Good Grounds

["Antaki" <wrack@home.com>]

<x-charset iso-8859-1>On keeping your electrical connections prisine:

I'd replace any broken ground straps, even ones that don't seem obvious as
to why theiy are needed. You don't think VW (or any maker) would put these
in if not really needed. There may be an issue of corrosion prevention, or
?? There may also be a ground strap on the transaxle.

Also, get a can of spray electrical contact cleaner/preservative, and redo
all ground connections as such:

If the connection is bolted to body or engine part - remove bolt, steel wool
connectors and the contact part of body/engine, apply preservative, and
reconnect the parts to a loose/snug torque, wiggle to scrape down to metal
on both parts of contact, then tighten as normal.

For spade connectors, remove connector, consider squeezing the female part
*very carefully, minutely* (a vicegrips adjusted to put just a wee squeeze
on it is great, apply preservative, and reattach.

You might check all electrical connections this way, can't hurt. I believe
the wiring harness connectors originally have some sort of electrical
"grease" on them to preserve them and prevent oxidation, but it they are
dry, the spray preservative is better than nothing. Perhaps a similar
"grease" is available, and can be used for all of the above.

Spray your light switches in the door sills, and even do your headlight and
taillight connections.

elect-Ron Antaki

many old VWs with now decent electrical systems!

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-scirocco-l@scirocco.org
> [mailto:owner-scirocco-l@scirocco.org]On Behalf Of Sal Guzzo
> Sent: Friday, December 03, 1999 1:46 AM
> To: ferret100@juno.com
> Cc: scirocco-l@scirocco.org; VWofT@onelist.com; Mk1gti@onelist.com
> Subject: Re: grounds
>
>
> At 12:16 AM 02/12/99 -0500, you wrote:
> >Well, it looks like I *have* to take the second half of December off
> >(comp time:  use it or lose it!) and I figured it would be a good time to
> >do lots of car stuff. I figure that since bad grounds are the of anything
> >that can possibly go wrong with a Scirocco (including the electrical
> >gremlins that I have) I should go ahead and just replace all of the
> >ground straps.  My question is "where are they?"  I know there's one from
> >the coil to the cylinder head and another on the transmission.  Are there
> >any more?  Are there other ground "trouble spots?"
> >
> >Thanks,
> >Brian
> >
> >'82 Scirocco (aka "Fritz")
> >'85 Jetta
> >GO HOKIES!!!
> >
> >___________________________________________________________________
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> >--
> >Email problems to: scirocco-l-probs@scirocco.org  To unsubscibe send
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>
> I plan on doing the exact same thing within the week. Upgrading the neg.
> ground straps and improving the groungs on my rocco and rabbit.
>
> Which ground straps do I 'upgrade' and to what size.  I think that there's
> the one from the battery neg. post to the tranny.  The alt. will be
> grounded to the head/block. Are there any others? I can't remember where
> they all are?
>
> BTW, what does the ground strap from the fender (or there abouts) to the
> hood do?  Is it necessary cuz the one on the rocco is broke!
>
> TIA
>
> Sal
>
>
> 81 Scirocco
> 81 Scirocco S (with all the goodies)
> 84 Rabbit (now Gti)
> 84 Scirocco Wolfsburg
> 67 Peugeot 404
>
> --
> Email problems to: scirocco-l-probs@scirocco.org  To unsubscibe send
> "unsubscribe scirocco-l" in the message to majordomo@scirocco.org
>


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