out for a short ride and decided to drop the anchor for a picnic lunch. The windlass would not go up or down, not make noise of any kind, including no “clicking” from the solenoid. I suspected the switch at the lower helm had been bumped to “off,” but no such luck. We abandoned the anchoring and headed home where I started troubleshooting.

I verified 12V at the reversing solenoid and then took off the corded remote. A continuity test showed the buttons were working - the “down” button connecting one wire to the common, and the “up” button connecting the other. I shut off the power, disconnected the four cables, and removed the solenoid. Then I consulted the wiring schematic. It did not show this explicitly, but I knew that the whole purpose of the solenoid/contact assembly was to apply positive voltage to one motor wire and negative to the other. The solenoid can then reverse that polarity and make the motor run in the opposite direction.

I assumed the problem was the solenoid, but wanted to verify the windlass motor was still OK before proceeding. I used a barely adequate size wire to connect the negative from the source to one of the two blue wires from the motor. I turned on the windlass switch and carefully and very briefly touched another jumper wire from the positive source to the other blue wire from the motor. A small spark and the windlass motor whirred for the fraction of a second I had the jumper touching. The windlass motor was working, so it had to be the solenoid.

It was ordered online for less than $100, but the next day I decided to take the old one apart. I probably should have done that first as I am pretty sure I was able to repair it. I did not take any photos, but it was easy to remove the two brass sleeves and pistons that are inside the solenoid windings. There was obvious corrosion which was impeding the piston movement, so they were not forcing the contacts together as needed. I cleaned them all up with a Dremel and polishing compound and reassembled. A bench test shows it works as expected. I elected to await the new part and install it.

The purpose of this post is to let you know how easy it is to work on this should anyone have the same problem. It is also a reminder to “exercise” all equipment on a regular basis.
Duane Ising
m/v Diva Di
Punta Gorda, FL
2006 PDQ MV 34 - hull 91, 75HP, 3-blade
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AMCarter3
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Re: Windlass reversing solenoid

Post by AMCarter3 »

Wayne, that is a great diagnostic story. So, now that your old solenoid is working, will you keep the new one or return it? I suppose if you are SUPER confident about the old one, you could save $100 by returning the new one. On the other hand, I know it's a serious temptation to keep the new one as a backup... adding to the pile of other backups you (and I) keep on our boats. 8)
Mac Carter
2006 34' PDQ PowerCat "All Heart"; MV 98; twin 100 HP Yanmars
Home Port: Bellingham WA 98229
deising
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Re: Windlass reversing solenoid

Post by deising »

Mac,

I will install the new one upon arrival (shipping takes longer in these COVID-19 days) and am not sure about storing the old one aboard as a spare. Our boat is already heavy enough and the chances of us needing that spare are probably very low. Now that I know how easy it is to get a "sticky" one functional, I doubt the spare will be worth it.

I will not ship the new one back and request a refund because I believe the brand new one is less likely to ever experience a problem for long after we are owners (I think the solenoid was the original, so 14 years). Plus, the shipping and restocking fees will make it less attractive. If we were talking several hundred dollars or more, that's a different story.
Duane Ising
m/v Diva Di
Punta Gorda, FL
2006 PDQ MV 34 - hull 91, 75HP, 3-blade
deising
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Re: Windlass reversing solenoid

Post by deising »

Follow-up:

I received the replacement solenoid and installed it today. I connected the wires the same way as they were before, by using a photo I took before disassembly and the downloaded schematic to get the colors right.

Guess what? The up button made it go down and vice versa. All I had to do was swap the small-gauge wires that energize the solenoids to get it right, but it makes me wonder.
Duane Ising
m/v Diva Di
Punta Gorda, FL
2006 PDQ MV 34 - hull 91, 75HP, 3-blade
h.Mika

Re: Windlass reversing solenoid

Post by h.Mika »

I replaced my original solenoid recently. In speaking with a Quick representative, he mentioned that the model number of my original part was a defective solenoid -- they had not been properly weatherized. That might explain the corrosion you found with your old one.
deising
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Re: Windlass reversing solenoid

Post by deising »

Thanks for the input. If it was the original unit and lasted 14 years, I am not unhappy.
Duane Ising
m/v Diva Di
Punta Gorda, FL
2006 PDQ MV 34 - hull 91, 75HP, 3-blade
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