Domestic battery ground.

NickWight

During some recent repairs to the Volvo Penta D4 engine fitted to our 2008 Rinker 280ec, the starter motor was removed and we then lost all DC volts from the domestic battery. I checked continuity from the negative terminal of the battery to the negative buss bars and found that there was none! It would therefore seem that the continuity of the negative side is through the engine??  It's difficult to physically follow cables around the engine bay as they all run in flexible,corrugated, black tube and before I start to pull everything to pieces I thought that I would just ask all of you if this is the normal set-up????????

Thanks in anticipation!

howardrams

I don't want to say it is normal, but I would not see it as being unusual for the house battery ground wire to go the engine block, or one of the starter mounting bolts. Ultimately all the grounds tie together.  Look for a wire someone forgot to reconnect using an inspection mirror. Then use your meter on it. I too hate trying to crawl around in there.