In this tutorial, I will be instructing you on how to make your own ground wire kit, as well as install it.

Before I go onto the tutorial, I would like explain the benefits of a ground wire kit. First, do not expect substantial horsepower gains. What you can expect is a smoother idle and better throttle response. Some people notice brighter headlights and cleaner audio. Some even say the ground wires help prevent static shock when getting out of the car.

Also, I checked the voltage differences at the planned ground points using a recently calibrated Fluke 87 multimeter. Here is a table of the before/after voltage differences with the ground wires made in this tutorial:
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/table-differences.gif

Now, onto the tutorial.

Planning the grounds
The ground wire system we will be making, dubbed the "Mikochu Über Ground Wire System," consists of 4 wires connecting 5 points.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit01.jpg
Body (A) > Head (B) > Coil Pack (C) > Battery Negative (D) > Body (E)

You can choose your own ground points, but you are on your own with that. I cannot be held responsible for what you do to your car. Choose wisely and at your own risk. If you decide to choose your own ground points, get some string and measure the points. Measure the strings to figure out how much wire you need. Also, you can use a different gauge wire. Most aftermarket kits are 4-gauge, but I think that is overkill. My hand quivered when I saw the 4 gauge wire.

For the "Mikochu Über Ground Wire System," you will need:
- Socket wrench (10mm socket)
- Wire cutters/crimper/scissors/pliers
- 7' of-8 gauge speaker wire (81" for the kit, 3" left over)
- 10 pieces of 8-gauge ring connectors (5/16" hole)
- About 1' of heatshrink tubing that will fit over the crimped ring connector and wire
- A lighter (for the heatshrink)

Making the ground wires
1. Cut the wire into the correct lengths.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit02.jpg
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit03.jpg

These are the lengths for the "Mikochu Über Ground Wire System"
(Click the link to see the image)
15" for the Body (A) to Head (B) (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit04.jpg)
22" for Head (B) to Coil Pack (C) (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit05.jpg)
27" for Coil Pack (C) to Battery Negative (D) (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit06.jpg)
17" for Battery Negative (D) to Body (E) (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit07.jpg)
---------------------------------------------
81" total with 3" to spare with 7' of wire

2. Once the wires are cut, use a wire stripper (or pair of scissors) to strip about 1/2" of the insulation to accommodate the ring connector. Try not to cut the wires themselves. If a few strands are cut, it's okay. However, if half the strands are cut, redo it. There should be enough slack in the wire for a couple (2!) mess-ups. Twist the bare wire to prevent fraying. Repeat this step for the other side of the wire.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit08.jpg
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit09.jpg

3. Once the insulation is stripped, slide 2 pieces of heatshrink onto the wire. The size of the heatshrink should be long enough to cover (and overlap a little) the crimpable area of the ring connector. With the heatshrink out of the way, slide the ring connector onto the wire.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit10.jpg

4. Using a wire crimper (or stripper/pliers), crimp the bottom portion of the ring connector, and then follow through until the whole ring connector is crimped. Make sure the two pieces of heatshrink are still on the wire, and then repeat this step for the other side of the wire. Double-check the crimps to make sure they are tight. Do not pull on the ring connectors. Just make sure the crimps are tight by re-crimping them. Slide the heatshrink onto the crimped area of the ring connector. Make sure the hole is not covered, and then use the lighter to activate the heatshrink.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit11.jpg

5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 until all four wires are done. Once all of them are done, you should have a kit that looks somewhat like this:
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit12.jpg

With the kit made, onto the installation!

"Mikochu Über Ground Wire System" Installation
To make things less complicated, the wires will be named:
Wire 1 - 15" Body (A) to Head (B)
Wire 2 - 22" Head (B) to Coil Pack (C)
Wire 3 - 27" Coil Pack (C) to Battery Negative (D)
Wire 4 - 17" Battery Negative (D) to Body (E)

1. With your 10mm socket wrench, unbolt the nuts on the valve cover. Remove the valve cover.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit13.jpg

2. Now we can start on the installation of the wires. We are going to start on the left side. Unscrew the bolt on the bracket that holds the A/C line. Put the bolt through one ring connector on Wire 1, then screw it back in.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit14.jpg

3. Next, weave Wire 1 around to get to the bolt on the corner of the engine. Unscrew the bolt on the corner of engine. Put the bolt through both the end of Wire 1 and the beginning of Wire 2. Screw the engine bolt back in.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit15.jpg
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit16.jpg

4. Weave Wire 2 through the wire loom and such, then unscrew the last coil bolt and put the end of the Wire 2 and the beginning of Wire 3. Screw the coil bolt back on.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit17.jpg

5. Again, weave Wire 3 through the wire loom and intake. Unscrew the nut off the negative lead on the battery. Try not to take the lead off since it may reset your ECU, clock, radio, etc. Put the end of Wire 3 and the beginning of Wire 4 onto the lead's bolt and screw the nut back on.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit18.jpg

6. Unscrew the bolt on the body that has the throttle cable bracket on it. Put the end of Wire 4 closest to the body. Put the bracket back on, then screw the bolt back in.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit19.jpg

7. The installation is almost done. Double-check the bolts and make sure they are tight. Hold the socket wrench close to the center to prevent overtightening.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit20.jpg

8. Once all of the bolts are double-checked, put the valve cover back on and screw the nuts back in. Start the car, cross your fingers, and hope it doesn't throw a "Check Engine" light. Just kidding, as long as you follow the steps, you should be fine.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit21.jpg
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit22.jpg
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ground_wire_kit/groundkit23.jpg

If there are any questions, please post here, PM or email me.

excellent write-up. it's so great for this forum and the people on it when ones like you take the time to do write-up and reviews, esp with pictures!

Great job. Thanks.

Mikochu ... Thank you for a job well done. Now I guess I better get out to the garage and build your "Mikochu Über Ground Wire System."

Thanks for the write up.now all i have to do is go to work on this little mod.........juan

So, When are you going to become an official Scionlife technician?

So, When are you going to become an official Scionlife technician?

Ummm... he already is!
www.scionlife.com/staff

I got a set of this from Mr. Miko and I just installed it today :D . I give it an A+ as it somewhat reduce the sluggish the automatic have off teh start and much smoother shifting. Maybe its in my head, but its a good upgrade as I'll be painting the valve cover soon. Anyways, Miko ground kit is very nice and fast shipping, recommend if you're lazy like I am. I'll be making my own soon for my freinds' cars :lol:

Thanks for the instructions - easy as pie. I used black wire with yellow shrink, looks great and sort of oem. Worked on it while at work between phone calls etc. I spent most of the time going toethe electronics store.

Now that I've driven my car, seems like the auto shift is smoother, possibly the placebo effect? What the heck for 12 dollars? Looks good too.

