Smoking 12 Volt Hoist Motor

[Matt42]

We have a roughtly 15 year old Venturo CT-2003 non-folding hoist with a 12 volt motor. As far as I know, it is on its second motor. We are currently using an Optima D34M "blue top" deep cycle AGM type battery for operation, which we keep charged with an external charger. We have purchased a new Optima D31T "yellow top" dual purpose battery (1125 crank amps at 32F), which will replace the older "blue top. "



After a few seconds operation, a light, continuous tuft of gray smoke blows slowly out the vent hole beneath the motor, above the gear case. This takes place whether the batty is the sole power source, or if the charger is also in operation. The battery begins at about 13. 5 volts, and will drop to about 12. 2 under no-load conditions. With the charger hooked up, the voltages are slightly higher. We have not yet tried the new battery.



When the original motor had the same symptom, it failed about a month later. We would like to avoid that, but we do have a spare motor.



Any thoughts on what would cause the smoke problem? Should we not be using an AGM-type battery? (In our 110F-plus weather, an AGM battery like an Optima is the only type that lasts more than a few months. )



I suspect I've posted this in the wrong forum. We do tow the trailer behind a diesel, with a 2004 on order.

 

[illflem]

Does it do it even when the winch isn't under load?

Almost sounds like it's overloaded.

Maybe a gearbox problem or motor alignment to the gearbox?

Highly doubt the power source is causing the problem.

 

[Matt42]

Hoist

It does it even when unloaded. It sounds like it always did, lifts heavy things, and so on. The motor smokes and eventually gives out. I checked the gear oil when the problem first developed, and the tech also inspected the oil during the OSHA inspection last month.



A real puzzler, and a pain when it quits outside of Lincoln, MT, or Osceola, NV.

 

[illflem]

Lincoln, ehh? Been pulling out Unabomber cabins?

Try checking out the motor attachment to the gear box. Could be when it starts turning the gears it goes a little off kilter and binds.

 

[krs]

If it's a capacitor start motor that'd be the first place I'd look. The capacitor usually resides in a small housing attached to the motor and are electriccal 'cans' -often back. Find the numbers on it and change it, they're cheap. If there's more than one lok for one that has burn marks or oil on it's outside.



An electric motor will burn if operated on voltage below their rating rather than slight overvoltage. If possible try to see that the charging system for the motor battery is running when you use this motor.



No offence meant by asking you if you're sure that you're not just asking this motor to work harder than it's capacity? The hoist should have a plate listing it's maximum lifting ability. The motor should have been spec'd to handle that amount. Exceeding it could bring a smoked motor.