# Hiniker ploiw-No power to joy stick



## ChuckR (Dec 25, 2015)

I recently purchased a 1997 Jimmy with a Hiniker plow on it . When I test drove it everything worked fine worked great when I got it home. Drove the Jimmy w/o plow for about a month and got a check engine light that was throwing codes for transmission electrical problems. Took the truck to AAmaco Trans and the could find nothing wrong with the transmissions electrical sys. They said there was an after market electrical hook up on the trany fuse , I (we) am assuming this is the plow electrical hook up, but they would not work on this problem. When I got the truck home I turned on the power to the plow and noticed I had no on/indicator light, I hooked up the plow but still no power, and even though I have parking lights the head lights don't switch from truck lights to plow lights. Is there a fuse somewhere that could cause this. Living in the northeast this could be a disaster even though it was 70 degrees Christmas eve, can anyone help????


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

Well if they unhooked the power to the controller wire, might need to rebook it up to another power source.
I'd start there IMO


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## ChuckR (Dec 25, 2015)

Thanks they said they didn't touch it but.......you never know. Does anyone know if that is a common power source for a plow hook up? I could understand where that might cause a problem.


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

You need power to the controller for the plow to.operate if that's what your asking


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## ChuckR (Dec 25, 2015)

Understand that, (not my first plow, had a western electric plow back in the late 80s and fischer in the 70s) it just seems that with all the cylinoids(sp) and crap in cars these days that hooking up to the trans. fuse might not be the best move. The guy at Aamaco definetly(sp) said what ever was causing the the short was on the other side of the fuse. I would think that if they had disconnected the feed , they would've told me and at least resent the codes so the check engine light was out, maybe not. May have to take it to the Hiniker dealer, was just hoping to spare some expense.


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

Did you try to hook the power wire back up to another powered source? You never said?
Like the cig lighter, wiper motor, etc?
Have you jumped on.hinikers website and looked up.the wiring diagrams yet?


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## ChuckR (Dec 25, 2015)

not yet trying to get some ideas in between all the Christmas stuff. no one understands how frustrating this is. going out to check the plow model in a few. i was hoping someone would know of a quick fix. I am praying once we get the electrical problem straighten out with the plow I can do a hard reset on the truck's computer and get the check engine light off.


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

no one understands how frustrating this is

No, I'm pretty sure WE all do. All of us have been there at one time or another.


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## ChuckR (Dec 25, 2015)

didn't mean people on the list, i am sure that theer have been worse problems than this.


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## ChuckR (Dec 25, 2015)

i did find the fuse connection the aamaco was talking about still connected, maybe it seemed awful loose. i skipped out on the in-law holiday visit to play with it. i disconnected it and the battery to do a hard re set on the trucks computer going out in a half hour to reconnect batte5ry and see if check engine light is out and will hopefully stay out. then we will tackle the plow power situation tomorrow. weather man says old man winter isn't going to hit us too hard for a least another week.


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## ChuckR (Dec 25, 2015)

well after two days of pulling my hair out I decided to do it my way... i could not get power to my joy stick through any of the accessory sides of the fuses. one time it would light up and 5 mins. later it would go out, those little hoosies they give to slide over the fuse spades work like crap and you can't just wrap the wire around the end and put it back in the slot cause it won't fit. 
so when i went out this morning I took my trickle battery charger hooked up the ground to frame and hook the plus side to the red/white joystick power wire and we had power/indicator light which means there is no problem with the plow joystick power system, just have to find a source of power. temporarily i hooked it to the + side of the battery wired in a 10amp fuse and ran it to the inside of the truck. It worked , the only power draw is when the joystick is turned on or the truck lights are being used do for now till i can find a power source on the other side of the ignition it will do if we get snow, i am the only one who drives the truck so as long as remember to keep the joystick off when not plowing it should be okay.
still dealing check engine light from the trany, one of the techs at a local truck ctr. said that it could be the "body control module" going to try to find someone to check that out.


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

You need a fuse tap. Also how's your grounds?

http://www.cooperindustries.com/con..._panelblockstaps/Blade_Fuse_Taps_ATM_ATC.html


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## ChuckR (Dec 25, 2015)

yeah i tried those and that's how it was hooked up when not working, they don't seem to work that well. i am assuming my grounds are fine everything electrical in the truck works fine. and the joy stick works when you get power to it so the ground connection on that must be good.


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

ChuckR;2082204 said:


> yeah i tried those and that's how it was hooked up when not working, they don't seem to work that well. i am assuming my grounds are fine everything electrical in the truck works fine. and the joy stick works when you get power to it so the ground connection on that must be good.


Well.when used properly those taps are foolish proof.
And no offense, don't ASSUME your grounds are good. PHYSICALLY check them. They can get corroded in no time.


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## ChuckR (Dec 25, 2015)

if we're talking about the same thing, those things that slide onto the spade that's what was the bad connection to start with, the power would come on when i moved it and then a few minutes later driving down the road it would come loose. the guy where i bought a new package of them, and also where i used to work a few years ago told me they were hit and miss and not reliable. also a guy that was there when i bought is a mechanic for the local post office and he said they had so much trouble with them they stopped using them. i'll have the grounds checked when they check the "body control module".
but at least for now the plow will operate and that is the main thing.


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