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Registered
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Greenfield, IN
Posts: 412
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Ground wire getting hot when cranked, won't start...hrm
Well, I just got done doing some winter mods, including a RS bumper, new brakes, new top, center console w/ guages, etc. Now the damn car won't start. It cranks, but that's it. The ground wire, right where it attaches to the battery, is getting very warm (even hot) ONLY while I crank it over. I assume this is not normal. I did relocate the battery to the smuggler's box... could I possibly have a bad ground? Could this cause it to not start? It's cranking over just fine; does the ignition coil require even more juice than the starter? Not sure what else could cause this. I didn't do anything in the engine bay yet (dropping the motor this week, but wanted to start it one last time before I did...good thing to or I'd assume the problem was in the engine bay). I did minor electrical stuff; disconnected the A/C, foglights, cruise control, installed a daytime headlight relay, a cooler fan, etc...nothing that should effect the car starting. Any ideas???
Colby |
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03-26-2003, 10:12 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Marysville Wa.
Posts: 22,431
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hot usually means a poor connection, ie: resistance. the stuff that makes a bulb light up. where is the strap connected now? same place as it was? is the other strap from the trans to body clean and tight?
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https://www.instagram.com/johnwalker8704 8009 103rd pl ne Marysville Wa 98270 206 637 4071 |
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03-26-2003, 10:20 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Greenfield, IN
Posts: 412
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I dont remember exactly where it's attached; I used a large factory bolt already in place within reach of the factory ground strap, and cleaned it up w/ sandpaper (I guess not well enough). I believe it was the sheetmetal on the "floor" to the side or behind the smuggler's box. If the ground is getting hot, then there is too much resistance which means the coil probably isn't getting what it needs to spark...right?
Colby |
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03-26-2003, 10:25 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: D.C. Suburbia
Posts: 731
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Couple of things - first, the coil does not draw more current than the starter. Try a simple experiment - with someone cranking the starter, put one lead of a voltmeter on the negative battery post (not the cable but the post) and the other at somewhere on the chassis and measure the voltage drop. You should close to 0V dropped, esp close to the battery. Any appreciable voltage (> 0.5V) means you have a bad cable or connection somewhere in the ground path. 0.5V at 60-80A is 30-40W of electricity that is being turned into heat. You know how hot a 40W lightbulb gets...
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Chris M 1985 911 Carrera w/ 3.6 |
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03-26-2003, 10:48 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: gatlinburg tn
Posts: 752
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try a bigger and shorter ground lead.
edit. the battery connection may look good on the outside and be internaly corroded. do the voltage drop test.
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72 911t grey/black mine 74 914 2.0 black/ tan hers 02 g500 black/black womanproof 01 f250 psd dirty the mule 60 correct craft starflite cool 69 correct craft torino hauls butt 72 correct craft ski nautique fun 66 vw 1500s will finish someday Last edited by tryan; 03-26-2003 at 11:45 AM.. |
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03-26-2003, 11:43 AM
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Join Date: May 2000
Location: Los Alamos, NM, USA
Posts: 6,044
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I strongly suggest you check the body to transmission ground strap underneath the car on the passenger side at the front of the transmission. This provides the main current return path (ground) for the starter and if it is disconnected or of high resistance then the starter return current will find another path forward including through the clutch cable (cooks the wires and ruins the temper!) and any other small ground straps. Good luck, Jim
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03-26-2003, 11:51 AM
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