ground locations?

[vr2jetta]

I dont know why I even attempt to post in other sections, I dont get any replies. Maybe I am just not patient enough.......whatever.
My question is.....Where are all the main grounds on the car to check/clean? The ones I found thanks to a link from stereoinstaller are as follows:

1990 325i
1. Right shock tower
2. Inner fender behind left headlight
3. under left side of dash, above brake pedal
4. under left side rear seat backrest
5. below right side of rear seat
6. upper left side of steering column
7. trunk (obviously)
8. left subframe to engine
9. Inst there one by the fuel pump somewhere? I will check.

I want to eliminate any possibility of a bad ground so I am going to clean the connections and replace wires if needed, but want to make sure I get them all. Thanks.

[vr2jetta]

Well, I found and cleaned them all accept #5, I will have to look under the car and see if it is there. #8 was trash so I pulled and replaced that one. Hopefully it will help my problem.

[jmc1590]

Don't forget about the ground located on / under the intake manifold. A majority of the engine electronics ground there.

[vr2jetta]

Don't forget about the ground located on / under the intake manifold. A majority of the engine electronics ground there.

I think I am screwed on that one. While putting the head/intake on I didnt see any grounds that went there. There is a ground cluster behind the left headlight, one on the right shock tower, and one big ground going from the chassis to the motor. Those are the only ones I saw. Can you give me a general area where the grounds are supposed to bolt to, and where the wires come from in the harness?

[jmc1590]

Nevermind, my bad. I just searched through the '89 ETM and it appears that you don't have or use G101 (which was the ground I was thinking of.) It appears that your motor electronics all ground at G103 on the front fender.

Do you have the ETM for your car? If not, I strongly suggest you get one.

[vr2jetta]

Do you have the ETM for your car? If not, I strongly suggest you get one.

What is the ETM?

[vr2jetta]

What is the ETM?

OK, I am guessing online repair manual? Whick one do you guys use/trust?

[zedfez]

http://www.wedophones.com/BMWManualsLead.htm

[vr2jetta]

http://www.wedophones.com/BMWManualsLead.htm

Thank you. Actually, that is the one stereoinstaller added to a different thread and I got the ground locations there. I was just wondering because in my VW Bentleys the is a part in the beginning of the electrical section that lists all the main ground locations.

[jmc1590]

What is the ETM?

The ETM is the bona fide BMW Electrical Troubleshooting Manual. Ranks right up next to the Bentley in terms of quality info. (Occasionally surpasses, but the Bentley has a wider range of info.) When fighting electrical gremlins, the ETM and a voltmeter are your best weapons, and occasionally your best defense.

One item to keep in mind. Occasionally it benefits to view the ETM from the model year before or after the one for your car. Sometimes there is additional information that didn't make it into the previous one, or info that was considered redundant and removed from a later one.