Quote:
Originally Posted by TchTchr
Is there a reason the ground strap is bare wire? It seems dirt and oil residue can get in between the wire strands thus reducing continuity. Would it make sense to really clean it good and wrap it with plastic wire covering?
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All of the Factory Ground straps I have seen on all the Cars I have owned have all been that flat sort of braided Wire with no insulation.
They are not insulated because there is nearly no danger of completing a Circuit when you are using tools around them.
I have seen the work literally packed with Oily dirt. The problems that have an effect on conduction of current mainly have to do with the contact areas where they Bolt up. Paint, Rust and other types of corrosion inhibits conduction.
The other Ground Strap issue I have seen is when the Woven/Braided Wire section simply get eaten up by corrosion or some other chemical action.
I am not sure but the way Ground Straps are constructed (flat and made of a bunch of tiny wires woven together and un-insinuated) may be due to that fact that they are most often short and need to be more flexible than The (+) Cable to your Starter which by necessity needs to be insulated and are usually longer and have a longer length to flex over.
I am not sure a short Battery Type Ground Cable mounted in the same place would hold up. Over time flexing the wires might break them.