@@chriscraft77022 put on my alternator today on my 82 f350 now realizing I didn't connect the ground wire cuz I didn't see one on the old starter and so what I think I'm hearing is that I a follow where my ground goes from my batter and then connect it to the frame or whatever or I'll run a thin ground wire back to my battery directly if that's not what I do someone plz correct me I know I sound dumb but I'm 22 and this is my first old-school big block
@@bigchris1197 I know this is a year ago but you have to remember that the same current has to return to the negative of the battery which means you have to use the same gauge as the positive supply cable.
I am a retired ASE Master mechanic. You forgot to diagram out the positive circuit from the battery to the main fuse block where everything else besides the starter gets its power from. This would eliminate some confusion to anyone who is learning automotive electrical. By the way my specialty was in electrical systems, Engine performance and emission controls. But this was one of the best videos I have seen.
Wow, years of being a technician and coworkers trying to explain grounding to me - all the confusion finally solved by a single UA-cam video. Thank you
The very best explanation I have seen on this subject, short, to the point and easy to comprehend. I am now GROUNDED , subscribed and grounded the like button.
Thanks a lot I had a strange issues with the accessories current with my Yaris Toyota 2012 due to bad grounding and it was a nightmare to figure out that issue...basically the last maintenance done on it was the root cause for this issue they didn't properly re connect the grounding wire ...and due also to vibration all the accessories on my car was stopping working ...radio. alarm. Light intérieur. Electric windows wishers. Direction ....ECT ....I suffer to investigate this I made a lot of search and spend huge money before....so first check your grounding this is as lesson learned...thanks for the video.
Chris, I am restoring my '84 Chevy C20 and I am rewiring right now. Your video has been so informative! Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge. Very well done! All the best.
Finally a ground video where the man is well spoken understands what he is explaining and is recorded with sound that is loud enough to hear well done I didn't even watch the entire video I listened to half and he still explained well enough to understand. Of coarse I am a small engine mechanic but that is vastly different from a car mechanic with much more extensive electrical systems. Thank you sir great job 👏 👍. No one likes these videos till they need to know this info then there all ears
I recently moved my battery to the trunk and used 1awg and a short 1awg ground to the body. I didn't have any starting problems, but i decided to add a 1awg engine ground just in case and left the stock 4awg ground in place. I also used a junction block and replaced the 4awg starter wire with a 1awg. Everything worked fine with 1awg wire feeding a 4 foot 4awg to the starter, but i wanted the starter to get all the amps possible. This was on a unibody so no frame. The extreme copper wire from batterycablesusa was easy to work with because it's very fine stranded copper cable.
You explained it so detailed and understandable. Finally know the proper difference/simularity with ground and zero and the importance of a good ground. I was even able to fix my lawn mower, which had a bad ground due too rust on the Solenoid! Thank you so much!!!
Yeah buddy! That 454ci Big Block Chevy pride on the valve cover in your diagram is hands down, without a doubt...my very favorite part of the entire video! 😁👍
Thanks, the explanation and illustrations help convey just how the mulitple grounds attached to different sections of the vehicle steel create an actual steel frame chassis conductor wire like circuit back to the negative battery terminal.
Awesome video! I’ve worked with electrical components so I have working knowledge of electricity and grounds but know NOTHING of mechanics so it’s hard to see the circuit lol, this really put it into perspective! Thanks!
You do great videos. It's great to get this knowledge out there to people doing their own projects. This is the difference between a car where everything works as it should or a car full of electrical gremlins. Also, you have to have a good understanding of this when working on a car with a fiberglass body for instance. Great job
Nicely done and helpful check list of grounding wires to go through. Working through an inconsistent flickering instrument cluster on my 2000 Chevy Silverado.
Thank you! I watched a few other videos on testing car electrical systems, and I was so confused as to why they could measure voltage with a multimeter by touching one of the prongs directly to the engine. Now it makes sense.
