Hyper Grounding = more horsepower?
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Hyper Grounding = more horsepower?
According to this article, it sure seems that way...
http://www.caraudiomag.com/testreports/0401cae_hyper/
Hyper Ground System
Grounding Your Way To More Horsepower
By Casey Thorson
Let me just start by saying that this may not be a typical topic for CA&E; that is, horsepower. However, we are all essentially electron junkies and the product reviewed on these pages does flow them (electrons) from point A to B. But wait, this product might even be helpful to your audio system, so maybe I am not that far off. What is this product I am talking about? It's the Hyper Ground System, of course.
The Hyper Ground System, manufactured by Sun Automobile in Japan, consists of a series of large-gauge grounding wires for under the hood of your vehicle. Sun Automotive is a manufacturer of high quality accessories for Japanese-built cars, including OEM parts for Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota. In fact, these three manufacturers offer the Hyper Ground System as a factory option that can be bought and installed right at the dealership (in Japan). I guess you could consider this a JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) product.
Ground wires? Aren't those the ones that go from the car's chassis to the negative terminal on your amp? What are they doing under the hood? Well, here's the deal: Newer cars all use computers, OBDII or otherwise, that control virtually every aspect of the engine and driveline performance through various electronic engine components, all to keep the car running at its optimum performance. These components commonly use a variable ground (negative) signal connected to the computer; thus the problem. Engines and transmissions are typically grounded to the alternator and battery in one location, mainly the motor block. Usually there is a great distance between this grounding point and the various electrical components, not to mention that these components are seldom mounted to the block itself. This creates variations in the voltage at these multiple mechanisms. As a sensor sends information to the computer, the computer in return sends out a signal to make the necessary adjustment(s) to other components. However, if there is a slight variation in the voltage, the computer will not compensate correctly, causing a loss in horsepower. And this is where the Hyper Ground System comes in. It provides a direct ground path from battery negative to body, chassis and engine components, making for an extreme improvement in electrical circulation. According to Sun Automobile, there are multiple benefits to using this system: horsepower and torque gains; better gas mileage; and quicker engine starts. The company also claims that it can reduce audio noise.
Like myself, I am sure many of you are thinking that you can make these cables using some 4awg cables and a few ring terminals, right? Sun Automobile claims its high quality wires are constructed of near pure copper, 99.99% to be exact, and 1477 strands per cable to optimize the current flow. Compared to factory grounds, this system offers 10 times less impedance, providing improved conduction to prevent electrical losses. It is in this purity of the wire that the Hyper Ground System has benefits over the typical car audio power cable.
While all this hoopla sounds good on paper, I needed to see proof that five wires can do what Sun Automotive claims. For this I recruited the Technical Editor of Import Tuner, Gary Castillo, to assist us in using XS Engineering's dyno. Of course we needed a car to perform the tests on, so I offered up my Volvo 850R wagon.
The first test we performed was a baseline (no modifications) dyno run. This was performed in third gear, which created some problems for us. Unfortunately, the 850R is an automatic and will not hold the transmission in a single gear other than first (first gear dyno tests are not very accurate). Therefore, the results of the test were recorded above 5000 rpm, shortly after the vehicle shifted from second to third. Respectably, the stock Volvo kicked out 193.9 horsepower at the wheels at just over 5000 rpm.
Using simple hand tools, we installed the Hyper Ground System. The cables attached to the ground points in a series or in a daisy chain configuration, with one cable directly attached to the next. Two cables were attached to the battery terminal, with one bolting to the strut tower and the other to the first ground point. From there, the Hyper Ground cables were attached to the intake manifold, transmission/motor block, head, and the chassis of the computer. Generally, this last connection is supposed to go to the opposing strut tower but after the various mounting positions we tried, attaching this to the computer chassis yielded the best results.
Again, we loaded the Volvo back onto the dyno. As before, we started recording the results above 5000 rpm in third gear. The results were astounding, with a gain of nine for a total of 202.9 horsepower at the wheels. Not only did the max horsepower increase, it made an additional 15.9 hp over stock at 5800 rpm, broadening the power band (see graph). Our torque band also increased, providing up to 14.1 more pounds of twist above 5300 rpm.
The dyno tests are always nice to see but driving the vehicle is where the real enjoyment lies. The response of the car feels much smoother, with an endless pull when the throttle is mashed to the floor.
