hlee96

Quick question. Searched through the forums and there seem to be general recommendations to replace battery ground straps with these:
https://www.waytekwire.com/item/3628...-Ground-Strap/

However, can these (maybe 2 or more) be used to replace the engine-to-chassis ground strap in the front? Without heat-shrink wrapped as in the battery cable.

Also, how does one "co-shrink wrap" a battery tender cable with the battery ground strap in leading it out of the battery compartment for ease of access? I am very visual and not a very competent electrician.

Thanks-Hoi

docmirror

No. That ground strap is a lug on one end, with a battery terminal clamp on the other end. It will not work in other applications.

You can use a lug to lug cable for the engine to chassis ground, and I think Roger sells the correct length and lug size.

As for a tender application, I would not use the battery location if you are considering 'ease of access', and you are not very electrical. The battery tender can be connected to the jump post inside the right front fender. It should have a red or black plastic cap screwed onto it, holding a black angled plastic cover over the phenolic terminal and the 14 pin connector. You connect the red of the tender to the jump post, and the black clamp of the tender to a suitable ground nearby. I generally use the bolt head of the cross bar unless it is painted. In the other case, you can find a ground on the engine where there is bare metal.

Ducman82

i use the jump post and one of the grounds by the headlight bar for my charger.

GlenL

That item would work at the back for the battery but is it necessary? Ugly looking ground cables will work 100% if the contacting surfaces are clean.

You can find various ground straps at your local auto-parts stores.

Attach the tender to the jump post in the engine bay. That's what it's there for. Plus jumping.

dr bob

Hoi--

For the rear ground strap, I started with a bare (no shrink) ground strap, and installed it loosely with the battery mantainer wires. I marked the end locations of the strap onto the wires to keep the relative positions right, then pulled all the wires out to work on the bench. I prep'd two piecs of heat shrink, and install one just around the strap. The second sleeve goes over both the strap and the maintainer wires, using the marks made previously on the wires to get them in the right place. Installed, this keeps the maintainer wires safe from straying away from the relief in the battery-box lid. It also completely hides the maintainer wires until the tool compartment cover is removed. I use a 2-pin Molex connector (.093 pins) for charging duty on every battery-equipped vehicle and toy, so there's one on the maintainer wiring that's kept rolled behind the tool panel.

I keep the maintainer on with the ground strap lifted during storage/hibernation. With the strap connected, the parasitic drain from the car (about 20-30mA on mine) causes the maintainer (and the battery) to cycle a lot more (10x+) than with it disconnected. Battery life is to some extent a function of charge cycles big or small, so the round strap gets lifted to help that. This precludes using the front jump-post location for maintaining when stored.

hlee96

Thank you all for answering my questions with your advice and help. Will perform an upgrade to my system as suggested (ground strap replacement). Will post pics soon.

ltoolio

A related question, if I may:

Recognizing how important grounds are to our cars, I was thinking about doubling up the engine ground strap...basically attaching two cables, one a bit longer than the other to allow for a bit of separation between them, between the engine and the chassis.

Seems like a relatively cheap and very easy project for a little bit of additional piece of mind.

Thoughts? Waste of time? Better to attach a ground strap to the engine in a separate location?

FLYVMO

Probably better to just put a new one with larger AWG wire on it?

Cheers!
Carl

GlenL

It doesn't need to be any thicker than the cable from the battery.

The trick with grounds is contact quality at the ends. It's corrosion between the cable end and the body, or engine (or whatever) that create resistance.

Add a second one if you don't want to clean the first one. I've actually done that.

dr bob

The factory engine ground cable runs close enough to the exhaust that plastic insulation probably wouldn't survive long. It's flexible so that normal engine movement doesn't cause fatigue failures. It's exposed to road contaminants like water, and also road salts used in winter seasons. Our local highway department is prohibited from using "salt", meaning no sodium chloride (rock salt) per their interpretation. Instead, they use magnesium chloride and sometimes calcium chloride, both serious salts that chew on copper. They corrode copper to the prominent copper-chloride green. Like the rear strap, damage isn't always apparent. The Good News? The factory replacement cables are relatively inexpensive from our favorite vendors. Should be on a PM schedule "just because", especially if the car is driven in the rain and/or where any salt is used for snow/ice control. In this area, it takes a few good rains to wash the remaining anti-icer off the roads before it's "safe" to drive the 928.