Man when I tell you that was one of the best descriptions out of all of the thousand videos I have watched on UA-cam concerning grounds and negatives that was phenomenal! You brought it all the way down to a level where a 5th grader could even understand it so many of these guys on UA-cam are making videos like this but it seems that they are trying sound intelligent and smart by using so many large mechanical terms an explanations that you're literally trying to decipher the meaning of the words also while trying to understand the content and at the end of the video you just freaking completely confused! Sorry I had to rant and rave! Again you did a excellent job with this please put out more videos thanks
Chris great video. Im a retired aircraft mechanic and I'm thinking of restoring a vintage car late 60's or early 70's and your videos are a great help. Thanks, much and Happy New year. New subscriber. Probably a mustang67-68 or chevy. 👍
Awesome explanation! Great teaching video.... please produce more electrical DC... building project and to understand basics of making own harness for the essentials only
Dude. This is everything I need. It covers so much I been stumped on. My truck has new alternator. Headlights dim when windows go down. Or anything electrical is used. Mostly power doors. Assuming the ground is the issue I can use this to my advantage.
Hey Chris this is Rolan 6-4 great video I don't know you have time to do all these videos but I sure do appreciate it thumbs up and keep up the good work man your videos are helping me a lot on my project car a 64 Impala
wow wow wow. this has been racking my head for ages now. Not a car guy so was wondering why a radio project i have a work, the manual is telling me to ground it to the car! I was busting my brains trying to figure out how the circuit will close, if it’s not on the negative side of the battery!
This is a helpful video, but . . . . Current flows the other way, from the negative post to the positive post. It does not change ANY of your recommendations in anyway. I hope my. Comments don’t appear overly esoteric, it’s just that I’ve been chasing electrons for over 45 years and I find it curious that still not widely accepted outside of electrical and electronic engineering. We (electronic engineers) switched from conventional current flow (positive to negative) to electron current flow (negative to positive) sometime after the late 1960s. It’s pretty much taught that way now and has been demonstrated repeatedly in the lab. Electrons spinning in orbit about the atoms nucleus is widely accepted fact through much work demonstrating it by multiple groups. But I repeat, the video is very well done and I will use some of the advice on my 55 Chevy restoration!
Excellent video Chris. I just changed my engine and went with a CVF serpentine kit and went to connect the negative wire to the battery and now I’m getting an ARC. The alternator bracket is aluminum, I’m thinking of running a strap from the alternator bolt directly to the black to see if it will stop it.
Kapono I didn’t see your explanation on UA-cam? There’s a lot of folks seeking info on here. I believe the explanation was a good help to as lot of people
My car is a Toyota Camry sxv20 year 2001 which is built as a unibody chasis. This means it only needs the engine block to chassis, alternator casing to chassis and the alternator power wire to battery positive and the battery negative to chassis right? Have I covered all for the BIG 4? Appreciate any inputs. Thanks.
thanks for the great information at the moment i have a lot issues with my wiring on my 1970 c10 my voltage regulator goes out often my voltage climbs as high as 17volts my blinker fuse goes out quick and i noticed i only have 1 ground wire running from the battery to the engine block which the battery terminal left loose i will be fixing alot this immediately 👍
No fucking way! You're telling me my car is a fucking wire? Seriously though, your video helped me to finally understand it! It just clicked. Thank you very much!
Would u blame a ground wire , for my low beams to switch on to high beams then back to low , when basing , or would it be lack of power , I don’t have a secondary battery yet nore a high output alternator?
Wow this has been a grey area for me for so many years. Finally the grounding chain makes sense. One additional question is how did manufacturers ensure bare metal for the grounds but eliminate corrosion? Like is there a protective, conductive coating?
Thanks. Am I right to believe only the negative wires for the electrical appliances in the car can be attached to a ground point but ALL the positive wires for ALL the same appliances have to connect directly to the car battery positive terminal?
