What's this?

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Mervyn Hyde
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What's this?

#1 Post by Mervyn Hyde »

I have been cleaning up all my electrics and contacts. I wondered what this metal strap is. Looks like an earth strap. If so then why is there a ground wire also?
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Merv
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1963 356B T6
1968 911 SWB

Erik Thomas
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Re: What's this?

#2 Post by Erik Thomas »

Indeed, they have one on each tail light. Kind of belt and braces approach to "earthing" You are fortunate, many of these are rusted clear off, or dangle from one end.

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Mervyn Hyde
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Re: What's this?

#3 Post by Mervyn Hyde »

It does seem 'primitive'. They are there on both sides Erik. Altho the brown (extra) earth wire is only on the LHS. The wires are in good condition and the dust and dirt under the rubber mounting suggests it hasn't been off before.

This car has never seen rain and has always lived in a dry climate.
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Martin Benade
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Re: What's this?

#4 Post by Martin Benade »

I think the ground wire is there to run to the license and/or backup lights after getting its ground from that strap.
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David Jones
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Re: What's this?

#5 Post by David Jones »

The ground for the tail lights is through the mounting studs because the rubber gasket insulates the body of the light assembly from the car, so if you do not get a good ground via the studs and nuts or the brown grounding return none of the lights will work. Up front the same holds true for the turn signals. Don't ask me how I know.
Just do as Porsche did and attach the grounding strip in the rear and the grounding wire in front.
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Mervyn Hyde
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Re: What's this?

#6 Post by Mervyn Hyde »

Thanks David and Martin. Yes, I wondered if the brown ground was routed to somewhere else. The teardrop design moulding is nicely made (in brass it seems) but the actual fitting with the slot-in feature on the body and getting at those small nuts on the inside, after fitting the pesky internal retaining plate, seems rather primitive, even for the time. Anyway, after repairing one of the internal bulb contacts that had popped out on its little spring, they all work fine now!
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Cory Evens
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Re: What's this?

#7 Post by Cory Evens »

Without being near my C, in addition to adding in grounding I believe it's also used to hold and keep the wiring loom tight up against the body, keeping it from dangling much like the tabs on a fan shroud keeping engine wires nice and tidy.

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