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Grounding Cable Help

Wineaux

Wineaux

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Cupertino, CA
While checking my air filter, I noticed two grounding cables that were disconnected at the dealership during work and never reattached.

One cable has an "L" type end and it dangling near what I think is a part of the heater grid. The other cable is attached to the air box.

I have driven for 7 months with no issues, no flashing lights on the dashboard. (Possibly 12+ months of dirving if it was the dealership that replaced my transmission)

At first, I tried to reattach the cables myself. The one on the airbox is about 2 inches too short to connect to the passenger-side battery.
And I have no clue where the L-shaped one goes. Google said its for the Heater Grid Relay (or thats where its going to weld itself if it makes contact)

The dealership initially planned to send a tow truck to take it back to the dealer for repair. Now they changed their tune and are denying everything and wanting to change me.

I didn't have my Fuel Filter changed, but Google said those cables get disconnected to improve access to the Fuel Filter.

Ive attached some photos. Any guidance on this? Has this happened to anyone else?
 

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Google is smoking AI crack… the fuel filter is on the other side of the engine.

I’ve removed things to get better access to the oil filter, but never any wires from the battery.

What did the dealership work on?
 
AH64ID said:
What did the dealership work on?
Click to expand...
I'm finding more and more about Google AI drug addiction.... lol

Sunnyvale CDJR did the transmission replacement.
Normadin CDJR in San Jose did a 7500 mile service (rotate tires, oil change, "battery inspection")

Those are the only people to have worked on the truck.
 
Trash Panda said:
Can you trace the wires out to where they attach on the other end?
Click to expand...

Well I can see a grounding strap already attached to the passenger side fender. Looks like the non-L bracket cable would connect to the negative side of the battery, but it's too short.

The L shaped braket looks like it might attach to the grid heater relay (although thats waht google AI said)

But when the two grounding cables touch, they start sparking.

I was able to talk down the dealership on pricing to get it fixed since they won't own up to it. Instead of a $295 diagnostic fee, they will do $159 for half an hour of labor to reconnect them.

My worry is that I would fry something if I tried it on my own.

Does anyone have a good mechanic recommendation for the Bay Area, CA?
 
Uhhh….if they spark when touched they aren’t ground cables and one of them is already grounded and the other one is positive.

Honestly appears beyond your knowledge, take it in somewhere. I’d just go to the dealership, have them reconnect the cables, find out what exactly they are and get the service and/or dealership manager in the room and have them explain why it’s not their fault.
 
AH64ID said:
Uhhh….if they spark when touched they aren’t ground cables and one of them is already grounded and the other one is positive.

Honestly appears beyond your knowledge, take it in somewhere. I’d just go to the dealership, have them reconnect the cables, find out what exactly they are and get the service and/or dealership manager in the room and have them explain why it’s not their fault.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that's the plan: have the dealer look at it. This is my first dual battery vehicle.

When they did spark, it was with none of the batteries disconnected.

Looking at the photos, could one of them be a floating ground? Still receiving some kind of power from the ECU or a light?
 
There isn’t anything fancy about a dual battery rig when the are parallel, like these trucks.

Should only + and -, nothing fancy. Likely tracing one of them will lead you to the positive voltage source and it’s disconnected from its load.
 
What years your truck? New style relay I presume? The one that’s in the pic with your air filter should go to grid relay, the other may come off the pass side positive battery post under the little plastic cover if you trace it back, let us know.
 
The grid heater relay is mounted directly under the battery on the passenger side and it has several different connections on it. But with one being hot and the other obviously being a ground, I would definitely want someone who knows what they are to reconnect them.
I’ll try to get a picture of mine and post it.
 
1771089819371.jpegIf you trace this wire out, it probably goes around the front of the engine to the grid heater itself. It would be a ground since the grid heater is a short circuit to create the heat. The other wire if traced out is probably connected to the battery. Either way both need to be covered until you get it fixed to keep them from shorting out and setting your truck on fire.
 
I can see in this photo that the grid heater relay is not connected. The 2 copper plated post under the nuts are the contacts for the relay itself.
1771090467277.jpeg
 
I would definitely trace that wire in the previous picture and disconnect it from the battery where Im pretty sure it terminates.
 
OLEJOE said:
It would be a ground since the grid heater is a short circuit to create the heat.
Click to expand...

The grid heater uses a chassis ground so the only wires connecting to it are positive.
 
AH64ID said:
The grid heater uses a chassis ground so the only wires connecting to it are positive.
Click to expand...
When being tested for power it would show as a ground. It does have to be energized with positive voltage through the relay.
 
After looking at the pictures further, those two wires look like the ones going to my grid heater relay. I wouldn’t reconnect them without having the updated relay though. I would just disconnect the one going to the battery to keep it from shorting out on something.
 
OLEJOE said:
When being tested for power it would show as a ground. It does have to be energized with positive voltage through the relay.
Click to expand...

Yes there would be some continuity to ground, but not quite a dead short, just close.
 
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