I've watched the video and got some good idea of the vehicle's grounding system. My question though is, what is an easy access to grounding system that the driver can use? something that I can just connect a wire to it. Thank you
I have a 1986 Fiero GT with a L67 supercharged motor swap from a 2000 GP GTP. My alternator recently went out. Turns out they used a alternator from like a 1995 park ave I think it was. Well I put it in & now when a stop at a light my speedometer will bounce around from like 15-80 mph. The real problem is it is putting miles on the car it is not actually doing sitting still. I believe it is a ground issue. What would you suggest? Maybe splice a ground wire into the gauge cluster plug & ground that to the metal part of the dash?
Time to ground my alternator to my piston
you should ground it to d.n.
@@chriscraft77022 aw hell naw
@@noxlight5564 drain nodule
@@chriscraft77022 put on my alternator today on my 82 f350 now realizing I didn't connect the ground wire cuz I didn't see one on the old starter and so what I think I'm hearing is that I a follow where my ground goes from my batter and then connect it to the frame or whatever or I'll run a thin ground wire back to my battery directly if that's not what I do someone plz correct me I know I sound dumb but I'm 22 and this is my first old-school big block
@@bigchris1197 I know this is a year ago but you have to remember that the same current has to return to the negative of the battery which means you have to use the same gauge as the positive supply cable.
Six years later, and this is still one of the best explanation videos out here.
I am a retired ASE Master mechanic. You forgot to diagram out the positive circuit from the battery to the main fuse block where everything else besides the starter gets its power from. This would eliminate some confusion to anyone who is learning automotive electrical. By the way my specialty was in electrical systems, Engine performance and emission controls. But this was one of the best videos I have seen.
Man you got no idea how much you helped me. People wouldn’t believe how much headache a bad ground can cause
Oh, he does knows how much he helped you, that why he made the video. Glad your happy though.😊
@@raymondrodriguez5068 this helped me out so much lol I was wondering why diagrams were ground this ground that vs back to negative terminal
Man you explained Car grounding better than everyone on youtube. Thank You!
Wow, years of being a technician and coworkers trying to explain grounding to me - all the confusion finally solved by a single UA-cam video. Thank you
The very best explanation I have seen on this subject, short, to the point and easy to comprehend. I am now GROUNDED , subscribed and grounded the like button.
You’re videos are simply outstanding. Literally, simple and outstanding!! Thank you so much for making them.
Amen.
One of the best videos I've watched explaining ground. Thank you so much!
Thanks a lot I had a strange issues with the accessories current with my Yaris Toyota 2012 due to bad grounding and it was a nightmare to figure out that issue...basically the last maintenance done on it was the root cause for this issue they didn't properly re connect the grounding wire ...and due also to vibration all the accessories on my car was stopping working ...radio. alarm. Light intérieur. Electric windows wishers. Direction ....ECT ....I suffer to investigate this I made a lot of search and spend huge money before....so first check your grounding this is as lesson learned...thanks for the video.
Thank you Christ. This is the best and most clear explanation about grounding, including the reason behind it, and how and where to ground.
Every once in a while a guy comes across the best video on a particular subject... today, you sir have provided that best video and i thank you.
Chris, I am restoring my '84 Chevy C20 and I am rewiring right now. Your video has been so informative! Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge. Very well done! All the best.
Thank you
99 gmt400 k1500 5.7
You brought clarity to what seemed like solving a spinning rubics cube blind folded.
Well done sir
Very good presentation. I’m a retired motor mechanic instructor. This is well spoken and informative
Your videos are the missing link to getting my Monte on the road one hundred percent working.Thank You my informative friend.
