The wire that emerges from the hall sensor harness is used as the
Oxygen sensor return.  I'm not sure if it has other functions as
well, but I know that you engine will not run well without that wire
attached properly.  Actually, I think it runs to the head because
that is where the exhaust headers are attached, and the oxygen sensor
is connected to the headers.   Because of this, I don't think
grounding to the block is a very good idea.

The fact that your wire is hanging by a thread means you will soon,
have a van which thinks it's running way to lean.  This messes up the
ECU to the point where you'll be lucky to get home.  So FIX THAT WIRE
ASAP.   I can't imagine why WHERE on the head the wire is attached
would make any difference.  Aluminum is a great conductor of both
heat and electricity.

-C-

At 8:57 PM -0500 11/6/02, Laurence Smith wrote:
>Instead of grounding to the head you could connect to a more
>convenient location like the top bolt (drivers side) that attaches the
>engine to the transmission.  That's what I did.
>
>I would cut the connection to the grounding bolt on the head and
>attach a new (bigger) eyelet for the tranny-engine bolt connection.
>
>-------------------------
>Laurence Smith
>Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
>90 Westy (fanumbos)
>87 GL
>-------------------------
>
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vanagon Mailing List
>> [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
>> Of Jeremy Speer
>> Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2002 7:38 PM
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: A question about grounds...
>>
>>
>> Folks,
>>
>> I'm wondering about that ground point on the driver's side
>> head... the one
>> where the big ground exits to the chassis, but also that
>> hard-to-find ground
>> comes out of the harness upstream of the Hall Sender
>> connector and dives
>> under the intake plenum, behind and under the A/C mount, to
>> end at a bolt
>> attached to the head.
>>
>> Mine is hanging on by a thread. The wire at the connector
>> seems to have been
>> flexed a bit and does not inspire confidence. Problem is
>> reaching that bolt
>> is nigh impossible.
>>
>> My question is, if i managed to get the connector free, can
>> i run it to a
>> more accessible ground on the engine or firewall? Is there
>> some weird VW
>> magic about grounding to the heads? And, am i being dense
>> when ask what is
>> the point of grounding a wire to a point on the head? Would
>> it not be better
>> to ground it to a point on the block?
>>
>> I ask this now because i'm moving from connector to
>> connector, cleaning and
>> reseating. I recently removed the transmission ground strap
>> and cleaned
>> everything until it shined. I swear the idle is smoother,
>> there is virtually
>> no more hesitation coming out of second gear and MPG has
>> moved from an
>> average of 17.4 up to about 19.
>>
>> Bentley should add an entire section devoted to "Ground
>> Maintenance."
>>
>> As always, thanks.
>>
>> -jspeer
>> '89 Westy GL, "Mystery Machine"
>>
>

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Chris Schaefer                                   Email:  chris<AT>1reality.org
             Professional Bit Twiddler and student of reality.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=