Ground wiring and the positive wiring?

Tiny
AZDANNO04
  • MEMBER
  • 2008 CHEVROLET COBALT
  • 2.2L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • MANUAL
  • 136,978 MILES
I just got done putting the transmission housing back on and the sensors etc, but towards the end when I put the Starter back in and placing the ground wires on the stud on the transmission housing bolt and the others where the fuse box positive post is. I have one wire left but it's too short to reach the post. I wasn’t sure if that went to the starter but couldn’t remember. I knew I should’ve taken a picture before I had removed them. I know below the stud there’s another bolt that has two wires attached to it.
Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 2:02 AM

18 Replies

Tiny
AL514
  • MECHANIC
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Hello, what color is the wire you're dealing with? And is it a solid color, or one with a stripe on it as well? The Starter looks to have just a purple wire and a red wire, the red wire branches off to the Charging System.
It looks like there is a Black wire with a White stripe that is a Ground going from the under-hood fuse block to the transmission case. I'll post a diagram of that.
The 1st diagram is the upper section of the Starting System, and the 2nd is the lower half.
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Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 10:18 AM
Tiny
AZDANNO04
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I will take a picture or video.
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Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 10:31 AM
Tiny
AL514
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Okay, I'm going to post the OEM manufacturer diagrams as well because those aftermarket ones look different in some places.
This is the OEM starter diagram.
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Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 10:33 AM
Tiny
AZDANNO04
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The copper fitting has three wires they look like they’re all black with a color stripe in the middle, one is white. The other yellow and the third looks blue.
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Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 11:15 AM
Tiny
AZDANNO04
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Here are some more pictures:
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Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 11:19 AM
Tiny
AL514
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Okay, let me go through these diagrams, that 1st picture with the 3 or 4 black with a white stripe are Grounds, are all these wires that are disconnected near the transmission area? It looks like the Grounds for this vehicle are all either black, or black with a white stripe. This is G103 and G105 which are both in the engine compartment. That 2nd picture I can't tell what color that wire is, but it looks thick like a high amperage wire.
Do you have the 2 wires on the Starter motor yet?
Except this power wire from the Starter to the Alternator is Black with a fusible link. I don't know why they do that; this will be a high amperage wire. Be careful with that one. It will run to the Alternator or From the Starter if it's not hooked up yet.

This 3rd diagram is some OEM power diagrams with red/black and red/white wires.
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Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 11:31 AM
Tiny
AZDANNO04
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The starter wires are connected, and the sensor plug from the alternator is plugged to the starter. The two thick amp wires ones all black and the other is black but at the end of it is red I tried taking a picture of where its coming from. They are both banded together with insulation and electrical tape, and one goes to the frame as a ground the other goes to the fuse box positive post.
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Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 12:26 PM
Tiny
AZDANNO04
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Just didn’t remember where the other ends went to. I remember the copper fitting was one to the stud bolt to the transmission housing I’m assuming the other ground also goes to the stud for grounding. I don’t know where to put the black with red to.
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Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 12:28 PM
Tiny
AZDANNO04
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The thing is nothing was changed on wiring setup this is all from the dealership bit I’m not the original owner, the original owner bought the car and didn’t change anything under the hood.
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Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 1:27 PM
Tiny
AL514
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The black and red, or red and black is a positive wire? There are a few Red/Black wires, there are 2 of them that go to the EBCM (electronic brake module), Power steering control module 60amp, BCM 40amp, those are in the engine compartment. And that wire at the top of the diagram labelled A, goes to a relay on the 3rd page of the diagram that powers the windows, door locks, radio, so basically accessories.
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Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 2:15 PM
Tiny
AZDANNO04
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The thick gauge wire comes from the post on the fuse box. Just need to know where the other end goes to I’ll take a picture.
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Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 2:35 PM
Tiny
AZDANNO04
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These are the ones I know to go to the housing stud near the starter. Just don’t remember where the thick amp wire goes to. That one at the other end is at the post in the fuse box.
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Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 2:36 PM
Tiny
AZDANNO04
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This one in the picture you can see it goes to the fuse box positive post.
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Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 2:39 PM
Tiny
AZDANNO04
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I saw the diagram how to put the fuse box and under fuse box but doesn’t show where the other ends go from the positive post.
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Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 2:42 PM
Tiny
AL514
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So, that one you're holding in the picture is already bolted to the fuse panel, and you can't figure out where the other end goes? Does it reach to the Electronic Power steering? Thats a 60-amp circuit for the module, The EPS is a red/black wire.
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Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 2:57 PM
Tiny
AZDANNO04
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I knew it was around where I took off the ground wires off the housing, but I remembered that it didn’t go with any of the ground wires. I finally saw it on the diagram that it's near the purple wire from the Alternator to the Starter.
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Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 7:53 PM
Tiny
AZDANNO04
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Thank you, thank you! Very much for all the diagrams.
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Monday, May 22nd, 2023 AT 7:55 PM
Tiny
AL514
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So, it was the Charging wire to the Starter? I know there were two red wires going to the Starter, but it's easy to get confused when they have so many main power feeds the same color, I have learned to also take a picture before taking things apart in certain situations. It can save a lot of time and headache in the end. Glad you figured it out though.
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Tuesday, May 23rd, 2023 AT 1:36 PM

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