As far as high performance products go, the Hyper Ground System is one of the best values on the market. While horsepower gains will vary per the vehicle applied one can't go wrong with spending from $115 to $205 for a performance item that is so easy to install.
http://www.caraudiomag.com/testreports/0401cae_hyper/
Hyper Ground System
Grounding Your Way To More Horsepower
By Casey Thorson
Let me just start by saying that this may not be a typical topic for CA&E; that is, horsepower. However, we are all essentially electron junkies and the product reviewed on these pages does flow them (electrons) from point A to B. But wait, this product might even be helpful to your audio system, so maybe I am not that far off. What is this product I am talking about? It's the Hyper Ground System, of course.
The Hyper Ground System, manufactured by Sun Automobile in Japan, consists of a series of large-gauge grounding wires for under the hood of your vehicle. Sun Automotive is a manufacturer of high quality accessories for Japanese-built cars, including OEM parts for Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota. In fact, these three manufacturers offer the Hyper Ground System as a factory option that can be bought and installed right at the dealership (in Japan). I guess you could consider this a JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) product.
Ground wires? Aren't those the ones that go from the car's chassis to the negative terminal on your amp? What are they doing under the hood? Well, here's the deal: Newer cars all use computers, OBDII or otherwise, that control virtually every aspect of the engine and driveline performance through various electronic engine components, all to keep the car running at its optimum performance. These components commonly use a variable ground (negative) signal connected to the computer; thus the problem. Engines and transmissions are typically grounded to the alternator and battery in one location, mainly the motor block. Usually there is a great distance between this grounding point and the various electrical components, not to mention that these components are seldom mounted to the block itself. This creates variations in the voltage at these multiple mechanisms. As a sensor sends information to the computer, the computer in return sends out a signal to make the necessary adjustment(s) to other components. However, if there is a slight variation in the voltage, the computer will not compensate correctly, causing a loss in horsepower. And this is where the Hyper Ground System comes in. It provides a direct ground path from battery negative to body, chassis and engine components, making for an extreme improvement in electrical circulation. According to Sun Automobile, there are multiple benefits to using this system: horsepower and torque gains; better gas mileage; and quicker engine starts. The company also claims that it can reduce audio noise.
Like myself, I am sure many of you are thinking that you can make these cables using some 4awg cables and a few ring terminals, right? Sun Automobile claims its high quality wires are constructed of near pure copper, 99.99% to be exact, and 1477 strands per cable to optimize the current flow. Compared to factory grounds, this system offers 10 times less impedance, providing improved conduction to prevent electrical losses. It is in this purity of the wire that the Hyper Ground System has benefits over the typical car audio power cable.
While all this hoopla sounds good on paper, I needed to see proof that five wires can do what Sun Automotive claims. For this I recruited the Technical Editor of Import Tuner, Gary Castillo, to assist us in using XS Engineering's dyno. Of course we needed a car to perform the tests on, so I offered up my Volvo 850R wagon.
The first test we performed was a baseline (no modifications) dyno run. This was performed in third gear, which created some problems for us. Unfortunately, the 850R is an automatic and will not hold the transmission in a single gear other than first (first gear dyno tests are not very accurate). Therefore, the results of the test were recorded above 5000 rpm, shortly after the vehicle shifted from second to third. Respectably, the stock Volvo kicked out 193.9 horsepower at the wheels at just over 5000 rpm.
Using simple hand tools, we installed the Hyper Ground System. The cables attached to the ground points in a series or in a daisy chain configuration, with one cable directly attached to the next. Two cables were attached to the battery terminal, with one bolting to the strut tower and the other to the first ground point. From there, the Hyper Ground cables were attached to the intake manifold, transmission/motor block, head, and the chassis of the computer. Generally, this last connection is supposed to go to the opposing strut tower but after the various mounting positions we tried, attaching this to the computer chassis yielded the best results.
Again, we loaded the Volvo back onto the dyno. As before, we started recording the results above 5000 rpm in third gear. The results were astounding, with a gain of nine for a total of 202.9 horsepower at the wheels. Not only did the max horsepower increase, it made an additional 15.9 hp over stock at 5800 rpm, broadening the power band (see graph). Our torque band also increased, providing up to 14.1 more pounds of twist above 5300 rpm.
