The engine ground strap in your car is essential for proper electrical grounding within your vehicle. Without it, many systems within the car may not work efficiently vertically.
Once the ground strap becomes too old or too damaged, some electrical faults may occur which may impact the performance and safety of your vehicle.
This article will discuss the ten most common bad engine ground symptoms. Knowing these problems can help you minimize more damage while maximizing the smoothness of your vehicle.
What is Ground Strap?
The other names for a ground strap include the negative battery cable, ground wire, and ground cable. It can typically be identified as a thick black wire. It connects the negative terminal of the battery to the car’s chassis. This is essentially the backbone of the whole electrical system of the vehicle.
The strap facilitates the flow of all of the electrical currents within the vehicle. If the strap is faulty, many electrical issues could arise. These are not simple problems; these are major issues that will cripple your ability to drive the vehicle.
Ground Strap Location
The ground strap is usually found between the negative terminal of the battery and the body of the automobile. There is also a ground strap that connects the engine to the body of the vehicle.
Most of the time, a ground strap is easy to find because it is located somewhere that is accessible. Once you have a general idea of where the car battery is situated, the ground strap should be easy to find.
Signs of a Faulty Negative Battery Cable
It’s already good news that the symptoms of a bad ground strap are quite visible. Even though the symptoms may be mild at first, with time and no action taken toward the wire harness, the symptoms would worsen.
This is not where action should be taken. Any signs of electrical problems in your vehicle should be acted upon as soon as they are witnessed.
The following are the common signs of a faulty engine ground wire.
#1. Flickering Lights.
In the same way as having insufficient electrical energy in your household or a loose connection within your building’s wiring system, having a poor engine ground could cause vehicle lights to dim or flicker.
Headlights, tail lights, brake lights, as well as dome lights within the vehicle, can all be affected.
#2. Low Voltage.
If you have a regular multimeter, then you can check your car for the second symptom of a failing ground strap – low voltage. This essentially means that the electrical and electronic devices in your vehicle do not get the voltage they require.
As you may guess, the majority of the components that consume electrical power only operate when there is enough voltage being supplied. If there isn’t enough voltage, you’ll run into issues such as having lights that flicker, or a car entertainment system that refuses to power on.
You cannot check voltage levels without testing them, and no dash gauge or indicator shows how much voltage is being supplied. The most effective solution is a multimeter. Connect it to the battery terminals and check whether the electrical system voltage is within normal range, which is approximately 12.6 volts.
Anything below 11.5 volts indicates that the car does not have enough voltage, and is most likely due to a malfunctioning ground strap.
#3. Dead Battery.
Sadly, a malfunctioned ground strap can sometimes also cost you a dead battery. That can be a major nuisance, as it disables your car from starting, and if away from a convenient location, can leave you stranded.
There are a number of reasons a battery can die, such as a regular alternator failing to charge the battery or normal wear-and-tear.
If a car battery does die, even if all other aspects of the vehicle are functioning well, it is likely that the battery ground wire is the problem.
#4. Car Won’t Start.
A ground strap fault can trigger a chain of events which prevents the car from starting, thereby rendering the vehicle inoperable. This might occur due to a variety of reasons, including some of those mentioned earlier.
The strands of a ground strap can pull back voltage levels down so low that the starter’s solenoid does not receive adequate electrical juice to start the car. The sadness of these events can occur with or without a dead battery.
A dead battery for those reasons will guarantee ensure your car will not start.
#5. Engine Misfires or Stalling.
A ground strap failing can cause electrical signals to be sent to a variety of component regions like the ignition system or the engine control module chaotically. At this point, the engine misfires and stalling come as unexpectant surprises.
If your engine is violently idling, stuttering, or stalling when being driven, an electrical issue with the ground could be causing the system to misbehave due to the lack of proper support.
#6. Visible Ground Strap Damage.
Finally being able to see one or more of ground straps on your car and their condition therefore confirming you have a bad ground strap, is another sign of the problem.
A loose ground strap is an obvious indicator of a loose ground strap, while a worn-out ground strap visually indicates a damaged one. In conjunction with the other symptoms, a damaged strap can help reinforce the necessity for a new strap.
#7. Corroded Battery Terminals.
Ground straps are not the only components affected by corrosion, such as the terminal of the battery. The white, green, or bluish powdery mark often seen around a piece of metal is a sure sign of corrosion.
If left uncleaned, corrosion will always result in poorer ground. Performing regular inspections and frequent cleaning of the battery terminals when there are low resistance ground problems will help prevent this problem.
