# Performance ground wires really work!?!?!



## bling (Jan 9, 2005)

I was looking at some of the old posts and noticed something about performance ground wires. They are supposed to give you more hp. Has anyone installed the kit and noticed a difference? How much of a difference? It is really worth it? How many wires do you have to replace?


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## wildmanee (Nov 21, 2004)

Sethwas mentioned that you don't really need a ground wire system, all you have to do is clean off the current ground points, re-finish the eyelets and make sure that metal is touching metal, and not corrosion or paint. About the statement that it GIVES you hp, you only get more HP as a result of the cleaning up of the current ground points... years of driving the car have taken it's toll and by cleaning your ground points/installing a ground wire system you're only reclaiming what you lost over the years. 


On the contrary, decent ground wire kits on new cars have netted them 5 or so HP.. so it's all about cleaning up/freeing up the system so that it can perform better, and thus give you more power.


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## bling (Jan 9, 2005)

what about the voltage stabilizer, does that also help? Anybody ever tried it. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...tem=7962305080&category=33574&sspagename=WDVW


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## xbrandonx (Mar 27, 2004)

bling said:


> what about the voltage stabilizer, does that also help? Anybody ever tried it. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...tem=7962305080&category=33574&sspagename=WDVW


cleaning up your grounds will help do this for you as well, but I'm not sure about that system. If you want to have more stable volts, bigger wires, cleaner grounds. also I think I've heard of people putting clear cylicone over top of the grounding points to keep the corrision away. Sounds like a pretty good idea to me.


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## bling (Jan 9, 2005)

what gauge size are the stock wires and where are they?


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## xbrandonx (Mar 27, 2004)

do a search for "the big 3" it'll probalby be in the audio section.


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## Baby_Jesus (Jan 23, 2005)

The Magic 3:

1. Battery Negative to Ground
2. Battery Positive to Alternator
3. Engine Block to Ground


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## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

bling said:


> I was looking at some of the old posts and noticed something about performance ground wires. They are supposed to give you more hp. Has anyone installed the kit and noticed a difference? How much of a difference? It is really worth it? How many wires do you have to replace?



You don't replace any wires... The kits add ground points.

Additional grounding points and or cleaning or upgrading the OEM ground points can be benifical in a few areas. Quicker throttle response, Brighter Lights, and yes even minimal horsepower gains in some applications.


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## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

bling said:


> what about the voltage stabilizer, does that also help? Anybody ever tried it. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...tem=7962305080&category=33574&sspagename=WDVW



I wouldn't trust anything from a fly by night ebay company... especailly one that sells fake Nismo crap.. stay away.. you have now idea what that box may or may not do..


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## xbrandonx (Mar 27, 2004)

CoolAPCfan has a great grounding kit for our cars. Search his name and shoot him a PM. I'm pretty sure he's a memeber of this board, and I know for SURE he's on the sr board.


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## nismoweapon (Jul 18, 2002)

xbrandonx said:


> cleaning up your grounds will help do this for you as well, but I'm not sure about that system. If you want to have more stable volts, bigger wires, cleaner grounds. also I think I've heard of people putting clear cylicone over top of the grounding points to keep the corrision away. Sounds like a pretty good idea to me.


Silicon sealant = bad idea on copper wires. The acetic ingrediants will actually cause the copper to corrode faster. They make special terminal sealants. Check with a GOOD auto parts store. I use some red aerosol stuff that you can spray on battery terminals and stuff. I'm out of town at the moment so I'm not sure what brand it is.

Making your own ground wires is way cheaper and just as effective. You only really need to replace the current ones. The one from the body (ground) to the engine block on my 325i racecar was in pretty bad shape.

Get yourself some 4 or 0 guage multi-strand COPPER wire and some appropriately sized gold plated solder on lugs. DO NOT CRIMP. Tin the wire with rosin core 60/40 solder. Then fill the lug with solder and slide the wire in. Remove the heat source (small pocket butane torch works great) and allow both to cool without moving the joint. Shrink wrap the bare wire between the lug and the wire insulation. This will keep moisture out of the wire.


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## Nissan200sx (Mar 23, 2004)

Sounds like that could help my situation. My wires look like they need something.


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## blackmaxima88 (Mar 20, 2005)

a little bit of white grease or even vaseline on the terminals and connection points works wonders at keeping corrosion from forming. don't use rtv silicone. and a cable from the block to the chassis isn't a bad idea because the only heavy connections are the motor mounts and they're insulated with rubber. that leaves thin wires and even brake lines and fuel lines as grounding conductors. if you don't feel like making your own cables, get a "switch to starter" battery cable, at least 6 gauge, but 4 or 2 will work as well. they have the eyes already crimped on. 6 gauge cable can handle several hundred amps and should be more than sufficient for an automotive electrical system.

