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Need Help with Electrical Grounds

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Old Apr 18, 2018 | 10:43 AM
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Default Need Help with Electrical Grounds

I have been having electrical problems with my 86. I would like to be sure all the grounds are clean and tightly connected. I need help finding all the locations of the grounds.

Thanks
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Old Apr 18, 2018 | 11:14 AM
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The easiest thing to do is to get the service manual, and while that's not a very satisfying answer, it is correct.
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Old Apr 18, 2018 | 11:21 AM
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Thanks to Cliff Harris for this link:

http://home.earthlink.net/~cliff_har...s/grounds.html
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Old Apr 18, 2018 | 11:24 AM
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This is the only ground in an '86 that I don't believe the FSM has an image of. If you search this forum for G201 you should find threads mentioning '86 grounds. Look for posts by Cliff Harris maybe.

There's nothing like having the FSM available.

Do you have one? The info is there if you do. In the 8A-201 section are many helpful images for components etc. The 8A section for diagnostics.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1595481520

***Looks like DH pointed you to Cliff's 'direct link'. All of his images are from the 8A-201 section of a FSM.

Last edited by WVZR-1; Apr 18, 2018 at 11:26 AM.
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Old Apr 18, 2018 | 11:26 AM
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Originally Posted by don hall
Thanks to Cliff Harris for this link
Cliff's been a largely unlauded asset here for many years.
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Old Apr 18, 2018 | 02:48 PM
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Hello,
I have a 1988 coupe and I let it set for a couple years. A BAD move on my part. When I tried to start the car the fuel pump would not prime and everything inside the car was for the most part inoperative.

I found the stud behind the battery that has a nice red wire going to it and it has several wires mounted here. This is where the interior gets a fair amount of it's power from the battery. The fusible links connect to the stud and take the power everywhere. My stud was covered in corrosion. I removed all the connectors and cleaned each one completely and then re-assembled the connections and I put a bit of non-conductive grease on it to keep it corrosion free.

The next big issue I had was the fuse panel over by the passengers end of the dashboard. The fuses "looked" okay but allowed no current or voltage thru them. I cleaned the Fuse sockets and replaced the fuses with better quality ones.

After these two major projects my car had good solid grounds and full battery voltage at the accessories. My radio had full battery voltage instead of the 9.6 volts it had before post cleaning.

When I started with my car I went from the battery and tested resistance and voltage. The engine block is very important to keep grounded. When you look at these cars you will see that there are several ground straps, each of them is there for some reason. I found a broken one, upon replacing it my radio antenna started working.

In my 1988 Factory Service manual it has pages showing where the different grounds are located. If you still have a problem getting something to work with just PM me and I will copy the ones from my 1988 manual.

There is one tool I have mentioned several times here. The "Power Probe" is one of the handiest tools for fixing electrical issues. I bought mine on amazon and use them regularly on my fleet. This tool connects to the battery and then using the 20' cable you can go anywhere in the car and apply either full battery voltage or battery Ground where ever you put the tip of the tool. A rocker switch determines what you apply (+) or (-) at the tip. Otherwise the tip shows you the voltage and the difference from the battery voltage. Yesterday I used it to fix my lawn tractor today I am working on new cooling fan control system for my 1968 L71 Convertible.

Thank you for your Dedication and Service to this GREAT Country of ours!

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Old Apr 19, 2018 | 09:55 AM
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Default 86 grounds

Originally Posted by don hall
Thanks to Cliff Harris for this link:

http://home.earthlink.net/~cliff_har...s/grounds.html
Thank you Cliff. This is just what I needed. Again Thank You
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