Took me 8 hours to diagnose a no-start that was just a bad ground

I had a 2012 Freightliner Cascadia that wouldn't crank, and I spent all damn day checking injectors, fuel pressure, and ECM power before I finally found the ground strap from the block to the frame was completely corroded. Has anyone else had a simple fix like that eat up a whole shift?

2 comments

2 Comments

casey_barnes1mo ago

...and then you get to tell the customer it was just a ground strap and they look at you like you're an idiot for taking so long. I swear, these trucks will make you question everything you know about electricity. Had a similar thing with a PACCAR engine where the ground cable looked fine but the terminal was corroded inside the insulation. You pull your hair out for hours and it's always something that simple. At least you found it though, that feeling when it finally fires up is worth it.

hayes.tara1mo ago

Is it really that serious @casey_barnes, or just a bad day?