Main Earth Cable

[holeydub on 4wheels]

I was turning over the engine todayto see if the battery had any life left (which it doesnt now lol) anyway i felt the earth cable that connects straight to the body and it was really hot!!! Could it be that the starter is really lazy and its on its way out?? Or just something worse...

Really need help on this one as its getting close to the mot day...

[kevtherev]

that could be a very poor connection to the battery and or the chassis

[holeydub on 4wheels]

thats funny because someone in the past has put anold 4 core cable from the negative side of the battery to the front gearbox mount, i assumed that it was from a bad earth. Is it worth ripping tat out and installing a new earth cable to the closest chassis beam??? what size would be best for the job???

[AngeloEvs]

same as Kev,

E D I T, just read your update, get a new earth strap, thats a bodge.........Where is the battery?

[holeydub on 4wheels]

no probs i'll have to buy a lil meter and test the earth... If the earth is reading higher than it should what can i do to resolve it? will it be a case of cleaning up the connection where it mounts to the bodywork and a new strap or something totally different???

[AngeloEvs]

damn, just changed the reply, where is the battery, are we talking Diesel here?

[holeydub on 4wheels]

its a 1980 2.0 petrol Aircooled the battery is located under the drivers seat...

[AngeloEvs]

what!!!!! let me get this straight, you have four core cable going from the battery negative to the gearbox.........hell that not a bodge ...its a disaster! No wonder its getting hot! Battery should have a short earth strap close to the battery and another that straps the starter/engine to chassis. The bodywork then acts as the conductor from starter to battery.......someone will tell you where the correct earth location is for the starter...

[holeydub on 4wheels]

lol i thought it was funny as well when i was laying on my back today thinking thats not right... so if im missing the earth strap at the stater motor it may be the cause of the lazy starter motor. i had charged the battery all night and i still had to jump start it to get it going even then it was bloody hard work... I just assumed the battery was shagged out... hmmm i'll remove that tomorrow and double check the starter earth and clean up the connections at either end

[AngeloEvs]

A case of curing a bad earth with a worse one...........I would put two new earth straps on (the one nearest the battery sometimes fails because the securing bolt rusts in the thread) Repeat by addinga new earth strap for the starter motor to chassis.......not sure where that one is as I have never looked but think its transmission to body....

[jamesc76]

2 earth braided cables fitted one from battry to chassis and one from front of gearbox to chassis