[Lamar]

I’m trying to figure out why one of the ground wires are burning when attempting to start the vehicle. Both black wires are fine. It’s the black w/ red stripe wire that’s burning up.
I’ve checked ground wires in trunk and under the hood. It seems to be starter related as it only gets hot when trying to start the car. Then the wire goes to no power like a ground wire should. I’m lost. These 3 wires are bundled within the harness, but they seem to go behind the block. Not through the firewall. The only thing I haven’t done yet is the unraveling of the tape to trace the wires to their locations.

- 2006 charger srt8, 94k mileage, headers, straight 4” pipe to 44 series exhaust, door poppers, aftermarket alarm.

 

[CtCarl]

Looks like you may have a bad ground somewhere. There are something like 20 of them in total. The ones in your pics aren't enough to handle a high amp draw like your starter motor. I think you've got to trace out all your grounds to see which is/are bad.

Just curious, have you tried a heavy-duty, old-school ground strap like the Standard B12G? They're not expensive and it might be a useful tool for tracking down the problem.

 

[Lamar]

I haven’t. I’m researching it now though. I’m trying to locate the engine/block ground location so I can check it.

 

[Lamar]

Update: “thanks to @CtCarl for his reply”! I ran a jumper from the alternator to the body as an additional ground and now the car starts with no issues. That one wires still gets a little “warm”, but not hot enough to where you can’t hold it. Now, I need to figure out where the ground wire is located on the main block to frame so I can verify if it’s loose or broken, or if I need to simply clean the connection point. Thanks again @CtCarl

 

[CtCarl]

Update: “thanks to @CtCarl for his reply”! I ran a jumper from the alternator to the body as an additional ground and now the car starts with no issues. That one wires still gets a little “warm”, but not hot enough to where you can’t hold it. Now, I need to figure out where the ground wire is located on the main block to frame so I can verify if it’s loose or broken, or if I need to simply clean the connection point. Thanks again @CtCarl

No problem! Sounds like you're on the right track.

 

[Dicegame]

Looks like you may have a bad ground somewhere. There are something like 20 of them in total. The ones in your pics aren't enough to handle a high amp draw like your starter motor. I think you've got to trace out all your grounds to see which is/are bad.

Just curious, have you tried a heavy-duty, old-school ground strap like the Standard B12G? They're not expensive and it might be a useful tool for tracking down the problem.

I have that same problem with my 2009 challenger a wire is getting hot when I try to start my car but it is not the back side of my engine or transmission to the engine.

 

[CtCarl]

I have that same problem with my 2009 challenger a wire is getting hot when I try to start my car but it is not the back side of my engine or transmission to the engine.

Which wire?

 

[Dicegame]

It is two wire that connects to one ring that goes in the wire harness but screws on a bolt that is attached to the back side of the engine and transmission meets together close to the firewall I can reach from under the hood the wire cover is pilling off like the picture the guy had.

 

[Dicegame]

 

[Dicegame]

View attachment 297638

 

[Dicegame]

View attachment 297638

 

[CtCarl]

It is two wire that connects to one ring that goes in the wire harness but screws on a bolt that is attached to the back side of the engine and transmission meets together close to the firewall I can reach from under the hood the wire cover is pilling off like the picture the guy had.

Usually, what you're describing happens when one or more of your chassis grounds are disconnected, and when you try to start the car, you're forcing whatever ground or grounds remain to carry all the power, so they heat up and sometimes burn.

That blue-wrapped wire looks like a ground wire that has been disconnected.

There is typically one ground lead coming off each cylinder head at the rear, and a group of them attached to the fenderwell near the jump-starting post. Check to make sure they're all clean and tight. Also, try to find out where that blue-wrapped wire goes and get it socked down.

 

[Dicegame]

Usually, what you're describing happens when one or more of your chassis grounds are disconnected, and when you try to start the car, you're forcing whatever ground or grounds remain to carry all the power, so they heat up and sometimes burn.

That blue-wrapped wire looks like a ground wire that has been disconnected.

There is typically one ground lead coming off each cylinder head at the rear, and a group of them attached to the fenderwell near the jump-starting post. Check to make sure they're all clean and tight. Also, try to find out where that blue-wrapped wire goes and get it socked down.

Thanks

 

[SRT-8Charger]

I've had this problem after a shade tree mechanic changed the engine. Starter would barely crank over. Upon swapping engines, I found the problem.
There is supposed to be a heavy ground cable that runs from the Passenger strut tower to a stud on the bellhousing. It is one of the bolts that attach the transmission to the engine. Instead of a regular bolt, it has a small stud on top of it. This is where the ground goes.
The other end of the ground should go under the furthest rear ground stud with that four wire ring terminal. The stud is what's sticking up in one of the first pictures shown. It's threaded so you can get a good secure ground. Check the block side to make sure it's attached and is clean and tight.
This fixed my starter problem. This is the only way the ground gets to the engine. Unless it back feeds through the smaller wires and burns them up. Make sure and put the heavy cable and these wires on the same terminal so they have a good ground.
Mine blew the O2 sensor heater circuits because of this and the alternator.

