The jumper cable test worked for my 30 year old truck. I had no power inside the truck except the cab light. I was about to buy a new battery even though mine tested 12.6 volts. I turned the key on and hooked up one side of the jumper cables from the negative battery to the fender and everything came on inside. I cleaned the negative battery cable at the alternator. 5 minute fix after watching the video. Thank You so much!!!
I clipped every connector under the hood, even the ones to the battery. I replaced the Battery connectors with Brass ones, replaced a few ground cables (easier) from the body to the engine. Plugged the battery cables back, turned the ignition and all lights came on, the car started better than it used. Thank you so much. The Electricians told me I needed an ECM (Computer) and a new set of keys. Your video saved me $700. Thank you thank you thank you.
Out of all the videos here on TH-cam about checking the ground connections, I actually understood what to do. Thank you for making it easy to understand. Have a blessed day.
@@DespairRepair So how do I test the 2007 Audi Q7 with battery being not under the hood. It's under driver seat inside vehicle. How am I to test ground using your method explain here with the multimeter?
@@Heylo7 hi and thanks for watching! Do you have remote battery connections under the hood? Also, what do you want to test? Is the engine grounded, the body, or else?
@@DespairRepair yes I have positive connection and the ground connection posts to under hood driver side of the engine bay. I want to test for ground. Using your method from what I watched in your video here. My multimeter is a cen-tech cm300 and the dials numbering on it start at 60 600 6000 etc it's not the one which let's you set multimeter to say 20 200 2000 etc mines not like that.
Not to get too far into the weeds of esotericism, but grounding your barefeet to the earth can create stability and homeostasis in the body as well. My 2015 Charger was having no crank issues and just as you correctly stated, it could be a faulty ground game or “Bad Earth” connection issue..Everyone should buy a multimeter and self jump battery capacity for a good educational DIY experience. Remember cars and computers are mimicking our internal human electrical system. Thanks for this..
Finally someone that breaks it down in a simple form, I've been having some issues with my Jetta. Pretty sure it's a bad ground connection or ECM. This video helped me understand how everything goes together and how to use a multimeter as well.
Hi Dwayne, thanks for watching and for the nice comment. Glad if the video helped, we try our best to simplify. By the way, admire the skateboard skills :-)
I think my car might have a bad ground connection, I will definitely follow these steps. I am very impressed by the way you explained everything, you made it so simple to understand and easy to follow. Thank you very much.
Thank you for the informative film. Today my husband and me drove to another city like 40-50 miles. After a short stop (~ 20 min) I couldn't start the car: lights came, no crank, then everything goes off. I tried 3-4 times, then husband vent to see what is going on under the hood when I was trying to crank the car. He saws some smoke coming from the positive terminal connection to the battery. The smoke appeared on attempt to crank (it lasted a ~ 1 sec, a little bit of smoke). I wanted to see it as well, so husband was cranking, I saw that smoke, brushed the terminals w/metal wire, but still no crank. We were about to call AAA, but then he tried again and the car started like nothing happened before. We came back home (another ~50 mi). I checked the battery like 1 month ago at NTB place, it was good. The battery is almost 5 years old. On another battery (it went bad on another car), I've head an opinion at Autozone that a battery is not good in 5 years, so I went to see what deals they have at NTB. But at NTB they insured me that there is no need to buy a new battery or have a spare one with the battery I have. May I know your opinion what could cause that smoke. It is obviously overheating, but what causes it?
Hi and thanks for watching! I would again check if the battery clamps are clean (the inner side that connects to the terminals) and that the clamps are properly tightened. Smoke and even sparks can appear if this is the problem. Hope this helps.
Good video! The jumper cable method is pretty fast. Idk about newer cars but I've also heard of people creating an additional ground on older vehicles. I suppose for a ground diagnoses in conjunction with a certain ground not easily accessible or the area of ground conection is simply too oxidized. May as well check out the condition of the positive cable while you're poking around. My truck has a slow start, takes an extra crank, bit of a lope. Charging system/battery is good, might just replace the battery cables for the heck of it, see what happens. Its 220,000 miles and a decent amount of corrosion akl along the inside of the cable. So even it doesnt solve my problem, I feel compelled to do it. Come check me out.
You helped me, I knew I had a good battery & the alternator was fine. I was told my battery cable was recalled. I'm stuck 400 miles from home, alone & need to get back. I cleaned the one accessable ground connection & haven't had trouble since. Thank you very much for the info. Now my serpentine belt is squealing & I must replace before my trip. I've had one blow before & it busted the water resivour & temp guage.
Replaced FIVE starters (each one lasts maybe a month!) so thanks for this very helpful video, looking for all the ground connections to see if heavy cranking is burning them up due to poor ground. Maranatha
Hi, thanks for watching, and glad if the video helped! Hope you solve the problem, a bad ground connection will fry the starter for sure. Check if you have a ground strap from the engine or transmission to the chassis or body.
Thanks for the informative video. After a flood, my 2016 Chevrolet Impala LTZ limited had all kinds of problems. I cleaned the gearbox, the radiator and all mechanical parts. I replaced BCM module, climate control module, instrument cluster dash panel and headlight dimmer switch. Car has a weak start and Reverse lights ONLY work with brake lights. I'll use your video to troubleshoot.
Awesome video. Im gonna try to clean all of the connections on my car tomorrow. Its a little corroded, and been having issues with my lights, air, wipers, and dash light not working. My "hand brake" signal comes on. On figured it was a bad ground so came across this and it was great! Thanks so much!
This video solved my no crank no start totally dead car. The voltage measured on the battery terminal was 12.5 volts, however, when the negative probe was moved a few inches away from the battery negative terminal, the voltage went down to 10 volts. The problem was a rusted and corroded connector on the negative terminal. Thank you for this video. Appreciate it.
Thank you sooo much! I don't think I have this problem but the information is sooo useful. It will save hours of looking for an electrical fault... I have similar symptoms to those below, and I think it maybe the alternator, but this information will help eliminate a lot of possibilities! ... And so easy to understand.. I am definitely subscribing 👌
Thanks for a very simple to understand explanation. I now know what may be the cause of unexplainable issues with my daughter’s Yaris. She’s already replaced the alternator so hopefully we can find what’s causing the car to be absolutely dead one day and starting the next, it’s totally weird.
You are a legend . I am going to try this tomorrow. My car crank no start and my OBD2 meter not working as well .. Will keep you updated. Thank you for a awesome video 👌
MR. Despair Repair, thank you for helping me to understand bad ground connections on cars. I am currently restoring a 1986 Toyota Camry Le in Baltimore, Maryland.
Thank you. It really was bad grounding wire from body to motor. That voltage meter test solved it. It caused a ton of problem, destroyed charger, fuses, etc. Good channel.
very helpful video! thanks. had alternator low voltage charging and also heavy cranking! In the process of trying to find the bad ground but the video certainly points me in the right direction. thanks!
Guru here, be mindful when redesigning (adding wires) to any vehicle. Often voltage drop and or path is used to do interesting things. Like when cranking an 80s ford a brake light bulb test is accomplished on dash bulb (the front rear proportion valve indicator) to many charging systems measuring voltage drop accros a certain length of wire in the ground path to regulate charging current. Bigger is not always better when rewiring one of these type of systems.
Geez mate. Where were you yesterday and the night before? Luckily we did end up diagnosing a bad earth. Another symptom of bad earth is the earth lead gets hot when cranking. Thanks for you upload champ.
