This is a stupid question.

[Bin_jammin]

I've got a small issue. For those that don't know, I've removed everything from the engine compartment, sandblasted and painted everything, and reinstalled.

The problem started when I went to crank the engine for the first time, it had a bad ground, I had forgotten to install the ground strap. I could smell what I thought was the starter cooking and there was smoke. D'oh well. Installed ground strap, no problems on cranking. Only had problems on hot restart. I chalked it up to the starter being cooked from the first time. The other day I had the car back on the lift, and I noticed the insulation on the shifter cable had melted away, turns out I still had a bad ground...

Added another ground strap between the trans and body. Still didn't cure it. At this point, I knew the problem was a bad connection between the body and the battery on the negative cable. It's tight at the battery, my question is, without tearing apart the interior of my car to remove the carpet, where does the ground cable attach to the body of the car?

[Geoff Hoad]

Without knowing which model you have makes it difficult but I notice that on my 525iA there are a number of grounding connections between different parts of the engine and chassis. Is it possible that you may have not connected all your different gound straps?

Hope this helps,

Geoff

[Sam-Son]

Without knowing which model you have makes it difficult but I notice that on my 525iA there are a number of grounding connections between different parts of the engine and chassis. Is it possible that you may have not connected all your different gound straps?

Hope this helps,

Geoff

Look under his Username

[Bin_jammin]

Without knowing which model you have makes it difficult but I notice that on my 525iA there are a number of grounding connections between different parts of the engine and chassis. Is it possible that you may have not connected all your different gound straps?

Hope this helps,

Geoff

It's a 535ia. I have some serious ground straps on the car, trust me. I've got two battery cables, one bolted directly to the block, one bolted directly to the tranny, the other end bolted directly to the body. I've worked it out, it's definitely the ground cable that goes to the battery, and it's where that cable bolts to the body, I just need to know where that is.

[winfred]

it bolts up under the back seat by the battery

[Bin_jammin]

it bolts up under the back seat by the battery

Hmm... I reached down there, and it seems like it travels out of the battery box under the back seat and out under the carpet somewhere. I'm not looking for the end on the battery, I'm looking for the other end of the cable where it bolts to the body.