My Pete rebuild

[Rawze]

(08-27-2018 )Brock Wrote:  I've owned 7 trucks in the last 8 years and every single one of them had the ground wire just hanging there, I'd ask the mechanic whenever putting a new rad in and every single one always said it wasn't needed....... I just never questioned it.

Hasn't been till the last couple years that I've started questioning things mechanics do and also doing alot of my own. Two of my three current trucks aren't hooked up....... Guess what I'll be doing soon......?

It is one of those things that prevents ghost problems.

The problem an ungrounded coolant system can create is known as "Stray Voltage Electrolysis". It can be a common problem on on some vehicles, while others are less effected by it. Some say it contributes to coolant problems with radiators/heater cores/heat exchangers getting anodized and/or holes eventually eaten through them, especially when there is a lot of electrical noise present in the vehicle. I have heard of cases where it causes coolant hoses to get pin holes in them, water-pump bearings getting eaten up, or even gasket issues on some vehicles.

Every make/model truck/car and its use is different when it comes to this problem, or how big of a problem it may be. A truck that has a lot of electrical noise like one with high powered radio gear, or one with large inverters and heavy amperage alternators would be more prone to having issue with the radiator improperly grounded.

Personally, I always ensure the ground is hooked up and any mechanic that would tell you it does not matter is a fool in my book. It goes right back to sheer laziness and lack of proper education on such systems.

A mechanic doing work for others should never have this "How little can I get away with" but instead, "What is the proper thing to do".


here is some info that came up in a search...
https://macsworldwide.wordpress.com/2011...ctrolysis/