Hi, thank you for watching, and nice to meet you! Yes, that's another common symptom, and thanks for sharing the information. Also, nice TH-cam channel, subscribed to it 🙂
Ok,great content and very clear. I recently installed a new rádio on my car and it's been a bumpy ride since.the radio will shut off and turn back on if i use the ac or sometimes if simple the fan turn on.i was parked yesterday and the whole car shut off,pls let me know what you guys think it is Thank you
Hi Tom and thanks for watching! I would check (if you already haven't) the battery terminals for a good connection. Also, try checking the power supply to the radio (+) wire.
Hi thanks greta video. had nothing but problems with Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo 1.2 TSI . Change Alternator and fitted new battery and still the same. However after watching your video. i checked the ground connections with a multimeter. When the car is running it should around 14.2 volts, im only getting 12.6 on the battery and the ground connection on the bodywork. But when I put the negative lead on the engine metal I get 14.6V. What does this mean? I also cleaned the ground lead.
Very good information . There was a couple times where I couldn’t see what area you were referring to because you were in the way . Do I. Heck a Cadillac 2913 xts premium the same way?
I have for decades: put a ground wire from battery to the engine and an extra ground wire from the battery to another spot to the body! And the most cold cranking lamps battery in it! And not an cheapest battery/ a good battery which co$t more $money but worth it in WINTER and BEYOND!
You are a life saver! Your video guided me right to locating the issue on my daughters Ford Escape. I know it saved me a ton of money the shop would’ve charged. The intermittent lights and battery drain problem solved with a wire brush on all surfaces of the ground connection off the negative cable to the frame. Multimeter test revealed the problem. Much appreciated Amigo!!!
@@Bizzaro500 probably, a bad ground connection is one of the most overlooked problems but one that can cause a lot of issues, especially with today's electronic systems.
nice video. you could have made some diagnosis eg. when the charger wont charge the battery, the ground to the engine is faulty etc. also after cleaning and before refitting - grease the connection with copper paste, to prevent the malfunctioning in the future.
Thanks for watching! There are various methods, once you get the acid corrosion off the terminals (if there is any) you can use sandpaper, a file or even better a battery terminal cleaner.
Simplified video. Thank you. My battery light stays on the dashboard for like 2 to 5 minutes after starting the car before going off. Any leads? Battery Voltage is 12.8V. Also I want to believe that there is a separate ground connection between the battery and the gearbox as well.
Amazing video!!! Thank you! Just one question, is an ABS problem could be a consequence of a bad ground connection? I'm struggling finding why my ABS has problems without having any faulty code from the diag Cheers
I didn’t know about the jumper cable trick, I need to try that! I did a head gasket job and had a long period of time where I wasn’t working on it so I can’t figure out so far where two of the (supposedly ground) terminals go. I bought a new battery so if it works after I do that trick then I’ll be able to run it while I’m waiting to find where those wires are supposed to go. Even my OEM shop manual didn’t list those points, maybe they’re in a different area of the manual. Maybe I’ll be able to find a junkyard car I can reference. I was having other issues like my dashboard flickering, being dim, or even spazzing like the needles and the lights, those were likely the ground wires I had touching the engine being sporadic.
Hi Wyatt and thanks for watching! Yeah, it's a good first-aid measure, helped me a lot a couple of times. Most manuals (even the professional ones) don't have these points stated, why I don't know, as they are very important. I would first look at the connection from the battery to the car body and from the body to the transmission or engine. Some cars don't have a ground connection from the body to the engine/transmission, it rather relies on, for instance, the connection made by screws on the engine mounts (which can also cause ground connection problems). Best of luck with the repair!
Last winter I had a no start due to corrosion inside the battery terminal cable. I'm back to having no start and thanks to this I know it's not that but still don't know why it's not starting.
Thank you for making this video. You have made a very useful video. My MK5 Golf GTI has the exact same symptoms, and is temperamental. I already have a new battery and the alternator is charging as it should. I will give this a try. Thank you my friend.
I have a fuseable link on my pos battery connection & it keeps blowing. This is prolly my issue too huh? Cuz my windows wig out & my key fob don’t work or alarm. Gratitudes my new friend :)
Good video. My car has problems with the batterie. The alternator is working propperly i think because i measure about 14 v when i start the engine . But after one night it go s from for example 12,5 V to 12, 1 V the next morning and if i go to a camping with the slide doors a long time open it totally empty i cant start the engine. I was looking for parasetic drain as a cause but coulden't find one. One more questions if you disconnect the negative the computer wil lost its memory?
Great video. I have an issue with my Octavia which says fuel regulator short to ground on the odb reader. I will check the ground connections this week. Hopefully it is this and an easy fix
Could you have a bad ground even though the car starts right up and runs without any issues? I have extreme flickering of lights & power windows don’t work.
Hi Vanny and thanks for watching. Yes, it is possible if they're connected to the same ground loom and it doesn't have a good connection. I'm talking about looms connected from the wiring installation to the car body.
Hi Brennen and thanks for watching! That kind of fault can be caused by a number of things. The first that come to mind are a bad starter solenoid, worn-out starter brushes, worn-out ignition switch, loose or corroded contacts to the starter solenoid, and so on. If the starter is OK, try checking the battery terminals (if there tightened and cleaned) and the main ground connections. Hope this helps!
Thanks, that was a great one, you can also add to check ground to ground with the ohm meter function, that can help as well to chase bad/glitchy ground to ground connection, also how to clean those ground spots to make it fully complete, otherwise I really like this really great tutorial, kuddos
Hey thanks for making this vid , my sisters 04 matrix has a dim battery light. I believe it's either a bad ground or the signaling wire is corroded. Thanks for teaching everyone how to test ground quickly! I subscribed and liked haha.
I had a temperature problem. The indicator always goes higher at night but everything in the engine seems fine it took me a month, this problem goes away when I use a jumper cable 😅. I kept it installed since
Hello! Great video. I have a question. If my car battery is in the trunk, would I use an incredibly long extension wire to ground/test the engine block and chassis? Or would I put my positive test lead to the engine fuse box? Thank you
Great tutorial! The climate control lighting in my 2009 volvo only lights up after it rains and only for a short period of time. Would checking the ground be a good place to start with this issue. Thank you!
This is very informative I will try these steps to find the problem, my power windows are working weird by pressing the button it goes down then up then down again, also interior lights are sometimes not working and the radio, the battery is brand new and the alternator was fully restored/repaired. Could this be the ground problem?
@@DespairRepair I checked today with the multimeter everything was fine the batterry an the alternator.. But when I checked the radio wiring sometimes it shows around 6 volts thats when radio wont turn on but when it does Its at normal value 12volts.. What could be the problem?
@@roberthengeric1953 to be honest there could be a couple of things. Even at 6 volts, it should show something. Did, you try to connect the multimeter between the ground and the plus connection, what's the voltage? Also, did you try to connect between the plus and ground somewhere else on the car? Is there another connector somewhere deeper in the installation?
@@DespairRepair Only the button lights light up on the unit but they flicker.. tried to connect the multimeter to the ground but Its still 6v, i will try to hook it up on different ground. Thank for the help!❤️
Thanks for sharing this video about checking your grounds, it give me a better understanding of what to do. Also you should also show how to do a resistance ground test with your multi meter, as if your multimeter shows High Resistance values that means you have a ground break somewhere that's another way of doing it.