The dyno tests are always nice to see but driving the vehicle is where the real enjoyment lies. The response of the car feels much smoother, with an endless pull when the throttle is mashed to the floor.
As far as high performance products go, the Hyper Ground System is one of the best values on the market. While horsepower gains will vary per the vehicle applied one can't go wrong with spending from $115 to $205 for a performance item that is so easy to install.
They always had dyno proof but nowhere in the article did he say that ALL the ground points were perfectly clean before the wire install. That crap proves nothing. I bet you $50 that if I put the wires on my cra now I'd have a 10hp gain. Why? Well because my ground points are all rusted as a motherlover.
Originally Posted by HitManSE
dude relax, you have a logical point and yeah it makes sense but bottom line is it "helps"Btw- how the hell do you make 400+ posts in less then 1 month
damn man wtf 
Haha john your posts are alwasys so animated
Originally Posted by HitManSE
dude relax, you have a logical point and yeah it makes sense but bottom line is it "helps"Btw- how the hell do you make 400+ posts in less then 1 month
damn man wtf 
Anyway, I never though that ground kits would free up HP. Always thought they just helped improve electrical system of a car, especially if you have a aftermarket stereo system. Guess you learn something everyday.
S
My 2K did seem to gain something (butt-dyno based, but consistent after removing & reinstalling it) with a custom setup... I do want to connect some more ground points sometime, especially the ECU's chassis (will require going into the interior) and see how that goes. Right now I just have the alternator ground, a chassis ground near the windshield washer fluid neck, connecting to a stud w/ (ignition coil grounds?) at the valve cover, going across to the negative battery terminal, then branching from there to another chassis ground on the driver side. (It's a 5-speed manual, so there's not much sense in a tranny ground)
Before you blame dirty connections, look at the wires that are run to these sensors. most of them are 24 or 26awg wire. Tiny!
Nissan skimps as much as possible on the wiring simply because of cost-cutting.
Look at the headlight harnesses- they're made with 22awg wire and carry 5A. That's just plain scary from an engineering standpoint. when I'm designing equipment, I never use less than 18 awg for a circuit carrying more than 1A, let alone 5.
People that have upgraded their wiring harnesses to 12 oe 10 awg wires show a HUGE improvement in brightness on the lights.
Since those wires are all protcted and sealed from the elements, they can't really suffer from corrosion, so how do you explain the benefits?
That's a little difference situation because they're carrying current and not simply signals for the engine sensors- but the injector harness definitely carries some current.. the Injectors require about 3A to open. The rest of the sensors just have dinky ground references in general. They benefit greatly from a better ground reference.
I've built and installed ground kits on 3,4 and 5 gens- and the 5 gen I put it on was IMMACULATE. You can't find a cleaner car- even on a showroom floor. He noticed an immediate improvement in throttle response, driveability, and midrange power. You don't do stuff like that from cleaning dirty connections- I've cleaned the connections on other cars and put them back together and never seen improvements like that. and no, you probably won't see 10hp on a 5th gen. you might see 3-4, but it's 3-4hp that wasn't there before the upgraded grounds.
Still skeptical? clean your grounds and put the thing back together.. See any improvement? I didn't think so.
Install a ground kit (preferably buy one from me.
)... Now look at the difference. 
I was skeptical until I installed them on about 6 different cars- ALL with the same results. more midrange power, better driveability, better idle, better throttle response, and for the autos even the tranny shifted smoother.
Nissan skimps as much as possible on the wiring simply because of cost-cutting.
Look at the headlight harnesses- they're made with 22awg wire and carry 5A. That's just plain scary from an engineering standpoint. when I'm designing equipment, I never use less than 18 awg for a circuit carrying more than 1A, let alone 5.
People that have upgraded their wiring harnesses to 12 oe 10 awg wires show a HUGE improvement in brightness on the lights.
Since those wires are all protcted and sealed from the elements, they can't really suffer from corrosion, so how do you explain the benefits?
That's a little difference situation because they're carrying current and not simply signals for the engine sensors- but the injector harness definitely carries some current.. the Injectors require about 3A to open. The rest of the sensors just have dinky ground references in general. They benefit greatly from a better ground reference.
