Taggart 0 Posted October 14, 2005 Not sure if it's engine or exterior.... the earth strap from my bonnet has snapped, do I need to find a replacement or will it be fine without? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gsbellew 0 Posted October 14, 2005 A replacement could be swiped of another VW in a scrapyard, just be a mater of finding a similar one. As for you being fine without, not sure, but mine snapped on my G40 a year or so ago & I forgot till I read this thread and all is still fine. My guess is that its there to prevent static build up in the bonnet by letting it disapate to earth, no electrical system uses it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bix 0 Posted October 14, 2005 Mine has snapped also, I'd say its on there to prevent the bonnet from going live if a positive wire touches it, but then its gonna be fairly well earthed through the hinges anyway, so fix it if you like, but it will be fine without! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taggart 0 Posted October 14, 2005 Cool, that's what I thought. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted October 14, 2005 But for the price of one from a local motor factors you may as well replace it, I was getting shocks off the whole chassis until i fixed mine! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taggart 0 Posted October 14, 2005 The stud and nut are kinda rusty, not sure if i'l get another nut to go on the thread if I replaced it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gsbellew 0 Posted October 14, 2005 Mine has snapped also, I'd say its on there to prevent the bonnet from going live if a positive wire touches it, but then its gonna be fairly well earthed through the hinges anyway, so fix it if you like, but it will be fine without! Hmmmm, problem with that reasoning is that instead of just the bonnet recieving the power from a live wire touching it the whole car would instead. One thought I had about it before was that it was to shield the ecu from a potential static build up, which would not be good, I'd replace it on mine only I never really think of it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tekara 0 Posted October 14, 2005 Watch out when removing the nut from the stud on the scuttle panel, if its rusty then the you might rip the stud out like i did :( Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
khurrado 0 Posted October 14, 2005 IVE GOT THE SAME PROBLEM, IT DOESNT EFFECT ME, BUT WHENEVER THE MRS GETS IN HER SIDE, SHE GETS A SHOCK..........QUALITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PIMP MY RIDE EAT UR HEART OUT! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VR6 0 Posted October 14, 2005 Gra, if you get round to ordering a new one, make it two ... :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
g60griff 0 Posted October 14, 2005 mines been like it since ive owned it and i had a mk3 polo the same, keep meaning to change it but always seem to have to change something else. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
.Rich. 0 Posted October 14, 2005 the only side effect i had from a broken earth was a poor radio signal Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
keithmac 0 Posted October 14, 2005 It`ll earth through the hinges and the bonnet catch, mine hasn`t had one on for as long as I`ve owned the car and I haven`t had any issuse. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
g60greeny 0 Posted October 14, 2005 mines fecked too guess we've found another common fault to add to the list Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bix 0 Posted October 15, 2005 Mine has snapped also, I'd say its on there to prevent the bonnet from going live if a positive wire touches it, but then its gonna be fairly well earthed through the hinges anyway, so fix it if you like, but it will be fine without! Hmmmm, problem with that reasoning is that instead of just the bonnet recieving the power from a live wire touching it the whole car would instead. One thought I had about it before was that it was to shield the ecu from a potential static build up, which would not be good, I'd replace it on mine only I never really think of it. Well no, it would blow a fuse, or melt the wire, its the same reason metal cases of mains electrical things are earthed, if they wernt earthed a fault could make the whole case could become live, not good! We all know static builds up in cars sometimes anyway, the chassis would have to be earthed to a ground stake or something to prevent that, since its insulated by the tyres. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henny 0 Posted October 17, 2005 since its insulated by the tyres. Actually, the tyres DO allow electricity to go to ground through them, they're not as insulating as you'd think they would be otherwise if you drove your car in dry conditions, it'd kill you when you stepped out of it due to the static electricity it built up... :| Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bix 0 Posted October 17, 2005 Yeah I guess so, since if your rubber shoe soles didnt conduct electricity to ground, you could quite happily stick your tongue in a mains socket :) Cant quite see static killing you tho :? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henny 0 Posted October 17, 2005 an insulated car body travelling through dryish air will easily generate several thousand volts of static electricity... give it some time and you'll also provide enough ampage to be able to stop your heart... :| Think about it, lightning is created by hot air rubbing on cold air, and that'll happily kill you if you touch it... :| Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