Mikochu, I notice that the wires run on top of the motor... wouldn't it get too hot and melt/burn the wires?

awesome

Mikochu, I notice that the wires run on top of the motor... wouldn't it get too hot and melt/burn the wires?
I'm not going to say that all speaker wire are heat resistent, but the insulation on the wire I used did not melt. I've made a kit prior to my "v2" kit, and used a different brand wire. Those wires did not melt either. I'm pretty sure you should be fine...

thank you mikochu for your hard, great pics & step by step tutorial!
would it make any diff. if ran thicker gauge? < or >
anyhow, i will be visiting some stores today, and get things going.
thanks.

Most domestic ground wires kits are 4 gauge (Ground Fusion, Lineage, etc). Most Japanese brands are 8 gauge (HKS, Sun, Apex'i)... 4 gauge will technically be better, but whether you'll notice the difference is beyond me. I stuck with 8 gauge because it was substantially cheaper than 4 gauge and when I saw the 4 gauge ring connectors, my crimping hand quivered. Also, I'm probably going to invest in a voltage stabilizer and I think it looks better with uniform sized wires...

Also, nothing's like cooling your engine at the track and someone asking "What are all those tubes for?" "Oh, those are just my 4 gauge ground wires..." "oh..hrmm...*walks away*" :lol:

Can you tell me where to buy those heat resistance wires. Will any 8 gauge speaker/ groud wires do.

Can you tell me where to buy those heat resistance wires. Will any 8 gauge speaker/ groud wires do.
Most speaker wire are heat resistant... And yes, that's what I used... 8 gauge speaker wire.

First off- Thank you so much for the detailed explanation and pictures. I've been planning on doing this for a while and have been hesitant, but will try it out this weekend. :)

i have seen an upgrade like this called "the big 3" that is supposed to establish a common ground, therefore alternator whine caused by adding an amp/other componentscould be eliminated due to unequal grounding points...Is this the same kind of upgrade? Also, has anyone eliminated alternator whine by doing this specific upgrade??? Finally, is there any need to insert a fuse within the wire to the coil?? Thanks!

i have seen an upgrade like this called "the big 3" that is supposed to establish a common ground, therefore alternator whine caused by adding an amp/other componentscould be eliminated due to unequal grounding points...Is this the same kind of upgrade? Also, has anyone eliminated alternator whine by doing this specific upgrade??? Finally, is there any need to insert a fuse within the wire to the coil?? Thanks!
I've never heard of "the big 3," but it seems like the same idea. Although, the ground points in my tutorial do not even include the altenator. I'm legally deaf, so audio upgrades aren't in my near future. When I did my first ground wire kit, I could not find a feasible ground point on the altenator so I was like, "whatever..." When I worked on the second version, it never passed my mind. If you want, you can ground the alternator, but I (and SL!) take no responsibility for your actions. With the fuse in the wire to the coil, no, you don't need one. The ground wire to the coilpack goes to the coilpack's fastening bolt, not the coilpack itself...

Thanks for the great how-to. Much appreciated.
Got everything I needed from the Home Depot on Sat for $7- and had the engine cover back off and on in about a half-hour.
Throttle response is more crisp and I can shift a bit faster because of it.
Thanks again.

I just threw one of these one my xB. Good stuff. No more static when I get out of my car, and once the car is warmed up the idle RPM is a bit lower and cleaner sounding. The gears seem to shift a little smoother as well, but I didn't really pay attention to it before so I can't say for sure.

I used gold ring terminals, I dunno if that makes a difference or not. Regardless, good stuff. Thanks Mikochu!

Nice write up.. i gotta try it for myself now.

Did you feel any difference...?

Yeah, this is my weekend project i think...

Very nice write up Miko. My one question is the engine corner bolt. I can't run out and look at my engine right now so I'll ask here. What is that bolt holding together? I just want to make sure that the bolt won't back itself out and that it is now too short to perform it's original purpose. I am going to do this mod though. Thanks again for your write up and pics. Great job!!

Zach

I think 4 gauge wire is the better route to go. I noticed a big difference when I made mine out of 4 gauge on the Matrix. There is an improvement while idling with the 8 gauge on my xB, but I think I'll make some 4 gauge replacements when I regain the full use of my right hand.

I just finished this and noticed that my rpm's are around 500 -600 rpm (at least by the oem tach.) There is no fluttering of rpm's anymore.

Another tip is to use a hammer to crimp the wire and the lugs. I might do mine again with 4 gauge wire at some point.

Thanks for a great write up!

Isn't that last wire redundant since there is already a ground that runs from the negative battery terminal to the body?

what about alt bracket there seems there could be a bolt that could be put there you think that would work, if you don't wanna take out the bolt thats on the head/corner of engine???

and is that last connection from the battery to the body really needed since there is already a battery to body already there

Quick and perhaps silly question:
Are the cable lengths in the plans the same for both xAs and xBs?

Are the cable lengths in the plans the same for both xAs and xBs?

They should be, but I'd measure them in the engine bay just to be safe... Give about an inch slack when cutting them just in case you mess up when stripping the insulation or crimping.

I think I'm going to get the parts and try to do this. What is a good place to look for heatshrink and other materials? I have an Ace Hardware, Checker Auto Parts and a Home Depot near me. Which would be my best bet?

I think I'm going to get the parts and try to do this. What is a good place to look for heatshrink and other materials? I have an Ace Hardware, Checker Auto Parts and a Home Depot near me. Which would be my best bet?
Um, I went to a local electronics surplus store in Orlando. I'm from Miami and I've never seen a place like it. Any decent car audio store sells all the parts you need for the ground wires. Although, the eyelets may be expensive... I know Home Depot sells heatshrink and tools, but I'm not sure about the wire and eyelets...

what does a ground kit do?

I'm new to lots of this so someone more experienced may need to correct me, but I believe the ground kit is meant to help stabilize electric power and make sure the full voltage is actually being delivered. Many electronic components work best when given a stable power supply and there are a fair number of components in our cars that use electricity, so a grounding kit should give them more ideal power conditions to work with. Anyone more knowledgable care to correct/elaborate on all this?

so maybe if i printed out these instructions and had the supplies, the local car shop would be capable of something like this, if it is worth it?

