Tony, this is not an uncommon experience. Your pal is correct: winches needs to be powered out and powered in under pressure every month or six weeks to keep the internals working, and to drive out any moisture that can and does get in when driving in rain or through water. A winch is exposed to the elements and takes a pounding. Good maintenance advice is to clean the winch cable (lightly oil steel, clean synthetic), check the terminals, ensure the battery connection is good (take off and clean the terminals if necessary), and check the remote control cable and connector. Your winch might have to be stripped; ask your local 4×4 fitment centre for help with this.
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