I've built and installed ground kits on 3,4 and 5 gens- and the 5 gen I put it on was IMMACULATE. You can't find a cleaner car- even on a showroom floor. He noticed an immediate improvement in throttle response, driveability, and midrange power. You don't do stuff like that from cleaning dirty connections- I've cleaned the connections on other cars and put them back together and never seen improvements like that. and no, you probably won't see 10hp on a 5th gen. you might see 3-4, but it's 3-4hp that wasn't there before the upgraded grounds.
Still skeptical? clean your grounds and put the thing back together.. See any improvement? I didn't think so.
Install a ground kit (preferably buy one from me.
)... Now look at the difference. I was skeptical until I installed them on about 6 different cars- ALL with the same results. more midrange power, better driveability, better idle, better throttle response, and for the autos even the tranny shifted smoother.
I'll use my Arospeed kit on every car I own. It makes the music slightly clearer, made my idle smoother, and the lights slightly brighter. Power I can't really say, but they are worth it.
Originally Posted by Matt93SE
Before you blame dirty connections, look at the wires that are run to these sensors. most of them are 24 or 26awg wire. Tiny!
Nissan skimps as much as possible on the wiring simply because of cost-cutting.
Look at the headlight harnesses- they're made with 22awg wire and carry 5A. That's just plain scary from an engineering standpoint. when I'm designing equipment, I never use less than 18 awg for a circuit carrying more than 1A, let alone 5.
People that have upgraded their wiring harnesses to 12 oe 10 awg wires show a HUGE improvement in brightness on the lights.
Since those wires are all protcted and sealed from the elements, they can't really suffer from corrosion, so how do you explain the benefits?
That's a little difference situation because they're carrying current and not simply signals for the engine sensors- but the injector harness definitely carries some current.. the Injectors require about 3A to open. The rest of the sensors just have dinky ground references in general. They benefit greatly from a better ground reference.
I've built and installed ground kits on 3,4 and 5 gens- and the 5 gen I put it on was IMMACULATE. You can't find a cleaner car- even on a showroom floor. He noticed an immediate improvement in throttle response, driveability, and midrange power. You don't do stuff like that from cleaning dirty connections- I've cleaned the connections on other cars and put them back together and never seen improvements like that. and no, you probably won't see 10hp on a 5th gen. you might see 3-4, but it's 3-4hp that wasn't there before the upgraded grounds.
Still skeptical? clean your grounds and put the thing back together.. See any improvement? I didn't think so.
Install a ground kit (preferably buy one from me. )... Now look at the difference.
I was skeptical until I installed them on about 6 different cars- ALL with the same results. more midrange power, better driveability, better idle, better throttle response, and for the autos even the tranny shifted smoother.
Nissan skimps as much as possible on the wiring simply because of cost-cutting.
Look at the headlight harnesses- they're made with 22awg wire and carry 5A. That's just plain scary from an engineering standpoint. when I'm designing equipment, I never use less than 18 awg for a circuit carrying more than 1A, let alone 5.
People that have upgraded their wiring harnesses to 12 oe 10 awg wires show a HUGE improvement in brightness on the lights.
Since those wires are all protcted and sealed from the elements, they can't really suffer from corrosion, so how do you explain the benefits?
That's a little difference situation because they're carrying current and not simply signals for the engine sensors- but the injector harness definitely carries some current.. the Injectors require about 3A to open. The rest of the sensors just have dinky ground references in general. They benefit greatly from a better ground reference.
I've built and installed ground kits on 3,4 and 5 gens- and the 5 gen I put it on was IMMACULATE. You can't find a cleaner car- even on a showroom floor. He noticed an immediate improvement in throttle response, driveability, and midrange power. You don't do stuff like that from cleaning dirty connections- I've cleaned the connections on other cars and put them back together and never seen improvements like that. and no, you probably won't see 10hp on a 5th gen. you might see 3-4, but it's 3-4hp that wasn't there before the upgraded grounds.
Still skeptical? clean your grounds and put the thing back together.. See any improvement? I didn't think so.
Install a ground kit (preferably buy one from me.
)... Now look at the difference. I was skeptical until I installed them on about 6 different cars- ALL with the same results. more midrange power, better driveability, better idle, better throttle response, and for the autos even the tranny shifted smoother.
hmmm...i just might have to see about getting a ground kit from you in the very near future.