Thank you ser wery much. You cover it well.Simle and clean. I've been traying to wach video from other gays But the newer explain all the way as you did. Big thanks again. I think you have a lot people coming to you for fixing there cars wright!
Awesome video. I just was curious if bad grounds can cause the ecm code P0603 to come up because a few months ago a mobile mechanic forgot to put the washers back on the alternator when replacing an old exhaust manifold. So I had to get a new battery fuse for the positive side cable. Ever since then the code P0603 has been coming up and I’m trying to figure out what cable or whatever might have went bad so I can get it fixed?
Hi, thanks for watching and for the kind comment! Regarding the washers, they need to be there but if the contact is good, it missing should not cause a problem. Yes, a bad ground connection can cause this kind of error code and this is certainly worth checking. But I would first check all of the basic connections like the battery clamps, alternator connections, the mentioned fuse and every other place that has to do or is near the repair that was made. in lots of cases, like that, a bad or missing connection may cause a problem. Hope this helps at least a bit. Best of luck with the repair.
@@DespairRepairyea I forgot to say that my vehicle from time to time jerks/stalls and that’s what I’m trying to fix along with the code P0603 going away.
@@cameronmorgan0203 well that could literally mean dozens of things. But if the ECM doesn't function properly then that's what will happen since the computer probably can't regulate the air/fuel mixture, ignition system, and else. This doesn't help anything, but again: I would check the repair that was recently made. Not saying it was a bad repair but if everything worked good before that, it is the main suspect. I would check if everything is tightened, well connected, properly returned into place, and so on.
Hi, thank you for watching! To be honest I doubt it. With a high voltage problem check the alternator first, namely the voltage regulator or stator. Hope this helps!
This video and the comments are helpful. I have a 2007 Chrysler Pacifica the wipers, horn, radio, don’t respond. The voltage, airbag, ABS, parking brake and traction indicators are lit. I’m hoping this is an issue with the wires and them needing to be reground
Thanks it so useful to me. My yahama r6 have some firing problems, before i replace stator or ignition coil i better check the ground connection. Coz some days my bike running some day it running bad
Sometimes it is about Amperage more than it is about a electrical connection. The starter uses 300 Amps headlights maybe 20 amps, so the body ground doesn't have to have a big cable to run the lights. In your car the starter is dependent on the body to ground strap to to work. I like to run a ground strap from the - negative battery post to the engine block where the starter motor is connected. Sometime there is only a small 20 amp grounding strap from body to engine. That shows as a good ground but not a large cable that the starter is needing. So it shows 12 volts on the meter. 0 ohms between negative post and body. But high resistance for the starter
Hello and thank you very much for sharing! The best ground connection is like the one you've described. Not very nice to see (in some cases)but a very effective and longlasting solution.
Thanks for the video very beneficial. My Corsa d o/s indicators working intermittently specially when is hot so thinking bad ground points. Is there always one that is responsible for the indicators I can check directly or could it be any of them?
Hi, thanks for watching, and glad if the video helped! It could be any of them, but if it's one of the main points then usually numerous problems appear at the same time.
when using voltage test you should have lights on so current is on the ground , other ways it makes no sense to check continouty of ground or positive line.
EXCELLENT! Attention to details that mechanics all around don't do. You should consider teaching it. You are quite good my frind! thanks for all your videos !! I have checked your website.. AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AMAZING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Be safe!!
Hi i have a rough start when starting my car, and once it turns on and warms up when i go to turn it off and doesn’t want to start up anymore until it cools down a little there is some corrosion on the ground that’s connect to the engine block . Did the multimeter test on some areas it reads good on others it reads really low like 8. Something. Could this be the issue ?
Hi and thanks for watching! Could be and I would clean the ground connection just in case. It could also be the starter. But before spending money on repairs, try connecting a jump cable from the minus battery terminal to a safe metal spot on the engine block. Then try to start the engine. If there are no problems, then the ground connection is the issue for sure. Hope this helps!
Hi thanks good video. If I found a bad ground but can’t get to it to change it ,can I just leave it and bypass to another area on the car. I have flickering lights.
Hi and thanks for watching! Yes you can, as long as your sure it has a good connection and won't interfere with other systems and appliances on the car.
My Mazda 3 hatch from 2006 has this issue with rear LED(OEM) tail/stop light. Only left one turns off after pressing the brake pedal. The indicator works fine. Bought a new assembly, same issue, plugged it to the right side, same - not working. I've plugged the right assembly to the left connectors and it works fine! So the left just sometimes turns on, like in the morning or randomly....stays on but then when I press the brake pedal, turns off again. I even replaced the passenger junction box - same issue. Replaced the brake switch. Battery is new. Alternator seems fine. OBD doesn't show any fault codes. The only thing I haven't looked at is grounding, and maybe something else, I don't know anymore...
Hi, and thanks for watching! Take a look at the grounding but also at the connector that goes on the lamp. Check the pins to see if they are tight and that there's no corrosion or filth. This is a common cause of problems.
Can a bad ground make your voltage drop dramatically when you put your car in driveway or make your voltage drop dramatically while AC turns on or even make your car shut off while driving...My Alternator is good and I have a new battery and I'm experiencing all those symptoms
Hi Danny and thanks for watching! It is possible for sure although I think there would be other symptoms present besides that. If I was in your place, I would also check the other devices that are driven by the serpentine belt like the AC compressor, power steering pump, or others, depending on what car you drive.
Same here i can’t figure out why my car drops voltage when I turn the ac on or when I turn anything in the car drops voltage and if Im just in park the car slowly drops voltage it’s been a year since I drove my 350z and no one can seem to figure it out sadly
I like your video but the filming and editing needs to improve... remember, Show Not Tell, ie. Show us how to locate the ground connection, and show close ups of bad ground connections. Then you'll really have a great video. Just commenting, Thanks.
Hi John, thanks for watching and for the sincere and useful comment! You're right, hopefully, in the near future, we'll improve the quality and lighting which is sometimes really off, to be sincere. Regarding the examples, we try to combine explaining and the repair as much as possible. The main point is to get the point and idea of the repair to our viewers. Anyway, we hope the video helped 🙂
Yesterday My car wouldn't start. All the electronics in my car will not even turning on. So I thought it was a dead battery so I got to jump start and the car still wouldn't turn on. There was still no power going to the car, even with jumper cables. And what's crazy? Is that The car battery had 12.6 volts but there was no power going to the car. Nothing was turning on. Like as if my car didn't even have a battery but it did. It turned out that the ground connection was a little loose, just a little. It wouldn't Even crank. It can't crank if there's no power at all to the accessories. 0% electrical power going to the car's accessories and sensors and car parts But the battery voltage was at 12.6 volts. So the person who jump started my car got their tools and tightened the ground and made sure that the positive was tightened to and then they still jump. Started my car and it started with no issue and then I plugged in my scan tool and the battery and alternator are good. I've never seen that happen before ever. Cuz when I try to start it it made it clicky noise and that was it. The second time it actually started but shut off immediately. The third time it sounded like as If the engine was getting fuel. And then after the fourth time the whole car lost power 100%. But the battery was good. Once the connections were tighten up. The car started right up and I haven't had an issue since then.