StackTrayce, sounds good to me. Benefits of the ground kit include better throttle response, less sporatic idle RPMs, clearer audio output, among other things...

tbone587, I don't know if it'd be worth it to have a car shop do it for you. Why not do it yourself? If you're gonna have someone do it for you, you might as well buy a already-made kit from Ground Fusion or whoever...

why are u saying to use 8 gauge speaker wire? Shouldnt we be using power wire??

i'm using reg. 8 gauge black wire

why are u saying to use 8 gauge speaker wire? Shouldnt we be using power wire??
On the simple side: Is there a difference between 8Gau speaker wire and 8Gau power wire?
I got Acid Free Silver/Zinc wire and Gold connectors, but thats mostly for style :)

im about to order some 4 gauge power wire from knukonceptz, its gonna be like 20 bucks for everything

crap, why does the thing in tutorial show u need 10 ring terminals? Should we only need 8?

its for extra if you mess up

crap, too late now, I already ordered 10. what size shrink wrap do I need for 4 gauge wire? My dad sells shrink wrap, so I just need to get him to bring the right size home. For 8 foot of 4 gauge wire and 10 ring terminals it cost me like $22 total. How do I go about crimping the terminals on the wire? are the terminals bendable enough to do with standard pliers?

you need a crimping tool or as timinaz said

Another tip is to use a hammer to crimp the wire and the lugs.

i installed it in 41 minutes due to that it was freakin cold out and i used real 8 gauge wire and not the flexable speaker wire kind of hard to manipulate the wire into the direction i need but i got it on there

i froze my hands that i could feel the bolts and nuts when i was putting it back together now that was the hard part lol

My wire and connectors came in the mail today. Here is a picture of my ground kit I made.

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/tristansmith587/ground_wire.jpg

Looks good, tbone! I hope you measured the wires in your engine bay! :doh:

that looks to be an expensive wire kit. i wanna go with a regular 18.00 ebay kit soon

that looks to be an expensive wire kit. i wanna go with a regular 18.00 ebay kit soon
Dont you mean the $38.00 ebay kit?
Almost every single one I've seen charges around $20 for shipping, I like the one that says "M.S.R.P. $199.99"

Cheaper to make your own.

Lol I made it myself with wire i bought online for 20 bucks total... I didnt measure anything :( I just followed the tutorial.. Wow Im about to go check it out and now im a little scared..

When I was "crimping" the connections last night with a hamer, there was 1 connector that wasnt really on good, but I figured it should be ok. I go to power on my car and the rpms seemed like they were higher than before (probably my imagination), but It seemed like it accelerated faster as well (probably my imagination). Anyhow, I just wanted to open up the hood one last time to make sure everything is secure. I wiggled all the connectors, and they all felt solid as a rock, except the one.. So I give it a slight pool and the wire pulled right out lol. So I gotta go run to a local audio shop and pick up some more connectors cause i dont have anymore. Since the bad connection is on wire a, it basically defeats the whole purpose lol

quick question....why did you choose those grounding points....are those the same that sun, apex'i, and other companies use for our cars or did you choose those at random (which i don't think you did...you seem like a smart guy). just curious why you chose those points...like if there was a significant reason and what not.

-X

quick question....why did you choose those grounding points....are those the same that sun, apex'i, and other companies use for our cars or did you choose those at random (which i don't think you did...you seem like a smart guy). just curious why you chose those points...like if there was a significant reason and what not.

-X

Sun, Apex'i, and other JDM companies don't have exact ground points for our cars. I just used the logic of grounding the engine and body. You could ground your alternator and transmission (auto?), but that's up to you. I just did the simple body>battery>engine>engine>body. *shrug*

no i have a 5 speed so that wouldn't really matter...i understand your logic casue its one huge pathway for everything to ground to. helps voltage everywhere under your car find the quickest point to ground itself....i was just curious excellent DIY i'm very impressed by everyting you've done thus far...was thinking of doing a few and posting it up on here but you know i didn't want to take all of your glory :P

-X

im just hopin the ring connectors i bought will work.. only got 1 pr of 8gauge connectors cuz thats all the store had when i bought the wire.. went to lowes, home depot, schucks... they seem to jump from 12-10gauge to 4gauge..then 0gauge...never found 8gauge..so bought a pack of 12-10 gauge.... hope they work

ok guys, I have it all done now, I bought a new connector for theone I messed up, and put it back in and dang.. Before I did the ground kit my engine would fluxate at the 2 mark and above. Now it doesnt even budge from the 1 mark.. I dont understand how it works, but it does. It definately accelerates faster, its not my imagination. When I press the gas down its much smoother now. I also tested the static shock I used to get when I wore this fleece shirt I had. Now no shocks when getting out of the car:) Nice tutorial guys. If you want to get the same 4awg wire and connectors as me, go to knukonceptz.com. The total "kit" should be about 20 bucks.

i installed it in 41 minutes due to that it was freakin cold out and i used real 8 gauge wire and not the flexable speaker wire kind of hard to manipulate the wire into the direction i need but i got it on there

i froze my hands that i couldn't feel the bolts and nuts when i was putting it back together now that was the hard part lol

I made mine without ring connectors because I am cheap. I used Left over amp wiring cuz im cheap:eyebrow: I'm going to try to put it in tommorrow, Im only using this temporarily though... I'll post results if this is effective
I cant seem to figure out how to inlude pics so if yer interested pm[/img]

BTW its one continuous wire 7' long no breake

ebay 19.00 kit here i come. well .01 and 18.99 shipping , lol

Anybody know how to get to the bolt that the stock ground wire goes to on the engine block? I swapped my body ground out with 4 guage today and would like to swap the stock engine ground too.

I had made my kit about a week ago and just put it on last night. I used grounding wire from a local hardware store, it doesn't look fancy but it works. One recommendation I have is to pick up a wire crimper, it really makes the connections much more sturdy and resistant to pulling out. You can usually get one from a car parts store.
The hardest part for me was the install, so for all the people saying they are just going to buy a kit off of ebay, realize that you aren't saving yourself from the hardest part in my opinion.
Some things I learned and tips for others:
Don't make your wires a bit longer than specified thinking it will make things easier, it is just an extra 1/2" or so of wire you have to manage during the install.
Make sure you use wire with an insulation rated for use in high temperature environments.
If you are using a somewhat inflexible wire like I was, put the connectors on perpendicular to the natural curve of the wire. This made the installation much easier.
If you have to make bends in the wire close to the terminals, give them a tug to make sure they are sturdy.
One thing I did to make sure that the negative terminal of the battery didn't come off was to hold it with my other hand while connecting wires three and four.

As for the benefits I saw, my tach didn't really fluctuate that much before, so I didn't see any difference there. However, I did notice that the shift from 1st to 2nd (I have an automatic) no longer has that tiny bit of lag it had before. My wife noticed that the interior and instrument lights were a bit brighter, and I'd swear that my stereo is now a bit louder at the same volume level. Overall I'm quite happy with the results.

Now for my questions! My wife wondered why they don't do something similar at the factory given all the improvements. My guess is cost in terms of labor for running those cables during assembly, but I really have no idea. My main question is what are the downsides of putting on this grounding kit. Am I putting more stress on any components than before? I don't see why that would be the case, but I really want some reassurance that using this grounding kit isn't going to turn out to wear out some part or do something bad in the long run. Anyone is welcome to respond to these questions, but I'd really like some sort of expert to chime in about whether there are any downsides to doing this mod.

