Warn XD9000i Ground Issue

Long story short got xd9000i and a disconnect lead. Installed the Power to the Alternator connector on the retarded 3 bank battery connection and the negative to well the negative post. Installed the winch connected the leads and nothing. I pulled the cover and made sure everything on the inside and outside of the winch was snug and no random kinks or cuts in the wiring. I also broke out my handy dandy volt meter and started testing connections. Through some trial and error I got the winch to spool in and out. But only if I added a separate ground wire and ran it to the brown wires on the noids. When I dont have the random wire on the noid, they don' make a sound. But as soon as i ground the brown wire (anyone of them) thing will spool and unspool.

Winch is 3 years old but was never installed or hooked up. That is what the PO said, and im inclined to believe him considering it looks brand new.

Things I have considered but not sure of but have checked and reattached about a dozen times so far.

-Negative lead from battery to disconnect
-Disconnect to Winch Motor
-Winch motor ground to controller port
-Have a Harbor Freight wireless control- possible issue with ground?
-The internal motor ground? or am I making stuff up?


Things I know

-Damn thing works ( go's in and out )
-Im not a electrician
-Im tired and I'm cold




The brown wires seemed to be all jumping off one another until the last one which had a lead that goes into the plugin.
Anyone of those brown wires gets hit with a ground wire the winch will respond to commands.






PLEASE HELP!!!

do a search on Warn Winch XD9000i Wiring-Diagram, there are a lot of diagrams online, you should be able to get what you need

I figured it out. The Badlands wireless remote was not getting grounded through the plug. I tested the motor ground with a meter and it ohm'ed good so im going to chalk it up to a compatibility issue.



For future searchers, all I did to the Badland receiver was drill out the antenna whole (green wire). Spliced into the receivers ground (black wire) and put some rtv around the whole to seal it. Has about a second delay going in/out. I wouldn't rely on the unit as a main controller but it'll work in a pinch.