Technical Earth Strap to Gearbox

[typecastboy]

We're always banging on about the earth strap causing problems but is the one we are always telling people to change the braided one from the chassis rail to the gearbox?

Although I've always told people to check the cable I've never had to myself until today. I've taken the battery tray out and seen that the braided cable from the chassis rail to the gearbox which seems to attach to the gearbox under the clutch slave cylinder has actually snapped in two.

I have a replacement that I bought a while ago but I can't see how it attaches to the gearbox. Do I have to take the slave cylinder out to get to the nut?


I understand that this earth is the main earth for the starter motor and alternator but is it for anything else. The reason I ask is that I am having an intermittent power steering problem where I get the check steering message and the power steering doesn't work. I switch it off and back on again and it's fine.

baglady, I know you've done yours recently.

 

[Baglady1990]

We're always banging on about the earth strap causing problems but is the one we are always telling people to change the braided one from the chassis rail to the gearbox?

Although I've always told people to check the cable I've never had to myself until today. I've taken the battery tray out and seen that the braided cable from the chassis rail to the gearbox which seems to attach to the gearbox under the clutch slave cylinder has actually snapped in two.

I have a replacement that I bought a while ago but I can't see how it attaches to the gearbox. Do I have to take the slave cylinder out to get to the nut?


I understand that this earth is the main earth for the starter motor and alternator but is it for anything else. The reason I ask is that I am having an intermittent power steering problem where I get the check steering message and the power steering doesn't work. I switch it off and back on again and it's fine.

baglady, I know you've done yours recently.

Yup the bolt is under the clutch slave!! When my “replacement “ failed due to unseen damage I got the “fuel cutoff “ message and the car would not start ... no messages on steering tho

 

[Baglady1990]

How the hell has that sheared in 2??

 

[typecastboy]

There was no plastic cover over it at all unless that's fallen off just the bare cable. I can only guess that moisture and maybe even drips from the battery tray has rotted it over the years. The car is 10 years old I suppose. Luckily I bought one on eBay recently. I'll get it on tomorrow. Thanks.

 

[John202020]

How the hell has that sheared in 2??

Corrosion plain and simple. Plus vibration

 

[typecastboy]

I’m hoping it’s that causing my intermittent steering problem.

 

[Baglady1990]

I’m hoping it’s that causing my intermittent steering problem.

Let’s hope so! Keep us updated

 

[jimboy]

I have an abundance of heavy duty cable from my oil yard days and over the years I’ve multi earthed most of the cars that I’ve owned. One that I always do is a cable from battery earth to starter motor bolt. As I’ve said before this will not do anything other than make good use of the electrical system. An easy worthwhile wee mod’ in my opinion.

 

[typecastboy]

Mounting bolt, or normal earth point?

 

[jimboy]

Mounting bolt, or normal earth point?

Mounting bolt. Some cars are harder than others to attach, an easy but fiddly job at times.....

 

[typecastboy]

All done. Thanks baglady. What a stupid place to put a bolt.

So the bolt was a bolt with a nut attached to the top of it, which I couldn't budge so I put the new cable threaded onto the actual bolt and bolted it all down.

Easy job in the end

 

[chris3234]

All done. Thanks baglady. What a stupid place to put a bolt.

So the bolt was a bolt with a nut attached to the top of it, which I couldn't budge so I put the new cable threaded onto the actual bolt and bolted it all down.

Easy job in the end

Presumably another victim of the left to righ and drive modification

Just been glad you don't have to do it on a 1.3 multijet as it requires removing the would steel intercooler to intake manifold pipe as it covers one of the slave cylinder bolt's

 

[John202020]

Presumably another victim of the left to righ and drive modification

Just been glad you don't have to do it on a 1.3 multijet as it requires removing the would steel intercooler to intake manifold pipe as it covers one of the slave cylinder bolt's

Technically you could use "any" suitable bolt on the engine with a suitable cable?

 

[AndyRKett]

Similar to what jimboy has said I have in the past fitted a second earth cable higher up in the engine bay away from water and dirt, I had several problems with my old 1.3 multijet with the earth bolted low on the front of the gearbox corroding very quickly and keep snapping off at the fixing point.

Maybe fiat thought putting it both on the top of the gearbox and under the slave cylinder would protect it but as I see in your picture it just moved the failure point to the part that’s out in the open as usual

 

[jimboy]

Similar to what jimboy has said I have in the past fitted a second earth cable higher up in the engine bay away from water and dirt, I had several problems with my old 1.3 multijet with the earth bolted low on the front of the gearbox corroding very quickly and keep snapping off at the fixing point.

Maybe fiat thought putting it both on the top of the gearbox and under the slave cylinder would protect it but as I see in your picture it just moved the failure point to the part that’s out in the open as usual

Yes, as I’ve said before, I have used cable that is covered in rubber, the round type. Using four lengths on various parts of the engine and on the body. Multi earthing is not a new thing, you can even buy kits, but they tend to be expensive. Easy to make up your own.

 

[typecastboy]

I've added one of the round ones covered in plastic. I think that'll outlast the rest of the car to be honest. Stupid place to put it.

 

[Baglady1990]

I've added one of the round ones covered in plastic. I think that'll outlast the rest of the car to be honest. Stupid place to put it.

Yup that’s the one I added also ..the original was “loosely” covered in plastic so obviously water could get inside!
I also greased the ends of the new

 

[GC157]

We're always banging on about the earth strap causing problems but is the one we are always telling people to change the braided one from the chassis rail to the gearbox?

Although I've always told people to check the cable I've never had to myself until today. I've taken the battery tray out and seen that the braided cable from the chassis rail to the gearbox which seems to attach to the gearbox under the clutch slave cylinder has actually snapped in two.

I have a replacement that I bought a while ago but I can't see how it attaches to the gearbox. Do I have to take the slave cylinder out to get to the nut?


I understand that this earth is the main earth for the starter motor and alternator but is it for anything else. The reason I ask is that I am having an intermittent power steering problem where I get the check steering message and the power steering doesn't work. I switch it off and back on again and it's fine.

baglady, I know you've done yours recently.

Technically you could use "any" suitable bolt on the engine with a suitable cable?

 

[GC157]

Technically you could use "any" suitable bolt on the engine with a suitable cable?

I can’t budge the nut under the slave cylinder. Can it go to one of these points instead ?

 

[GC157]

I can’t budge the nut under the slave cylinder. Can it go to one of these points instead ?