New to the 12V world and this has been extremely helpful. Thanks 🙌
Finally a ground video where the man is well spoken understands what he is explaining and is recorded with sound that is loud enough to hear well done I didn't even watch the entire video I listened to half and he still explained well enough to understand. Of coarse I am a small engine mechanic but that is vastly different from a car mechanic with much more extensive electrical systems. Thank you sir great job 👏 👍. No one likes these videos till they need to know this info then there all ears
I recently moved my battery to the trunk and used 1awg and a short 1awg ground to the body. I didn't have any starting problems, but i decided to add a 1awg engine ground just in case and left the stock 4awg ground in place. I also used a junction block and replaced the 4awg starter wire with a 1awg. Everything worked fine with 1awg wire feeding a 4 foot 4awg to the starter, but i wanted the starter to get all the amps possible. This was on a unibody so no frame. The extreme copper wire from batterycablesusa was easy to work with because it's very fine stranded copper cable.
You explained it so detailed and understandable. Finally know the proper difference/simularity with ground and zero and the importance of a good ground. I was even able to fix my lawn mower, which had a bad ground due too rust on the Solenoid! Thank you so much!!!
holy shit light bulb went off (no pun intended)!! you're an awesome teacher! thanks!
Bro!!!!!!! Thank you!!!! This was amazingly simple. Great teacher
This has been explained to me a bunch of times, but when I watched your video that was the first time I understood it. Thank you!
Yeah buddy! That 454ci Big Block Chevy pride on the valve cover in your diagram is hands down, without a doubt...my very favorite part of the entire video!
😁👍
Duuuude !!!!! You just made my life a hell of a lot better. Best video I’ve ever seen in UA-cam. Thank you !!
Great video. Very informative. Thank you for taking the time to share this and for letting it live on the internet forever.
Thank you. This was a great explanation. Now I need to find and test all of my grounds. I think rust is a factor in my issues.
Awesome info. I am getting ready to redo the grounds and power after relocating the battery to the trunk. Thanks.
Thanks, the explanation and illustrations help convey just how the mulitple grounds attached to different sections of the vehicle steel create an actual steel frame chassis conductor wire like circuit back to the negative battery terminal.
Awesome video! I’ve worked with electrical components so I have working knowledge of electricity and grounds but know NOTHING of mechanics so it’s hard to see the circuit lol, this really put it into perspective! Thanks!
The explanation is SPOT ON 🔥
You do great videos. It's great to get this knowledge out there to people doing their own projects. This is the difference between a car where everything works as it should or a car full of electrical gremlins. Also, you have to have a good understanding of this when working on a car with a fiberglass body for instance. Great job
Nicely done and helpful check list of grounding wires to go through. Working through an inconsistent flickering instrument cluster on my 2000 Chevy Silverado.
What a great video,been struggling with my headlights on a Rover P5 B but this video explains it all in 10 minutes and clearly.
Thank you! I watched a few other videos on testing car electrical systems, and I was so confused as to why they could measure voltage with a multimeter by touching one of the prongs directly to the engine. Now it makes sense.
Man when I tell you that was one of the best descriptions out of all of the thousand videos I have watched on UA-cam concerning grounds and negatives that was phenomenal! You brought it all the way down to a level where a 5th grader could even understand it so many of these guys on UA-cam are making videos like this but it seems that they are trying sound intelligent and smart by using so many large mechanical terms an explanations that you're literally trying to decipher the meaning of the words also while trying to understand the content and at the end of the video you just freaking completely confused! Sorry I had to rant and rave! Again you did a excellent job with this please put out more videos thanks
I'm restoring a 70chevelle, I love your videos. You've helped me so much and this video is a gem as I'm currently rewiring the car. Thanks chris
Great videos. Thank you for all your help. My 1968 Chevelle was put together with you knowledge and assistance.
This video was so clear. Makes so much sense. Now I know everything I need to check. Thanks Chris, your the man!!
Reached 2.22 and already learned alot, great so far!
Great, clear, simple to follow and totally logical. Thank you for that!!!
Excellent video. No music, no bullshit, straight to the point. Well done.
Same here! Finally a video that has made me begin to better understand the "ground" connection.
