So I'm going through replacing my grounds and adding new ones for my homebrew ground kit. I've done everything except the one off the transmission. I have 4 gauge wire that I bought, and at first glance they seem like they're the same size. If I take a caliper to them, the new wire is about 6mm and the old is almost 8. Should I find bigger wire to use? I'm wondering if the new wire would be sufficient because of its better quality or if I should try and find bigger wire somewhere(like 0 or 00 if stereo places will sell that by the foot)? Thanks.

 

Ricer!

First of all, the new wire is more expensive, not "better quality". It won't conduct better just because you bought it and it looks cool.

Second - there is never a need to go larger than 4 gauge.

Third - the transmission ground isn't important. If you did the valve cover ground, you're set.

 

So oxygen free high quality speaker wire like monster cable sells isnt better quality than whatever cheap mass produced stuff honda buys for pennies per thousands of feet? Sure. Second, apparently honda put a larger wire than 4 gauge on the car now didn't they? Third, if its not an important ground how come there are people that have starting issues when they don't have it? This is exactly why honda-tech gets a bad name.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EnzoSpeed &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Ricer!

First of all, the new wire is more expensive, not "better quality". It won't conduct better just because you bought it and it looks cool.

Second - there is never a need to go larger than 4 gauge.

Third - the transmission ground isn't important. If you did the valve cover ground, you're set.</TD></TR></TABLE>

if you wernt a ******* it would help

the stock ground is somewhere between 4-2gauge, which would call for something bigger than 4 gauge

go ahead and take it off and see if your car wants to start and or run good

do you understand electricty at all, if you did you wouldnt even of replyed


all of the sensors in your engine bay rely on the grounds, your starter alternator and everything that works on 12volt uses thoes grounds, by using better materials(wire connectors) and adding more, you are increasing the number of paths the electricity can use, whether its your radio, or your TPS, it will work better and faster with good grounds

ask any EF guy that has had driveablitly problems 90% of the time is bad grounds

ask anybody who has done a swap and forgot one of the grounds, the motor wont start

when i replaced the stock shitty 19yr old grounds on my civic my headlights got brighter, the motor started eazyer, my volt gauge read a lil higher, and the motor just felt like it wanted to run better


Modified by DEIVIONCRX at 9:31 PM 3/30/2006


Modified by DEIVIONCRX at 9:40 PM 3/30/2006

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by potatostix &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">So oxygen free high quality speaker wire like monster cable sells isnt better quality than whatever cheap mass produced stuff honda buys for pennies per thousands of feet? Sure. </TD></TR></TABLE>

You got me there, I didn't consider that. I don't know if OEM wire is OFC or not. It's obviously not random cheap metal because it has rather good corrosion resistance.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Second, apparently honda put a larger wire than 4 gauge on the car now didn't they?</TD></TR></TABLE>


No, OEM grounds are not that big. Mine were about 4.6mm (~5 gauge). Everyone that replaces their grounds uses 4 gauge, this is nothing new.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Third, if its not an important ground how come there are people that have starting issues when they don't have it?</TD></TR></TABLE>


Well their are two grounds on the motor - one on the head and one on the tranny. If one fails, the other will still work. If both fail, you have a problem. Most people replace the valve cover ground because it creates a better connection with the spark plugs. The tranny ground is added to create a better connection for the starter. If you remove it (and the valve cover ground is starting to corrode) then your starter might not work.

But a good enough valve cover ground will be just as beneficial as replacing both grounds. I didn't mean you should remove it, just don't replace it.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">This is exactly why honda-tech gets a bad name.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Is it because I didn't say that OEM isn't OFC (which is undetermined) or because people like to start threads without searching first?



Modified by EnzoSpeed at 11:47 PM 3/30/2006

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DEIVIONCRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if you wernt a ******* it would help</TD></TR></TABLE>

I didn't mean to come accross that way. Maybe I should have used an appropriate emoticon to convey my sentiment? Perhaps a


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the stock ground is somewhere between 4-2gauge, which would call for something bigger than 4 gauge</TD></TR></TABLE>

2-4 gauge? Where did you two get your cars - oversized factory-ground-wire-land? Factory grounds aren't that big. That's why everyone uses 4gauge. If you want to go with 0, knock yourself out. It won't do anything that 4 gauge won't.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">go ahead and take it off and see if your car wants to start and or run good</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well actually, it will start and run fine since I have an upgraded valve cover ground. Thanks for parroting the original poster though.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
do you understand electricty at all, if you did you wouldnt even of replyed</TD></TR></TABLE>

I majored in electrical engineering . Maybe I should brush up on OFC.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">all of the sensors in your engine bay rely on the grounds, your starter alternator and everything that works on 12volt uses thoes grounds, by using better materials(wire connectors) and adding more, you are increasing the number of paths the electricity can use, whether its your radio, or your TPS, it will work better and faster with good grounds

ask any EF guy that has had driveablitly problems 90% of the time is bad grounds

ask anybody who has done a swap and forgot one of the grounds, the motor wont start

when i replaced the stock shitty 19yr old grounds on my civic my headlights got brighter, the motor started eazyer, my volt gauge read a lil higher, and the motor just felt like it wanted to run better


Modified by DEIVIONCRX at 9:31 PM 3/30/2006


Modified by DEIVIONCRX at 9:40 PM 3/30/2006</TD></TR></TABLE>


Two modifies! You really put some time into that.

Grounds are something that become detrimental as they deteriorate. They aren't magic hp creators, they just regain the power that the corroded grounds were robbing. Obviously replacing the grounds that are two decades old is going to fix some problems.

And the engineers at Honda aren't a bunch of hairy-knuckled troglodytes. They wouldn't install an insufficient ground system from the factory.


Modified by EnzoSpeed at 11:48 PM 3/30/2006

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EnzoSpeed &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I majored in electrical engineering .</TD></TR></TABLE>

So did I and this would be one of the last things I find myself saying:

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EnzoSpeed &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Third - the transmission ground isn't important. If you did the valve cover ground, you're set.</TD></TR></TABLE>

And if this were true:

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EnzoSpeed &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">And the engineers at Honda aren't a bunch of hairy-knuckled troglodytes. They wouldn't install an insufficient ground system from the factory.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Apparently they've done just that since you've seen fit to eliminate one of them.

 

I didn't remove the transmission ground! I said it isn't necessary to upgrade it (which I didn't).

Although, I've heard some people say an upgraded transmission ground is important for high end audio systems. I'm not an audiophile, so I don't really understand that one.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DEIVIONCRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> by using better materials(wire connectors) and adding more, you are increasing the number of paths the electricity can use</TD></TR></TABLE>

Therefore increasing the potential for ground loops. "If a little's good, a lot must be better," doesn't stand in this case.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EnzoSpeed &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I majored in electrical engineering
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't know if I'd tell people to leave ground cables off their car then! haha.

What was your emphasis? I'm currently working on my degree.