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Old Aug 24, 2013 | 06:07 PM
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I'm under the car replacing the negative battery cable, which is bolted to the frame. I notice what looks to be about a 16 gauge wire with a eye type terminal. I can't tell where to wire is coming from, but it looks like it should have been bolted to the frame along with the negative battery cable.. Long enought to do so. Does anyone have any clue what this wire may be for??? May a ground, but for what??
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Old Aug 24, 2013 | 07:11 PM
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Off the top of my head I couldn't tell you. But my 1980 is on jack stands and I can look at it tomorrow and let you know tomorrow night.
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Old Aug 24, 2013 | 07:57 PM
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If it's a black wire with a large 'closed' terminal, that's probably the ground wire that is supposed to be attached at one of the two [lower] starter mounting bolts. I think it is the ground for the wiper/washer motor.
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Old Aug 24, 2013 | 08:50 PM
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Hi 401,
Here'a a typical location for the ground wire connection 7T1 describes. You can also see where it exits the engine harness.
Is this where the wire you're asking about is located?
Regards,
Alan

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Old Aug 24, 2013 | 08:54 PM
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Damn Alan, do you ever DRIVE that car? Where's the dirt ?!!!
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Old Aug 24, 2013 | 09:47 PM
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It's all on MY car............
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Old Aug 25, 2013 | 08:38 AM
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On my '76, that ground wire was for the fan blower. It also effected my door ajar i.e. if the door was open, the fan worked. If the door was closed, the fan didn't work. I grounded that black wire to the starting motor (which was just hanging there) and problems solved.
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Old Aug 25, 2013 | 09:21 AM
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As I said, I was replacing the negative battery cable. On my 1980 it's bolted to the frame which is right under the battery compartment. The wire may even be a 14 gauge but I don't think any bigger, with a aluminum ring type terminal. It's only about long enough to reach where the negative cable is to be bolted. The Starter is a pretty long way from there. So I don't think it would go to the starter. I've had the car for 5 years, and all the time Everything has always worked as it should. Except for One thing. The rear window deforster. I've checked fuses and circuit breakers, but nothing. I Don't want to assume that this wire is for it. Besides I'm doing some work to the car and cannot start it right now to test that theory. Trying not to screw anything up. lol Thanks....
Assumption is the mother of all F up's.
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Old Aug 25, 2013 | 09:22 AM
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Originally Posted by havesometo
Off the top of my head I couldn't tell you. But my 1980 is on jack stands and I can look at it tomorrow and let you know tomorrow night.
Yes, that would be great. Thanks..
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Old Aug 25, 2013 | 12:43 PM
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What color is the wire? Grounds are usually black.
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Old Aug 25, 2013 | 12:58 PM
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Hi 401,
As my 76 asked (color) and also, where does the wire come out of the harness. That may be a clue as to what it is.
Regards,
Alan
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Old Aug 25, 2013 | 07:04 PM
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My '81 does not have an additional wire where the neg battery cable attaches to the frame. Perhaps a previous owner added something..??

Think your only choices are to trace the wire or just reconnect it and forget about it.
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Old Aug 25, 2013 | 07:50 PM
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Smartest thing to do is trace it to where it leads. Do not just hook it up asssssuming its ground. You could always turn on everything on your car if your able and put a test light on it, to see if its hot, but tracing it is best.
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Old Aug 25, 2013 | 07:51 PM
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I was back under my 1980 today and I took a look at it for you. It does the main ground wire and a smaller black wire maybe a 12 of 14 gauge wire together on the frame.
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Old Aug 26, 2013 | 12:07 AM
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Originally Posted by havesometo
I was back under my 1980 today and I took a look at it for you. It does the main ground wire and a smaller black wire maybe a 12 of 14 gauge wire together on the frame.
To be clear. You said: It does the main ground wire and a smaller black wire.
Did you mean that yours also does have a small 14 or so guage wire and it is mounted to the frame WITH your negative cable?? Is this what you meant??
If this is so, maybe it is the ground wire for my rear window defrosters that has not worked since I bought the car, which I mentioned in a earlier post. Maybe the negative cable was disconnected from the frame for some reason before I bought the car and they missed hooking the wire back up. I tried to see where the wire was coming from but cannot. I'll wait on your reply before I hook it up. Thank You for your help..
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Old Aug 26, 2013 | 12:08 AM
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Originally Posted by my 76 ray
What color is the wire? Grounds are usually black.
It's black.
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Old Aug 26, 2013 | 05:37 AM
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Yes it is hooked to the frame under the same bold with the main ground. And yes it is black.
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Old Aug 26, 2013 | 09:47 AM
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Originally Posted by havesometo
Yes it is hooked to the frame under the same bold with the main ground. And yes it is black.
Great! But one more question. Is there anything you can think of that you are someone else may have ADDED that this ground wire may be for? If not, then it most likely is factory. If so I'm now hoping this is my rear window defroster problem. As I said earlier, they have never worked since I purchased the car 5 years ago. All else does. I've tried to find the problem, checking the fuse and circuit breaker. I have power to the switch and the switch also seems to be good. My next option was to go to the inside rear. I was planning on checking things out back there next spring when I'm going to pull my carpet and put down some sound installation. But now finding this ground wire, I hope I accidently found the problem. I'll let you know in a week or two when I can run it. THANK YOU for your responses and help...
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