# Just my lluck... western plow



## bigjeeping (Aug 15, 2005)

So my 7.5 Western Pro, which was working fine when I put it into storage is now really messed up. 
Just put it on today.........

(1) it wont angle to either side and just pulls a lot of current when I try to
(2)it really struggles raising all the way and it's hesitant to even make it half way
(3)my plow headlights dont want to stay on (they were on, but shut off randomly)

Ill probably be having a professional take care of these problems but does anyone know what could possibly be wrong!?!?!?! it worked fine last time it was on the truck!!!!!

=( =( =( = ( =*(


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## stumper1620 (Dec 19, 2004)

bigjeeping said:


> So my 7.5 Western Pro, which was working fine when I put it into storage is now really messed up.
> Just put it on today.........
> 
> (1) it wont angle to either side and just pulls a lot of current when I try to
> ...


1st thing I would try is cleaning the plow side ground connector, hook a jumper cable to the battery neg and the other end to the plow motor on a clean connection and see what you get. if it operates good then your ground is bad and needs cleaning, is the fluid clean and is it western fluid? if it had water contamination then you may have a rust problem inside the valves and pump, sound more to me like you have a power distribution problem. what year/model plow is this? does it have a isolation module?


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## bigjeeping (Aug 15, 2005)

*running out the door with my jumper cables*


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## bigjeeping (Aug 15, 2005)

no change with the jumper cable thing....

so now the plow headlights turn on once the plow is raised and turn off when it's lowered............... ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?


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## stumper1620 (Dec 19, 2004)

bigjeeping said:


> no change with the jumper cable thing....
> 
> so now the plow headlights turn on once the plow is raised and turn off when it's lowered............... ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?


what year plow is this?


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## bigjeeping (Aug 15, 2005)

honestly, not sure... it cant be that old, it's in great cosmetic shape


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## stumper1620 (Dec 19, 2004)

bigjeeping said:


> honestly, not sure... it cant be that old, it's in great cosmetic shape


ok, 
does it have 2 or 3 plugs?


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## bigjeeping (Aug 15, 2005)

2 plugs.... one plug has the power and ground which goes to the pump and the other plug has a bunch of connectors in it.. obviously for controls, lights etc?


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## OneBadDodge06 (Sep 22, 2004)

did you pull the motor and check the screen on the pump?


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## stumper1620 (Dec 19, 2004)

bigjeeping said:


> 2 plugs.... one plug has the power and ground which goes to the pump and the other plug has a bunch of connectors in it.. obviously for controls, lights etc?


check all the pins in the control plug, be sure they are clean and not deteriorated on both plow side and mainly truck side, when you do that count how many pins it has, so i can go pull a copy of the wiring diagram.
let me know what you find.
should be a 7,8,9 11 or 12 pin connector


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## bigjeeping (Aug 15, 2005)

blade_masters said:


> did you pull the motor and check the screen on the pump?


No idea how to do that... thats why I had "professionals" in mind

*It's a 9 Pin* The connectors looked pretty clean.. but any recommendation how to clean out those small holes?


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## stumper1620 (Dec 19, 2004)

bigjeeping said:


> No idea how to do that... thats why I had "professionals" in mind
> 
> *It's a 9 Pin* The connectors looked pretty clean.. but any recommendation how to clean out those small holes?


very small file or a ice pick, then spray it out with brake cleaner or electrical terminal cleaner, terminal cleaner is best, then be sure to pack it full of dieletric grease.


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## lawnkid (Feb 5, 2002)

You should apply some electrical grease to the connectors to make sure they stay clean and also so that they don't freeze. Had the same problem last year with a Western MVP. It's not a hydraulic problem so cancel that out. Dirty hydraulic oil doens;t trun your lights off. Also make sure all your solenoids are in tact. Sounds like you're really gonna have a rough first year plowin if you don't know how to fix your stuff. Good luck man. Let us know more about the results.


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## Killswitch (Aug 9, 2005)

Im done with pin type connectors.

Screw them.

Therein lies most of your problems. You wont be able to get rid of all of them obviously, but this apparent need to remove your plow setup in a few seconds as opposed to ten minutes has made the use of these multi pin connectors necessary.

Go talk to Ray at Mill Creek.


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## stumper1620 (Dec 19, 2004)

Killswitch said:


> Im done with pin type connectors.
> 
> Screw them.
> 
> ...


I hear ya, more stupid little failures last year because of them, just a quirky problem here and there, that and those cheap little pinch on wire splicers they use to install the harness, I lost my left front parking light on the truck last year, started checking it out and found the wire cut in half by the splice connector. for something that is in the elements you would think they could come up with better weather proof connectors than those cheap azz little blue things.