Id like to do it just to see what happens, I like these cheap "experamental" mods. The only im curious about is that they used Copper wires, I think that might be were the difference is. I got a whole but load of speaker wire laying around
Originally Posted by Matt93SE
Still skeptical? clean your grounds and put the thing back together.. See any improvement? I didn't think so.
Install a ground kit (preferably buy one from me. )... Now look at the difference.
.
Install a ground kit (preferably buy one from me.
)... Now look at the difference. .
"It includes ground straps to the factory sensor grounding points, alternator, and an additional 4awg ground strap to the battery."
I see your 4th gen kit costs $45, right? Since this kit doesn't include upgraded headlight wires, would it be possible to add them with an additional cost? I had a pretty bad grounding problem after I got my tranny replaced, so I had to turn down the power on my amp so I didn't hear the engine revs through the speakers. Your kit should help this, correct? I am very interested in this kit.
Edit: Looking over your website, I found some interesting parts for the 3rd gen, such as Rear Parallel Link Replacement Kit and lower tie bar upgrade. I was wondering if you have any plans to make those parts for the 4th gen? The lower tie bar thing sounds really cool.
Originally Posted by MaximaPolak
400+ I've been here almost a year and I have 700? or something like that!
vicodin ... gift of life
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 5,399
From: norcal
the grounding wire thing does nothin. I know, I have used 0-4 gauge wire and say little to no improvement.
Hmm... where can I get a wiring harness for the headlights?? What does this harness include? Shouldn't all wires connecting the headlight to the battery have ALL be replaced in order to gain any improvements?
Hmm... where can I get a wiring harness for the headlights?? What does this harness include? Shouldn't all wires connecting the headlight to the battery have ALL be replaced in order to gain any improvements?
I made a set for my VE30de. Since it has alot of individual grounds for the coil packs, I thought it would be a good idea. Some 8 awg wire, some homedepot connectors, shrink wrap and a big solder gun and your done. For the battery ground, I doubled up the 8awg and used a 4awg connector.
The idle is smoother and it starts just a tad quicker. There might be a power increase but even if it was 5hp, it would almost impossible to tell. I'm 100% happy with it considering I made it for cheap.
Those Ebay kits should be fine. But remember, they are just generic kits. You may or may NOT have the right lengths or have enough wire.
The idle is smoother and it starts just a tad quicker. There might be a power increase but even if it was 5hp, it would almost impossible to tell. I'm 100% happy with it considering I made it for cheap.
Those Ebay kits should be fine. But remember, they are just generic kits. You may or may NOT have the right lengths or have enough wire.
My buddy bought the kit from EBAY, the one with red wires. It helped a bit and all the wires were long enough, some he just linked together and still had one left over. It was like $30 shipped.
Originally Posted by Jeff92se
I made a set for my VE30de. Since it has alot of individual grounds for the coil packs, I thought it would be a good idea. Some 8 awg wire, some homedepot connectors, shrink wrap and a big solder gun and your done. For the battery ground, I doubled up the 8awg and used a 4awg connector.
The idle is smoother and it starts just a tad quicker. There might be a power increase but even if it was 5hp, it would almost impossible to tell. I'm 100% happy with it considering I made it for cheap.
Those Ebay kits should be fine. But remember, they are just generic kits. You may or may NOT have the right lengths or have enough wire.
The idle is smoother and it starts just a tad quicker. There might be a power increase but even if it was 5hp, it would almost impossible to tell. I'm 100% happy with it considering I made it for cheap.
Those Ebay kits should be fine. But remember, they are just generic kits. You may or may NOT have the right lengths or have enough wire.
(although my Home Depot wire crimper sux--all the nicer ones are expensive as ****)
Senior Member
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,208
If you just need a headlight ground upgrade try http://www.autodynamic.com
It plugs right into your stock harness, and I've had no problem running 80w bulbs, it could probably even handle 100w.
It plugs right into your stock harness, and I've had no problem running 80w bulbs, it could probably even handle 100w.
Originally Posted by 95maxrider
Edit: Looking over your website, I found some interesting parts for the 3rd gen, such as Rear Parallel Link Replacement Kit and lower tie bar upgrade. I was wondering if you have any plans to make those parts for the 4th gen? The lower tie bar thing sounds really cool.