My ground strap bolt on the engine broke from the head on the engine block and off course I don't have the tools 2 get the rest of the bolt out. How will it affect my Jeep Compass? I was able to kind of secure 1/2 of the strap end 2 another bolt on the engine, but it is not as it should be! Thanks for your time!
Hi and thank you for watching! I think you should be fine provided that the engine starts well (there's no heavy cranking). Half of the strap should be enough for the installation to function properly. I've had these kinds of cases where I needed to improvise, looks bad but functions well. But if you want to be 100% sure, buy a new strap, make a brand-new connection, and call it a day. Hope any of this helps
so i snapped the negative wire and just wedged it in the screw that was holding it at its base the car was starting fine but i am getting that slow crank to the point my car wont start battery tested good
Hi and thanks for watching! Well, if the contact is good and if the wire is fully wedged then it should work OK but put on a proper connector as soon as possible. Just in case, bypass the ground connection with a jumper cable (from the minus battery terminal to the engine) and then try cranking. if it's still slow, I would check the starter and the connections to it.
@@DespairRepair thanks for replying and will do i had radio issues as well pulled the fuse and its been fine but last week there was a very bad storm minus 7 thats when i started to have issues but will do i might bang on the starter as well
@@frickysuavve247 you're welcome and hope any of this helps. Just wanted to ask if the battery is OK, I'm asking since it's cold, low temperatures can also cause weak cranking. Try banging also can't hurt 🙂
@@DespairRepair well i took the battery to autozone they said it was good and i have a jumpstarter box as well which also isnt doing the trick which makes me think its something else im not to good with the electrical engineering tbh lol
@@frickysuavve247 well then, I would definitely check the starter, especially if it's a high-mileage car and any maintenance hasn't been done on the starter.
Hi and thanks for the information...I have a Vw polo 9n which is basically almost the same car as the skoda you are dealing with...Ive had some problems with the immobilizer and in a car shop they told me its a faulty insturment cluster and i changed it and now the problem with immobilizer is gone but the intrument cluster started acting strange 1 month ago when it reset itslef while driving and now one morning when i went to start the car i noticed that there were no digits in the intrument cluster and when i turned the key the car started and then it died...What might be the problem ? thanks
Hi Niko, thanks for watching and sorry for the late response! I would first check the alternator voltage and if the battery clamps are clean and properly tightened. What you can also do is try asking the people who replaced the instrument cluster. Maybe there's a weak connection somewhere or lose connector. Hope this helps at least a little bit.
Just adding on to the heavy cranking - In some cases, your car may not crank at all! My VW Tiguan has a snapped earth cable from the body to the gearbox and this caused it to not crank at all - Replacement cable coming this weekend and I will attempt to fix this. Do I need to disconnect the Negative terminal when doing this?
Hi Lewis and thanks for watching and sharing your experience. It would be best to take off the negative battery clamp just in case. It's safer that way, both for you and the car.
I have the heavy cranking “womp womp womp.” I replaced the battery and alternator. But my connections looks a little exposed. When I was cranking it my negative ground started smoking and turning red which indicated I have a problem there. I’m not sure if my alternator have a connection problem either.
Hi and thanks for watching! If the engine isn't properly grounded then more or less anything won't work properly including the alternator. Maybe best try connecting a jumper cable from the minus terminal of the battery to a convenient metal part of the engine and see if the connection is the problem. There is a part of the video showing that I think. Hope this helps.
What about a driving for a solid hour and then once idling, just stalls out and starts up again with no problems. This has only happened twice this month. Does it sound like a battery/ground issue?
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The jumper cable test worked for my 30 year old truck. I had no power inside the truck except the cab light. I was about to buy a new battery even though mine tested 12.6 volts. I turned the key on and hooked up one side of the jumper cables from the negative battery to the fender and everything came on inside. I cleaned the negative battery cable at the alternator. 5 minute fix after watching the video. Thank You so much!!!
I clipped every connector under the hood, even the ones to the battery. I replaced the Battery connectors with Brass ones, replaced a few ground cables (easier) from the body to the engine. Plugged the battery cables back, turned the ignition and all lights came on, the car started better than it used. Thank you so much. The Electricians told me I needed an ECM (Computer) and a new set of keys. Your video saved me $700. Thank you thank you thank you.
You're welcome, very glad the video helped and that you solved your problem 🙂.
Thanks for watching!
Out of all the videos here on TH-cam about checking the ground connections, I actually understood what to do. Thank you for making it easy to understand. Have a blessed day.
You're welcome and thanks for watching!
@@DespairRepair So how do I test the 2007 Audi Q7 with battery being not under the hood. It's under driver seat inside vehicle. How am I to test ground using your method explain here with the multimeter?
@@Heylo7 hi and thanks for watching! Do you have remote battery connections under the hood?
Also, what do you want to test? Is the engine grounded, the body, or else?
@@DespairRepair yes I have positive connection and the ground connection posts to under hood driver side of the engine bay. I want to test for ground. Using your method from what I watched in your video here. My multimeter is a cen-tech cm300 and the dials numbering on it start at 60 600 6000 etc it's not the one which let's you set multimeter to say 20 200 2000 etc mines not like that.
@@Heylo7 what's the problem and why are you testing?
Not to get too far into the weeds of esotericism, but grounding your barefeet to the earth can create stability and homeostasis in the body as well. My 2015 Charger was having no crank issues and just as you correctly stated, it could be a faulty ground game or “Bad Earth” connection issue..Everyone should buy a multimeter and self jump battery capacity for a good educational DIY experience. Remember cars and computers are mimicking our internal human electrical system. Thanks for this..
You are "AWAKE" !
What are you saying to use the Multimeter on myself ? That might actually be a good idea gotta try that
Finally someone that breaks it down in a simple form, I've been having some issues with my Jetta. Pretty sure it's a bad ground connection or ECM. This video helped me understand how everything goes together and how to use a multimeter as well.
Hi Dwayne, thanks for watching and for the nice comment.
Glad if the video helped, we try our best to simplify.
By the way, admire the skateboard skills :-)
@@DespairRepair 00⁰0⁰⁰⁰⁰⁰
Did you replace the ground?
Lemme guess. Mk4 vw
Updates lol?
I think my car might have a bad ground connection, I will definitely follow these steps. I am very impressed by the way you explained everything, you made it so simple to understand and easy to follow. Thank you very much.
You're welcome, thanks for watching and for the kind words 🙂
Definitely One of the better videos I’ve seen regarding this bad ground issue. Thank you 🙏
You're welcome and thank you for watching!
Thank you for the informative film. Today my husband and me drove to another city like 40-50 miles. After a short stop (~ 20 min) I couldn't start the car: lights came, no crank, then everything goes off. I tried 3-4 times, then husband vent to see what is going on under the hood when I was trying to crank the car. He saws some smoke coming from the positive terminal connection to the battery. The smoke appeared on attempt to crank (it lasted a ~ 1 sec, a little bit of smoke). I wanted to see it as well, so husband was cranking, I saw that smoke, brushed the terminals w/metal wire, but still no crank. We were about to call AAA, but then he tried again and the car started like nothing happened before. We came back home (another ~50 mi). I checked the battery like 1 month ago at NTB place, it was good. The battery is almost 5 years old. On another battery (it went bad on another car), I've head an opinion at Autozone that a battery is not good in 5 years, so I went to see what deals they have at NTB. But at NTB they insured me that there is no need to buy a new battery or have a spare one with the battery I have. May I know your opinion what could cause that smoke. It is obviously overheating, but what causes it?