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## Killswitch (Aug 9, 2005)

Oh I know those things are so lame. Also....proper crimping of connectors is really important and a set of a good wire cutter/stripper and a good pair of half moon/v crimpers is very worth while. I always use fully insulated connectors and grease all wires and connections as well.

Im telling you Ive learned a lot about plows in general and my plow specifically lately and am convinced most of the problems with reliability and whatnot are electric/connection issues.

Least mine have been. Like I said I no longer have a 12 pin connector or whatever it was. I do have to disconnect seven connections if I take the plow frame off which is twice or three times a year. So I cant do it in 10 seconds. So what. I dont need too.


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## bigjeeping (Aug 15, 2005)

No luck with the terminal cleaner or grease.... 

IMO mill creek is a joke... I'm not sure who I talked to there but I went in twice and both times this guy was a tool. They're supposed to be a seadoo dealer but couldn't even fix my seadoo for me!

Anyway.. just called Mobile Hitch on main street in Whitmore Lake.. They sound concrete with their Western service and have been doing this for 11 years. Ill be dropping it off there on mon =(


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## Frozen001 (Oct 20, 2004)

Bigjeeping....

You really should try and fix it yourself.... Having to take it to a dealer/mechaninc can get costly. You have to rember that during a storm you may not ba able to run over to a repair shop and get it fixed. And being able to solve simple problem yourself can save you not only money, but time.

You stated it worked when it whent into storage... so lets troubleshoot the plow.

When you try and angle it you said it does not move, but draws a lot of current. I assume the current draw is from the electric motor running... Am I correct.

If the motor runs, and it does not move the problem could be the 9 pin connector not making goot connection, which also can explain why your headlamp do not work all the time. The slow lift could be a clogged filter, or possibly the selenoid valves not working properly...


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## bigjeeping (Aug 15, 2005)

Well I have the owner's manual, which goes through trouble shooting but I have no idea how to do the stuff they recommend....

Well I cleaned the connectors pretty well, so i am assuming that everything is connected fine...

The motor makes some noise and pulls current (all lights in truck go dim) when you try to angle it..... there is nothing blocking it from being able to angle. 

It lifts about half way fine, then it starts to struggle and make noise, but it will make it to the top... thats when the plow headlights turn on

When i drop the plow it free falls down, and the plow headlights turn off.....


Any help would be appreciated... maybe Ill try to tackle this on my own but It'll take some love from you guys!


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## stumper1620 (Dec 19, 2004)

bigjeeping said:


> Well I have the owner's manual, which goes through trouble shooting but I have no idea how to do the stuff they recommend....
> 
> Well I cleaned the connectors pretty well, so i am assuming that everything is connected fine...
> 
> ...


the head light part sounds really wierd, but the lift, drop and angling almost sounds like air in the lines & pump,How is the fluid and fluid level?


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## bigjeeping (Aug 15, 2005)

To help cut down on the Question and Answering posts.... I do not know anything about plows... I dont know how to check the fluid, or change it. 
Sorry guys.. I am a newbie

However, I did intend on reading up on it sometime over the next couple weeks so I could do THAT part myself! I've been busy with fall clean-ups and today I'm going out for my last day of mowing!


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## bigjeeping (Aug 15, 2005)

One more bad thing I just found......

Is the joy stick control box "light" supposed to be able to turn on if the keys aren't in the ignition? I just went out to my truck and without the keys i turned it on and raised the plow........

I cant remember if It did this before b/c I always put the keys in!


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## stumper1620 (Dec 19, 2004)

bigjeeping said:


> One more bad thing I just found......
> 
> Is the joy stick control box "light" supposed to be able to turn on if the keys aren't in the ignition? I just went out to my truck and without the keys i turned it on and raised the plow........
> 
> I cant remember if It did this before b/c I always put the keys in!


mine don't work without the keys turned on.


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## sixspeed (Oct 22, 2004)

Hey Bigjeeping, how'd ya make out????????


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## stumper1620 (Dec 19, 2004)

Bigjeeping, 
Did they get you all fixed up? What did they find as the problem?


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## Killswitch (Aug 9, 2005)

Yeah I wasnt overly thrilled with Mill Creek but they got me set up decent and for a fair price on the amount of labor I needed.

Mine was a serious wiring issue that I couldnt figure out, and Ive just now got the lights working ok but am still a little unsure if they are reliable so Ill have some backup plow lights as well. Hellas. lol

Im rather new to plowing also but have learned a lot about the plow, pump, solenoids, wiring, hydraulics etc.

There are things you seriously need to know about your units Big. Far beyond just checking fluid levels. 

Hey I think I saw a sign of yours on Arbordale today.

Snow Time?


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## bigjeeping (Aug 15, 2005)

No I don't know what is wrong with the plow yet. A lot of work came in the past week for cleanups so Ive been busy busy... Ill be taking it into the shop next week. 


