[SSDan]

Originally Posted by RA1987

I'll play...here’s what I did on mine.

Where did you connect the other end?

Originally Posted by moesSS

I just wanted to thank you all for your help. My 2016 SS had given me this hard start up problem ever since 2016. Magically, every time I went to the dealer it would start up right away. Today after installing the cable (I went the route of installing it to the water pump bolt) I took it for a 20 minute drive and drove it really hard. Put heat in the engine, came home, left it off for about 10 minutes and cranked it back up (palms were extremely sweaty at this point) and BAM!!! It started right up!!!! I would have NEVER tried this EVER if I didn’t know about this little cheat code! Hahaha! Thank you everyone!

Excellent! So glad this helped you too.

[MR-02]

Hey Thanks TP2SS!!!

[RA1987]

[QUOTE=SSDan;10935215]Where did you connect the other end?

Negative post. I routed and tucked the cable under the fuse box.

[SSDan]

[QUOTE=RA1987;10935288]

Originally Posted by SSDan

Where did you connect the other end?

Negative post. I routed and tucked the cable under the fuse box.

You may want to rethink that. The ground you are attempting to improve is the one between the engine (where the starter resides) and the body of the car. If I’m seeing your photo correctly you have both ends of the cable connected to the body. That likely will not help.

[RA1987]

Yes, that is correct. No issues so far but I planning to move it once I get the right bolt.

[TP2SS]

[QUOTE=SSDan;10935291]

Originally Posted by RA1987

You may want to rethink that. The ground you are attempting to improve is the one between the engine (where the starter resides) and the body of the car. If I’m seeing your photo correctly you have both ends of the cable connected to the body. That likely will not help.

I'm not seeing what you're talking about on RA's pic. Looks like he has the body end near the strut tower next to the hood lift strut. No indication where he has the engine end in that pic. It's probably better on the NEG lug next to the fusebox, though, as it seems to have a factory cable also running to somewhere (battery?).

Along with the A8 shudder threads, this thread is GOLD on this forum as far as fixing OEM issues!

[SSDan]

[QUOTE=TP2SS;10935335]

Originally Posted by SSDan

I'm not seeing what you're talking about on RA's pic. Looks like he has the body end near the strut tower next to the hood lift strut. No indication where he has the engine end in that pic. It's probably better on the NEG lug next to the fusebox, though, as it seems to have a factory cable also running to somewhere (battery?).

Along with the A8 shudder threads, this thread is GOLD on this forum as far as fixing OEM issues!

I think he has it connected “body to body” by using the neg post to the strut tower which is why I posted my suggestion to change it.

I have not traced the factory cable from the neg post but I suspect it’s an engine ground that is just not good enough. The battery neg post grounds to the body in the trunk (note my picture in the first post where I added another battery ground cable and you can see the factory battery ground cable). The electric circuit flow to power the starter runs from the battery positive post to the starter and returns to the battery negative post through the engine to body via the ground cable(s). This fix makes sure that the return negative flow from the starter through the engine to the body and then to the battery is robust.

[GroundhogSS]

I hooked the extra ground up via the water pump bolt on Saturday. Every time I've driven it since them, it spends most of the time with the volt meter above 14. I verified it with a volt meter at the posts under the hood and it was 14.4. I hope it doesn't fry my battery. I think I may try the second cable in the trunk.


SSDan, do you have a link for that trunk cable? Thanks.

[SSDan]

Originally Posted by GroundhogSS

I hooked the extra ground up via the water pump bolt on Saturday. Every time I've driven it since them, it spends most of the time with the volt meter above 14. I verified it with a volt meter at the posts under the hood and it was 14.4. I hope it doesn't fry my battery. I think I may try the second cable in the trunk.


SSDan, do you have a link for that trunk cable? Thanks.

