Warn Winch Remote Switch

A remote switch on the dash for your winch is an accessory that most people want and fewer get around to installing. Having control of your winch inside the comfort of your cab has many benefits including not having to fumble around with the factory hand controller. Start this project by going to your local hardware store or Radio Shack.

18-3 electric cord wire

Off-On-Off momentary contact switch w/ ring connections

On-Off toggle switch

Toggle switch rubber switch cover

Rubber Grommets

Female Spade Connectors

Ring Connectors

Butt Connectors

The first thing you need to do is decide where you want your winch remote switch. Our Grand Cherokee didn't come with all the bells and whistles available so it had a blank spot next to the rear wiper, defroster and overdrive switch. This provided an open spot begging for our project switch. Gaining access to this control module might seem like a lot of work but it only takes a few minutes to pull the trim pieces off and unscrew the dash cover.

The first step is to remove the wood grain trim on the left side by pulling the trim straight towards you. No tools are required for trim removal. Keep in mind that these procedures are on a 98 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo, and your model may be different.

Figure 1

After removing the trim take the two screws marked in figure 1 out with a phillips screwdriver.

Now go to the right of the steering wheel and remove the wood grain trim using the same procedures. You will next remove all of the screws marked in figure 2. There are also 5 screws along the lower section of the dash just above gauge cluster that will need to be removed also.

Figure 2

Now that you have all the screws removed you can gently pull the cover that surrounds the gauges, radio and A/C vents. This will allow you to pull the rear wiper, defroster and overdrive switch module from the dash. Simply unplug the module by depressing the locking tabs and pulling as in figure 3.

On the back side of the module are 4 screws that need to be removed. When you pull the back cover off, the circuit board is attached to the cover. After you remove the cover you need to take note of two items for the rear wiper switch that will fall out and may be easily lost if proper care is not taken. Remove these pieces now and set them aside until you are ready to reassemble the module.

This next step will be very difficult to accomplish without a drill press. Start out with a small bit and drill a pilot hole through the module. Be careful not to scratch the surface of the module. Now flip the module over and confirm that the hole is centered and drill the hole that will accommodate the switch that you will use. This next step is where the drill press comes in handy. There plastic is pretty thick where the switch is going and the threads will not reach through. Pre-set the depth of the drill press so that you won't penetrate the cover. Now slowly drill the excess plastic away. After there is enough plastic removed to set the switch in place (see figure 5) install the switch and tighten the nut to secure the switch to the thin module front faceplate. Because the faceplate cover is so thin it would be a good idea to secure the switch to the module with epoxy.

You will need an access hole through the circuit board in the back of the module in order to run the wires to the switch. This was accomplished by carefully enlarging an existing hole in the circuit board. It appears that this hole was here for a light bulb for an accessory that we don't have. (See figure 6.)

Next you will need to drill a hole through the firewall to run the wire from the winch pack to the new switch. Remove the windshield washer canister to gain easy access to the fire wall next to the power brake booster. Check inside to make sure there is access to the new hole you are going to drill and be careful not to drill through any wires or under dash equipment. Drill a pilot hole through the firewall first and check under the dash to make sure the hole is where you want it. Now drill a large enough hole to accommodate the rubber grommet. Remove any burs and install the grommet in place. It might be a good idea to pick-up an extra grommet in case you loose one during installation like we did. When you start fishing your wire through the firewall it would be a very good idea to spray the wire with WD40 or other lubricant to help it slide through the grommet easily.

The next step is to move to the Warn Winch Relay Pack. Drill a hole in the cover on the side that is facing your grill. If your pack is upright then drill the hole in the lower corner of the metal backing plate. Install a grommet in the hole and run your wire through the hole. Make sure you have plenty of wire pulled through before you cut it off. The Warn 8000 is not wired the same as all Warn Winches so check your winch carefully before following these procedures. The Warn Winch Relay Pack consists of four 12 volt relays. Two are used for "IN" and two are used for "OUT" operation. The factory hand control uses 5 wires to activate the relays. One of the features that wasn't expected was that the ground is also switched through the factory hand control.

Here is a brief description of what takes place when you push the hand controller. If you push the "Out" for cable to go out of the winch a 12 volt contact is made and a ground contact is made. This energizes the two "OUT" relays and sends power to the winch to turn the motor reverse. If you push the "IN" for the cable to come back into the winch a 12 volt contact is made and a ground contact is made. This energizes the two "IN" relays and sends power to the winch to turn the motor forward.

The ground wire to the relays being switched creates a slight dilemma at first. But this dilemma turns into an added safety feature to our project. We decided to add a second switch at the relay pack for the ground. When the switch is on the dash control will work and when the switch is off the dash control will not function. This will prevent someone who is not familiar with your vehicle from using your winch.

With the wires that you ran from the dash, run the green wire to the front right relay terminal (marked "IN" relay in figure 7). Run the black wire to the terminal marked "OUT" relay in figure 7. Run the white wire to the terminal marked 12 Volt in figure 7.

Install the on-off toggle switch by drilling a hole in the backing plate of the relay pack as shown in figure 8. Locate the red 16 gauge ground wire that is going from the winch to the factory controller plug. Cut this wire, leaving enough room for the wire to reach the new switch. Run the red ground wire to the new switch and add an new wire from the same side of the switch back up to the red wire going into the factory controller plug. Now on the other side of the switch run a new wire to the ground side of the relay marked new relay ground in figure 8.

After you have your wiring completed you are ready for a test of your dash switch. Make sure the switch located at the relay pack is in the on position and test the switch. If the winch does not go in the direction you want when pushing it up or down you can reverse the green and black leads at the dash switch to change the direction. Now you can install the parts that you set aside in figure 4 and reinstall the module cover. Put the module back in place and reinstall the dash pieces. Put the relay pack cover back on and secure the wire between the dash switch and the relay pack. Your factory winch controller will function the same way it did before the project. Make sure you turn the switch at the relay pack back off and your project is completed.


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