Hi and thanks for watching!
I would again check if the battery clamps are clean (the inner side that connects to the terminals) and that the clamps are properly tightened.
Smoke and even sparks can appear if this is the problem.
Hope this helps.
Good video!
The jumper cable method is pretty fast. Idk about newer cars but I've also heard of people creating an additional ground on older vehicles. I suppose for a ground diagnoses in conjunction with a certain ground not easily accessible or the area of ground conection is simply too oxidized. May as well check out the condition of the positive cable while you're poking around.
My truck has a slow start, takes an extra crank, bit of a lope. Charging system/battery is good, might just replace the battery cables for the heck of it, see what happens. Its 220,000 miles and a decent amount of corrosion akl along the inside of the cable. So even it doesnt solve my problem, I feel compelled to do it.
Come check me out.
You helped me, I knew I had a good battery & the alternator was fine. I was told my battery cable was recalled. I'm stuck 400 miles from home, alone & need to get back. I cleaned the one accessable ground connection & haven't had trouble since. Thank you very much for the info. Now my serpentine belt is squealing & I must replace before my trip. I've had one blow before & it busted the water resivour & temp guage.
Glad the video helped and thanks for watching!
You give a lot of common-sense remedies to car problems, I like the way you present solutions!
Thank you for the kind words and for watching! 🙂
Replaced FIVE starters (each one lasts maybe a month!) so thanks for this very helpful video, looking for all the ground connections to see if heavy cranking is burning them up due to poor ground. Maranatha
Hi, thanks for watching, and glad if the video helped!
Hope you solve the problem, a bad ground connection will fry the starter for sure.
Check if you have a ground strap from the engine or transmission to the chassis or body.
I had the same problem and consulted many mechanics. Some said the problem maybe the battery and others starter. I had it fixed and it's okay.
Thanks for the informative video.
After a flood, my 2016 Chevrolet Impala LTZ limited had all kinds of problems.
I cleaned the gearbox, the radiator and all mechanical parts. I replaced BCM module, climate control module, instrument cluster dash panel and headlight dimmer switch.
Car has a weak start and Reverse lights ONLY work with brake lights.
I'll use your video to troubleshoot.
Awesome video. Im gonna try to clean all of the connections on my car tomorrow. Its a little corroded, and been having issues with my lights, air, wipers, and dash light not working. My "hand brake" signal comes on. On figured it was a bad ground so came across this and it was great! Thanks so much!
You're welcome and thanks for watching!
This video solved my no crank no start totally dead car. The voltage measured on the battery terminal was 12.5 volts, however, when the negative probe was moved a few inches away from the battery negative terminal, the voltage went down to 10 volts. The problem was a rusted and corroded connector on the negative terminal. Thank you for this video. Appreciate it.
You're welcome very glad that the video helped and thanks for watching! 🙂
I have this problem, did you replace the connector?
@@mouszzy9256 no. I just cleaned it.
Thank you! I actually understood what to do! Very informative and kept it simple! Thanks again!
Hi Jessica! You're welcome, glad the video helped, and thanks for the nice comment! :-)
This guy could be a Stunt Double for Kris Kelly on Bering Sea Gold.
Thank you sooo much!
I don't think I have this problem but the information is sooo useful.
It will save hours of looking for an electrical fault...
I have similar symptoms to those below, and I think it maybe the alternator, but this information will help eliminate a lot of possibilities!
... And so easy to understand..
I am definitely subscribing 👌
You're welcome, thanks for watching and hope the video helps solve the problem.
Thanks for a very simple to understand explanation. I now know what may be the cause of unexplainable issues with my daughter’s Yaris. She’s already replaced the alternator so hopefully we can find what’s causing the car to be absolutely dead one day and starting the next, it’s totally weird.
reply
I’ve had a bad computer do this
You are a legend . I am going to try this tomorrow. My car crank no start and my OBD2 meter not working as well .. Will keep you updated. Thank you for a awesome video 👌
You're welcome and thanks for watching!
MR. Despair Repair, thank you for helping me to understand bad ground connections on cars. I am currently restoring a 1986 Toyota Camry Le in Baltimore, Maryland.
You're welcome and glad if the video helped! By the way, very good car, and good luck with the restoration.
Thank you. It really was bad grounding wire from body to motor. That voltage meter test solved it. It caused a ton of problem, destroyed charger, fuses, etc. Good channel.
You're welcome, thanky ou for the kind words and glad if the video helped 🙂
Lesson learned. Wished I'd seen it sooner before the new battery. Thanks so much.
very helpful video! thanks. had alternator low voltage charging and also heavy cranking! In the process of trying to find the bad ground but the video certainly points me in the right direction. thanks!
Guru here, be mindful when redesigning (adding wires) to any vehicle. Often voltage drop and or path is used to do interesting things. Like when cranking an 80s ford a brake light bulb test is accomplished on dash bulb (the front rear proportion valve indicator) to many charging systems measuring voltage drop accros a certain length of wire in the ground path to regulate charging current. Bigger is not always better when rewiring one of these type of systems.
Geez mate. Where were you yesterday and the night before? Luckily we did end up diagnosing a bad earth. Another symptom of bad earth is the earth lead gets hot when cranking. Thanks for you upload champ.
Hi, thank you for watching, and nice to meet you!
Yes, that's another common symptom, and thanks for sharing the information.
Also, nice TH-cam channel, subscribed to it 🙂
This guy breaks down every details so you can understand
Ok,great content and very clear.
I recently installed a new rádio on my car and it's been a bumpy ride since.the radio will shut off and turn back on if i use the ac or sometimes if simple the fan turn on.i was parked yesterday and the whole car shut off,pls let me know what you guys think it is
Thank you
Hi Tom and thanks for watching!
I would check (if you already haven't) the battery terminals for a good connection.
Also, try checking the power supply to the radio (+) wire.
Hi thanks greta video. had nothing but problems with Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo 1.2 TSI . Change Alternator and fitted new battery and still the same. However after watching your video. i checked the ground connections with a multimeter. When the car is running it should around 14.2 volts, im only getting 12.6 on the battery and the ground connection on the bodywork. But when I put the negative lead on the engine metal I get 14.6V. What does this mean? I also cleaned the ground lead.
Very good information . There was a couple times where I couldn’t see what area you were referring to because you were in the way . Do I. Heck a Cadillac 2913 xts premium the same way?
I have for decades: put a ground wire from battery to the engine and an extra ground wire from the battery to another spot to the body! And the most cold cranking lamps battery in it! And not an cheapest battery/ a good battery which co$t more $money but worth it in WINTER and BEYOND!
You are a life saver! Your video guided me right to locating the issue on my daughters Ford Escape. I know it saved me a ton of money the shop would’ve charged. The intermittent lights and battery drain problem solved with a wire brush on all surfaces of the ground connection off the negative cable to the frame. Multimeter test revealed the problem. Much appreciated Amigo!!!
You're welcome and very glad the video helped 🙂. Thanks for watching!
Thank you! I have this going on right now! Changed out spark plugs, boots, break booster...
You're welcome and good luck with the repair!
@@DespairRepair Thanks, sounds like a lot of people need it from what I'm seeing on the forums!