OK - you made me think about this as I often see a 14 on my volt meter. So I did a little research. Here is a link to several articles I found about automotive grounds: https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=m...+to+overcharge

From what I read in these articles - battery readings between 12.6v and 14.4v are considered normal and overcharging does not become an issue until the battery is reading 14.7v or higher. So, I think we are OK.

As to the additional battery cable I added - I can't tell if it helped or not. I just did it because it was easy and I wanted to make sure that end of the ground circuit was robust as well. I got the cable off of Amazon:

2 AWG 2 Gauge Single Black 2 feet w/ 5/16" Lugs Pure Copper PowerFlex Battery Inverter Cables for Solar, RV, Auto, Marine Car, Boat

It was $14.00.

[Thill444]

Originally Posted by N Camarolina

I also have a 2021. Anyone know if Chevy has improved the starter and/or the ground wiring such that this is less likely to be a problem?

I have never had a hot start/slow crank issue with my 2020 SS1LE and I was trying to recreate it back this summer on some hot days and after some spirited driving. That's not to say it's still not an issue but I have not noticed it.

[ctrlz]

Originally Posted by SSDan

With the battery a long way from the starter then load resistance through the circuit becomes a compounding concern. That concern becomes bigger if there is not a solid ground from engine to body. The battery becomes taxed to push enough voltage through the circuit to overcome the heat soaked windings in the starter and the resistance of poor grounding.

So the theory is existing ground cables develop increased resistance. Add a new parallel ground and things improve.
The only place I can see existing cables getting increased resistance is at the crimps or connections. The copper wire itself... nahhh.
That being said, I would suggest cleaning up existing connections and applying a protectant like this.
Those of us who don't have heat soak (yet?) may want to apply this before it happens.
Good stuff. I use it in marine applications.
https://www.amazon.com/Super-Lube-91...002KH0YDY?th=1

[GroundhogSS]

Originally Posted by SSDan

OK - you made me think about this as I often see a 14 on my volt meter. So I did a little research. Here is a link to several articles I found about automotive grounds: https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=m...+to+overcharge

From what I read in these articles - battery readings between 12.6v and 14.4v are considered normal and overcharging does not become an issue until the battery is reading 14.7v or higher. So, I think we are OK.

As to the additional battery cable I added - I can't tell if it helped or not. I just did it because it was easy and I wanted to make sure that end of the ground circuit was robust as well. I got the cable off of Amazon:

2 AWG 2 Gauge Single Black 2 feet w/ 5/16" Lugs Pure Copper PowerFlex Battery Inverter Cables for Solar, RV, Auto, Marine Car, Boat

It was $14.00.

OK, after three days of short trips where I saw the 14+ volts almost continuously, I went out today and it was reading about 12.5 to 13 most of the time. It would occasionally go over 14 and then right back down. I added an extra 10 mile loop to the trip to give it time to stabilize. I guess (hope) the battery and the system is adjusting to the better ground. Going to add the extra wire in the trunk anyway. Thanks for all the help.

[SSDan]

Originally Posted by GroundhogSS

OK, after three days of short trips where I saw the 14+ volts almost continuously, I went out today and it was reading about 12.5 to 13 most of the time. It would occasionally go over 14 and then right back down. I added an extra 10 mile loop to the trip to give it time to stabilize. I guess (hope) the battery and the system is adjusting to the better ground. Going to add the extra wire in the trunk anyway. Thanks for all the help.

I believe everything is just fine with your charging system. If its reading 14v during short trips but dropping back to 12.5 or so on longer drives - that sounds like normal operation to me. On short trips the alternator is charging the battery back to full during those 14v periods and then once fully charged the alternator is dropping back giving those 12.5v readings. I would be very surprised to find that adding an extra ground would cause a charging malfunction.

The key thing for me is to ask - is your car now starting normally with that new ground cable during those short trips once you have a fully warmed engine?

[zag]

I'm wondering if you were to go a ground on the body instead of the negative ground stud, if your charging system would charge at a lower rate and not a constant 14.4? I could be way off, so don't beat me too badly.