Anyone have pics of our engine bay w/o the plastic covers all over?
Anyone have the aftermarket grounding wires or changed the hoses? I'm thinking of adding some red. Some manufacturers claim around 5hp gained with ground wire upgrade. I guess the 350Z/G35 specific wires will fit?

Stillen:


eBay

 

I got a universal Grounding kit in red from SWA along with stillen front strut bar and rear swaybar, also getting a SWA underdrive pulley.

 

pic please. how was the install for wires? I would love to drive your car to see the difference with those installs.

 

from Sitllen link above:

"You are losing horsepower and torque without STILLEN’s new Grounding Kits for the 350Z and G35 Sport Coupes. Today’s engine management systems utilize hundreds of sensors and in some cases over 12 onboard computers that constantly monitor all parameters of the engine and powertrain. Installing STILLEN’s Grounding Kit ensures that sensors and computers are not affected by power surges that can drain performance."

They are an upgrade of existing wires from what I undersatnd. The second pic is a universal kit with wires that are not exact fit to all connect to a plate.

Supposedly they improve HP around 5 more plus they look nice.

 

Actually I receive all the products this wednesday, I should be installing them soon after and Il have a friend take pics. I do have the greddy on and let me tell you, this exhaust sounds awsome.

 

Glude - Told you that you would LOVE the sound of the Greddy's with an intake. Everytime I start my ride or hit over 4K I get a big ole smile.

 

Did you install the greddy yourself? I did but I have a leak somewhere because I hear a slight hiss at 2k RPM. Im sure I can fix it when I install the other stuff.

 

:

 

I really can't see how grounding wires could possibly increase horsepower. They should never affect performance unless you have a short... and if you have a short in your wiring, you have far more serious problems than horsepower loss.

But then again, I'm no auto mechanic.

-Nate

 

i made my own kit up using 4gauge wire, 8gauge wire and a new side post battery terminal(for my optima yellow top). Cost me $30 total and about 30min to install.

i didn notice a smoother idle, better acceleration off the line and a more crisper sound from my stereo system, but other wise the car still feels the same once im moving.

Ant

 

I could see how it would help an older car. The grounding wires and mounting locations after 10 years would have some serious corrosion. But on a new car? No way.

 

I installed all mods listed above except the UDP, it should be going on tommorrow or a lil later on this week. The rsb made a hue difference in taking high speed turns and the strut bar is hard to say. They definately feel good together, the grounding kit also did make my idle seem a lil smooth and the engine feels a lil smoother too. It could all be in my header. If I can find my camera I wiill take pics and post em today.

 

Glude, thanks for the feedback. Can't wait to see the pics.
So does the ride feel as smooth, with just better turning? I'm afraid that tying the rear independent multi-links with the RSB will eliminate their purpose. Is it any stiffer/bumpier on bad roads?

 

Ride did not change any, just better turning.

 

So, anyone on here making these grounding kits and selling them?

 

I talked to a guy selling Z/G kit on eBay. Said he is currently making a maxima kit for a dealer and group deal is possible.

 

How much could he do the group deal for?

 

The 350Z kit on ebay is around $50. He just said he would notify me when finished and that he has knocked off a few dollars before for group buys. Nothing specific yet. But his quality seems better than the Stillen (guage and connectors) for less than half.

I still would like to see pics of the 04 engine bay w/o the plastic, anyone?

 

While I don't disagree with you, think about cost savings on copper. If a car company is using 14guage wire, the resistance is likely greater as the path is constrained (not as much surface area). But since they don't want to spend the money, they will stick with cheapest grade.

If you increase the gauge to 8 or even 4, and a better grade of copper, plus gold-plated terminals (no oxidation), your resistance has dropped considerably. Since grounding is important to the increased electrical needs of cars, I can see that there might be some improvement on cars that benefit. Just keeping battery contacts clean, replacing wire loom every 60K miles, along with plugs and coilpacks can be effective.

But honestly, to state a 5+ HP increase, don't you think the car maker would spend another $3 per car to show its a 270HP vehicle? That's a significant increase for $3 in wire and connectors (cost based on 500K cars).

IMHO...you can get 4 gauge wire at HD and crimpons. Then improve the grade of ground your self for less than $20. Clear, braided lines will fade (UV/heat damage). Colored will get dirty also. If there was a ground problem at the start, then improving the ground path might just fix it.

Personally, I've found the Japanese car makers to be more proficient at electronics in cars today, than the European car makers (Cough.. VW, AUdi, BMW). My friend's 911 has gone through 6 window switches because they couldn't find the electrical short. At $50/pop its a joke. But cheaper than $90/hr each time he takes it in...