@@Bizzaro500 probably, a bad ground connection is one of the most overlooked problems but one that can cause a lot of issues, especially with today's electronic systems.
nice video.
you could have made some diagnosis eg. when the charger wont charge the battery, the ground to the engine is faulty etc.
also after cleaning and before refitting - grease the connection with copper paste, to prevent the malfunctioning in the future.
Hi, and thanks for watching!
We've made a video about how to check the alternator charge. You're right about the copper grease.
Thanks for sharing.
awesome video! imo, everyone that drives a vehicle should know this info. keep up the good work!
Thanks for the nice comment and for watching!
Am not electrically incline so am very much grateful for this.
Hi, you're welcome, and thanks for watching!
Very clear and concise review of how to check ground connections. Thanks very much!
You're welcome, thanks for watching and for the kind comment 🙂
Thank you. Well presented. Perhaps in addition provide how to properly and specially clean the connections. What substance to use?
Thanks for watching! There are various methods, once you get the acid corrosion off the terminals (if there is any) you can use sandpaper, a file or even better a battery terminal cleaner.
Simplified video. Thank you. My battery light stays on the dashboard for like 2 to 5 minutes after starting the car before going off. Any leads? Battery Voltage is 12.8V.
Also I want to believe that there is a separate ground connection between the battery and the gearbox as well.
Amazing video!!! Thank you! Just one question, is an ABS problem could be a consequence of a bad ground connection? I'm struggling finding why my ABS has problems without having any faulty code from the diag
Cheers
Yes, a bad ground could cause the ABS module not to communicate
Autozone can read the code for free.
@@waltersweet4595 cheers mate
@@johnoz4451was it a bad ground?
I didn’t know about the jumper cable trick, I need to try that! I did a head gasket job and had a long period of time where I wasn’t working on it so I can’t figure out so far where two of the (supposedly ground) terminals go. I bought a new battery so if it works after I do that trick then I’ll be able to run it while I’m waiting to find where those wires are supposed to go. Even my OEM shop manual didn’t list those points, maybe they’re in a different area of the manual. Maybe I’ll be able to find a junkyard car I can reference.
I was having other issues like my dashboard flickering, being dim, or even spazzing like the needles and the lights, those were likely the ground wires I had touching the engine being sporadic.
Hi Wyatt and thanks for watching!
Yeah, it's a good first-aid measure, helped me a lot a couple of times.
Most manuals (even the professional ones) don't have these points stated, why I don't know, as they are very important.
I would first look at the connection from the battery to the car body and from the body to the transmission or engine.
Some cars don't have a ground connection from the body to the engine/transmission, it rather relies on, for instance, the connection made by screws on the engine mounts (which can also cause ground connection problems).
Best of luck with the repair!
Thank u very much. Highly informative.simple to complex approach.
Last winter I had a no start due to corrosion inside the battery terminal cable. I'm back to having no start and thanks to this I know it's not that but still don't know why it's not starting.
Hi, thanks for watching and glad if the video helped
Very helpful video… I found that my negative battery connector was corroded & had a small crack, so I cleaned it with contact cleaner & a wire brush!
Hi, and thanks for watching! That's the right thing to do.
Thank you for making this video. You have made a very useful video. My MK5 Golf GTI has the exact same symptoms, and is temperamental. I already have a new battery and the alternator is charging as it should. I will give this a try. Thank you my friend.
You're welcome, thanks for watching and for the nice comment. 🙂
Hope the video helps and you solve the problem.
I have a fuseable link on my pos battery connection & it keeps blowing. This is prolly my issue too huh? Cuz my windows wig out & my key fob don’t work or alarm. Gratitudes my new friend :)
Good video. My car has problems with the batterie. The alternator is working propperly i think because i measure about 14 v when i start the engine . But after one night it go s from for example 12,5 V to 12, 1 V the next morning and if i go to a camping with the slide doors a long time open it totally empty i cant start the engine. I was looking for parasetic drain as a cause but coulden't find one. One more questions if you disconnect the negative the computer wil lost its memory?
Great video.
I have an issue with my Octavia which says fuel regulator short to ground on the odb reader.
I will check the ground connections this week. Hopefully it is this and an easy fix
Hi, and thanks for watching! Good luck with the repair and thank you for the kind words🙂
Could you have a bad ground even though the car starts right up and runs without any issues? I have extreme flickering of lights & power windows don’t work.
Hi Vanny and thanks for watching.
Yes, it is possible if they're connected to the same ground loom and it doesn't have a good connection.
I'm talking about looms connected from the wiring installation to the car body.
When cranking I usually get a click, and I have to try to crank it a few times, after 2-4 times it works. I drive a 2002 ford focus se if that helps.
Hi Brennen and thanks for watching!
That kind of fault can be caused by a number of things.
The first that come to mind are a bad starter solenoid, worn-out starter brushes, worn-out ignition switch, loose or corroded contacts to the starter solenoid, and so on.
If the starter is OK, try checking the battery terminals (if there tightened and cleaned) and the main ground connections.
Hope this helps!
Thanks, that was a great one, you can also add to check ground to ground with the ohm meter function, that can help as well to chase bad/glitchy ground to ground connection, also how to clean those ground spots to make it fully complete, otherwise I really like this really great tutorial, kuddos
Thanks for watching, for the suggestions, and for the kind words! 🙂
Hey thanks for making this vid , my sisters 04 matrix has a dim battery light. I believe it's either a bad ground or the signaling wire is corroded. Thanks for teaching everyone how to test ground quickly!
I subscribed and liked haha.
What did the issue end up being? Im having a dim light too
thanks. simple and spot on unlike the other videos who talked and talked like my wife without any substance.
Thanks for the video very helpful!. What about when your car shuts off while driving and gets no crank or click?
You're welcome and thanks for watching! For that situation, I would first check the battery terminals and clamps, if they're cleaned and tightened.
@@DespairRepair you think a bad or loose or disconnected battery terminal will turn off the engine while driving?
I will check that out though
@@raphael3666 yes witnessed it firsthand 🙂. It of course depends on the car model but, at least in my opinion, is definitely worth the check.
I had a temperature problem. The indicator always goes higher at night but everything in the engine seems fine it took me a month, this problem goes away when I use a jumper cable 😅.
I kept it installed since
Hello! Great video. I have a question. If my car battery is in the trunk, would I use an incredibly long extension wire to ground/test the engine block and chassis? Or would I put my positive test lead to the engine fuse box? Thank you
Use two short cables. One between battery negative to clean .body point in trunk the second between engine bay body to engine.
Great tutorial! The climate control lighting in my 2009 volvo only lights up after it rains and only for a short period of time. Would checking the ground be a good place to start with this issue. Thank you!
Hi and thanks for watching! Well, it can't hurt to check it out.
This is very informative I will try these steps to find the problem, my power windows are working weird by pressing the button it goes down then up then down again, also interior lights are sometimes not working and the radio, the battery is brand new and the alternator was fully restored/repaired. Could this be the ground problem?
Hi and thanks for watching!
It could be among other things. It won't hurt to give it a check.
@@DespairRepair I checked today with the multimeter everything was fine the batterry an the alternator.. But when I checked the radio wiring sometimes it shows around 6 volts thats when radio wont turn on but when it does Its at normal value 12volts.. What could be the problem?
@@roberthengeric1953 to be honest there could be a couple of things. Even at 6 volts, it should show something.
Did, you try to connect the multimeter between the ground and the plus connection,
what's the voltage?