I used a hammer to crimp my connections, with the crimper you bought was it hard to crimp 4 gauge wire, or does the tool make it easy.

I used 8 guage wire, I never tried using a hammer. I also tried using slip lock pliers. I'm glad I used the crimping tool not only because it makes a tighter connection, but also because it has big rubber padding on the handles :)

Now for my questions! My wife wondered why they don't do something similar at the factory given all the improvements. My guess is cost in terms of labor for running those cables during assembly, but I really have no idea. My main question is what are the downsides of putting on this grounding kit. Am I putting more stress on any components than before? I don't see why that would be the case, but I really want some reassurance that using this grounding kit isn't going to turn out to wear out some part or do something bad in the long run. Anyone is welcome to respond to these questions, but I'd really like some sort of expert to chime in about whether there are any downsides to doing this mod.
There are no downsides to having a grounding kit in your car. If anything, it will help relieve stress on the alternator and other electrical components and stop static shock.

Why it isn't in the car in the first place? Could be the idea of preset maintenence and/or upgrades they have for our car.

i just did mine took me 1 1/2 hours cause of the phone and eating... i used 6g wire with thick copper... i too had to use a hammer to crimp the connecters... you can do this kit for less than $10 at homedepot... get 10ft of 6g wire (it is the green thick copper stuff) and then go on the other side of that wall and find the conecters i got 4g connecters and 6g connecters... reason for that is instead of using different connecters on each end... i put two wires into bolt B and bolt C... at D the ground terminal i left the wires bare and used the U design of the ground clamp to hold the wires in and at bolt E i used a connecter.... so therefore i used the 4g to put 2 wires into a connecter

from A-B A bolt has 6g connecter and B bolt has 4g
from B-C B bolt has 4g and C bolt has 4g
from C-D C bolt has 4g and D terminal is bare
from D-E D bolt is bare and E bolt has 6g

i only used 4 conneceters saves money lil more time but saves money

got mine put in on this past wednesday.. havent noticed much if any change in the tach(auto) tho lights do seem a bit brighter, and i dont get zapped on the door any more...
tho any one else have issues when re-tightning the bolt on the coil pack?? i was tighting mine up after install and it got to point where i had just the begging of resistance from it getting tight... then 1/4 turn more, no extra presure, it just started free spinning!!?? had to push down pretty hard to get it to "feel" like it was threading itself again and now its snug... at least wiggle wise onthe connecters... bolt still feels pretty easy to turn.... wonder if broke or stripped part of the bolt??

sounds like you stripped the threds in the valve cover where it bolts down... i was afraid of mine stripping to but when i get the chance im goin to get lock-tight to hold mine in... but im gonna get new iridium plugs first so i don't have to change them for a while... i feel a big difference i have a manual.. shifting is smoother it doesn't bog and jitter like it used to.... my light are hella brighter... engine idels same put reving from idel point is more on demand... car has more pick up and go... I feel a BIG difference... i also have Ingen CAI and straight through design muffler with custom 2-1/2 inch pipe straight as posible

I didn't read the thread but I snapped the bolt for my injectors and I got a new one from Toyota which was $1.50.

I'm sorry I didn't post the torque specs before, but the torque specs for the ignition coils is 80 in. lbf.

If you do not have a torque wrench, please be cautious when tightening the bolts. A way to tighten the bolts is to tighten them with a wrench with one finger. Then when it's too tight to tighten with just _one_finger, hold the wrench near the bolt and tighten it until "it's tight." Not "gorilla tight," but tight. Some bolts are just holding plastic pieces down...like the ignition coils.

Good Thinking Miko. Just have to be a careful when tightening bolts..but what am I saying. I snaps so many bolts during engine labs :gun:

Pictures of the snapped coil bolt...


http://photos.club-swat.com/albums/userpics/10001/DSC00501.JPG
http://photos.club-swat.com/albums/userpics/10001/DSC00500.JPG

i needa do this asap

I fabbed/installed a ground wire kit on cad455's tC on Thursday night. From the left side, to each of the ignition coil bolts, to a head bolt, to the battery, to one of the fuse box bolts. The kit used about 6' of 8 gauge wire...and 14 ring connectors...

would that one work on an xb..??
also does it matter how long the wires are??
that way i could hide them around the engine bay... out of site, know what i mean??

The cable lengths for an xB kit are identical to the plans shown for the xA on the first page of the thread. I would say it does matter how long the wires are, if you add length I would think it would be more of a pain to try to secure/hide the wires out of the way. Maybe you'd need some sort of wire loom or a way of securing them if you want them hidden away. I'm pretty new to modding though and this was the first under-the-hood mod I've done, so you can weight my comments appropriately :)

Mikochu, I am very impressed with your knowledge and grateful that you share the info to the rest of the Scion Life members. Three things:

--Will/Can this upgrage void the warranty. I purchased a 6yr/75K warranty.
--Which kit(s) would yo suggest?

Thanks for your time and dedication.

Mikochu, I am very impressed with your knowledge and grateful that you share the info to the rest of the Scion Life members. Three things:

--Will/Can this upgrage void the warranty. I purchased a 6yr/75K warranty.
--Which kit(s) would yo suggest?

Thanks for your time and dedication.

I appreciate your gratitude. :)

The ground wires should not void your warranty if you install them correctly. I, too, have the extended warranty (7 years/75k) and my service manager hasn't pointed anything out. I know someone who installed a GroundFusion kit on his tC and I believe he blew a fuse. How he did it, I don't know, but the ground wires only help do away with electrical interference. You should not have any problems.

I offer the user to choose their own ground points, but I cannot be held reponsible if they mess up their car. The ground points I've chosen work on my xA, along with many others' xAs/xBs without a hitch. As long as you follow the directions, it should be a flawless fabrication/install.

As for kits, I really don't suggest you buy a ground wire kit. I suggest you go to your local car audio store, buy the supplies, and build the kit yourself...

[quote=Mjj770]

As for kits, I really don't suggest you buy a ground wire kit. I suggest you go to your local car audio store, buy the supplies, and build the kit yourself...

Or in my case, My best of friend Miko to make me one :bow:

ill be trying this when i figure out what color speaker wire i wanna use

Yo Mikochu, Afte rmuch thought, I have decided to proceed w/ this modification. It seems easy enough.

Excuse my ignorance, did you purcahse a specific brand of wire. Is this speaker wire?? Where did you purchase your wire from? Did you go to a Radio Shack??

I went to Home Depot and Auto Zone: Neither had wire that appeared to match the style your used. Auto Zone did not carry a wire in that size.

