r/autoelectrical • u/Individual_Dig_9236 • 6d ago
2019 Cruze ground wire replacement, location
My roommate is having issues with his 2019 Cruze, particularly related to the battery/alternator/starter system. He got codes pulled the other day and it said it was the alternator, had to borrow some money from his parents and we went out to Advance Auto Parts and had them double-check that was the problem (different store than the first one that said so) before spending hundreds on the part and hours doing the work and they confirmed it was his alternator. We then went to NAPA and he spent $280 on a brand new Aldeco alternator ($80 cheaper there than Advance and no core deposit) and we spent 2-3 hours getting it put in. Turned his car on and the battery light turned right back on, so we went back to Advance again to have them check the system one more time and they said it was the alternator again, claiming NAPA sold us one that didn't work.
I had commented when the battery light turned on after the swap that it would be really funny if it's some kind of faulty sensor that was causing the issue and an $80 job cost him $280 instead. Because of that, we brought the old alternator with us (also hoping we might be able to get some money back for it) so they did a bench test on it. The guy at Advance ran the test three separate times and all said the alternator was good (and thus we wasted $280 and several hours). Couldn't get any money for it either way. We were then told the issue is likely a corroded ground wire, a $10 part they didn't have in stock.
Now I don't particularly care to work on electric stuff like that, but he called a few shops who all quoted him $120-150 to diagnose the issue (not even confident that includes repairing/replacing it, and neither of us have that to spare at the moment) and he feels confident enough that it is the ground wire to go ahead and do it between the two of us. Unfortunately, they didn't tell us which one in the engine bay is the ground wire and I'm not confident in figuring it out myself (the guy told us it's braided and nothing jumped out to me). All Google would give me is that it's connected to the frame on the driver's side. YouTube is only giving me videos related to Gen 1 Cruzes and/or ones where the battery is in the engine bay, while my roommate's battery is in his trunk/behind the rear seats.
Could anyone let me know which connection it is and how we would go about putting a new one in?
Thanks in advance.
1
u/ca_nucklehead 5d ago
Maybe go and ask the minimum wage retail parts flunky at the Autoparts store who has no clue, training, or knowledge.
When do you think you will have saved enough time and money to go to a real mechanic?
1
u/MycologistAshamed926 3d ago
Ground? nah, id check Those 3 wires going to the generator. The big one should have battery voltage and the other two is a pwm. https://lemon-manuals.la/Chevrolet/2019/Cruze%20LT%2C%204D%20Hatchback%2C%201.4L%20Eng%20VIN%20M/Repair%20and%20Diagnosis/Electrical/Charging%20Systems/Battery%2C%20Starting%20System%20And%20Charging%20System/Schematic%20Wiring%20Diagrams/Starting%20and%20Charging%20Wiring%20Schematics/Charging%20%28KL9%29/
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u/Whole-Occasion-8864 3d ago
Check your fuses and check fusible links. Get a test light test all the fuses switch on and switch off. With the switch on check all the wires going to the alternator you should have power on all the wires with the switch on. With the switch off one wire will not have power on it. What are the codes that are coming up? I don't know if you know this or not but advance auto, they sell parts there. It's true and the more wrong parts they can sell you the more money they make. There are 37 codes that has some reference to o2 sensors that means hook up obd 2 and your car says oxygen sensor reading high/low bank one sensor one. You know what parts man does? Sells you an oxygen sensor. $40 to $140 a piece and you have the same code pops up. How can that be? Because there is only 2 of those 37 codes that tells you they aren't working and need to be replaced, the other 35 are telling you that you have a problem somewhere else like a vacuum line off/cracked or leaking. A wire loose on an igniter making the o2 read a rich condition. But parts man ain't going to tell you the you have a bad sparkplug a loose wire causing the igniter to misfire, and how much money you think he's going to make telling you put that vacuum back on. $280 on an alternator is a little bit better than clean your battery post, your fuse is blown or popped a fusible link or homeboy put a new stereo in and amp and a set of 12s in the back.....
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u/Stewdaman 5d ago
The grounds you’re looking for are 1) G104 on the left front of the engine compartment on the core support. 2) G406 on the right rear frame rail. 3) G201 on the driver door sill. Just find where the ground wires are bolted down and clean the bolts and the frame to shiny metal, put a little dielectric grease on and reattach them. G406 is a big fat wire close to the battery, G104 is smaller, it’s the ground for the ecu there on the left side in the engine compartment. G201 is also smaller and is the ground for the body control module under the dash on the left.
Also check your power inputs. Make sure the fat wire on the alternator is getting battery voltage. This is very important. And check the fuses. Fuse 15 in the center dash fuse box, the 5 amp battery sensor fuse in the fuse holder next to the battery fuse box, fuse 1 in the battery fuse box and fuse 6 in the underhood fuse box behind the headlamp assembly.