ltoolio

Hey all,
Was looking at the battery ground wire last night, which I know is good as it was recently replaced, but it got me thinking a bit -

There have been many discussions about how the battery ground may *look* ok, but when you peel back the insulation you will often times see how corroded it is underneath.

Does the same apply to the individual browns that lead to the main ground points on the vehicle? If I were to peel back the insulation a bit on those, would I see some major corrosion on the 30+ year wires, and if so - would it i expect it be a contributor to gremlins?

I'm not currently encountering any issues that lead me to think I'm plagued with this, but the geek in me was just a bit curious.

77tony

It's one of the main reasons Carl (FLYVMO) https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...ed-car-34.html and I are installing the Infinity Box system along with new TXL wiring throughout. https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...roject-40.html T

Landseer

The place i've seen that happen is the wiring harness at the 14 pin connector.

ltoolio

I'll probably be digging into there at some point, but the area that seemed like it would be most susceptible due to the exposure to the elements are the two ground spots off the front bumper. If water were to get in at the front edge of the hood, or splashing up from below (recognizing that it would have to be one hell of a splash), I could envision there being some badness going on there.

MainePorsche

Another place that is an extreme environment are the LH and EZK ground points in the two bolts the hold the throttle pulley bracket to the block deep in the 'V' under the air box. The first time I was there my wires were very degraded and surgery was required.

jcorenman

No. The battery ground is a special case, because the battery end is locked in a box with a liter or two of sulfuric acid. The fumes, unless the battery vents are properly vented outside the box, tend to corrode whatever is sharing the battery box-- including the end of the ground cable.

The regular brown ground wires live in a much nicer environment and rarely have problems. The copper terminals occasionally get corroded and need cleaning, but I have never heard of troubles with the wire itself.

jej3

100% agree with Jim!

Landseer

Jim lives in a more perfect world than I do.

The 14 pin corrodes with water ingress. Wires become corroded inside the insulation. Badly. Cant solder new ebs on them for instance.

Grounds at base of V get compromised by mouse pee.

Bat ground strap can corrode as bad or worse at body side compared to bat side of water lays in boot area.

The Deputy

Yes, moisture and salt can wick up/down/through the wire over time. If you don't believe, just take a twelve inch long piece of 14 gauge wire and put it into a four inch cup of salt water. After about a week or so...at room temperature...cut the wire sheathing back and see how far the moisture/corrosion has moved up the wire.

But, with that being said...I'm a firm believer that there is no better sheathing/protection on a wire than the original rubber coating...and if you don't absolutely have to mess with it...because you see/suspect a problem...then leave it alone! I never, ever...probe, slice, peel-back any original sheathing...unless I'm a hundred percent sure it needs to be done.

Well, there was one time. But that was on the recommendations from a highly respected person here. Unfortunate...there was no issue found there. But, these things happen in the world of auto repair...you just try to keep them to a minimum...lol.

Brian.

curtisr

From: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...und-strap.html

Alan

You can get significant corrosion anywhere you have moisture, especially if there is road salt involved. However what Jim says is very true - the battery box is a very special case - especially for cars without properly vented batteries (which is likely most of them). This environment is worse for corrosion than most everywhere else under most conditions.

Sulphuric acid fumes are very nasty indeed!

Alan