IMPORTANT ELECTRICAL INFORMATION (Long!)
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 792
Likes: 19
From: ME
Well today I opened up both of my ground plugs and found maybe two or three of the pins really covered in the corrosion like Bill found. I wire brushed the corrosion off and put some dielectric grease on the pins. Also I just brushed some of the dielectric on the stud and nut as well to keep them from corroding. Just wanted to report!
Thread Starter
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,396
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Yes I did! I drove the car most of the year. Didnt drive it if it was real nasty out. If the roads were clear I would consider it good to take it out.
Riddle me this! Why would one connector be all hosed up and the other (they are in the exact same location just opsite sides) be like new???
For those of you who think this is only road salt and weather related, when you wash your car, the water runs right in on those connectors.
If your having electrical issues that come and go or are being told that an expensive component needs to be replaced, I would have a look at the ground connections first! Could save you LOT's of bucks!!
Just my 2 cents
Riddle me this! Why would one connector be all hosed up and the other (they are in the exact same location just opsite sides) be like new???
For those of you who think this is only road salt and weather related, when you wash your car, the water runs right in on those connectors.
If your having electrical issues that come and go or are being told that an expensive component needs to be replaced, I would have a look at the ground connections first! Could save you LOT's of bucks!!
Just my 2 cents
Last edited by Bill Curlee; Nov 25, 2004 at 11:15 AM.
Thread Starter
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,396
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
As the weather turns NASTY and things start to get damp, some of you will start to see flukey electrical issues. Before you take it to the dealer or a shop and spend money to replace stuff, give the procedure in this post some consideration and try cleaning the grounds to solve the issue.
Bill C
Bill C
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Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,979
Likes: 5
From: San Diego, CA "leaf" "tee" "e"
My car has been throwing codes what I start up almost every morning, so I finally did this. Broke the stud on the passenger side, even though I hit it with PB Blaster. Bill, even though you wrote up the part about the self tapping screw, I didn't heed this instructions enough attention, so I set up a wire with eye-ring at both ends, bolted together the ground connectors to one end, and ran the other end to the radiator cover bolt. Everything ran fine afterwards. I won't keep it like this, but hopefully it runs well long enough for me to find some self tapping screws.
Other notes: Those ground connectors were a serious PITA for me to take apart.....and when is this going to be Tech Tip or a sticky? This thread needs to be preserved!
Other notes: Those ground connectors were a serious PITA for me to take apart.....and when is this going to be Tech Tip or a sticky? This thread needs to be preserved!
Thread Starter
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,396
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
leaftye
Take a look for the screw at Home Depot! They have boxes full of them! All shapes and sizes! Just find one with a hex head and it only needs to be about 3/8" long! Drill a starter hole in the frame and use a ratchet wrench and a socket wrench to run the screw in! I think it works better than the original stud that GM uses.
I also put a double star washer between the screw and the eyelet to allow it to bite into the screw and the eyelet for a better connection.
Bill
Take a look for the screw at Home Depot! They have boxes full of them! All shapes and sizes! Just find one with a hex head and it only needs to be about 3/8" long! Drill a starter hole in the frame and use a ratchet wrench and a socket wrench to run the screw in! I think it works better than the original stud that GM uses.
I also put a double star washer between the screw and the eyelet to allow it to bite into the screw and the eyelet for a better connection.
Bill
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 19,847
Likes: 6,646
From: Bonneville Salt Flats
Anyone with antique car experience, especially 'glass ones, knows that grounds are a common problem, one that many who just deal with newer "iron" simply miss.
Thanks for the writeup.
After looking at that "bundle of snakes," I'd agree with the GM engineer (for once)... cut off that mess, solder the wires all together and into a real lug and be done with those two!
Thanks for the writeup.
After looking at that "bundle of snakes," I'd agree with the GM engineer (for once)... cut off that mess, solder the wires all together and into a real lug and be done with those two!
Last edited by Avanti; Dec 18, 2004 at 11:16 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,706
Likes: 2
From: Valrico Florida
Well last night I was on my way to go watch a SC'd Viper and a heavily modded Supra race and all hell broke loose. After 20 minutes of drving all most every light service warning light came on, i.e., abs, traction, etc. I immediately stopped and looked for obvious stuff and could not find anything. I drove back home and immediately got on the net and after using the search button heavily I was really worried. Well this morning I woke up and pulled the car out of the garage to get a better look. The firs thing I noticed was my battery voltage was 10.2 volts. I immediately got out to check the belts and looked at the crank pulley and it was wobbling. The weekend b4 I had just installed a ARP pulley bolt. The bolt did not walk, but I now know the alum center of my ASP pulley was worn the entire time. Well I will fix the pulley issue this coming week myself, but I swapped batteries and the warnings went away. So I think low voltage and charging issues can also trigger false DIC warnings.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,947
Likes: 2
From: Atlanta GA
great post! im having crazy electrical problems also...im going out to check all the grounds.
Are the grounds in the rear, by the tail lights hard to get to? Do you have to take off the covers in the rear compartment to get to them?
here are some of my problems...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=980577
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=981193
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=979364
red
Are the grounds in the rear, by the tail lights hard to get to? Do you have to take off the covers in the rear compartment to get to them?
here are some of my problems...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=980577
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=981193
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=979364
red
Thread Starter
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
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From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
That HOG WASH about grounding to the frame must have been thought up on some BAD CRACK TRIP! EVERYTHING is grounded to the frame!! Ground is ground! If you are worried about your very high powered stereo needing a better ground with a little bit less resistance, you cound run a wire to the ground terminal that is locater inboard of the battery (ground to the FRAME stud) !!
You have another issue that is causing your problems. Start with examining and cleaning the chassis grounds. It easy and best of all FREE!! If you have problems let me know. MAKE SURE that you completly disasemble the chassis ground connector!! Just removing it from the ground stud and cleaning the grounding lug does not fix the problem withe the corroded pins inside the connector!!
You have another issue that is causing your problems. Start with examining and cleaning the chassis grounds. It easy and best of all FREE!! If you have problems let me know. MAKE SURE that you completly disasemble the chassis ground connector!! Just removing it from the ground stud and cleaning the grounding lug does not fix the problem withe the corroded pins inside the connector!!