Killswitch: Yes sir... it's almost SNOW TIME are goin all over town. Already got a few calls in the day that they've been out!


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## Acmemechanic (Aug 27, 2005)

*Re HELP*

Your system is seeking a ground thru any place it can find it [IE headlights] find the harness ground it might backfeed from the big ground or have a ring terminal inthe plow harness just locate all your ground connections and clean them with a file or sand paper so you have clean metal to metal contact the solonoids valves aint opening without proper ground thats the big draw.HYDRALICS on a brick wall effect.,:angry: :realmad:


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## genrock (Nov 7, 2005)

I had the same problem with the side to side but never had the light trouble associated with that. 

What I did was tear the whole assembly down as far as I could to include removing the piston. 

Put all of the metal parts into a bucket of kerosene make sure not to put any parts that may have internal rubber seals into kerosene cause it will dry them out and they will fail under pressure.

After leaving that to soak for about 2 or so hours I took it out and gave them a good cleaning with both air and pipe cleaners for the smaller holes and such. 

Replace all of the gaskets that you can. Most of the gasket can be purchased in a gasket kit but I just made my own with cork and sealer and it works fine. 

The rubber seals: If the rubber seals look fine when you remove them, even the main piston one, rub a think coat of vaseline on them to soften them up and keep them from cracking in the cold. 

Anywhere there is a connection use whatever you got to clean the connections. I just use steel wool. Then reconnect them using electric greese.

Pins: pins may need to have the female end crimps sometimes the receiving slots are too wide or widen on there own with water and freezing etc. There are aftermarket type connectors you can buy to replace the stock ones and they work alot better. 

You may be experiencing a loss of power due to under amperage. I myself have two battery's both connected to each other but make sure you make the connections right or you will burn them up or burn up your selenoid.

Use a voltage meter and check the output of your alternator. Alternators will go bad during storage due to moisture building up rust on the brushes. Most reputable parts store say for example auto zone will run a test on your alternator for free but you will have to remove it and take it in. I have replaced my alternator twice now due to storage so what I do now is shrinkwrap the alternator and apply vaseline to all of my vaccum hoses and belts etc and it works like a charm.

Make sure you refill your plow with recommended hydraulic fluid. Cheap is not always better. Hydraulic fluid has several different pressure levels and the wrong type of hydraulic fluid will fail during operation. This could cause your plow to drop while your doing 55 on the highway and make for some fun stories.

Make sure and open up your hydraulic hoses and blow the out with air or bleed them by opening one end and running your plow in that direction until the hydraulic fluid runs out clean. Make sure when your bleeding to not run your housing dry this can cause damage to your motor. So buy plenty and keep a reserve of at least five gallons in your truck during the season just in case you blow a line and lose your fluid on the road.

Also do not neglect your transfer case the fluid in your transfer case should be changed every other season in my opinion. And yes ofcourse greasing the front end every season is a no brainer.

I dont know if its necessary but I park my truck over a rubber truck bed mat in the summer so the moisture from the concrete floor rising does not rust out the underside of the truck any worse then it already it. I also use my jack to raise the main piston to relieve pressure on the piston seals but dont know if that makes any difference.

Make sure to check your pads and shoes on your brakes after every season I go through a set of brakes almost every season.

Be sure and have your wheel bearings greased every other season. Heat on the bearings causes the grease to liquify rendering them useless. If your wondering if you have a grease problem and you dont want to remove your hubs, try driving about 10 or so miles then feel the wheel hub and if its noticably hotter then all the others then you just may have problem.

Dont know what type of control you have. I myself have the old stick type and it gets rust build up in it from time to time and I have to use steel wool and carb cleaner or break cleaner to remove it then thin coat of electric grease to seal the deal.

Selenoid check your connections on the selenoid and also test it or have it tested with a voltage meter to see if it is functioning properly.
:yow!: 
My last thoughts: I would think it is either a ground connection somewhere in the system but I really think its the alternator if you ask me.
:redbounce 
Things I have on hand in my truck
Roadflares
Triangles
Four way lug wrench
Hydraulic jack
Extra Trans fluid
Flashlight
Extra motor oil
Five gallons of Hydraulic fluid
Greese gun
Five gallon gas can
Two full size spare tires
Gasket sealer and gasket material
Extra pins and washers
Extra Hydraulic hoses
Tow strap 
Come along
Lock deicer
Blanket and heavy coat
Extra work gloves
ShopRags
Snow Brush and ice scraper
Panoramic clip on rear view mirror
Code3 Light Bar
Strobe
6 8ft tie down straps
Extra on hand set of snow blade wipers
Jumper Cables
Extra flashlight batteries

I would like to hear if this is excessive but I dont think so cause I have had to use almost all of it if there is something you have that I dont I would love to hear about it. I am a nut when it comes to preparing for the worst.


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