Great explanation. I'm going to O'Reillys after work and then into my garage to put all of these ground straps on. Thanks. Subbed.
they are hard to find in the store but oreilly and auto zone both stock them
(I’m in Houston, TX)
Had to say nothing but sun ! 70 chevelle owner from Arizona again rained out for a few days 😔👍😁 thank you as always 👊
Now I know why my fog lights had a short. Thanks for the video!
I was gonna say you don't know how much you've helped me, but I'm sure you do know. So I'll just tell you, Thank You my Friend, for a job well done😎
Excellent video. Finally I understand grounding on the car. Cheers.
Great video Chris this is definitely going to help me out with my 59 Cadillac I'm going to go check all the grounds right now
This is the only video about ground that I understood, thank you
Chris great video. Im a retired aircraft mechanic and I'm thinking of restoring a vintage car late 60's or early 70's and your videos are a great help. Thanks, much and Happy New year. New subscriber. Probably a mustang67-68 or chevy. 👍
This is a great video! Thanks for going over it all in so much detail.
Great easy explanation. Super informative. Thanks man!
Awesome explanation! Great teaching video.... please produce more electrical DC... building project and to understand basics of making own harness for the essentials only
Thanks a lot I literally knew nothing but I'm trying to learn and this was probably the best explanation for this I've seen
Excellent. Easy to follow and understand. Great drawing.
That was the most useful explanation of grounds ever. Thank You many times...and Thank You again!
Dude. This is everything I need. It covers so much I been stumped on. My truck has new alternator. Headlights dim when windows go down. Or anything electrical is used. Mostly power doors. Assuming the ground is the issue I can use this to my advantage.
Hey Chris this is Rolan 6-4 great video I don't know you have time to do all these videos but I sure do appreciate it thumbs up and keep up the good work man your videos are helping me a lot on my project car a 64 Impala
wow wow wow. this has been racking my head for ages now. Not a car guy so was wondering why a radio project i have a work, the manual is telling me to ground it to the car! I was busting my brains trying to figure out how the circuit will close, if it’s not on the negative side of the battery!
Grounding to frame causes electrolysis when water gets involved accelerating corrosion.
well then go unhook the grounds on your frame so you don’t get electrolysis 😞
This is a helpful video, but . . . .
Current flows the other way, from the negative post to the positive post. It does not change ANY of your recommendations in anyway. I hope my. Comments don’t appear overly esoteric, it’s just that I’ve been chasing electrons for over 45 years and I find it curious that still not widely accepted outside of electrical and electronic engineering. We (electronic engineers) switched from conventional current flow (positive to negative) to electron current flow (negative to positive) sometime after the late 1960s. It’s pretty much taught that way now and has been demonstrated repeatedly in the lab. Electrons spinning in orbit about the atoms nucleus is widely accepted fact through much work demonstrating it by multiple groups. But I repeat, the video is very well done and I will use some of the advice on my 55 Chevy restoration!
why aren’t the negative wires fused? Of course I’ve heard what you are saying.. when I was like 5 years old…
Excellent video, diagrams, and explanation! Bravo!!
Excellent video Chris. I just changed my engine and went with a CVF serpentine kit and went to connect the negative wire to the battery and now I’m getting an ARC. The alternator bracket is aluminum, I’m thinking of running a strap from the alternator bolt directly to the black to see if it will stop it.
Thanks for explaining this such a simple straightforward way.
Great video! Had an answer to all my questions about car electrical work!
Literally the best explanation on the net, thank you for your time, I'll be subscribing.
Really good advice here... ground... ground...ground so important! Another well explained/simple vid!
Except current flows from NEG TO POS
Kapono I didn’t see your explanation on UA-cam? There’s a lot of folks seeking info on here. I believe the explanation was a good help to as lot of people
Ahhh! Eureka!
I FINALLY GET IT - 1:42 - 2:21!
BEST DC GROUND VIDEO ON UA-cam!
