Help Please! Passenger Strut Top Earth

[2052006 10]

The earth that connects to the passenger side strut top - what is that earthing please?

 

I am trying to start my engine (after it's been out of the car for over a year), I think the battery might be a bit flat despite charging it (showing 12.3v now) and this earthing point on top of the strut started smoking! Doesn't appear to have melted anything (yet), but can someone tell me what is at fault here?!

 

I can connect the Pug to another car to jump start it, but want to figure out what's going on here, before I set fire to something...

[Anthony 1,003]

Check the main earth is tight and making good contact.

 

What you're seeing is the starter is trying to earth out through the brake pad wear sensor earth, which clearly can't deal with that kind of current, overheats and smokes!

[2052006 10]

By main earth, do you mean the one on top of the gearbox? The one which I made sure was nice and clean and then forgot to tighten up!!!?

[Anthony 1,003]

That'd be the one, yeah