What Causes a Ground Strap to Break or Malfunction?
A few reasons come to mind with why a ground strap might fail. Usually, it’s a case of aging with older vehicles or those which take a lot of abuse. This could include fleet and work vehicles or cars that are used for long daily commutes.
If you drive frequently over rough ground, it is also possible that the ground cable attachment point is loose. This could be mistaken for a broken ground.
As we all know, ocean air (which is very common in Vancouver, BC) as well as the road salt used throughout Canada can also lead to the corrosion of various metal parts, including the ground cable. If you have had any other damage associated with this problem, it would certainly not be out of the question for the corrosion to affect the ground strap as well.
There is also the possibility of animals getting under the hood and wearing or loosening or even breaking the ground cable. Mice, chipmunks, rats, and squirrels often take shelter in vehicles when it gets cold. Ensure to check for chewed wires or insulation in other areas of the van or car too.
Main Ground Strap vs Secondary Ground Wires
Although extremely critical, the main ground strap is not the only thing in the modern vehicle. There are also secondary ground wires which are integrated into the rest of the electrical system.
The main ground strap is usually considered the primary path for electric current to relink with the battery. The strap links the battery’s negative terminal to the chassis or engine block of the vehicle. It is usually a thick 4-gauge copper/braided metal (aluminum or stainless steel) cable that connects the chassis of the battery to the vehicle.
This heavy-duty strap handles the bulk of the charge that is usually placed on the vehicle and is deemed critical for turning on the engine as well as powering the principal systems.
The main ground strap is further accompanied by additional wires called secondary ground wires, which are used as grounding points for certain devices or subsystems within the vehicle. These wires are further clarified as smaller in size, usually 6 to 10 gauge. They help in providing clean signals that enable the proper functioning of various components such as the ECu, alternator, and audio system.
Although secondary ground wires are deemed less significant than the main strap, a combination of all additional wires is equally important in a car’s electrical system.
Ground Strap Replacement Cost
The cost differs for varying makes and models of vehicles, alongside the quality of the replacing part. A decision needs to be made whether to perform a DIY replacement or through a professional, as this also changes the cost of replacing the ground strap.
DIY Replacement
So long as you have some basic tools on hand, you should be fine replacing the ground strap on your own, unless, of course, it is in a difficult to reach position. You will also save money in the process.
Staps and cables of this sort typically cost between $20-$50 to purchase. Although, specialty or higher end ground straps will easily break the $100 mark.
Professional Replacement
This service will take longer as the mechanic will have to account for the ground strap as well as the time spent working on the other aspects of the vehicle, which is already going to cost more due to the expensive labor hours.
On average, expect to spend anywhere between $80-$250 for labo,r depending on the area as well as the mechanics shop. As with everything, some makes and models will take more time to complete, causing the mechanic to charge more.
If you include the part, which most shops will try to increase the prices on, expect to have to spend around $120 – $300 to get it replaced professionally. With decreased access to certain parts of the vehicle, expect that number to increase when dealing with dealerships.
How to Replace a Ground Strap (Negative Battery Cable)
Assuming you figure out that the ground strap is defective, its replacement is straightforward. If you want to get it right, just follow the next simple steps:
#1. Identify the negative battery cable (ground strap).
In general, the negative cable is commonly black while the positive counterpart is commonly red. The negative terminal, on the other hand, comes with a “minus” sign (–) and the positive terminal comes with a “plus” sign (+).
#2. Disconnect the negative cable.
Get a wrench, usually an 8mm, and with it, remove the bolt pinning down the negative cable. Once the bolt is unscrewed, the next step is to remove the cable from the terminal post.
Pull up and wiggle the terminal at the same time. If the bolt is stuck, it is more than likely seized and will not move. In that case, spray some WD-40 on it and let it sit for some minutes before trying again.
#3. Disconnect the positive cable (optional).
You will need to remove the car battery to have access to it, because in most engines, the other end of the negative cable will be unreachable. The positive battery cable also will need to be taken off and the process is same as above.
#4. Remove the battery (optional).
In the event a bracket is locking the battery, you may simply unscrew the two tethering bolts and unclip it from the bracket. After that, gently pull the battery out of theengine and place it on the ground.
#5. Remove bad ground strap.
Trace the negative cable to the battery to find where it connects to the vehicle. Use a wrench to loosen the bolt that keeps the ground strap locked in place and take off the bad ground strap.
#6. Install new ground strap.
Now, mount the new ground wire and attach the connectors to the strap. The new strap should be put in the same position as the old strap. Follow the directions above step in the opposite order.