# Unimount wont float



## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

I have an old unimount plow that won't float, have to hold joystick down to lower but the second I let off joystick it stops lowering. It's a 6 pin joystick. I bench tested the controller and when I have power and ground hooked up and a test light hooked up the controller will go to float mode and stay in float but when the controller is hooked to the truck it sounds like the float relay in the controller won't stay latched it just clicks on and off.. I've taken all three valves out and tested that they work and tested all 3 coils and they were working. My wires to the solinoid are a red black and a black orange. Red black is to one small post on solinoid and orange black is to the other side of solinoid then to the negative battery post. New western solinoid 56131. Problem started when I changed solinoids out last year, not sure if thats the problem. Is it possible I have the wrong type of solinoid? Everything works except for float function


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

Michigan1 said:


> I have an old unimount plow that won't float, have to hold joystick down to lower but the second I let off joystick it stops lowering. It's a 6 pin joystick. I bench tested the controller and when I have power and ground hooked up and a test light hooked up the controller will go to float mode and stay in float but when the controller is hooked to the truck it sounds like the float relay in the controller won't stay latched it just clicks on and off.. I've taken all three valves out and tested that they work and tested all 3 coils and they were working. My wires to the solinoid are a red black and a black orange. Red black is to one small post on solinoid and orange black is to the other side of solinoid then to the negative battery post. New western solinoid 56131. Problem started when I changed solinoids out last year, not sure if thats the problem. Is it possible I have the wrong type of solinoid? Everything works except for float function


I'm new to this site and have read through several threads and still can't figure it out. I've gone over the schematics a million times and can't figure it out please help


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

Put it in float, the magnet/valve should stay hot with a test light. Try a different controller.


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

I used the control test from the manual, put power to pin 1 and ground to pin 3, put one end of test light to pin 6 and other to gound. The controller worked and stayed in float mode like it was supposed to. Would this mean my controller is good?


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

Pin 6 goes to the 2way valve I think is a yellow wire. I have continuity on that wire from harness plug all the way to the 2way cartridge


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

The controller stays latched in float mode and stays hot on the bench test but not staying latched when hooked up to the harness.


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

Make sure the 9 pin grill plug is clean.


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

Also, out to an early dinner. Hopefully someone else will jump in.


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

Have a good dinner.. New plugs at grill. I read on one of the threads someone had a positive solinoid when the needed a negative ground solinoid or vice versa could this be the case? The controller passed the bench test, all other functions of plow work except float. I put a test light out at the s2 coil and it lights up when I press down on the joystick just goes out the second I let off so it's not staying hot.. the controller passed the controller test and I'm getting power through the harness to the s2.


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## Mountain Bob (Nov 12, 2017)

Bench test does not test the controller under load. Any resistance in the wiring to the solenoid coil may be overloading the float mode. Or a coil going bad may do it. Or a weak relay in the controller may do it. That is why it would be best to try a known good controller on your truck.


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## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

I don’t think it’s the solenoid. Best to try different controller


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

I grabbed the controller from my dad's working plow and plow still will not float. His controller works perfect in his truck so I think I can possibly rule out my controller? I also put a new s2 valve in. You said maybe a coil going bad causing too much resistance? If the other 2 valves are working properly can I switch a coil to rule that out?


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## Mountain Bob (Nov 12, 2017)

Michigan1 said:


> I grabbed the controller from my dad's working plow and plow still will not float. His controller works perfect in his truck so I think I can possibly rule out my controller? I also put a new s2 valve in. You said maybe a coil going bad causing too much resistance? If the other 2 valves are working properly can I switch a coil to rule that out?


Yes you can try that. If they are able to be plugged in,like Meyers ones.


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## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

Michigan1 said:


> I grabbed the controller from my dad's working plow and plow still will not float. His controller works perfect in his truck so I think I can possibly rule out my controller? I also put a new s2 valve in. You said maybe a coil going bad causing too much resistance? If the other 2 valves are working properly can I switch a coil to rule that out?


Yes they can be switched. Don't think it's the coil.


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

Check the gland nut on the lift piston packing, it may be too tight.