Your advice is greatly appreciated.

goto your local electronics "surplus" store

Why is "surplus" in quotes? Are you advocating stealing the wire?! :)
I got mine at a hardware store, just got some 8 ga grounding wire with high temperature insulation. Compared to speaker wire it had fewer and larger strands and therefore was a bit harder to work with but it seemed to work out fine in the end.

Miko started me down the road of a ground wire setup. :silly: From research I did on various Japanese pages, here is the plan I am working from. I run everything back to the battery negative terminal because I don't want to create any ground loops. :pray:

Enjoy ... :eyebrow:

Rooster's Ground Wire Project
===================================
13 Connection Points
===================================
Using 8 gauge wire.

1 - Bulkhead
2 - The right strut section
3 - The left strut section
4 - Alternator
5 - Engine head (right bulkhead side)
6 - Engine head (left bulkhead side)
7 - Engine head (right intake manifold side)
8 - Engine head (left intake manifold side)
9 - Throttle Body
10 - Standard Ground near battery
11 - Transmission case (important if automatic)
12 - Oil pan connection
13 - Injector rail

==================================
Underbody Ground Improvements
==================================
Using Flat Braided Ground Strap

1 - Before the catalyst
2 - After the catalyst
3 - Muffler end
4 - Under Front Chassis
5 - Under Middle Chassis
6 - Under Rear Chassis

Just finished the job....took about an hour....need to remember to list the screws that I used for sure the next time .....notice right away a quicker throttle response and the engine is idling a little better....thanks for the instructions they could not have been any better!

nice writeup 8)

Miko started me down the road of a ground wire setup. :silly: From research I did on various Japanese pages, here is the plan I am working from. I run everything back to the battery negative terminal because I don't want to create any ground loops. :pray:

Enjoy ... :eyebrow:

Rooster's Ground Wire Project
===================================
13 Connection Points
===================================
Using 8 gauge wire.

1 - Bulkhead
2 - The right strut section
3 - The left strut section
4 - Alternator
5 - Engine head (right bulkhead side)
6 - Engine head (left bulkhead side)
7 - Engine head (right intake manifold side)
8 - Engine head (left intake manifold side)
9 - Throttle Body
10 - Standard Ground near battery
11 - Transmission case (important if automatic)
12 - Oil pan connection
13 - Injector rail

==================================
Underbody Ground Improvements
==================================
Using Flat Braided Ground Strap

1 - Before the catalyst
2 - After the catalyst
3 - Muffler end
4 - Under Front Chassis
5 - Under Middle Chassis
6 - Under Rear Chassis

I want you near my house for the next lighting storm. :)

Great post Mikochu!! I did mine today. The only ground point I didn't use was on the coil pack because electrically it's still part of the valve cover. I can't say for sure but the car seemed to be different after. More calm.

In an Eastern Philosophy kind of way are you saying the car found balance?

I completed the install this week and noticed a slight increase of RPM's and a more stable idle.

Thank you for the insight and the $$$$ savings.

Next Mod---> Injen Short Ram install.

In an Eastern Philosophy kind of way are you saying the car found balance?

Yes. It is at peace with the universe now.

I can't really pin anything in particular down other than it just feels smoother overall. It doesn't have any hesitation when starting out cold. It used to be jerky first thing in the morning. I'm hoping for a really cold morning just to make sure it's not all a temp thing.

thanks

Well i have read all of the posting let me tell what i did no loop all to the negative of the batery with a gold marine terminal also I remove the original ground cables and also make them . At the end a came with 6 ground cables and I am planning to take my XB to a dyno as I can remove the cables I will see what are the best grounding points for now the charge of the battery is better also stable Don't now yet about the hp cause i also put other stuff..

Some of the ground points take hp away so let's see what happens. :nails:

did anyone do the tc ground wire kit? what ground points did u guys use?

has anyone had trouble with the dealerships giving them a hard time with the ground wires?

has anyone had trouble with the dealerships giving them a hard time with the ground wires?
I don't think you should have a problem unless you grounded something you were not supposed to and it zapped a relay or fuse...

Thanks for a great How-to. Got some nice blue Phoenix Gold 8 guage from my local stereo/alarm place, red ends to crimp on. Looks great!

:clap:

does this void the warranty in any way?

Mikochu....do you by chance remember the lengths of each wire that you used for the tC?

same points used on the tC im guessing... my best friend owns a car audio shop i can get wires FREE!
ill try this next week

hey miko i recently bought a grounding kit off ebay. its the same principle just different design i took it too a shop that does rims and window tinting. they said that i got jipped out of my money. and that the person who sold it to me lied about what it was. the people at the shop told me that it was nuthin but a thing to run seperate amps off of ill post a pic and tell me what u think.

Isnt 4ga a lil overkill? I know it sure would kill my wallet.

i just bought 9 feet of 4ga to run for part of my ground wire kit as well as the main input ground wire for my amps. I also bought 18ft of 8ga for the majority of my ground kit as well as re-doing all the ground wires for my amp setup , i also bought a platinum battery terminal , ring connectors as well as 12ga speaker wire for re-wiring my speakers. so in about two weeks I should be set for better sound as well as some sick arse smoke colored ground wiring. maybe my idle will improve maybe i'll get 3hp at high rpms , maybe i'll just get a better looking setup . but hey i gotta justify my 50.00 purchases right? ok guy i'll take pics once i'm done it should look slick . I love the look of smoke wires.

I fabbed/installed a ground wire kit on cad455's tC on Thursday night. From the left side, to each of the ignition coil bolts, to a head bolt, to the battery, to one of the fuse box bolts. The kit used about 6' of 8 gauge wire...and 14 ring connectors...
can you be a little more specific on the ground points?

can someone perhaps show me where the ignition coil bolts, the head bolt, and a fuse box bolt is located?

I don't have a tC on hand, but you should be able to figure it out by popping your hood and taking a look around.

yea, id rather not try and guess and was hoping someone with a tC could let me know

Thanks for the write up. The instructions were great. I made mine from some spare Scosche wire I had. I have driven it yet but I didn't notice any different idle. I let it warm up, but it didn't seem to change any. However I didn't get shocked this time getting out; but then again I use to get shocked about 50% of the time. So we'll see. When you stop at a red light do you guys have a rough idle? Mine seems to shake the whole car. My Lightning is smoother than my XB and it has pretty big cams.

My car has intermittent rough idle and the car shakes a bit too...much props Miko I unfortunately purchased a kit thru ebay that with the exception of the battery connector and the adapter to connect all the different wires too. I could have just made yours for in comparison pennies compared to what I paid for my kit, of which since I hurt my back i have not been able to install it and now has a layer of dust accumalating on it.

