# Western Plow Solenoid



## white_lightning (Jan 27, 2016)

OK, pulling my hair out here. A while back I got an old beater Chevy with an old cable operated Western plow. Trying to get the plow hooked up, but no-go.
I realize that there is a difference between a 'regular' positive switched solenoid and and old-school 'ground switched' or 'negative excite' solenoid. The plow came with a solenoid but it wasn't hooked up. The cable operated control has one black wire coming from it. I tried the solenoid that came with the plow: no-go. However, if I jumper from the solenoid terminal to hot, it turns on.
According to my research, it needs a Western #25633 solenoid like this: http://www.buyersproducts.com/Elect...-GROUND-TO-ACTIVATEREPLACES-WESTERN-25634/30/

Bought one from carquest that supposedly is the same, crosses to that part number. Hook it up, and the negative from the joystick will not activate that solenoid. Jumper it to 12v positive, and the solenoid activates. What am I doing wrong? does the wiring harness for the headlights need to be hooked up for it to work?


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

You need to add the small jumper wire from the batt positive to one of the small terminals, the other small terminal would be the negative "signal wire" from the controller


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

http://library.westernplows.com/doc...level=1&filename=13497_020088.pdf&doctype=pdf

Short version.


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

http://library.westernplows.com/doctracker.asp?docid=120&seclevel=1&filename=62880.pdf&doctype=pdf

Long version.
Both have the solenoid orientation in them.


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## white_lightning (Jan 27, 2016)

There's no jumper wire, on the older ones there's only the 2 big battery cables (battery, and feed to plow) and then one small post which I think is supposed to be 'ground switched', meaning you don't have to feed 12v positive to that small post to turn on the solenoid, you have to ground out the small post to turn it on. From what I read, the solenoid I need is a Western part #25634 solenoid, is that right? I think I have the wrong solenoid (2 of them now) but I was told the one I bought is replacement for western #25634... it still doesn't work. Even if I ground that terminal to the truck from or battery negative (-) it still doesn't turn on. (is grounding it to battery a valid test?) It doesn't turn on through the joystick switch either. touch hot to it and it turns right on and the plow moves...


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

You need one positive feedback going to one small post for it work. That's what I'm tell you.
Western part numbers don't really matter for you plow. Any good 4 post solenoid for a plow will work.
If the solenoid is only a 3 post, then more then likely it is grounded through the case which in your case won't really work, unless you mount it on plastic. But that's another discussion.


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