www.iFourWinns.com

Last year at the end of the season the Maxwell 500 windlass started acting up. It would operate but speed under pull up load was 1/2 normal speed and torque was down from normal. This would happen sporadically and would typically throw the breaker near the battery switch. If I pull the anchor up by hand , it will spin normally and dispense the rode in the locker. Thinking it might be the motor, I removed it at the end of the season and took it to a motor repair shop. They couldn't find anything wrong with it so I reinstalled it at the beginning of the season and it worked fine exactly one time before acting up again. I've checked and cleaned the connections at the battery and still I'm having problems. Has anyone else had problems with these?

My next thought was to use a volt meter to see if there is a ground problem or high resistance. I'm having trouble finding the solenoid reversing pack. Where did Four Winns put it and how do you access it? Any other ideas on troubleshooting

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2014 Vista V435
2011 Glastron GT180
2013 Sea Doo RXT-260

I can't view this at work, but there is some troubleshooting for the 500 in this thread.
Hope it helps.

https://www.my.boatus.com/forum/forum_p ... 5573&PN=10

And a couple of more links that may help.

http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-for ... stion.html

http://www.seastriper.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8026

I'm sure you are also aware that Maxwell has discontinued the Freedom 500 windlass, so down the road, support may be a bit more difficult to obtain.
Maxwell Ceases Production of the Freedom

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Bill

In my 318 the reversing pack is in the achor locker just forward of the windlass.

I have to agree it sounds like a connection issue with either power or ground.

Good Luck.

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Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

Verify that the breaker is the correct size. I had an issue where the windlass would trip the breaker until I dug into it an found an 85 amp breaker where a 105 was needed. Upgraded the breaker and all my issues went away. Under no load it usually worked fine but under load, it would trip.

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Jnizi

2007 Vista 338 "Better Yet"
Previously:
2007 Vista 258 " Just Right"
2005 Horizon 230

getting closer.... after some checking we were able to determine that the windlass was drawing close to 100 amps at a voltage of ~10.5. Our conclusion was that the electrical power was getting there so I ordered a new motor knowing it was that or the gear drive. I just didn't want to tear into the gear box yet. Well, turns out the new motor did exactly as the old one

Took the gear motor out and was surpised how easy it was to do. Now I'm kicking myself because I disassembled it to find absolutely NO oil in it The worm gear is heat checked, the bronze driven gear has taken some abuse because I can see tooth wear and literally 1000's of little bronze shavings in the case. Since I don't have replacement parts and can't get them by the weekend, I cleaned it and refilled with gear oil. If it works, I'll run to the end of the season and make this a winter project More to come!

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2014 Vista V435
2011 Glastron GT180
2013 Sea Doo RXT-260

If you are getting 10.5 volts at the motor under load! That tells me one of 2 thing (or both), ether the wiring is TOO small or there is corrosion. Which in ether case, will burn out you'er motor and/or keep popping the breaker. In ether case, I would upgrade at least 2 sizes up. So, if the wire is #8, I would go to a 4 gauge. You will see your amps drop.

Why 2 sizes up, first off, the cost difference in not that much. And if corrosion starts to set in, the voltage drop to start will not harm the motor. Just remember to use marine wire, it is tinned!!

Heh, timely advice. Mine slips when trying to pull it up. I recall having to adjust it a few years ago. Might be time to do it again. But I had no idea there was oil in there (which, duh, makes sense). I'll have to check mine.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Windlass works like a charm with oil in it (Duh). Pulls fast and strong now. Anyone with a Freedom windlass, I highly recommend periodic checks making sure the correct amount of oil is in the gearbox.

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2014 Vista V435
2011 Glastron GT180
2013 Sea Doo RXT-260

It have the same windlass and recently my breaker as been tripping as well when driving forward and pulling up anchore. How do I check the size of the breaker and how do I check to see if the gearbox for the Maxwell freedom 500 has oil in it. Do I check it on the bow or below where the rode goes. It likely has never been check.

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Mike
2001 Four Winns 328
Midland, ON, Canada
Cruising Georgian Bay
Previous boats: Doral Monticello and Chris Craft Scorpion

Checking the oil level requires removal of the mirror at the fwd berth and unscrewing the access port behind it. Then on the gearbox there is a sight glass on the end of the worm screw. It's a clear plastic screw on cover the size of a quarter. If the oil is not half way its low. What you are describing is similar to what I experienced before it got worse and wouldn't even reliably lift the anchor. Good luck!

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2014 Vista V435
2011 Glastron GT180
2013 Sea Doo RXT-260

What is the worm screw? Is it the vertical shaft? Looking through my forward berth behind the mirror I see a vertical shaft directly below the windlass on the bow. At the bottom of the vertical shaft is metal cap/nut with a metal pin securing it from undoing. It is the size of a quarter but I don't think it is plastic. It I remove it, I am worried that all contents inside will drain. Not sure what it is but it doesn't look like what you are talking about.

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Mike
2001 Four Winns 328
Midland, ON, Canada
Cruising Georgian Bay
Previous boats: Doral Monticello and Chris Craft Scorpion

Mike, the worm screw is driven by the DC motor and drives the main gear that turns the vertical shaft of the windlass. The owners manual is here under the "Freedom" tab:

http://www.maxwellmarine.com/support_manuals.php

You can see all the parts on page 7 & 8. The site glass is item #54 there in the manual

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2014 Vista V435
2011 Glastron GT180
2013 Sea Doo RXT-260

-wrong thread-

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Thanks for the manual referal. My sight glass was not facing me when I looked through the the hole behind the mirror. Thank goodness for my wife's cosmetic mirror as I was able to view the sight glass using her mirror. It looked completely full with oil. I am not sure why my windlass breaker trips sometimes. I may need some grease on some of the windlass parts. I am also trying to drive up to the anchore more with the motors rather than have the windlass pull the boat up to the anchore and use the boat's motors to lift the anchore. Today, I just got back from a weekend trip and the breaker didn't trip this time. I wll keep monitoring the situation.

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Mike
2001 Four Winns 328
Midland, ON, Canada
Cruising Georgian Bay
Previous boats: Doral Monticello and Chris Craft Scorpion

The windlass will trip if it's pulling with more force than just lifting the anchor. It's not designed to break the anchor loose from the bottom. For that it's usually better to move the boat forward with the engines and let that break it loose. Then use the windlass to pull it up. Mine never trips if I do it this way.

I added a washdown hose at the bow to clean the muck off.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista