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Transmission lines Arcing ? HELP LOL

V

Vallatory

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I’ve got a 94 6.5 turbo diesel, F vin. I just rebuilt the motor, when I am going to start it . Every time I do Stainless steel Braided transmission lines Are arcing together and arcing on the body and anything else metal that they touch. What is going on I need some help as it has completely ruined my transmission lines
 
So I thought so too. It is raining right now once it stops I can take some pictures. But they are not touching the starter whatsoever. The only things they are touching against is the front fender cover and it is actually eating through it from it arcing
 
How, exactly, did you ground the battery? Do you have like 600 wires tied to the negative battery terminal? Seriously if you have a "Big 3" ground setup and ran a body and frame ground to the battery negative ... you likely have an "open" or high resistance connection from the battery ground to the engine block. Ground loop...

IMO The starter current is going from bat+, through starter, to engine block, through everything else like transmission lines, to body then battery "-" . Instead of using the big negative battery cable.

"Big 3" You are supposed to ground the frame and body to the engine. One ground between body and frame <-- those 3 grounds are called The Big 3 esp. if you use big diameter wire. One cable and one only to the battery. Even GM forgets this today to save 10 cents in cable with their strap to the body from the negative battery post.

Apologies if I assumed wrong but I see so many people reach for the battery as a ground point vs. where it belongs on the engine.

I have seen a spark show (at the ground) and the glow plug lamp dimly glow with one bad ground from one of the two dual batteries on a OEM setup.
 
Go disconnect the battery now even though it’s raining.

If you have a bad ground (which is my suspicion also), there is still power being drawn when key is off. It can still be trying to ground through those tranny lines, even just to keep a clock running.
What happens if it arcs the rest of the way through the trans line: flammable atf is right there where it is arcing. TRUCK BURNS TO THE GROUND. Close enough to your home- guess what catches on fire next.
 
Vallatory said:
I check the grounds and possibly add more grounds.
Click to expand...

No! Do NOT add more grounds!!! As @Will L. mentioned disconnect both batteries at the battries "-" cables first.

Next you need to inspect for "+" cable shorts as @Twisted Steel Performance suggested.

Some pictures of what you have attached to the battery would help.

The positive cable to the starter and the GM design of the main power wire going by the starter heat shield to the firewall is a fire waiting to happen. The heat has the insulation bake and fall off over time. Starter changes are known to pinch wires in the area.

The positive cable likes to wear through and short at the sharp edges of the battery tray. IMO this would light up the cooler lines.

BTW the current is also going through every other place it can find including the rear axle bearings and driveshaft.

Anything attached to either battery ground needs to go to the engine instead. Only have ONE big battery ground cable to the engine from either battery. Where are you attaching the ground cables on the engine? Are the engines grounds spotless and free of paint overspray. Note oil and grease is an insulator. IDK how "clean" your rebuild is. Mine "Runs and drives" vs. others who bother to paint em. (Paint doesn't make it go faster.)

Battery cables are known to wick acid and corrode internally. If they are stiff near the battery (indicates internal corrosion) they are past their best if used by date...

If you have any doubt of your abilities get a friend who knows trons over OR hire an auto electric shop. All else fails make sure it has full coverage insurance and keep the engine receipts in a fireproof safe. You are playing with fire with an electrical problem this bad.
 
@WarWagon. I looked up TurbineDoc's Grounds post in the help stickies and it is now a dead link. Can this be restored as it is certainly relevant to Vallatory's situation?

Grounds what are they & where are they

I put this post together, linking it as a sticky here http://www.thetruckstop.us/forum/showthread.php?t=14596
www.thetruckstop.us
 
Here is pictures. Of what I had, as of right now I have taken everything completely off as I am going to redo According to what you have said, @WarWagon
 

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Vallatory said:
Here is pictures. Of what I had, as of right now I have taken everything completely off as I am going to redo According to what you have said, @WarWagon
Click to expand...

So after the Glow Plugs "soften up" the batteries a bit a 10 HP starter beats them into submission! This is why there are TWO batteries in the system as one isn't enough to heat the glow plugs and then crank the engine.

It takes both batteries to start the engine.

The second battery you have incorrectly connected to only the Body Ground is the problem. It needs to go to the engine! Otherwise during cranking it's sending 750 Amps through the body back to the starter via trans lines etc.(Even if it goes to the other battery ground post only it's still a problem. GM's kludge on the positive post for two batteries is bad enough, but, even GM didn't do that with the "-" cable: likely as it's a shorter cheaper cable to go to the engine.)


The other battery "-" is just one cable to the engine as well. The Frame and Body cables should go to the engine, but, on different bolts/studs. DO NOT TIE THEM AT ONE SINGLE ENGINE BOLT! Especially do not connect any other wires to the battery ground bolt. (A bad connection to the engine from the frame and or body connection creates the same type of problem.)

And get that gas can away from the battery. The batteries do like to fail internally and explode now and then. Fuel can by one is asking for a fire after the fact.

battery problem.jpeg
 
Last edited:
WarWagon said:
So after the Glow Plugs "soften up" the batteries a bit a 10 HP starter beats them into submission! This is why there are TWO batteries in the system as one isn't enough to heat the glow plugs and then crank the engine.

It takes both batteries to start the engine.

The second battery you have incorrectly connected to only the Body Ground is the problem. It needs to go to the engine! Otherwise during cranking it's sending 750 Amps through the body back to the starter via trans lines etc.(Even if it goes to the other battery ground post only it's still a problem. GM's kludge on the positive post for two batteries is bad enough, but, even GM didn't do that with the "-" cable: likely as it's a shorter cheaper cable to go to the engine.)


The other battery "-" is just one cable to the engine as well. The Frame and Body cables should go to the engine, but, on different bolts/studs. DO NOT TIE THEM AT ONE SINGLE ENGINE BOLT! Especially do not connect any other wires to the battery ground bolt. (A bad connection to the engine from the frame and or body connection creates the same type of problem.)

And get that gas can away from the battery. The batteries do like to fail internally and explode now and then. Fuel can by one is asking for a fire after the fact.

View attachment 81536
Click to expand...
Goes to engine block and body on my 6.5's. I Beal we ays augment the body ground with an unassumingly ground going to a battery box bolt.
I've had that little screw in the fender fail more than once.

Better check in the ground straps going from the engine to the frame and firewall. They might have got overloaded
 
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