Wondering why is your MIG welder wire feed motor not working? The wire feed motor may not work if it has a problem with the feeder relay, adapter connection, control lead, or other parts.
Unless you fix the issue, creating high-quality welds is not easy-going. Addressing the problem on time will save you from further damage.
Keep reading the following guide to solving it-
Why MIG Welder Wire Feed Motor Is Not Working
Knowing the main culprit of the problem should be your priority. Below are the most common causes of a MIG welder wire feed motor not working.
1. Broken Trigger Switch
The main job of a MIG welder trigger switch is to turn off the welding system and reset the system for the upcoming welding task. But, a damaged trigger switch will fail to switch off and reset the welding system.
Hence, the wire feed motor may not function correctly.
2. Damaged Control Leads
Control leads or plugs in a gun cable send the current signal to the wire feeder from the MIG gun trigger. But when it is damaged, it fails to transmit the signal. This may result in the MIG welder wire feed motor not working appropriately.
3. Filthy, Blocked, or Defective Liner
Do you notice any cracking sounds while doing MIG welding?
A filthy, blocked, or defective liner can be a root cause for not working the wire feed motor of the MIG welder. After all, it is failing to guide the welding wire.
4. Defective Feeder Relay
Have you experienced any short circuit issues between one or several phases?
If yes, your feeder relay might be faulty. Unless you replace the part, the wire feed motor will not work.
5. Bad Adapter Connection
Is your MIG adapter directly connected to an adapter to make a connection from the gun to the feeder? When there is a poor adapter connection, it fails to use spooked wire wheels. As a result, the wire feed motor doesn’t function correctly.
6. Inconsistent Wire Feeding
Does your MIG welder add welding material to the weld seam inconsistently?
If your contact tip, drive rolls, or liner has any issues, you may experience this issue. Erratic wire feeding will result in improper functionality of the wire feed motor of the MIG welder.
7. Contact Tip Issues
A contact tip plays a crucial role in transferring current to the wire and producing an arc. But if it is broken or has quality degradation significantly, the MIG welder will fail to add welding material consistently.
This will prevent the MIG welder wire feed not to work appropriately.
How to Fix the Problem
Sometimes, a hard, expensive job can be easy if you figure out the problem accurately. Here are the possible ways to solve the problem of the wire feed motor of the MIG welder not working correctly.
a) Inspect the Wire Quality
Have you checked the wire quality of your MIG welder?
If you have not used the welding machine for a long time or don’t regularly do the maintenance task, the wire feed motor of the MIG welder may jam up.
Keep unspooling the wire feed until you see clean pieces of wire. As a regular part of the maintenance job, use a disposable or bin bag to dab around the feed wire after disconnecting it from the motor. If your see any problem in wire, change it.
b) Maintain the Right Pressure Level for the Wire Spool
Does the wire spool have too much or too less pressure? Maintaining an ideal tension is crucial to achieving a smooth turn for the wire spool. Keep the drive rolls loose initially and increase the pressure over time based on the requirement.
Don’t forget to set up the essential settings and parameters at the right level. Also, the wire size needs to be matched with the inlet guides. But replacing the drive rolls is necessary if you still fail to operate the wire feed motor of the MIG welder correctly.
c) Use the Right Contact Tips
There should be compatibility between the wire size and the contact tip. Usually, extreme heat will cause expansion issues for the contact tip. It is a solid rule of thumb to use a 0.1mm extra oversize tip to avoid the jamming issue.
If the tip is damaged, change it immediately.
d) Select the Correct Torch Liner
Are you using an oversized or undersized torch liner? Too large or small wire liners will result in jamming problems.
Also, torch liners need to be compatible with a particle wire. It would help if you used polymer or Teflon liners for aluminum wires and steel liners for steel wires.
The Prevention to Be Taken Before the Problem Arise
MIG welder wire feed motor will not work flawlessly for a lifetime. After a specific time, it will show various issues. But, the following prevention activities can ensure long-lasting service.
- Regularly check out the contact tip to see any damage and spatter accumulation.
- Make sure to install the guide tube correctly at the right location. It needs to have the correct size too.
- Always keep an eye on the adapter. It should not have a bad connection. Test its connection using a multimeter. If it is bad, replace it.
- Ensuring size and style compatibility between the wire and drive roll is crucial. Also, keep your eyes open to check the wire quality on the wire feeder.
- Trimming the liner to an ideal length and keeping the cable straight is necessary. Plus, make sure there should be no debris buildup in the liner.
Final Thought
So, haven’t you finally figured out the root cause of why the MIG welder wire is feed motor not working?
We believe you did. Consider each reason we have mentioned and see whether you are facing the same issue. Then, address the problem quickly to avoid severe damage.
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