How does a car get grounded?

[Slavik]

Seeing a few posts around about aftermarket grounding systems, I realized that I do not understand how does the car get grounded. Is it thru tires? Or is there something that I am missing completely …

[WDRacing]

Well, you're correct when you say a car is grounded by it's tires, but that's not what they mean when they are advertising "grounding kits".

Basically a grounding kit add's 5-6 extra ground cables to the electrical system of the car. Which normally only has 2 IIRC. Better grounding reduces voltage spikes and can actually improve power and gas mileage. Someone with a better understanding will probably explain this in more detail, but that's the basic gist of things.

WD

[Sentientbydesign]

I just made one for my wife's celica last night and I'll be doing one for the G pretty soon!!!

The idea is to give the circuits a shorter less restrictive path to the negative battery terminal.

This removes noise from the system which can interfere with all of the sensors on the car.

If you do a wikipedia search for electrical grounding, you'll get some very extensive information on the subject. Including how telegraphs used to only use one wire and the ground for return and the various definitions of "ground".

[Slavik]

Thank you for your responses I’ll research it a bit furtherI think understand what grounding kits are doing, and I wouldn’t doubt that multiple connections to the frame of the car with high quality wire will improve “grounding” of the components, thus reducing the resistance of the grounding path, thus increasing the current (please correct me if I am wrong on this) …. But isn’t the final stop of the “grounding path” is the ground not the negative terminal?

perhaps some electrical guru’s can chime in on this

I guess I am really wondering how good tires are as a conductor …. I mean it’s rubber and silicone that contact the road ….. how does the resistance of that path compare to the resistance of the path up to that point? … Is there anything that could be measured to confirm that the electrical circuit has been improved?

Am I totally off in my understanding?Is there something other than resistance of the grounding path that you reduce when grounding kit is used?

[Sentientbydesign]

You're mixing up two types of grounding.

One of them is a true ground, which means leaking current into the Earth (there are more details, but I'll leave it at that).

For a closed circuit like on our cars, my understanding is that the noise gets transfered to the negative batter terminal.

The tires make a true ground impossible (though there are grounding straps that drag behind a vehicle to give it a true ground).

[telcoman]

You're mixing up two types of grounding.

One of them is a true ground, which means leaking current into the Earth (there are more details, but I'll leave it at that).

For a closed circuit like on our cars, my understanding is that the noise gets transfered to the negative batter terminal.

The tires make a true ground impossible (though there are grounding straps that drag behind a vehicle to give it a true ground).

Sentient

You are on the right track. Vehicle ground and earth ground are not always equal which is why we see trucks with ground straps. Birds resting on high tension electrical lines are safe. However touch one electrical high tension wire with a metal ladder resting on the ground & you are toast.

The electrical path uses the metal chassis and engine as a return path.The negative post of the battery goes to chassis ground (Engine) All electrical devices carry 12v and use the return path (engine,chassis) to complete a circuit. (ohms law)If one suspects a poor ground, that can be measured with a volt/ohm meter.More precise resistance readings may be obtained with a device called a wheatstone bridge.I for one have read these many posts on grounding kits. I have not commented because INMHO they are a waste of money. Kind of reminds me of people taking placibo medication & reporting the sugar pills they've been taking have helped with whatever they have that ails them.Just my opinion and $.02

Telcoman

[ArizonaG35]

It stays out too late past curfew??????

[BigWill]

Hey Slavik... here is a post from the forum that has some good graphics and descriptions of the installation:

zerothread/326986

...and here is just one of a few options for purchase:

http://www.groundinggear.com/G...e.htm

[BigWill]

It stays out too late past curfew??????

LOL!! Or maybe it borrows the keys to the human without asking?

[Sentientbydesign]

Hey Slavik... here is a post from the forum that has some good graphics and descriptions of the installation:

zerothread/326986

...and here is just one of a few options for purchase:

http://www.groundinggear.com/G...e.htm

I'll also be making some in the near future. High quality, lower price...and maybe a little less cluttered

[BigWill]

You go brother! We always appreciate enterprising individuals!

[Slavik]

I'll also be making some in the near future. High quality, lower price...and maybe a little less cluttered

Cool, please let us know when you do ...

Thanks to every one who responded, I get it now

[rn79870]

It stays out too late past curfew??????

That's the way I read the OP too. I figured the answer was for doing poorly on an emission test.

[smockers83]

It stays out too late past curfew??????

Would you like a bunch of cheese from Wisconsin with that?

[rn79870]

Would you like a bunch of cheese from Canada with that?

Fixed your typo Smocky.