Dan


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## scooterbob (Jun 16, 2004)

nismoweapon said:


> Get yourself some 4 or 0 guage multi-strand COPPER wire and some appropriately sized gold plated solder on lugs. DO NOT CRIMP. Tin the wire with rosin core 60/40 solder. Then fill the lug with solder and slide the wire in. Remove the heat source (small pocket butane torch works great) and allow both to cool without moving the joint. Shrink wrap the bare wire between the lug and the wire insulation. This will keep moisture out of the wire.


That is exactly what I did, along with cleaning the stock ground points. I noticed a difference in the lights being brighter and throttle reponse. As far as more power, not really. But anything closer to getting 1 more HP is worth the effort for the amount of money you would spend on a project like this. (Especially if your place of work has all the materials :thumbup: )


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

xbrandonx said:


> CoolAPCfan has a great grounding kit for our cars. Search his name and shoot him a PM. I'm pretty sure he's a memeber of this board, and I know for SURE he's on the sr board.


thats "*t*oolapcfan"  and yes i have seen many pics of his ground kits and they are TOP quality (far better than those ebay kits that ground EVERTHING to the battery) the battery kits are not good because you are gounding everything to the battery then the battery relys on a single 8 gauge wire to the chassis. rob's (toolapcfan) kit goes from point to point like an OEM system but adds more and with a 4 gauge wire. pm him and he'll make you a kit. even if it wont give you HP you will get a smoothed out idle, greater throttle responce, bettery MPG, brighter headlights.....all the things mike took care of in his post :thumbup:


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## wildmanee (Nov 21, 2004)

Wait, so what's this different method of grounding? Don't ground any of the wires to the battery at all? I'm confused now.. Can you elaborate, pete?


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

no no, the ebay kits have a piece of metal that attach to the battery, then you bolt all the grounds (that come in the kit) to the negative battery terminal...........thats no good. its much better to "link" the grounds (ground to the battery and attach that wire to the chassis, from that ground point attach another ground wire and attach the other end to the engine block, attach another wire on the engine block and ground it to the alt.....get the idea? they have multiple ground instead of one single ground.


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## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

wildmane said:


> Wait, so what's this different method of grounding? Don't ground any of the wires to the battery at all? I'm confused now.. Can you elaborate, pete?


Yes you want to attach to the negative/ground post on the battery. Most of the grounding kits work like a daisy chain...at least the better ones do.


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

myoung said:


> Most of the grounding kits work like a daisy chain...at least the better ones do.


HA! god, i could not think of a good example for the life of me lol, thanks :thumbup: my explanation made no sense what so ever lol.


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## wildmanee (Nov 21, 2004)

So you only want one wire connected to the battery? Or do you want all the grounding wires connected to the battery?


(WTF is a daisy chain? :thumbup: )


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## wildmanee (Nov 21, 2004)

wildmane said:


> So you only want one wire connected to the battery? Or do you want all the grounding wires connected to the battery?
> 
> 
> (WTF is a daisy chain? :thumbup: )


Bumpage, does anyone have an answer?


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## Captain Obvious (Jan 2, 2004)

one cable to battery from car then all others from car to whatever 

right??


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## wildmanee (Nov 21, 2004)

Wow wtf, I never saw your reply before Pete.. I must be blind. Nevermind, I got it now. Damn.. must've been tired or something.


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## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

studeringaaron said:


> one cable to battery from car then all others from car to whatever
> 
> right??


actually two will connect to the battery...the first one actually starts at the chassis


<chassis----->battery-------->manifold-------> tranny------> intake manifold or throttle body---------> end at other side chassis or strut tower>

There will be a write in the April NPM..


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

also regrounding the MAF (splicing into the wire on the harness) is a good idea as well.


wildmane said:


> Wow wtf, I never saw your reply before Pete.. I must be blind. Nevermind, I got it now. Damn.. must've been tired or something.


no problem......im glad you understodd it lol.


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## StevenLK (Jul 15, 2002)

i checked the grounding spot where the radiator over spill bottle is and it is all greasy and oily and mucky. i high pressure washed it and it dint get rid of that crap. whats the best way? Soap/water and a rag with sum elbow grease?


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## xbrandonx (Mar 27, 2004)

StevenLK said:


> i checked the grounding spot where the radiator over spill bottle is and it is all greasy and oily and mucky. i high pressure washed it and it dint get rid of that crap. whats the best way? Soap/water and a rag with sum elbow grease?


remove the bolt, and sand the area down.

http://www.nissanforums.com/showthread.php?t=46259

post #7 there are several links. I really do suggest bookmarking that thread, there is ALOT of useful info that I think wouldn't hurt to be stickied


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