Ground Wire Kit? I don't get it ...

[szh]

Can someone explain why adding a bunch of wires around the engine is going to give a boost in HP? See the ebay item in the link below ...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...39396

I guess I do not understand how this can do the claims mentioned in the listing.

Z

[IvoryJ30t]

if your motor is not grounded well, the plugs wont fire at their fullest, the coils [COP systems] wont fire at full power, the sensors wont give a clean signal blah blah blah...

it doesnt gain power in itself, it make your motors electrical components work at their full potential. its most noticeable if your motor is not properly grounded to the chassis, then you add the ground wires.

youll probably notice gas mileage increase slightly, better throttle response, easier/faster starting, ect ect...

it just increases efficiency.

[stillmatic]

The seller is obviously making up the 5-10HP gain to promote sales. They're only supposed to give you quicker throttle response, smoother idling, and better fuel efficiency. The ground wire kits work well with the 350z, so it should work even better with older cars.

[matt4pl]

i've seen info on a good kit giving a dyno-proven 6 or 7 hp on a maxima, so they're good for something. i wouldnt bother with ebay ones though, either get a brand name or make one yourself(its so eays too)

[AZhitman]

There's a 50-page (!) thread on g35driver about it. Apparently it's VERY successful on the G.

I'll be giving it a shot just for S&G pretty soon and will post results.

[Q45tech]

Primarily, things like the MAF are sensative to ground loops. Multiple grounds with different potentials from the ecu which is trying to read the correct voltage to the 2nd or 3rd decimal point.

All the way back to the 1990 Q you checked the MAF ground to make sure ther was no EXTRA resistance compared to the Battery ground [negative terminal].........otherwise the MAF voltage could be in error by up to a few tenths of a volt...........which is dramatic at idle and gets proggressively less important as the rpms rise.

However up at 4.1-4.3 volts WOT and 6,000 rpms a tenth can result in a injector open time change of 0.5>1.0 milliseconds which will change the AF by 5-10%.

As cars get old, corrosion may build and the sensors may not report the exact as new voltages.MAF and coolant temp sensor [and inlet air temp sensor] are usually the critical voltage items.

If more air is flowing than the MAF reports the AF goes leaner from its super rich protective state, within reason the leaner the better from a peak power stand point -----until the engine bearings and pistons melt.Watching the head temperature [or the exhaust temperature is most precise] is usually fast enough to avoid engine distruction. Coolant temp rises too slowly to warn you fast enough. Oil temp would be better than coolant.

[szh]

Thanks, Dennis.

Sounds like it would be good for older cars with corrosion, etc., on the sensors, etc. As long as you avoid ground loop problems! Which can be troublesome to find and debug.

Would this ground wire kit have any real effect on a new car (like my 2003 M45 or some of the 2003/4 G35's that are now around) where the factory wiring is still intact?

Z

[Q45tech]

Measure the ground resistance of the ground wires [at sensor] against the battery ground terminal.

[7thGear]

Q45, what are your throughs on home made grounding kits?

[tooocool49723]

Apexi is coming out with a new ground wire kit that's supposed to help supress sudden power spikes and drops, probibly through either a capacator or some other means. I've seen a picture of it somewhere, but dont remember where exactly (last week). It looks like a ground wire going to a grey box, then out to 3 or 4 other ground wires (for the chassis, engine, transmission, and whetever else).

Dont know how effective it is, or where to get it, or when it'll be out, but it is coming.

Edit: from the 2004 Apexi Price Lists off of their website it's the Apexi Super Ground System, part number 477-A903 for $239.00