2008 Escalade - rapid clicking no start

[Mordechai]

I was thinking ground for the starter going thru the fire wall might not be great. sounds like the starter is getting it's ground from that small wire off the terminal to bumper ground, thru the body and back to the starter. instead of from the thick ground from battery directly to block.

There are no ground cables going directly to block on these from what I can tell.

 

[Mordechai]

Is the new one connected to an exhaust manifold bolt?

No just above the exhaust manifold there are empty threaded holes.

 

[Mordechai]

your main battery ground should go here on the passenger side front end of the head, there will be a smaller lead off of the same cable that feeds down to the top of the frame on the passenger side part way up under the radiator support.
View attachment 448559
I personally also added a large ground from the alternator bracket to the frame on the drivers side
View attachment 448560

Mine didn't come with that small ground on the head where the battery ground goes to. I'll try to add one to the alternator bracket.

 

[Mordechai]

voltage drop to the starter "typically" indicates a bad starter cable, just food for thought but if a ground fixes it then great found the problem.

Voltage drop on the 12v side yes. But I have none. It's only ground side.

 

[j91z28d1]

There are no ground cables going directly to block on these from what I can tell.

other guys will know better since mine isn't the same as yours. but I'm 99% sure your negative battery cable should run stright to the engine block. where does yours go?

that might explain a lot.

 

[Mordechai]

other guys will know better since mine isn't the same as yours. but I'm 99% sure your negative battery cable should run stright to the engine block. where does yours go?

that might explain a lot.

On the gmt900 l92 from the factory from the battery, they have a thick cable going to the head and a thinner cable going behind the front bumper.
Its been like that for the last 312,000 miles with zero issues lol

 

[j91z28d1]

On the gmt900 l92 from the factory from the battery, they have a thick cable going to the head and a thinner cable going behind the front bumper.
Its been like that for the last 312,000 miles with zero issues lol

I thought you said you didn't have a ground from the battery to the block. Don't mind me I'm lost at what you got going on over there.

 

[Mordechai]

I thought you said you didn't have a ground from the battery to the block. Don't mind me I'm lost at what you got going on over there.

Correct. The head and block aren't the same part of an engine. They're connected to each other which is how i'm guessing the starter gets ground.

 

[Doubeleive]

Mine didn't come with that small ground on the head where the battery ground goes to. I'll try to add one to the alternator bracket.

it's not small the oem ground cable is 4 gauge I believe, the little other wire going the opposing direction is the injector ground I believe, could be wrong.
the one I added to the alternator is 0 gauge
then there is the not pictured lead that goes down along the frame to the front.
on the gmt800's it's all reversed to drivers side and the small frame ground you can reach from under the front bumper

 

[Mordechai]

it's not small the oem ground cable is 4 gauge I believe, the little other wire going the opposing direction is the injector ground I believe, could be wrong.
the one I added to the alternator is 0 gauge
then there is the not pictured lead that goes down along the frame to the front.
on the gmt800's it's all reversed to drivers side and the small frame ground you can reach from under the front bumper

Yeah I was referring to the little one... 2008 doesn't have that.