We recently purchased a used Beneteau 393, it has a Horizon Express Windlass, that will just click. I have looked for a separate breaker for the Windlass, but no breakers have been found. We have turned the motor on, as some threads indicated you must have the motor running, this just continues the clicking sound. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Horizon Express Windlass - Just a clicking sound.
- Thread starter ISailForFun
- Start date
Even if the main high amperage breaker is off, the solenoid will still make a clicking noise when the low amperage windlass switch is activated.
As I see it, there are three possible scenarios: Battery is weak, solenoid relay is bad, or main breaker is off or faulty. You need to find that breaker!
As I see it, there are three possible scenarios: Battery is weak, solenoid relay is bad, or main breaker is off or faulty. You need to find that breaker!
Try a multimeter to test if there is power to the motor when the button is pressed or try bypassing the relay with power directly to the motor. If there is power at the motor it's either a motor problem or bad ground. No power look at the relay. Sometimes you can open them up and hit the contacts with some emery cloth.
Same condition as weak battery on a car. When the relay chatters the battery is near dead. In your case, as previously mentioned, may be bad connection. Jumper across the relay contacts that provides power to the windlass, or disconnect one cable and touch the other momentarily. The engine does not have to be running for this test.
In case you don't know this, somewhere between the light current switch you actually touch, and the windlass motor, there will be a contactor which serves two purposes:
1 Switch the heavy current circuit to the windlass in response to your commands.
2 Reverse the power to the windlass motor for up or down.
Finding the contactor is the key to trouble shooting your problems. Once you have found it and posted pictures or a sketch we can give advice on how to trouble shoot in a systematic way.
The reason for running the engine is to avoid the situation where the windlass use flattens your battery(s) and then you can't start the engine, but there is no technical imperative if your batteries are adequate.
1 Switch the heavy current circuit to the windlass in response to your commands.
2 Reverse the power to the windlass motor for up or down.
Finding the contactor is the key to trouble shooting your problems. Once you have found it and posted pictures or a sketch we can give advice on how to trouble shoot in a systematic way.
The reason for running the engine is to avoid the situation where the windlass use flattens your battery(s) and then you can't start the engine, but there is no technical imperative if your batteries are adequate.
It is my understanding that on some boats the windlass is locked out unless the engine is running; maybe some Beneteaus?