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

I tried loosening the nut for the lift with a huge pipe wrench and couldn't get it to budge.. lefty loosie right lol.. I'm going to soak it in some pb blast and try to loosen it again in the morning


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

What are you doing to determine its not going in float


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

When I tap down on the joystick it should drop all the way down its not, when I tap down I should be able to walk around and manually press the ram down. It only moves down while I'm holding the joystick. When I bench tested the controller I could hear and feel the float relay latch and stay hot I confirmed it stayed latched when the test light stayed on... when controller is hooked back up to the truck I can hear and feel the float relay click off and not latching and not staying hot


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## Mountain Bob (Nov 12, 2017)

Michigan1 said:


> When I tap down on the joystick it should drop all the way down its not, when I tap down I should be able to walk around and manually press the ram down. It only moves down while I'm holding the joystick. When I bench tested the controller I could hear and feel the float relay latch and stay hot I confirmed it stayed latched when the test light stayed on... when controller is hooked back up to the truck I can hear and feel the float relay click off and not latching and not staying hot


Ya,it is not your ram too tight.


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

I read that you bench tested it, but have you tested it while on the truck and plow with a test light?


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

I also put the test light hooked between the coil and the yellow wire if thats what you mean. It lit up while I pressed down on the controller but went out as soon as I let off, the float didn't stay latched and hot


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

I thought about the ram being to tight but I took the chain off the plow, jumped s2 coil to the battery to keep it hot and I could push the ram down by hand fairly easily so I don't think it's too tight, I could be wrong but it seemed to move fairly easily by hand


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## Mountain Bob (Nov 12, 2017)

OK. After playing and searching on the net, I see there are cases same as yours, and the problem sometimes was a bad or wrong main relay, the motor relay. And make sure it is wired properly. Heck,if you can,swap out your dads relay for a test.


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

He just left for up north so I won't be able to swap relays. My vehicle control harness doesn't have the red/green... only the _orange black and the brown red. Using 56131k relay it only seems to run if I have the brown to one small side and the orange to the other small side and to the negative battery post._


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)




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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

This is the picture I get that shows the correct wiring for my harness but I can't find any different relay numbers for that square looking relay.. all numbers I find lead me back to the 56131k-2 relay


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## Mountain Bob (Nov 12, 2017)

It is my understanding the k-2 is the heavy duty relay., and eithe ris supposed to work for the older units.Anyway,I'm just telling you what I found on the net, and you said it happened when you changed the relay. So I guess you are back to trying another relay.


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

Picture of the solenoid and how it's wired


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)




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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

Orange wire splits off ti negative battery post


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

Michigan1 said:


> My wires to the solinoid are a red black and a black orange. Red black is to one small post on solinoid and orange black is to the other side of solinoid


Your pic shows 1 extra wire.
And what's the other wire on the solenoid, couldn't see it.


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

Battery wire to big post, then wire to plow motor on other big post... small post has brown red wire from controller that is the trigger wire . The other small post has the orange black from the controller which is also split off the post going to the negative battery post, I think this grounds the controller and the solinoid


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## Mountain Bob (Nov 12, 2017)

Michigan1 said:


> Battery wire to big post, then wire to plow motor on other big post... small post has brown red wire from controller that is the trigger wire . The other small post has the orange black from the controller which is also split off the post going to the negative battery post, I think this grounds the controller and the solinoid


That should be right. Dumb question, is the part number sticker on the relay?


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

I'm not sure if it's on the relay I just pulled it from the package yesterday I just left the truck for the night I thought I took a picture of the package but can't find it. It was a new western 56131k-2 is what was marked on the pkg


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## Mountain Bob (Nov 12, 2017)

I thought they always had stickers on them.Oh well. Because if it is a fleet flex relay,that possibly could be your problem.


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## Mountain Bob (Nov 12, 2017)

Did you try swapping a coil at the pump?


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

Yes I tried to swap coils and didn't change


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## Mountain Bob (Nov 12, 2017)

Well,the way I see it, either the controller is bad(prob.not,as you swapped another), or the control circuit for the float mode relay sees something it does not like. This is usually low voltage or a weak ground. Yes the other functions may still work, as they are just switches, and many devices can work in less than ideal conditions. But circuit controlled relays usually do not. I suspect too much resistance in the wire going to the float coil, weak connection, sometimes even corrosion inside the wire, but also could be weak ground or power to the controller. You would probably have to do voltage drop tests, or at lest check voltage and ground at controller, and the coil while activating it. You could even run a temporary wire(s) for voltage,ground and coil activation. Well, that's about the best i can do from being long distance. Good luck.


