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I am installing 1G battery cables and was wondering if it is okay to find a good ground in the engine compartment like the fenderwell after sanding to bear metal. I want this instead of using the engine block. The wire is only 14 inches so I think this would work out great.
When I upgraded my battery cables I went with two grounds. One from the engine to the engine block, like stock, and one for the block to the frame. I didn't trust the thin stock ground between the head and firewall, although I left it in place for extra insurance. It always seems like 4X4 rigs are losing their grounds due to being bounced around on trails, so I like having a little extra grounding surface. Good Luck
You want a ground going from the battery to the block, one from the battery to the frame rail, and one from the block to the frame rail. Be sure that all cables are heavy duty. All the bouncing around and flexing of the frame, you want all the grounds you can get because you dont want electricity flowing somewhere it shouldnt as bad things can happen.
What bad things happen? I was curious because I had a bad ground and jeep ran real bad stalled, ect. Fixed the bad ground but still have the same big bad issue with it so what could have happened if electricity flowed where it shouldn't have.This girl is just getting to understand and learn about these grounds on a jeep.
Okay say if I had the bad ground and electricity flowed where it shouldn't could it effect my fuel pump relay which has been replaced and does kill the jeep when pulled out but no longer clicks during the ignition/ fuel pump priming stage? Or could I have fried some of the fuseable links in the area of my starter relay, but it seems those tested fine afterwards.
I did a search and can't find it. Need to know if I buy welding cable to go to stock locations, what length cables do I need for the positive and negative? thanks
I did a search and can't find it. Need to know if I buy welding cable to go to stock locations, what length cables do I need for the positive and negative? thanks
A lot of years will require different lengths. You will just have to use a tape measure.
OR...
You could do what I did and get in touch with 5-90 for a new custom set.
I got a complete set made from 1 gage welding cable with terminals crimped and heat shrinked for roughly the cost of a new OEM set. Including shipping from CA.
Even considering I have access to the tools at work, considering my time, there's no way I could have made them cheaper.
If it's of any interest to you, I've got confirmed measurements for the 1998 MY w/4.0, and they're up on my website.
For everyone - I've gotten some 4 gage cable to use for low-amp (~100A or less) and/or auxiliary grounds - haven't decided on pricing for them yet, but it's another option for those of you who'd like to add grounds between the engine and frame, or for lighting distribution and such. I wouldn't use this stuff for a case ground on a high-output alternator, but it would work well for a number of other things.
Check out my website - I'll be adding information on the 4 gage cabling soon. This still will probably be "custom-only" - so I'll tell you how to measure and total up the cost of auxiliary cabling. Guess I should order some black as well...
A lot of years will require different lengths. You will just have to use a tape measure.
OR...
You could do what I did and get in touch with 5-90 for a new custom set.
I got a complete set made from 1 gage welding cable with terminals crimped and heat shrinked for roughly the cost of a new OEM set. Including shipping from CA.
Even considering I have access to the tools at work, considering my time, there's no way I could have made them cheaper.
X2..I made a previous set and the last set was 5-90's. Great set, very complete, quick shipping...all around it was worth it. By the time I would have collected all the material, they were here.
The best of the worst would be a fuse blowing. That typically saves all the wiring and components in that circut. But worst case you could short out the wires having to replace them (think melted insulation), your ECU could be fried, or the stero could be burnt. If the wires short under the dash from a bad ground, do you really want to be driving down the road in that vehicle? Its happened to a friend of mine and burning hot wire droping out from under the dash is a very bad thing. Had to replace the entire under dash harness in his CJ just because he got lazy with wiring the ground for his radio.
Thanks for your reply, I went over all the wiring yesterday none seem fried. I don't think I have done any damage evrything works fine, no blown fuses just the stalling problem. I think I have at least isolated the problem somewhere between F.P. relay and fuelpump as now when it stalls the dang fuel pump keeps running and when ignition in run position if I press down on the new F.P. Relay it primes the new fuel pump everytime, even thou the relay is seated real good in PDC box may explain why it's running real rich and at times seems as if it is getting way to much fuel
If you run the negative battery cable to the body, then all the hundreds of amps used in cranking have to make it to the engine block and then to the starter somehow. There is a braided ground from the firewall to the head bolt, so that is the direction the current will take, but beware that if that ground gets bad, you can have some unexpected results. The computer uses its own reference ground and regulated supply to power the sensors, just to try and keep bad grounds from causing problems, but it only works so far.
I had a chevy van that I let the dealer work on about 30 years ago. They didn't replace the ground from the body to the engine. When I tore down the automatic tranny, the babbit bearings on the main shaft were virtually nonexistant. The constant current being drawn had actually erroded the bearings in great sections. The engine was getting its ground through the tranny, to the driveshaft, and through the rear axle as close as we could figure.
Oh wow hope that hasn't happened in my case. I hope it's because the original buyer seemed to put universal battery cables on it and the cable that goes from +battery post to starter relay has been spliced and the wire they used to splice(starts at + post and runs to original heavy gauge cable right before it hits the starter relay) is so little like stereo wire and the yellow crimper they used to crimp these two together is split and a little black and they wires on the cheap piece of wire are broken off quite a bit.I just can't see how I could be getting any kind of a good connection right there, worst splice job I have ever seen and of course jeep house just told me don't stock battery cables have to order. Have to say I am a little worried now, I no there was a bad ground because of the chattering relays and when the mechanic ran another ground from - battery to my fenderwell the chattering relays stopped but yet at the same time he replaced the F.P. Relay so don't no if it was a bad ground or the relay itself but stalling issue was still there hope they don't go hand in hand.
Well put new cables on or rather the originals that were factory they looked good but I still cleaned them but no help real worried now had to change oil and filter today got gas in the oil never seen that before nor do I no why she is flooding bad but still gas in the oil, dont no how good thats going to be for this new motor guess I could just strike a match