Thanks for making this. Great advice and ideas.
Here is a guy who knows what he is talking about 👍❤
CHASSIS is supposed to be the frame, but a lot of times you will hear, "GROUND TO CHASSIS." and you would normally ground that to the body...
It's about time somebody explained this. I am rewiring my truck and needed to know this. Nobody explained this before in any video, thanks
Im restoring 41 plymouth wagon,6 vote positive ground! Would love to see you explain this unusal set up.
Such a good simple explanation, cheers
Excellent, packed with useful information, you're a great help. I'm ready to tackle my faulty ground wires on my GM, thanks
Good concise explanation about the subject in hand. Good job !!
Awesomeness and very much what i needed get back on road...
😄👍🏿Good Stuff,Great Tips, you tie it all together. I'll inspect devices and for missing and clean adequate grounds to complete the circuit.😃
The 3rd Teacher in my life to Draw a Diagram that made perfect sense,Who Sent you Jesus Christ🎉🎉🎉
Beautiful simplified explanation thanks man.
Great channel! Very informative. Very well explained. I know these videos take a lot of work. Thanks!
In this type of chasis on frame vehicle how would you recommend doing grounds for a high output sound system. 10,000 watt isolated charging system.
Correct learning matters. Big thanks for enlightment.
Thank you. Well explained for me as a novice.
Appreciate this very much - makes so much sense!
I like that you covered the starter circuit, I think anybody else would leave it out.
i am a real car guy.. i make videos to help people..
Okay Finally I understood why mechanics asks me to put the jumper on the car metal parts instead of the negative when trying to start a car.
My car is a Toyota Camry sxv20 year 2001 which is built as a unibody chasis. This means it only needs the engine block to chassis, alternator casing to chassis and the alternator power wire to battery positive and the battery negative to chassis right? Have I covered all for the BIG 4? Appreciate any inputs. Thanks.
Hi Chris thanks for the video I always learn something from your video you are the man 👍
thanks for the great information at the moment i have a lot issues with my wiring on my 1970 c10 my voltage regulator goes out often my voltage climbs as high as 17volts my blinker fuse goes out quick and i noticed i only have 1 ground wire running from the battery to the engine block which the battery terminal left loose i will be fixing alot this immediately 👍
Great video!! Thank you!! Made perfect sense of everything.
Good explanation. Good drawings. 👍🏾
No fucking way! You're telling me my car is a fucking wire?
Seriously though, your video helped me to finally understand it! It just clicked. Thank you very much!
I had to replace part of my car harness, and I have 4 ground wires. Can I just connect them to the other 4 ground wires in any order?
Would u blame a ground wire , for my low beams to switch on to high beams then back to low , when basing , or would it be lack of power , I don’t have a secondary battery yet nore a high output alternator?
Wow this has been a grey area for me for so many years. Finally the grounding chain makes sense. One additional question is how did manufacturers ensure bare metal for the grounds but eliminate corrosion? Like is there a protective, conductive coating?
Thanks. Am I right to believe only the negative wires for the electrical appliances in the car can be attached to a ground point but ALL the positive wires for ALL the same appliances have to connect directly to the car battery positive terminal?
I've watched the video and got some good idea of the vehicle's grounding system. My question though is, what is an easy access to grounding system that the driver can use? something that I can just connect a wire to it. Thank you
I have a 1986 Fiero GT with a L67 supercharged motor swap from a 2000 GP GTP. My alternator recently went out. Turns out they used a alternator from like a 1995 park ave I think it was. Well I put it in & now when a stop at a light my speedometer will bounce around from like 15-80 mph. The real problem is it is putting miles on the car it is not actually doing sitting still. I believe it is a ground issue. What would you suggest? Maybe splice a ground wire into the gauge cluster plug & ground that to the metal part of the dash?
Thanks brother for right guidance. 👍🏻😇
Hi do i need to replace my original battery to body frame grounding cable or just bolt to another body frame?