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## Mountain Bob (Nov 12, 2017)

oh, if you are in a bind, you could always throw in a on/off switch, just for float.


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## Hydromaster (Jun 11, 2018)

If all of the other functions worked I don’t know why were messing around with the solenoid?


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## Hydromaster (Jun 11, 2018)

Defective valve, dirt, defective valve coil 
recoil not wired, reversed wiring on coil.

And then check the plug where your controller plugs into the harness for any damage to the pins or sockets 

aboot all I got
Good luck 

And if you could have your plow hooked up to another truck then you could know if it was on your plow side or truck side.


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

I just pulled the box out of the truck hooked the power direct from battery to pin 1 on the controller then battery ground to pin 3. Run a wire with a bulb on it from pin 6 to s2 valve and float worked... so either the yellow wire in the harness from s2 to the controller box is bad or has too much resistance or when the box is hooked to the harness it grounds out funny to the solinoid... I'm going to run a new yellow wire in the harness in the morning and see if that clears things up


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## Mountain Bob (Nov 12, 2017)

Michigan1 said:


> I just pulled the box out of the truck hooked the power direct from battery to pin 1 on the controller then battery ground to pin 3. Run a wire with a bulb on it from pin 6 to s2 valve and float worked... so either the yellow wire in the harness from s2 to the controller box is bad or has too much resistance or when the box is hooked to the harness it grounds out funny to the solinoid... I'm going to run a new yellow wire in the harness in the morning and see if that clears things up


Yep. Am not surprised, is probably corrosion inside a wire.


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

Weird thing is that it worked when holding down on the joystick,, but that goes along with when you said the resistance maybe wouldn't let enough juice travel through to keep the float relay latched? I appreciate everyone's help so much. I have a preggo wife at home and have to call it a night. I will let everyone know tomorrow if the new wire fixes the problem


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## Mountain Bob (Nov 12, 2017)

Michigan1 said:


> Weird thing is that it worked when holding down on the joystick,, but that goes along with when you said the resistance maybe wouldn't let enough juice travel through to keep the float relay latched? I appreciate everyone's help so much. I have a preggo wife at home and have to call it a night. I will let everyone know tomorrow if the new wire fixes the problem


Yes. when holding down, it is a switch contact.When in float, it is a microprocessor and relay.


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## Fourteen Contracting Inc. (Jul 5, 2019)

Michigan1 said:


> Weird thing is that it worked when holding down on the joystick,, but that goes along with when you said the resistance maybe wouldn't let enough juice travel through to keep the float relay latched? I appreciate everyone's help so much. I have a preggo wife at home and have to call it a night. I will let everyone know tomorrow if the new wire fixes the problem


Congrats!


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

I just went through this on something else. Had continuity thu the harness. But had a voltage drop. There was corrosion in the harness wires. Now I could be wrong but I think when you hit float you get vehicle system voltage. But when the system stays in commanded float. There is less voltage going to the valve. When I get a chance I will have to check.


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## Mountain Bob (Nov 12, 2017)

Randall Ave said:


> I just went through this on something else. Had continuity thu the harness. But had a voltage drop. There was corrosion in the harness wires. Now I could be wrong but I think when you hit float you get vehicle system voltage. But when the system stays in commanded float. There is less voltage going to the valve. When I get a chance I will have to check.


Anybody that is familiar with 70's Dodge trucks should be very familiar with internal wire corrosion issues.


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## Michigan1 (Dec 31, 2021)

Just want to update everyone, I ended up running a new wire. Replaced the white yellow in the harness and that fixed the problem, float is now working. Thank you everyone for the help. Must have just had too much voltage drop from wires in a 30 year old wire harness. Although the wire seemed good as it had continuity it was ultimately bad and caused the problem. Thanks again everyone


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

So replacing the solenoid had nothing to do with it....just coincidence


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## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

@BossPlow2010 , @Ajlawn1

Do unimounts float? Asking for a friend....


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## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

Glad you figured it out. Good luck


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

It is 55 here, the shop doors are open


Mr.Markus said:


> @BossPlow2010 , @Ajlawn1
> 
> Do unimounts float? Asking for a friend....


, mine are floating out back on the ledge where I put them last spring.


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