I believe I've seen some pics of a lower tie bar for a 4th gen, but I dont remember the price on it. Also just a tid bit of info for you, 3rd gens did not have a RSTB avaliable until Matt made one
Donating Maxima.org Member
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 838
Originally Posted by Matt93SE
I've built and installed ground kits on 3,4 and 5 gens- and the 5 gen I put it on was IMMACULATE. You can't find a cleaner car- even on a showroom floor. He noticed an immediate improvement in throttle response, driveability, and midrange power. You don't do stuff like that from cleaning dirty connections- I've cleaned the connections on other cars and put them back together and never seen improvements like that. and no, you probably won't see 10hp on a 5th gen. you might see 3-4, but it's 3-4hp that wasn't there before the upgraded grounds.
Still skeptical? clean your grounds and put the thing back together.. See any improvement? I didn't think so.
Install a ground kit (preferably buy one from me. )... Now look at the difference.
I was skeptical until I installed them on about 6 different cars- ALL with the same results. more midrange power, better driveability, better idle, better throttle response, and for the autos even the tranny shifted smoother.
Still skeptical? clean your grounds and put the thing back together.. See any improvement? I didn't think so.
Install a ground kit (preferably buy one from me.
)... Now look at the difference. I was skeptical until I installed them on about 6 different cars- ALL with the same results. more midrange power, better driveability, better idle, better throttle response, and for the autos even the tranny shifted smoother.
All of the points Matt said about improvements are absolutely true. He left out a smoother idle and the little bit of fuzziness in the tweeters is also gone now. And this comes from a 47 year old car fanatic who has been there/done everything a car. Thought I had seen everything, until he did the grounds. Oh, my grounds are almost totally hidden. You really have to know the engine compartment to find them. Good clean, tidy job. Did NOT want to see extra wires running all over the place!
Mike
Originally Posted by 95maxrider
Ok, from your website:
"It includes ground straps to the factory sensor grounding points, alternator, and an additional 4awg ground strap to the battery."
I see your 4th gen kit costs $45, right? Since this kit doesn't include upgraded headlight wires, would it be possible to add them with an additional cost? I had a pretty bad grounding problem after I got my tranny replaced, so I had to turn down the power on my amp so I didn't hear the engine revs through the speakers. Your kit should help this, correct? I am very interested in this kit.
Edit: Looking over your website, I found some interesting parts for the 3rd gen, such as Rear Parallel Link Replacement Kit and lower tie bar upgrade. I was wondering if you have any plans to make those parts for the 4th gen? The lower tie bar thing sounds really cool.
"It includes ground straps to the factory sensor grounding points, alternator, and an additional 4awg ground strap to the battery."
I see your 4th gen kit costs $45, right? Since this kit doesn't include upgraded headlight wires, would it be possible to add them with an additional cost? I had a pretty bad grounding problem after I got my tranny replaced, so I had to turn down the power on my amp so I didn't hear the engine revs through the speakers. Your kit should help this, correct? I am very interested in this kit.
Edit: Looking over your website, I found some interesting parts for the 3rd gen, such as Rear Parallel Link Replacement Kit and lower tie bar upgrade. I was wondering if you have any plans to make those parts for the 4th gen? The lower tie bar thing sounds really cool.
4th gen kit is $45, yes. I would have to have a 4th gen to guines pig the headlight harness on, but I'm not opposed to building one if the demand is there for it.. I'll make it actually fit the car instead of the generic ones that have 15 ft of extra wire in it.
If the tranny swap caused a ground problem, I would make a guess that the shop didn't install the factory ground cable in the correct spot when they put the car back together. I would like to say my kit will help, but I can't honestly say it will. it SHOULD, but I can't make guarantees. If it were me, I'd try to find the source of the problem and solve that, then bolt the ground kit on as an addition.
As for the other mods on the website, I'm more than willing to make them- I just need someone to bring me a car to guinea pig. I've got a 5th gen and an SE-R coming sometime to make the lower tie bars, but I don't have a 4th gen volunteer yet.
Originally Posted by ohannon7
Are your kits copper? It seems like thats what caused the gains in the original article...