I finally did the ground kit for my tC. What a nightmare it was working with 4g. BTW...the "use a hammer instead of crimping" tip...forget that. Try hammering those rings down and then take a good yank at em...they pop right off. I learned this the hard way when I went over and tightened down everything and the rings started turning and pulling on the wire...
Getting to the left frame bolt and the right frame bolt on the fuse box was a pain in the a$$ and getting the engine cover back on with 4g wires running across the top of the coil packs was a pain also.
I couldnt fit a 4g from the frame into a left coil pack, under the cover, so i subbed it out with 8g and then jumped up to 4g for everything else.
Just to give yall a breakdown as to how I ran mine.
I went from the left frame to the farthest left coil pack bolt with a 4g then from the left coil pack to the farthest right coil pack bolt then from their to a bolt of the outside right of the head, then to the (neg) battery, then to the bolt holding down the fuse/relay box.
I havent had a chance to test throttle responce, but it definitely settled down to a low idle quicker then usual. I guess the lights seemed brighter. COuldnt really crank the music cuz I didnt wanna wake the neighborhood and I didnt getted shocked getting out. I ll test the rest tomorrow.

Just installed on my Xb.
Was experiencing hesitation... gone now...
Automatic, seems to shift smoother now.
Seems like a droaning noise has gone as well.

Nice tip, most excellant roll through guide! Thanks!

I just got one from eBay and will be using this guide to install.

Thanks, Mikochu. Will report back on my experiences.

damn i am lagging on doing this.....

soon though soon!

Anybody know where I can get gold terminals cheap?

Can you show pics of where the grounding points are? and what are the measurments of lengths for each wire. Thanks



I finally did the ground kit for my tC. What a nightmare it was working with 4g. BTW...the "use a hammer instead of crimping" tip...forget that. Try hammering those rings down and then take a good yank at em...they pop right off. I learned this the hard way when I went over and tightened down everything and the rings started turning and pulling on the wire...
Getting to the left frame bolt and the right frame bolt on the fuse box was a pain in the a$$ and getting the engine cover back on with 4g wires running across the top of the coil packs was a pain also.
I couldnt fit a 4g from the frame into a left coil pack, under the cover, so i subbed it out with 8g and then jumped up to 4g for everything else.
Just to give yall a breakdown as to how I ran mine.
I went from the left frame to the farthest left coil pack bolt with a 4g then from the left coil pack to the farthest right coil pack bolt then from their to a bolt of the outside right of the head, then to the (neg) battery, then to the bolt holding down the fuse/relay box.
I havent had a chance to test throttle responce, but it definitely settled down to a low idle quicker then usual. I guess the lights seemed brighter. COuldnt really crank the music cuz I didnt wanna wake the neighborhood and I didnt getted shocked getting out. I ll test the rest tomorrow.

I did this install using the original method and it helped out with idle and other stuff. With maybe 3 more wires in the tC from coil pack to coil pack and would maybe help idle out. It helped out the fact that when i push the accelerator and suddenly release it no longer feels like an anchor is being dropped.

I have a question, unless i read wrong... This DIY guide shows how to connect the wires from A to B B to C C to D and so on. But i read on other forums and kits that they connect A to battery neg B to battery neg C to battery neg and so on. Which one is better? Thanks

Try parts-express.com for parts.. you can get the power wire, terminals, shrink wrap, etc. for pretty cheap.

Try parts-express.com for parts.. you can get the power wire, terminals, shrink wrap, etc. for pretty cheap.

Thanks for the link!! They have a lot of stuff on that site that will come in handy.

For sure! You could spend hours looking through stuff.

Just ordered the components to make this.. ordered from knukonceptz.com thanks for the suggestion tbone..

I'll post experiences when i get all of that in hand and installed..

For those who want to see how to do it on a tC, here is how I did it: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/861695/3

If you want bigger pics, email me at castro.fernando@comcast.net and I'll send you the full-sized pics.

ah, ok finished the install last night and took pictures this afternoon..

here's the wide view of the finished job..

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid174/p285b37ec65685a26bb274008f13bf3b6/f3919a99.jpg

there are few more pics at the link below

http://www.imagestation.com/album/index.html?id=2130139868

I got all my supplies from knukonceptz.com and paid about $27 for everything shipped. I also bought a battery terminal to fancy up the install which cost $12. So if you don't want the battery terminal, cost of supplies to do this mod is under $20 (not counting the crimping tool). I even had left over wire to swap out the stock grounding wire that hooks up right behind the headlamp (I bought 8' total vs. the recommended 7').

The total time I spent on this project from first wire snip to ignition start up was about 3 hours. I was being extra extra careful though - you know what they say, measure twice, cut once. Well, I measured thrice! Most of the time was spent trying to UN-crimp the stock ground cable from that unique connection by the headlamp (that was a PITA!!) If you are gonna do that, see if you can get a new replacement from Toyota or something instead.

All told, I could do this for someone else in about an hour given they use the stock battery terminal and don't want to replace the stock ground cables.

That being said, I took her for a spin around the block and I swear I can feel a difference. Of course, that could just be the feeling of a job well done so...

Still, very happy with how it turned out. Big *Thank You* to Mikochu for the instructions and to Tbone587 for the suggestion of getting the supplies from knukonceptz.

:( my pic link didn't work.. ah well..

please see the image station link for that pic and others.

i just did my TC. i went from the bolt holding the coolant tank to the fender, to the bracket holding a sensor down on the front passenger side of the engine block, to the drivers' side coil pack bolt, to the negative terminal of the battery, to the forward most bolt on the suspension.

whoa thats some good info. Thanks for the write up

Update: After a full day of driving, i notice no difference at all. . . .

guys, i have a tc and i bought ground wires like this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&category=33574&item=7986795592 ,
I wanted to kno if its the same hookup points? the manual that came with the wires were so crappy. it doesnt even say ne thing. plus, am i supposed to disconnect the wire thats on the negative of the battery and places the new ground wires instead?
thank u!

Chemical some will some won't I know after a year and 12000 miles on our xA the performance has dropped off. This is not some kind of mystery horse power maker, the best it will do is smooth the electrical out and strenghten the grounding. If yours wasn't flakey in the first place nothing really will happen.

EExA, that sounds about right. but the way everyone was talking, i was figuring that was an issue w/ our cars. it didn't cost me a dime to try it though because i had the 8 gauge wire laying around from an amp kit. i'd have been ____ed if i spent $50 on it though. lol

cool

BUMP!!!!

First off let me say that has to be one of the best set of instructions I have ever seen!

