2003 Yukon ground strap
- Thread starter jbb01
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brassknucklemafia
Full Access Member
um why would you need to ground the hood? i mean, i have the fixed bolt on my hood but no covered cable running from where the chassis ground mounts on the firewall. i always thought that was for a underhood light. lol.
OmarR
Full Access Member
There is an OEM braided engine ground strap like the OP has shown.
Jbb01, I would just make one from 0/1, 2 or even 4 gauge wiring. That would be an upgrade, IMO. Even the one in your pic is an upgraded thicker wire.
Jbb01, I would just make one from 0/1, 2 or even 4 gauge wiring. That would be an upgrade, IMO. Even the one in your pic is an upgraded thicker wire.
The ground strap for the hood is to help eliminate EMI (electromagnetic interference). It is possible for electromagnetic "waves" to form between grounded and ungrounded conductors (fenders and hood for example) and cause EMI, which in turn can cause problems with other electrical circuits in the vehicle, via electromagnetic coupling.
brassknucklemafia
Full Access Member
i suppose, but wouldn't the hood hinges act in the same matter? i suppose now i will make one out of 4ga scrap, to match my big 3.
The hinges are a high resistance, highly unreliable ground point. Because the pivot points have to be somewhat loose to allow movement, that creates electrical resistance. On top of that, you have paint and probably dirt, grease, and rust building up around the pivots which all add electrical resistance.
brassknucklemafia
Full Access Member
i know what im doin today then. ha ha. cuz when i got my denali, that strap was missing. so i guess just for giggles i'll make one from some 4ga scrap i have layin about the shop.
Strap from Hood to Firewall of GM Vehicles
Directly from GM Bulletin:
The purpose of a grounding strap is not to provide a DC grounding circuit (though it does accomplish that). Rather, it provides a better ground for radio-frequency (RF) signals -- that is, not DC.
It's arguable that the stock grounding straps aren't sufficient to provide good RF grounding, but the idea is to eliminate electromagnetic interference (EMI) -- specifically, radio-frequency interference (RFI). Without a grounding strap, electromagnetic waves can form between the hood and the rest of the car's body panels. This can cause unwanted currents to form on "victim" circuits due to electromagnetic coupling. You might not think that's a big deal, but it is the type of issue that used to cause helicopters to fall out of the sky whenever they flew over military bases transmitting high-powered RF signals. It's also the reason why you're not supposed to use cell-phones in airplanes or near hospitals' life support systems. It's the reason why my uncle (with a pacemaker) can't work around running engines. People have died because of it, and there's a whole field of engineering dedicated to testing and eliminating EMI.
The reason the grounding straps are braided is because the braiding provides a large surface area. Radio frequencies don't travel through the core of a wire -- they travel through the surface of the wire due to something known as the "skin effect". Looking cool has nothing to do with it -- the braiding is to provide better RF grounding. Plus it's more flexible and less likely to snap off, after being bent around from the hood opening and closing.
You can do what you want, but I'll trust that the GM engineers know what they're doing -- keep the grounding straps in place. You can use a universal one, but keep it as short as possible -- too long, and you'll have effectively created another antenna.
Directly from GM Bulletin:
The purpose of a grounding strap is not to provide a DC grounding circuit (though it does accomplish that). Rather, it provides a better ground for radio-frequency (RF) signals -- that is, not DC.
It's arguable that the stock grounding straps aren't sufficient to provide good RF grounding, but the idea is to eliminate electromagnetic interference (EMI) -- specifically, radio-frequency interference (RFI). Without a grounding strap, electromagnetic waves can form between the hood and the rest of the car's body panels. This can cause unwanted currents to form on "victim" circuits due to electromagnetic coupling. You might not think that's a big deal, but it is the type of issue that used to cause helicopters to fall out of the sky whenever they flew over military bases transmitting high-powered RF signals. It's also the reason why you're not supposed to use cell-phones in airplanes or near hospitals' life support systems. It's the reason why my uncle (with a pacemaker) can't work around running engines. People have died because of it, and there's a whole field of engineering dedicated to testing and eliminating EMI.
The reason the grounding straps are braided is because the braiding provides a large surface area. Radio frequencies don't travel through the core of a wire -- they travel through the surface of the wire due to something known as the "skin effect". Looking cool has nothing to do with it -- the braiding is to provide better RF grounding. Plus it's more flexible and less likely to snap off, after being bent around from the hood opening and closing.
You can do what you want, but I'll trust that the GM engineers know what they're doing -- keep the grounding straps in place. You can use a universal one, but keep it as short as possible -- too long, and you'll have effectively created another antenna.
Protection from EMP? I guess my Nali is ready for the Big One.
j/k
I never have liked the location of that ground. It just looks goofy, right there.
I've often thought of moving it to a spot a little more, out of the way. Just a thought, for you guys that need to add one, or replace a bad one.
j/k
I never have liked the location of that ground. It just looks goofy, right there.
I've often thought of moving it to a spot a little more, out of the way. Just a thought, for you guys that need to add one, or replace a bad one.
Back from the dead (-ish). So my question here is, if this became disconnected or broken, would it or could it, impact lighting inside the vehicle?
Basically, mine is broken and right around the same time I noticed it was broken, I noticed my cabin lights and reverse lights didnt work any longer, which subsequently cause me to fail my inspection yesterday lol. Any insight is appreciated gents.
Basically, mine is broken and right around the same time I noticed it was broken, I noticed my cabin lights and reverse lights didnt work any longer, which subsequently cause me to fail my inspection yesterday lol. Any insight is appreciated gents.
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