Also, did you try to connect between the plus and ground somewhere else on the car?
Is there another connector somewhere deeper in the installation?
@@DespairRepair Only the button lights light up on the unit but they flicker.. tried to connect the multimeter to the ground but Its still 6v, i will try to hook it up on different ground. Thank for the help!❤️
@@roberthengeric1953 you're welcome and sorry I couldn't help more.
I wish you all the best with the repair.
Thanks for sharing this video about checking your grounds, it give me a better understanding of what to do.
Also you should also show how to do a resistance ground test with your multi meter, as if your multimeter shows High Resistance values that means you have a ground break somewhere that's another way of doing it.
Hi Steve, thanks for watching and for sharing!
You're right that's one more way of showing a bad ground connection.
Thank you ser wery much. You cover it well.Simle and clean. I've been traying to wach video from other gays But the newer explain all the way as you did. Big thanks again. I think you have a lot people coming to you for fixing there cars wright!
Thank you once more and thanks for watching!
Awesome video. I just was curious if bad grounds can cause the ecm code P0603 to come up because a few months ago a mobile mechanic forgot to put the washers back on the alternator when replacing an old exhaust manifold. So I had to get a new battery fuse for the positive side cable. Ever since then the code P0603 has been coming up and I’m trying to figure out what cable or whatever might have went bad so I can get it fixed?
Hi, thanks for watching and for the kind comment!
Regarding the washers, they need to be there but if the contact is good, it missing should not cause a problem.
Yes, a bad ground connection can cause this kind of error code and this is certainly worth checking.
But I would first check all of the basic connections like the battery clamps, alternator connections, the mentioned fuse and every other place that has to do or is near the repair that was made.
in lots of cases, like that, a bad or missing connection may cause a problem.
Hope this helps at least a bit.
Best of luck with the repair.
@@DespairRepairyea I forgot to say that my vehicle from time to time jerks/stalls and that’s what I’m trying to fix along with the code P0603 going away.
@@cameronmorgan0203 well that could literally mean dozens of things.
But if the ECM doesn't function properly then that's what will happen since the computer probably can't regulate the air/fuel mixture, ignition system, and else.
This doesn't help anything, but again: I would check the repair that was recently made.
Not saying it was a bad repair but if everything worked good before that, it is the main suspect.
I would check if everything is tightened, well connected, properly returned into place, and so on.
I wonder if bad ground cabel to the engine can causes high voltage on cabels? Ore is the alternator bad?
Hi, thank you for watching!
To be honest I doubt it. With a high voltage problem check the alternator first, namely the voltage regulator or stator.
Hope this helps!
Thanks 👍 Good Video 👍
What is your take on the big 3/big 4 electrical ground/charge upgrade?
This video and the comments are helpful. I have a 2007 Chrysler Pacifica the wipers, horn, radio, don’t respond. The voltage, airbag, ABS, parking brake and traction indicators are lit.
I’m hoping this is an issue with the wires and them needing to be reground
Hi Jamar and thanks for watching!
Could be, give it a try. Besides the ground connection, I would check for loose or rusty connections.
Was that the issue ? And did you fix it?
Does bad ground connection to body to engine cause battery power drain ?
Hi and thanks for watching!
Not that I know of.
No. But it WILL cause a low voltage reading until it’s fixed.
Tks for sharing. Nice tip for checking ground on body then engine 👌
Thanks. Your video really helps! Easy to understand and well explained. 👍 up from Malaysia 🇲🇾
You're welcome and thanks for the nice comment!😀
Thanks it so useful to me. My yahama r6 have some firing problems, before i replace stator or ignition coil i better check the ground connection. Coz some days my bike running some day it running bad
Thanks alot. You must be a teacher. Be blessed
Thank you for watching!
Sometimes it is about Amperage more than it is about a electrical connection. The starter uses 300 Amps headlights maybe 20 amps, so the body ground doesn't have to have a big cable to run the lights. In your car the starter is dependent on the body to ground strap to to work. I like to run a ground strap from the - negative battery post to the engine block where the starter motor is connected. Sometime there is only a small 20 amp grounding strap from body to engine. That shows as a good ground but not a large cable that the starter is needing. So it shows 12 volts on the meter. 0 ohms between negative post and body. But high resistance for the starter
Hello and thank you very much for sharing!
The best ground connection is like the one you've described.
Not very nice to see (in some cases)but a very effective and longlasting solution.
Thank you, I have a problem and you solved it right there. Cheers bro..👍
You're welcome and glad the video helped :-). Thanks for watching.
Thnx I will check the battery cable bcs it's bit rusty, I will buy new ones bcs I m not good on mechanic 😅
Hi new battery xmass. Got in yesterday car has everything lights interior exterior but no dashboard lights no st etc thank you.
You're welcome and thanks for watching!
An excellent video. It was comprehensive and well explained. Thank you.
Thank you for the kind words and for watching!
Thanks for the video very beneficial. My Corsa d o/s indicators working intermittently specially when is hot so thinking bad ground points. Is there always one that is responsible for the indicators I can check directly or could it be any of them?
Hi, thanks for watching, and glad if the video helped!
It could be any of them, but if it's one of the main points then usually numerous problems appear at the same time.
good information. Can you tell me where I install the ground to my Ram Promaster 3500 year 2014? please thank you
at the negative battery and any screw on your car body.
Great video ! very helpful and very well explained on what is a common problem..... 🙂👍
Thank you for watching and for the kind comment!
when using voltage test you should have lights on so current is on the ground , other ways it makes no sense to check continouty of ground or positive line.
EXCELLENT! Attention to details that mechanics all around don't do. You should consider teaching it. You are quite good my frind! thanks for all your videos !! I have checked your website.. AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AMAZING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Be safe!!
Hi, thanks for watching and for the kind words!
Hi i have a rough start when starting my car, and once it turns on and warms up when i go to turn it off and doesn’t want to start up anymore until it cools down a little there is some corrosion on the ground that’s connect to the engine block . Did the multimeter test on some areas it reads good on others it reads really low like 8. Something. Could this be the issue ?
Hi and thanks for watching!
Could be and I would clean the ground connection just in case.
It could also be the starter.
But before spending money on repairs, try connecting a jump cable from the minus battery terminal to a safe metal spot on the engine block.
Then try to start the engine. If there are no problems, then the ground connection is the issue for sure.
Hope this helps!
I have this exact problem what was the solution in ur case?
Very clear presentation! Thank you.
thanks for your video, I'm having a slow cranking engine just when the car is at normal temperature any idea.
Hi and thanks for watching! It could be lots of things, starter and engine related.
Hi thanks good video. If I found a bad ground but can’t get to it to change it ,can I just leave it and bypass to another area on the car. I have flickering lights.
Hi and thanks for watching!
Yes you can, as long as your sure it has a good connection and won't interfere with other systems and appliances on the car.
My rpm drips a little when I press the powerwindow switch is that also bad ground?
Very informative and well-explained. Thanks for posting!
You're welcome and thank you for watching!
The best video for ground problems Iv seen. Thank you
You're welcome, thanks for the nice comment and for watching!