Next let me post some bad instructions. If you want to crimp 4 gauge or less ring terminals I seguest not using a crimp tool at all, I recoment getting a short pair of bolt cutters (12" ones will do). Then get the longest 3/8 grade 8 sholder bolt you can find. Next take the bolt cutter and cut the bolt on the sholder as many times as you can at the same point on the cutter for every cut. This will leave a nasty dent in the cutter and render it useles as a cutter at that point. place a piece of 4 gauge or less wire in the dent and adjust so it just slightly compresses the wire. You are now the proud owner of a 4 gauge or less crimping tool.
You can do the same thing by milling or drilling the cutter, but the cutting a hard bolt is better for people that do not have access to a machine shop. This trick is used by electric car builders for making 24 inch bolt cutters into 0 to 0000 crimpers. If you ever had to crimp that stuff with the "Hammer and anvil" method you would destroy a good bolt cutter to make a crimp tool and not even think twice about it. Besides, a good heavy gauge press style crimp tool would run you $200+ VS $30 for this tool.

i used my man power and cut the pieces, as for stripping them, i got i got tin snips and cut around the wire jacket and pulled it off, I havent started the car yet, I just got done doing the install, just came upstairs to see if i wired it correctly, and obviously I did it wrong, would it matter anyway? i did battery to "B" and Body Right, and from "B" point to "A" then "A" to Motor, rather than Motor to Battery, o well it's easy anyway ;)

Just wondering if there was a reason only one coil pack was grounded and not all four?

StackTrayce, sounds good to me. Benefits of the ground kit include better throttle response, less sporatic idle RPMs, clearer audio output, among other things...

tbone587, I don't know if it'd be worth it to have a car shop do it for you. Why not do it yourself? If you're gonna have someone do it for you, you might as well buy a already-made kit from Ground Fusion or whoever...

how much of a difference, does this homemade kits make compared to these other grounding kits with the big disks (that can be found on ebay).

thanks for any help.

I think the uber wires are on par with the ebay kits...and with less wires!

i just did mine took me 1 1/2 hours cause of the phone and eating... i used 6g wire with thick copper... i too had to use a hammer to crimp the connecters... you can do this kit for less than $10 at homedepot... get 10ft of 6g wire (it is the green thick copper stuff) and then go on the other side of that wall and find the conecters i got 4g connecters and 6g connecters... reason for that is instead of using different connecters on each end... i put two wires into bolt B and bolt C... at D the ground terminal i left the wires bare and used the U design of the ground clamp to hold the wires in and at bolt E i used a connecter.... so therefore i used the 4g to put 2 wires into a connecter

from A-B A bolt has 6g connecter and B bolt has 4g
from B-C B bolt has 4g and C bolt has 4g
from C-D C bolt has 4g and D terminal is bare
from D-E D bolt is bare and E bolt has 6g

i only used 4 conneceters saves money lil more time but saves money




anychance... would you have pics of your install?

i kinda like how you did yours but i cant picture it.

so i've pretty much read through this whole write up and everyone's follow ups. has anyone ran wire grounding all the coild packs??? just interested if it makes anymore difference...


gonna be doing this mod this weekend.

Anyone sell a grounding wire package.. I've had little luck finding the gauge wire but found everything else.. please help...

so i've pretty much read through this whole write up and everyone's follow ups. has anyone ran wire grounding all the coild packs??? just interested if it makes anymore difference...
I've done a one-off kit on a tC that had the coilpacks daisy-chained with ground wires...but the owner did not see a difference. *shrug* The valve cover is made of metal...so I don't think it's an issue.

Anyone sell a grounding wire package.. I've had little luck finding the gauge wire but found everything else.. please help...
I did a couple of batches of the uber ground wires in October...sorry you missed out! I won't be making kits until the new year...

hey wat i did notice on my ground wires, since the part that connects on the negative is big and round, i noticed theres this crusty white thing on it, how do i get rid of it?

I finally got my ground kit installed this evening, and it turned out awesome!!! To celebrate (and test the updates, if any) we took a long drive to Bethel Island Marina and just kinda got lost...

I immediately noticed the smoother take off and there is absolutely ni hard kick anymore when going from 1st to 2nd gear from a complete stop...Also, my RPM's seem to be running about 500 lower than before and that up an down idle thing us box owners have to contend with has all but diasppeared...And it gets even better!!! My dash lights, headlights, and cathodes are all running brighter now, and my stereo is now able to run at way higher volumes than it used to...With the settings I like to run, I could only get it to about 40 before the volume made the speakers sound like they would blow...Now, I can turn the volume to about 48 before that happens an the sound is higher and crisper...

This is not all in my head and me hearing and seeing what I want to...These are all real results that I have accertained after my install and driving around for about an hour...

I used the Mikochu 5 point kit, and my best friend and I fabricated our own wire setup with clear blue 8g Tsunami wires, and Scosche platinum plated rings...I'll post some pics ASAP :D

DAN

awesome tutorial.. Thank you

Damn good tutorial and great service from Miko getting the uber wires to me uber fast. :)

What improves the most hp?

What grounding points and gauge wire?

hi there, i was wondering if this would be the same i were to purchase a ground kit off of ebay or something. they include a plate for the grounding wires. does it really matter? or should i just buy the wires and set it up like you did?

great I got the 8 awg wire from a amp kit 19.00 at walmart but it 's 40 ft some i'm making sevral had a hard time finding the right connectors finnally got some from a buddy. I really cant tell much except it does seem to shift better with the AT thanks a ton

i did it and i noticed a diference.....my clutch started slipping

i did it and i noticed a diference.....my clutch started slipping
lol... sarcasm?

Your item arrived at 11:19 am on December 18, 2005

Ok! now i just hope i dont screw it up lol

ok well, i messd up my tC.... apparently i blew a 120V box fuse... i had 2 tow my car to the dealership 65$, and have to wait till they can order the part. but here's the part i dont understand. they are charging me 250$ for parts and labor! 22$ for the fuse, but 2 and a hlaf hours for labor @ 85$ per hour. WTF?! does it really take that long to relace that fuse? they were saying that they have to remove the entire box and put it back in, run diagnostics, blah blah... i just told him to do it so i can hang up the phone. tell me if im being to rash...

ps. i pick up my car this afternoon...

250$ what the deuce?!

Youll have to forgive me as I just got my XB so im not understanding the benefits of grounding. :eyebrow:

hey everysone, ok so i have some good news, i was able to install most of the grounding kit for my tC! without blowing a fuse this time. my only concern is this. i have three more points i need to install, the bolt on the alternator, tranny (auto) , and factory ground. i can reach them, but i dont have the leverage to unscrew them. any ideas? oh also with the grounding kit, it shifts a lot smoother, and a lot faster, def. notice a sorta "punch" in accelerating... but its still not totally complete yet. if anyone can help me move those bolts. that'll be great. thanks.

Just installed mine last night. Drove it 100 miles today. No noticable gains. I guess its more of a piece of mind thing. Now I know I'm getting every pony I should.

got mine installed, im going to be checking for a difference in my stereo..my headlights and things like that.

the piece of mind part is also a plus, its grounded better than stock. it may or may not be something useful overall but i got my wires free so big deal lol (thanks Matt)

man, how come everyone is getting it installed on xB! where are the tC! come on people, lets get some variety lol

i was planning to do this particular project this weekend...i have a concern..b/c my battery is unplugged will the ecu reset? thanks for trhe info

yes, your ECU will reset along with your presets for the radio..

