Griff in Fairbanks wrote:
Actually, I was eventually going to suggest -- make that recommend -- running a completely new ground. That is precisely what I do to head off potential ground problems.
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I wish I had a dollar for every missing engine to frame ground strap I've run across. In each case, putting on a new ground strap caused the vehicle to work better, with most of the gremlins disappearing.
I've encountered several cases where wonky gauges were due to loose/corroded/dirty/greasy connections on the engine's negative battery cable.
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Whenever I work on reviving an old vehicle, I start by replacing both battery cables. The slight additional cost is worth all the headaches replacement prevents.
When I get back to building my motorhome, I will be running a heavy copper wire the whole length to make sure I have a good ground available.
Grif has provided some excellent advice and suggestions here. Usually most, if not all elecrical problems start with wonky grounds. Aside from dead shorts, of course.
