Re: Positive wire getting hot and sparks.
Post by compexp on Nov 12, 2006, 11:11pm


Quote:
I don't think anybody has mentioned this, but it makes perfect sense:
Check your grounds. With all those freshly painted parts, chances are you have a series of bad ground connection... Use star washers, and I would put extra ground straps all over...

1) Engine to frame
2) cab to frame
3) fenders to frame
4) front clip to frame

Excerpt from:
http://www.off-road.com/jeep/tech/electrical/gauges/
===========================
Going to Ground


Are your headlights flickering? Do your gauges sometimes work and then not?
Dave Mellow has some great tips about grounding and your Jeep's electrical system.

Remember that you are actually driving three separate Jeeps around: the FRAME; the ENGINE/TRANNY GROUP; and the BODY. The three groups are separated by insulating bushings, rust (lots of that), grease, and just plain looseness.

When your Jeep was new and rust free, the factory thought enough about grounds to have little cables here and there going from the battery to these component groups, but when you and cousin Leroy jerked the engine in '89, you broke the cables and they never got put back.

Do your Jeep a favor, and run dedicated cables to EACH COMPONENT GROUP.

Go from the battery to the starter housing bolt for the ENGINE/TRANNY group; from the battery (or the engine) to the FRAME GROUP; and from the battery (or the engine) to the BODY GROUP.

Work hard to get good clean spots; ground the tub and front end body material separately; be diligent about this, and you will be AMAZED at what a difference it will make (gee, the gas gauge started working'!), and maybe now that measly twelve volts can actually find it's way to the headlights!


EXACTLY what bit me last week with my J-truck. Drove it one day, 2 days later, wouldn't even turn over, no dash lights, no nothing. After a couple of days of troubleshooting including battery chargers, new battery, etc, I figured out that my ground to the body was bad. I moved the negative cable to a different spot on the engine, ran another ground wire to the body and wow, everything works again! Plus, my passenger backup light, which HADN'T WORKED IN OVER 10 YEARS, started working again.

Check your grounds buddy!