# Plow Stopped Working



## brycez28 (Jul 2, 2016)

I have a 8' Western unimount plow on my Excursion. I bought it used and put it on my truck a couple months ago. I had the controller working (truck side light wiring needs to be done). I don't have any jobs lined up for it this year, so it hasn't been a priority. I got the plow out of storage yesterday and everything was working. This morning I was going to do a quick swipe of my alley, the plow raised up for me when I was backing out of my driveway and then dropped down for me in the alley, but then wouldn't pivot. Then it wouldn't raise back up! So I ended up pushing it into my drive and disconnecting it to do a job.

I've been trying for the last couple hours to get it to work again. The joystick gets "sticky" in the middle, it has been like that since I got it. The joystick power light it on when the stick in the middle. It turns off when I move it to any of the positions. If I leave it at float, after about 5 second the light will come on and I can manually push down the ram. I cleaned out the connectors from the plow to the truck. I took all the wires off the solenoid (one at a time) and cleaned with a wire brush and pb blaster. Verified my battery connections are tight. 

What else should I try? One of my wife's co-workers asked if I would plow their driveway because their tractor is broken. If i can't get the plow to work again today, I'll have to get my ATV plow setup.


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## seville009 (Sep 9, 2002)

Can you take apart the joystick? From your description, it sounds like something inside it may be affecting the contacts. Could be simply gunk built up thatmaybe you can just clean up.


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

Try another controller, also do you have a test light? power in, while working the controller, is power going out? Also check the small ground wire at the solenoid and at the negative battery connection.


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## brycez28 (Jul 2, 2016)

So I replaced the solenoid and that didn't fix my problem. The local powersports tested my controller and said it wasn't conducting any current when the controller was in the positions. I took it apart, it was clean. Put it back together and it didn't work. So I have a new controller ordered and it should be here today.


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## plowzilla (Nov 19, 2004)

Check the controller fuse for corrosion. It may test out fine with a probe light but one side may have corrosion stopping the power from getting to the wire.


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## brycez28 (Jul 2, 2016)

So....I plugged in my brand new handheld controller and only half the lights on it lit up and the plow still wouldn't work....grrrrrrrrr

Found the power wire for the controller was not in the plug as far as the other 5 wires, so got that pushed in all the way. Controller would light up all the way for a few seconds, the plow would respond, then half the controller lights would go out and no more plow. Unplug it, plug it back in, move wires. No dice. This was 9:30 last night, outside -15 windchill.

So I disconnected the plow and drug it into my garage and took all the plow wiring out of the truck. Wired it up to a spare battery and it works. I moved wires around and did everything I could think of to try to get it to not work again....even my old controller was working with it again. So this morning I got the wiring run in my truck again, just needs to be connected to the battery. Hopefully it works, but I didn't do anything to "fix" it so hopefully this doesn't become a reoccurring issue.


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

You have a new controller. Just go buy a new truck side control harness, they are not that expensive, and you should be good.


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