P1000 'Official' Honda Warn winch - install advice needed.

[GGreen]

I bought the Warn 4500# Honda winch and install kit when I bought my Pioneer. Having finished my lightbar, backup alarm, mats, switch plate, dual battery setup, etc., I set out to tackle the winch today.

Holy crap! The instructions may as well read, "Dismantle machine entirely from front to back. Drain fluids, remove air from tires, then call your Mother. You're going to need help."

101 steps on 27 pages, half of which have to be done in reverse order after you get the 101 done, to reassemble the machine. No wonder my dealer wanted almost $700 to do the install. I thought they were trying to gouge me. I see now, this would probably take a tech a day. I'm guessing it will take me two if I follow the instructions. (C'mon, Honda! Remove the seat, door, floors, and most of the bodywork? You should fire the people who designed this.)

So: Anyone have some advice for me? How much of this actually has to be done to install this puppy?

 

[Admin]

 

[Hondasxs]

Hahah... We have several post about how overboard the instructions are..

For the 1000, Installing is a breeze compared to the 700. Most all of it can be wired under the hood there.
Dont over think it, if you did all that stuff you can knock the winch out in a hour or so.

 

[Hondasxs]

This might help P1000 - Pioneer 1000 Terra45 Winch Install.

 

[GGreen]

This might help P1000 - Pioneer 1000 Terra45 Winch Install.

I appreciate the link, but my issue isn't how to wire it. The Honda prewired harnesses take care of all that. The issue is there's no access to where you have to plug them in. Even if I find a way around the ground wire routing, I still have to take the front end apart and remove the instrument panel to get at the accessory and harness plugs to install the winch accessory harness. To add insult to injury, I also have to undo every mod I've done to the machine so far, and then reinstall those, too.

I'm so PO'd at Honda right now, I'd return this rig if I could. I've never seen a worse design. The kicker is that a few extra feet of wire preinstalled at the factory would make this cake. If I were the President of Honda Powersports, I'd be embarrassed that I let this go to market this way.

There, I said it.

 

[sharp]

I appreciate the link, but my issue isn't how to wire it. The Honda prewired harnesses take care of all that. The issue is there's no access to where you have to plug them in. Even if I find a way around the ground wire routing, I still have to take the front end apart and remove the instrument panel to get at the accessory and harness plugs to install the winch accessory harness. To add insult to injury, I also have to undo every mod I've done to the machine so far, and then reinstall those, too.

I'm so PO'd at Honda right now, I'd return this rig if I could. I've never seen a worse design. The kicker is that a few extra feet of wire preinstalled at the factory would make this cake. If I were the President of Honda Powersports, I'd be embarrassed that I let this go to market this way.

There, I said it.

The only reason to take it all apart is to see where to run the wires and harness. When I did mine I didn't take anything off. You can hook up the wiring harness all by feel if you can reach up there far enough.

 

[GGreen]

The only reason to take it all apart is to see where to run the wires and harness. When I did mine I didn't take anything off. You can hook up the wiring harness all by feel if you can reach up there far enough.

Question:
You have to plug in to the back of the 12v accessory outlet in the dash. Does the old connector reconnect to anything or just hang there?

I haven't gotten under it yet, but I've tried from the top, using a mirror to help see it. No luck. Of course, having hands the size of a catcher's mitt doesn't help. Not to mention, due to a pinched nerve, my left hand is about 75% numb. Just slightly less than my skull.

 

[oldtrucks]

I threw the instructions away to start with. Removed the bumper and figured it out from there. I have the same winch you do. I found a bolt on the frame inside the right front wheel well and grounded the winch and the second battery under it. I found the mounting of the winch to be pretty straight forward for me but I've been doing this kind of stuff most of my life so I might have a bit of an advantage over a lot of people.

 

[GGreen]

I threw the instructions away to start with. Removed the bumper and figured it out from there. I have the same winch you do. I found a bolt on the frame inside the right front wheel well and grounded the winch and the second battery under it. I found the mounting of the winch to be pretty straight forward for me but I've been doing this kind of stuff most of my life so I might have a bit of an advantage over a lot of people.

How did you make the connection to the accessory outlet?

 

[tbaker]

I wish Honda would do like Polaris does most of the new Polaris models have a power bar under the hood and all you do is just plug it in and your done the accessories come ready to just run the wires and plug them in. and no I don't want a Polaris.

 

[sharp]

Question:
You have to plug in to the back of the 12v accessory outlet in the dash. Does the old connector reconnect to anything or just hang there?

I haven't gotten under it yet, but I've tried from the top, using a mirror to help see it. No luck. Of course, having hands the size of a catcher's mitt doesn't help. Not to mention, due to a pinched nerve, my left hand is about 75% numb. Just slightly less than my skull.

It's been a while since I did mine. If I remember the harness has 3 connectors. One plugs into the back of the accessory the other plugs into the connector that was plugged into the accessory and the third goes to the winch. It's aggravating I know, but you can do it by feel. Reach up from under the front passenger wheel to get to the accessory plug.

 

[GGreen]

It's been a while since I did mine. If I remember the harness has 3 connectors. One plugs into the back of the accessory the other plugs into the connector that was plugged into the accessory and the third goes to the winch. It's aggravating I know, but you can do it by feel. Reach up from under the front passenger wheel to get to the accessory plug.

Back out into the shop, and I said damn the scars and what's a little blood, anyway? Managed to attach it from the top. A pain in the butt (and arm) but no stitches needed. The cable to the winch itself I'm not worried about, I'll just snake that down, and I'm going to look for a ground spot in the wheel well for the ground lead. The frame's the frame, don't really see why it needs to travel to the back of the vehicle.

Thanks!

(And I'd still fire the entire engineering team that signed off on this, or the accountrant that didn't approve the $2.50 worth of extra cable it would have taken to make this an easy job. They spent a ton of time money putting together those cockamamie directions, which I note they've had to revise!)

 

[GGreen]

I wish Honda would do like Polaris does most of the new Polaris models have a power bar under the hood and all you do is just plug it in and your done the accessories come ready to just run the wires and plug them in. and no I don't want a Polaris.

Amen to that. Or maybe Honda should just hire a few Polaris engineers.

 

[GGreen]

I threw the instructions away to start with. Removed the bumper and figured it out from there. I have the same winch you do. I found a bolt on the frame inside the right front wheel well and grounded the winch and the second battery under it. I found the mounting of the winch to be pretty straight forward for me but I've been doing this kind of stuff most of my life so I might have a bit of an advantage over a lot of people.

Did you go to the trouble of shortening the ground cable or just coil it up and cable tie it?

Thanks for the idea!

 

[sharp]

Did you go to the trouble of shortening the ground cable or just coil it up and cable tie it?

Thanks for the idea!

Either way will work fine.