That's more than sufficient to give the sensors a proper ground reference signal.. It's not really the copper content that makes a difference- it's the lower resistance to the battery ground. The factory wires are 20-24awg, depending on the sensor or device on the engine. All of the sensor grounds are bolted to the block of the engine- which is an extremely noisy place to be..
there are hundreds of moving parts inside the engine, which do unspeakable things to an electrical signal as it's passing through the engine block. the ground wires basically go around all that mess and provide a CLEAN ground reference to the battery, so that the ECU can read the sensors easier. Sounds like black magic, but think about if for a few minutes... you've got this sensor that's just barely pumping out a signal to send to the ECU, then you strap it to the block of the engine where there's a multitude of things moving around and causing voltage fluctuations.
Think of it as something similar to trying to tune in a distant radio station. the signal is small, but it's there- the biggest problem is all the other noise that the antenna is picking up at the same time. filter out the noise and you get better reception. We're now doing the same thing on the sensor side of things. the ground kit reduces the noise in the system so the ECU can read the sensors better- which causes the car to perform better.
anyone confused yet? my fingers are sore...
Originally Posted by Matt93SE
the wires I use are 8 awg OFC copper for the main runs and 4 awg OFC copper for the battery ground run.
Originally Posted by 96sleeper
What is your reasoning in running one main line from the negative battery terminal to the engine ground and then branching all the other lines from that spot? Other kits I have seen have all of the wires coming from the negative terminal of the battery to each location. This is similar to what I did. I bought a marine terminal for the negative battery terminal and grounded all of my wires to it. Not flaming, just wondering if there is a technical answer or just personal preference.
Conduction between all electrical devices and the negative battery terminal is roughly the same whether you have them connecting to engine ground, and then going to negative battery terminal, vs. having them go straight to the negative battery terminal. Either way, it's an improvement over stock.
I have a junction at the valve cover, then a long cable to the negative battery cable, with one ground near the fusebox by the battery going to the neg. cable as well (it's just easier). There's another ground almost underneath the battery (in front) which I want to do sometime, and I'll probably just daisychain it off the ground towards the fender.
Besides, grounding to the negative battery terminal isn't the only ultimate goal--grounding to the ALTERNATOR's ground is also necessary, as the alternator puts out most of the power during engine operation (and linking alt. ground to battery ground should aide in battery charging, if only by a little...)
The point is to make the ground a thoroughly linked, low-resistance electrical bus...
exactly what he said.
the reason I didn't take them directly to the battery ground terminal is that there's already enough crap bolted to the battery as-is. I run a second 4awg wire to the factory grounding point on the block, then it goes out from there with all of the 8 awg wires. There's noticeable drop in resistane doing it that way, and you don't end up with a big spaghetti ball on top of the battery.
I CAN. I build the kits as they're bought so that I don't end up with xxx blue VQ ones and yyy red VE ones laying on the shelf that don't sell... I just keep lotsa wire and terminals in stock and build them as they're purchased.
lead time is a bit longer, but it's lower overhead on me.
here's a pic of the colors I've got on hand. Also have solid black that's not in the pic, but we all know what it looks like.
http://www.mattblehm.com/HSS_images/wire_assortment.jpg
lead time is a bit longer, but it's lower overhead on me.
here's a pic of the colors I've got on hand. Also have solid black that's not in the pic, but we all know what it looks like.
http://www.mattblehm.com/HSS_images/wire_assortment.jpg
matt93se. i am interested in a kit for a 4th gen. is it $45 shipped (if not can i get a quote for one shipped to 61265). also, would these come with installation instructions? i dont' know where the grounding points are.
$45 shipped for the 4th gen kit is correct.
I don't have instructions printed out yet, but I will provide them or a link to them when you get the kit. it's an extremely simple install. basic hand tools are all that's needed.
I don't have instructions printed out yet, but I will provide them or a link to them when you get the kit. it's an extremely simple install. basic hand tools are all that's needed.
Originally Posted by Matt93SE
Do what the rest of us have done... open the hood, get out the FSM, put on your thinking cap, and figure out which wires you need to ground.
Not to mention most of the OEM ground REALLY suck. The contact surfaces covered in paint, ect... I was getting P***ed while upgrading the grounds, its amazing how many stupid "mistakes" you can find & fix that Nissan didnt take care of. As far as running the ground, I personally like to run the wires in such a way where it looks like it belongs there. Its quite a bit more time consuming running wires this way, I guess im just a bit too picky but hell...its MY car.
