Just the other day, while surfing my favorite Corvette-dedicated social media pages, I was reminded how many potential electrical gremlins the C5 Corvettes are prone to, and it may surprise you to find out that the fifth-generation Corvette has THIRTEEN ground points. While today’s DIY feature is targeted towards C5 owners, the grounding points for the C6 are consistent. [Author’s Note: This article is FREE and not behind a paywall. Yes, FREE! If/when any pop-ups appear, please click to dismiss them and continue enjoying the article. One may require two steps–first, the arrow on the left, then the x on the top right.]
While the electrical issues with your C5 may not be ground-related, usually, the first recommendation on social media from the knowledgeable enthusiasts is to check and clean your ground points. In today’s CorvSport Curated DIY Guide, we will act as your digital encyclopedia, combing the internet for the best data and bringing it to you in an easy-to-read format. In addition to our guide showing the 13 grounding points, we also have two bonus videos if you need additional resources. But our “one-stop-cyclopedia” doesn’t end there, because we also have two Corvette Forum sources if you need to dig deeper. Let’s get after it!
The C5 Corvette’s 13 Ground Point Locations
#1 G201
- Location: From the Corvette Forum’s electrical guru Bill Curlee; “If you pull off the door sill cover and look at the area where the A Pillar meets the frame, you will find 201… Again, they are mirror locations like 90% of the chassis grounds are.”
#2 G103
- Location: This ground is a simpler ring type and is located underneath the brake servo, near the driver’s side fender.
#3 G101
- Location: near the passenger front wheel at the headlight
- Once you pull the black connector from the frame, this is what you want to clean.
#4 G102
- Location: near the passenger front wheel at the headlight
#5 G104
- Location: Passenger side, in front of the battery
- And while you’re in there, the exact location.
#6 G202
- Location: Again, from Bill Curlee; “If you pull off the door sill cover and look at the area where the A Pillar meets the frame, you will find 201… Again, they are mirror locations like 90% of the chassis grounds are.”
#7 G302
- Location: On the passenger side pillar, next to the rear of the seat.
#8 G402
- Location: From Bill Curlee; “G-402 is only used if you have a rear-mounted EBTCM (97 & early 98 C5s). The stud is still there for 402 if it is not used.” Bill notes that his stud broke off, which is why you are seeing a self tapping screw.
#9 G401
- Location: Bill Curlee says, “Look between the driver’s rear tire and the rear part of the tub on the inside of the frame for G-401.“
#10 G301
- Location: Directly from Corvette Forum member Munckhof: “To be able to reach the next contact point (in door pillar at drivers side), a couple of things need to be removed. First the seatbelt needs to be unscrewed. A dark-coloured cover needs to be unscrewed (hex key + pin), after which two (in my car tan) plastic caps need to be removed. This was done by mild force.”
#11 G107
- Location: Back of the driver’s side cylinder head (Bill Curlee’s head was removed for mods)
#12 G105
- Location: Bill Curlee says, “Look at the block between cylinders 5 & 7, and you will see the head of the bolt for G-105. It’s in the exact same place as G-106 is on the passenger’s side.”
#13 G106
- Location: above the starter on the block
Additional Video Resources
1) Video Preview From VetOnVettes757:
“Frustrated with fickle electronics in your C5? Well it could be as simple as a ground! Here is a quick resource on how to find them and what they ground.”
Video Stats:
- Views: 43,125
- Comments: 97
- Likes: 910
- Length: 8:13
Top Video Comments:
- “Thank you so much. Been having problems with Gauge cluster, radio, and wipers. Going to clean the ground on Driver side foot panel. Just cleaned the four cowl drain bladders, and think my grounds may have gotten corroded.” @davidswick8353
- “FYI, there are actually 13 grounding points on the C5. The two behind the radiator on either side or plugs that need to be taken apart and cleaned also.” @billmea5593
- “Thank you for reviewing these grounding locations. Ground location #3( G401) is actually best accessed by removing the rear drivers side tire. It is connected to the frame rail directly behind the tire.” @kcrean190
2) Video Preview From 4K Motoring:
“As a follow up to out last video about the Active Handling System Errors we’ve been seeing on our 2001 Corvette, we are starting down the path of troubleshooting. Today we are starting by repairing a common fault (that also happens to be free). We are cleaning the corroded grounding points that may be responsible for the voltage irregularities we have been seeing. With a 10mm socket and a wire brush, this is easy preventative maintenance you can do to YOUR Corvette!”
Video Stats:
- Views: 12,382
- Comments: 18
- Likes: 155
- Length: 7:22
Top Video Comments:
- “Thank for you video and time i learning from your videos to fix my c5.” @oscarocasio3345
- “Thanks. for the information. I’m going out and clean these right now.” @rustyyoungblood6652
Corvette Forum Resources
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