 

[Omar3095]

I've had this problem after a shade tree mechanic changed the engine. Starter would barely crank over. Upon swapping engines, I found the problem.
There is supposed to be a heavy ground cable that runs from the Passenger strut tower to a stud on the bellhousing. It is one of the bolts that attach the transmission to the engine. Instead of a regular bolt, it has a small stud on top of it. This is where the ground goes.
The other end of the ground should go under the furthest rear ground stud with that four wire ring terminal. The stud is what's sticking up in one of the first pictures shown. It's threaded so you can get a good secure ground. Check the block side to make sure it's attached and is clean and tight.
This fixed my starter problem. This is the only way the ground gets to the engine. Unless it back feeds through the smaller wires and burns them up. Make sure and put the heavy cable and these wires on the same terminal so they have a good ground.
Mine blew the O2 sensor heater circuits because of this and the alternator.

This is exactly what happend to me i need some more info on how you fixed this, the fatter wire was u plugged somehow and it caused the skinnier wire of the back of the head to burn up, i connected the fat wire to the back of the block and it fixed my starter issue but now my o2 sensor is throwing a code p0151

 

[SRT-8Charger]

Okay, the heavy black battery cable should run from the stud on the rear of the passenger strut tower. There is another set of ground wires, 4 I think crimped into a separate ring terminal arrangement. It has to go on the same stud as the battery cable. The other end of the battery cable runs to a stud on the transmission bolt. There are a couple of engine to trans bolts that have a small stud on the end of them. One should go in the hole directly under the pass. Head. Then the battery cable should go to that stud with a nut because that is a good clean ground location. The nut is a flanged nut with a free spinning washer formed onto it.
On the back of the head, there are a couple of ground ring terminals in the wiring harness that have about a 8mm bolt hole in them. Make sure all the grounds are attached. It may be easier to remove the intake to verify you have them all attached. I would also inspect the quality of the wires now that you have burnt them up by using them as the ground for the starter. I imagine you burnt one in two. Clean the ring terminals up with a wire brush as well as the head. Make sure you use a good clean bolt so that you make good contact. Dont use an old greasy, dirty rusty bolt.
There are also one or two more ground wires that attach to a stud on the front side of the strut tower. Make sure those are connected.
My small ground wires didnt burn up because they had spliced the starter cable wire together with a battery terminal repair end. Couldnt get full amperage through the system. This car was a nice car that some idiot(s) jacked up. Got it all fixed though and it was a nice car.

 

[Omar3095]

Okay, the heavy black battery cable should run from the stud on the rear of the passenger strut tower. There is another set of ground wires, 4 I think crimped into a separate ring terminal arrangement. It has to go on the same stud as the battery cable. The other end of the battery cable runs to a stud on the transmission bolt. There are a couple of engine to trans bolts that have a small stud on the end of them. One should go in the hole directly under the pass. Head. Then the battery cable should go to that stud with a nut because that is a good clean ground location. The nut is a flanged nut with a free spinning washer formed onto it.
On the back of the head, there are a couple of ground ring terminals in the wiring harness that have about a 8mm bolt hole in them. Make sure all the grounds are attached. It may be easier to remove the intake to verify you have them all attached. I would also inspect the quality of the wires now that you have burnt them up by using them as the ground for the starter. I imagine you burnt one in two. Clean the ring terminals up with a wire brush as well as the head. Make sure you use a good clean bolt so that you make good contact. Dont use an old greasy, dirty rusty bolt.
There are also one or two more ground wires that attach to a stud on the front side of the strut tower. Make sure those are connected.
My small ground wires didnt burn up because they had spliced the starter cable wire together with a battery terminal repair end. Couldnt get full amperage through the system. This car was a nice car that some idiot(s) jacked up. Got it all fixed though and it was a nice car.

Ok so luckily for me both me and my wife have the same year charger so i can see where the ground should go on the tranny bell housing, my other question is the 4 skinny wires that go from the strut tower to the back of the passenger head, do those just go from point A wich is the strut tower to point B wich is the back of the head? Or do they connect someehere else in beetween? Im asking because i have some old 8awg wire that i can run in place of those skinny wires if its just the point a to point b.

 

[SRT-8Charger]

No, those wires don't go from point A to point B. The ones one the back of the head I think are for the O2 sensor and some other things. The ones on the strut tower are for the computer and other things. Can't tell you exactly what each one goes to.
You CANNOT change wire gauge sizes. 8ga to 18ga is a huge no no. You will have a huge voltage drop because of the gauge difference. This will really trick the computer out and you will have problems you'll never find. Wire gauge has to match on these modern computer controlled cars. You can't just twist them together and put tape on them either or use wire nuts. Unless you want endless nightmare electrical problems and like getting stranded in BFE at midnight on Sunday.
ONLY solder them together properly and use heat shrink tube after splicing in new wire. Solder on new properly sized ring terminals too. You may be able to put 2 wires in one terminal.