For the jumper cable method… the red cable goes on a solid body metal right? And is that with the engine
My Mazda 3 hatch from 2006 has this issue with rear LED(OEM) tail/stop light. Only left one turns off after pressing the brake pedal. The indicator works fine. Bought a new assembly, same issue, plugged it to the right side, same - not working. I've plugged the right assembly to the left connectors and it works fine! So the left just sometimes turns on, like in the morning or randomly....stays on but then when I press the brake pedal, turns off again. I even replaced the passenger junction box - same issue. Replaced the brake switch. Battery is new. Alternator seems fine. OBD doesn't show any fault codes. The only thing I haven't looked at is grounding, and maybe something else, I don't know anymore...
Hi, and thanks for watching! Take a look at the grounding but also at the connector that goes on the lamp.
Check the pins to see if they are tight and that there's no corrosion or filth.
This is a common cause of problems.
Can a bad ground make your voltage drop dramatically when you put your car in driveway or make your voltage drop dramatically while AC turns on or even make your car shut off while driving...My Alternator is good and I have a new battery and I'm experiencing all those symptoms
Hi Danny and thanks for watching!
It is possible for sure although I think there would be other symptoms present besides that.
If I was in your place, I would also check the other devices that are driven by the serpentine belt like the AC compressor, power steering pump, or others, depending on what car you drive.
Same here i can’t figure out why my car drops voltage when I turn the ac on or when I turn anything in the car drops voltage and if Im just in park the car slowly drops voltage it’s been a year since I drove my 350z and no one can seem to figure it out sadly
Yes, my car did that
@@lijahp1
@@visualjermm7879 mine was MAF sensor
I like your video but the filming and editing needs to improve... remember, Show Not Tell, ie. Show us how to locate the ground connection, and show close ups of bad ground connections. Then you'll really have a great video. Just commenting, Thanks.
Hi John, thanks for watching and for the sincere and useful comment!
You're right, hopefully, in the near future, we'll improve the quality and lighting which is sometimes really off, to be sincere.
Regarding the examples, we try to combine explaining and the repair as much as possible. The main point is to get the point and idea of the repair to our viewers.
Anyway, we hope the video helped 🙂
Yesterday My car wouldn't start. All the electronics in my car will not even turning on. So I thought it was a dead battery so I got to jump start and the car still wouldn't turn on. There was still no power going to the car, even with jumper cables. And what's crazy? Is that The car battery had 12.6 volts but there was no power going to the car. Nothing was turning on. Like as if my car didn't even have a battery but it did. It turned out that the ground connection was a little loose, just a little. It wouldn't Even crank. It can't crank if there's no power at all to the accessories. 0% electrical power going to the car's accessories and sensors and car parts But the battery voltage was at 12.6 volts. So the person who jump started my car got their tools and tightened the ground and made sure that the positive was tightened to and then they still jump. Started my car and it started with no issue and then I plugged in my scan tool and the battery and alternator are good. I've never seen that happen before ever. Cuz when I try to start it it made it clicky noise and that was it. The second time it actually started but shut off immediately. The third time it sounded like as If the engine was getting fuel. And then after the fourth time the whole car lost power 100%. But the battery was good. Once the connections were tighten up. The car started right up and I haven't had an issue since then.
Had my car show all dash lights on my car while driving then stopping started next morning but worth a shot to try this
Good luck and thanks for watching!
My ground strap bolt on the engine broke from the head on the engine block and off course I don't have the tools 2 get the rest of the bolt out.
How will it affect my Jeep Compass? I was able to kind of secure 1/2 of the strap end 2 another bolt on the engine, but it is not as it should be!
Thanks for your time!
Hi and thank you for watching!
I think you should be fine provided that the engine starts well (there's no heavy cranking).
Half of the strap should be enough for the installation to function properly. I've had these kinds of cases where I needed to improvise, looks bad but functions well.
But if you want to be 100% sure, buy a new strap, make a brand-new connection, and call it a day.
Hope any of this helps
Big thk you . Straight direct to the point . Easily explained I’m a fan and follower ,
Thank you for watching and you're welcome :-)
so i snapped the negative wire and just wedged it in the screw that was holding it at its base the car was starting fine but i am getting that slow crank to the point my car wont start battery tested good
Hi and thanks for watching! Well, if the contact is good and if the wire is fully wedged then it should work OK but put on a proper connector as soon as possible.
Just in case, bypass the ground connection with a jumper cable (from the minus battery terminal to the engine) and then try cranking.
if it's still slow, I would check the starter and the connections to it.
@@DespairRepair thanks for replying and will do i had radio issues as well pulled the fuse and its been fine but last week there was a very bad storm minus 7 thats when i started to have issues but will do i might bang on the starter as well
@@frickysuavve247 you're welcome and hope any of this helps. Just wanted to ask if the battery is OK, I'm asking since it's cold, low temperatures can also cause weak cranking.
Try banging also can't hurt 🙂
@@DespairRepair well i took the battery to autozone they said it was good and i have a jumpstarter box as well which also isnt doing the trick which makes me think its something else im not to good with the electrical engineering tbh lol
@@frickysuavve247 well then, I would definitely check the starter, especially if it's a high-mileage car and any maintenance hasn't been done on the starter.
Great video, very clear and helpful in not only spitting a problem but how to fix it too.
Thanks for the kind comment and for watching! 🙂
Hi and thanks for the information...I have a Vw polo 9n which is basically almost the same car as the skoda you are dealing with...Ive had some problems with the immobilizer and in a car shop they told me its a faulty insturment cluster and i changed it and now the problem with immobilizer is gone but the intrument cluster started acting strange 1 month ago when it reset itslef while driving and now one morning when i went to start the car i noticed that there were no digits in the intrument cluster and when i turned the key the car started and then it died...What might be the problem ? thanks
Hi Niko, thanks for watching and sorry for the late response!
I would first check the alternator voltage and if the battery clamps are clean and properly tightened.
What you can also do is try asking the people who replaced the instrument cluster. Maybe there's a weak connection somewhere or lose connector.
Hope this helps at least a little bit.
Than you for this wonderfool video
,I think now I can find the ground fault in my car.
You're welcome and thanks for watching!
Just adding on to the heavy cranking - In some cases, your car may not crank at all! My VW Tiguan has a snapped earth cable from the body to the gearbox and this caused it to not crank at all - Replacement cable coming this weekend and I will attempt to fix this. Do I need to disconnect the Negative terminal when doing this?
Hi Lewis and thanks for watching and sharing your experience.
It would be best to take off the negative battery clamp just in case. It's safer that way, both for you and the car.
@Despair Repair Thank you for getting back to me - Keep up the great videos, I have subbed 😊
I have the heavy cranking “womp womp womp.” I replaced the battery and alternator. But my connections looks a little exposed. When I was cranking it my negative ground started smoking and turning red which indicated I have a problem there. I’m not sure if my alternator have a connection problem either.
Hi and thanks for watching!
If the engine isn't properly grounded then more or less anything won't work properly including the alternator.
Maybe best try connecting a jumper cable from the minus terminal of the battery to a convenient metal part of the engine and see if the connection is the problem.
There is a part of the video showing that I think.
Hope this helps.
Really thanks alot for the very useful video. Question: When doing the bypass jumping cable , should I turn ingention key on or leave it off ? thanks.
You're welcome and thanks for watching!
It would be better to first turn off the ignition and then connect the cable.
What about a driving for a solid hour and then once idling, just stalls out and starts up again with no problems. This has only happened twice this month. Does it sound like a battery/ground issue?
Hi Adam and thanks for watching!
To be honest, doesn't really sound like a ground connection problem.