# Brand New Western Plow Won't Work!!!



## cm70 (Nov 15, 2001)

I have a brand new 7.5' Western UltraMount plow on my new GMC Sierra 1500 that was dealer mounted this fall. I started plowing today and the plow just died. The hand held fishstick controller won't turn on anymore and the plow won't do anything. I have checked and rechecked (and reconnected multiple times) all connections and everything is solid.

The handheld controller lights up (the back lighting comes on)when you turn the ignition on but it won't actually turn the plow on. The owner's manual troubleshooting says to check the 7.5amp harness fuse under the hood, which I did and it was not blown. The plow lights are working too. I also took the fishstick apart because there is supposed to be a fuse in there (an SFE-6 fuse?) but I could not find the fuse. Does anyone have any experience with these Westerns or with bad fishsticks? This is only the second time I have used the plow this season. So far I am not impressed. The only thing I can think of is that the wiring is bad somewhere or the controller is shot.

The dealer was pretty much useless until Monday when they can get someone to look at it.

Anyone have any thoughts?


----------



## sonjaab (Jul 29, 2001)

Follow the power lead from the Fishstick to the fuse box on the
side of your dash board. There should be another seperate
fuseholder with a glass tube fuse. It might be hidden a bit
but should be ther in line.

My older Cab Command has a fuse inside the handle AND a 
inline fuse to the fuse box.................

Have a looksee................geo


----------



## OneBadDodge06 (Sep 22, 2004)

My MVP is doing strange things too. Got done with the end of the last place (thank God) and its either the controller sending the wrong function to the plow or the harnesses are messed up. I make the wings straight and try to angle the blade to windrow by switching to another mode and it brings the wings back. Going in to get worked on Monday. 

CM70....curious about what the result is with your plow, can you let me know what you find out?


----------



## LINY Rob (Oct 5, 2004)

blade- have you been using your grease on the connectors?
corrosion can cause mixed signals


cm- it sounds like you have a problem with the install on the plow, if the dealer did not help you then you need to help yourself and just follow every wire and check every connection.

if memory serves me correctly there are 2 fuses that should be under the hood somewhere depending on where they mounted them.

I have the handheld controller so I cant help you as far as your stick goes though.


----------



## OneBadDodge06 (Sep 22, 2004)

Yeah I use the grease religiously. But it started acting weird before the mode thing. I'd back drag and the left wing would pull forward, I'd lift the plow and it would slowly slingshot back to the truck. The power plugs were caked full of snow, so I'm wondering if my problems don't stem from that. Truck's at the dealer getting some minor work done, maybe after the snow has melted out of the plugs it will be ok.


----------



## LINY Rob (Oct 5, 2004)

the power plugs to the isolation module?

or is this not a module plow?


----------



## cm70 (Nov 15, 2001)

Still having problems with the CabCommand Hand held controller.

I can't for the life of me find the small glass fuse that is supposed to be in the controller or somewhere in one of the fuse boxes or under the hood. 

I traced the main harness wire that the controller plugs into in the cab and it goes out the firewall underneath the steering column. There is also a small red wire that separates from this main harness wire and appears to go to the center instrument panel fuse box on my Sierra 1500 under the steering column (it does not go to the instrument panel fuse box which is to the left of the dash). I am pretty sure this is what powers the hand-held controller. I discovered though when I took the cover off of the fuse box it knocked loose the red wire which has a female slide on connector crimped to it. Now the controller has no power and will not backlight anymore. I can't figure out where the red wire is supposed to plug into the fuse box, there is no obvious connection to make. The fuse box doesn't have the regular automotive style fuses, it is more multiple wires plugged into plastic blocks which then plug into the fuse box.

I have checked the other two fuses on the Isolation Module Kit under the hood. On the line going into #1, there are two automotive fuses there, 7.5amp and a 15amp and both are fine. The only troubleshooting the manual gives if the controller power light does not come on is to check the 7.5amp fuse.

So the first thing I need to do is get power going back to the handheld by reconnecting the red wire (which I am not sure how) and then either the handheld controller is shot or there is a blown glass fuse somewhere, which then makes me question why did the fuse blow in the first place?

Anyway, this is a lot more confusing than my '82 Dodge with the Meyers E-47 plow...

I appreciate any comments. I plan on having the dealer look at it on Monday, but it bugs me that I can't get it working...


----------



## Swinn (May 14, 2005)

On Monday I would ask Bob and Rick the service Manager at Banks which is where I am pretty sure you bought the plow about thier emergency service. It was my impression that they were going to have some type of emergency contact number. Most things break down after hours unless you are lucky. You could try Advanced auto or Auto Zone and try to con them into letting you try a joystick if they carry them in stock. I know they carry solenoids.


----------



## OneBadDodge06 (Sep 22, 2004)

cm70

Is the connector on the end of the red wire a spade type of connector? If that's the case I'd get a meter and poke around til I found a hot tap out of the fuse box. I think I tapped in to the power on the brakes like it said in the installation manual.

Bob

Its the isolation module.........got the truck back from the dealer but no such luck with the melting the snow out of the plugs. I'm starting to think that the isolation module is coput. Any ideas?


----------



## Swinn (May 14, 2005)

I do remember them saying to me that they need to find a 12Volt power supply in the fuse panel. You could try a multimeter and find a 12Volt source in the panel. I am no way an expert trouble shooting these plows.


----------



## sonjaab (Jul 29, 2001)

The spaded plug should be plugged into one of the switched
spaded plugs in the fuse box. Make sure you have your ignition
on so it will have power. Some of those spades are hot all the
time and some only with the ign. switch is on.
There should also be a inline fuse on this same wire going to 
your controller.
A test light would be helpful..............................

Funny tho...My cab command controller has a glass tube fuse
inside it also..............geo


----------



## proshare (Nov 7, 2004)

D/l the UltraMount® Snowplow Mechanic's Guide:
http://www.westernplows.com/techinfo.asp?cat=247

Adobe .pdf format.
All the testing procedures in plain language & flow chart style.
Eliminates the guesswork.


----------



## LINY Rob (Oct 5, 2004)

the small glass fuse is supposed to be installed inline on that red wire for the handheld, that red wire should be tapped into the fuse panel to a switched power, I use my radio fuse.

The fuse does not come already installed on that red wire and it is up to the installer to do so- so in other words whoever installed your handheld ran the power to whatever he could find under the dash and did not install the fuse.
I chose not to install that glass fuse and instead got a standard blade fuse holder from the autoparts store and installed that instead of the old glass fuses, you can also get a connector for your fuse panel to jump power from it, or you might get lucky and have a un-used switched power in there.


----------



## cm70 (Nov 15, 2001)

*Plow Works Now*

Well I had a tech from the dealer come out today and fix the problem. The dealer who I bought the plow and truck from is not the same dealer who installed it. When I bought the truck they picked it up as a swap from the other dealer with the plow already installed .

Anyway, I think it was a loose connection from the red power wire for the controller. The tech said the connector on the wire is the wrong size it doesn't really fit the fuse blade right, it is sort of crimped on there with pliers. Also the original dealer never installed an inline fuse. So he reconnected it to a switched power and crimped it on as best he could without the right connector.

I think the original connection must have been loose enough so that although the controller was backlit and getting power it wouldn't turn on.

The tech said to bring it in and they will put the right size connection on and put an inline fuse on.

Pretty simple fix, but for the amount of money you pay for a new plow I would rather have them do everything so that it is still covered under the warranty.

thanks for everyone's input.


----------