I am going to try this on my tC, with some similar points. Hope I don't mess anything up just randomly picking points!

well, dont do that, i have a list of the points in which you should put them on...
1. ground directly to the body, one wire.
2. ground directly to the transmission, one wire.
3. ground directly to the alternator, one wire.
4. ground directly to the coil pack, one wire.
5. Coil pack directly to the engine block, one wire.
6. engine block to the body, directly, one wire.

Isn't the coil pack on the engine block?! :P

And where exactly on the alternator?

I will take some engine pics tomorrow if the sun is out and maybe you can do some circles :) I like circles!

Thanks :p I'll post pics tomorrow

I should have my wires here by thursday and attempt on friday.....

I am nervous :P I have done a few installs but never done any ground wiring. Plus, all my installs were on cars with 100k+ miles so I didn't care much.... the tC is under 2k miles!!

Let's all say a prayer that my tC starts afterward :)

hah yea, ust becareful not to blow a fuse, thats what happened to me, you should be fine with it, just unplug the neg and take care of what your doing. good luck.

I dont understand how you could possibly blow a fuse....

should I just disconnect the negative the whole time im adding ground points?

yes, what i did was when i wsa connecting the battery back into it, the adapter was connected loose, causing sparks and stuff to fly when i was trying to put the neg bcak in lol. just dont do what i did :-P

The adapter was loose? You mean the negative battery connector?

Won't that spark a little regardless?

What is the best way to avoid doing what you did? :P

yes, it will spark a bit, for me, i was dumb and kinda forced it in. you should be fine, just make sure the connections are tight and solid. good luck.

so wheres the best place to put a ground wire at on the alternator???

oh, i thought i sent you that pic? it should be the 2nd bolt, the one closest to you, and the one thats a bit easier to remove.. sorta.

could you resend it?

updated/improved apon my DIY ground wire kit


was going to get more 8 gauge wire, but he didn't have any at the time so i went with 6 gauge wire, and i reused the 8 gauge wire for the coil packs

i used the daisy chain method

i connected to the right body, frame, alt, engine, all the coil packs, TB, transmission, frame, battery

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/hornet_on_the_flower/my%20car/P3040001.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/hornet_on_the_flower/my%20car/P3040003.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/hornet_on_the_flower/my%20car/P3040002.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/hornet_on_the_flower/my%20car/P3040004.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/hornet_on_the_flower/my%20car/P3040005.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/hornet_on_the_flower/my%20car/P3040006.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/hornet_on_the_flower/my%20car/P3040007.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/hornet_on_the_flower/my%20car/P3040008.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/hornet_on_the_flower/my%20car/P3040009.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/hornet_on_the_flower/my%20car/P3040010.jpg

well i found another mod i need to do! great write up!

notice any improvements?

my headlights are brighter

oh snap! i got 12 gauge wires!...walmart is closed i guess im gonna have to go make a return and look somewhere else

^^^ No way! You're Wal-Mart actually closes?!

oldmanatee made me a nice, lil' blue kit. I definitely see subtle signs, especially in the radio. It's a lot crisper when it's louder.

the car idles better right as i started it...also switching gears is smoother :)

ok so here's the deal. the Grounding kit, does little to nothing apprently. minor changes, such as brighter lights, louder sound, better idling. i was talking to a mechanic that i know who worked on hondas/toyotas for 13 yrs, and still does for a hobby. first thing he says to me is "wtf is that?" i told him what it was and he just shook his head. the fact about toyotas is the factory ground is already really good, and that you dont even need it. but, since i bout it already for $20, he was like "ehh whatever, cant hurt. just a lil FYI for you future peers who want to install it.

but remember, my car is a tC, it may be diff for the xB and xA.

oh yea, one more thing, HOW COME I DONT SEE ANY OTHER tC's that have this installed?! am i the only one!? O_O

Well... if nothing else, my kit looks great in the car!

I get a lot of "That won't help" from folks....but, they don't run one and I do, I can tell some difference, so, who is right?



And like gg said, it really helps the underhood looks....

:lalala:

I'm guessing this mod could have positive benefits over time as the body/frame settles and points of contact become corroded.

Very nice tutorial and the pictures really make the difference.
Kudos to the moderators for the Tech Article "stickys". I wish some other forums would archive the best and recurring subjects.

There are quite a few wankers on this site nowadays. I'm glad I don't have to moderate anymore. deeeeks. :D

I'm thinking about trying this on my tC, but I've never touched anything under the hood before, except to refill the windshield washer fluid. Is there anything that I should know to avoid getting shocked, burnt, etc? Also, should the engine be cold or warmed up or doesn't matter? Thanks for any help!

Jennifer

you'll be safer when its cold

I did mine MIKOCHU STYLE!!!!! Except I used a distribution block off the battery and ran 4 gauge wire to the strut towers. Then, I ran 8 gauge wire from the drivers' side to the first coil pack (and daisy chained all the coil packs together), and 8 gauge from the passenger side to the block. Take a look:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c203/jasonpv/04-04-06_2005.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c203/jasonpv/04-04-06_2004.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c203/jasonpv/04-04-06_2003.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c203/jasonpv/04-04-06_2002.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c203/jasonpv/04-04-06_2001.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c203/jasonpv/04-04-06_2000.jpg

hey on the wire that goes to the coil, my father actually put it on a bolt thats to the left of the coil that mikochu stated. does that make a difference? i will post a pic if anyone needs to see where i put it

Great job I almost followed your instructions to the letter. I only differed in using a kit [you can get one from ebay for $15.00 including shipping] If I am not wrong it looks like you jumped from point to point in a daisy chain effect, With the kit I used all the connection points on the body that you used, but started from a central area, with only one wire from each start to ground point.
I think the way you did it would not give a true ground,
The kit although has no instructions at all was very easy to install with your pics.
I have noticed a gain in power & no more shocks when I gt out of the car. as for the MPG? The kit has not been in long enough to say [more to follow]
The whole job took only an hour to complete.
Thanks
Bruce C.

I'm thinking about trying this on my tC, but I've never touched anything under the hood before, except to refill the windshield washer fluid. Is there anything that I should know to avoid getting shocked, burnt, etc? Also, should the engine be cold or warmed up or doesn't matter? Thanks for any help!

Jennifer
Disconect the battery on the ground side it is the one with the - and is black,
not the +
Other than that a 10 milimeter scocket and some strength is all ya need. I'd get the grounding kit all of the wires have the conectors perinstalled, and precut to fit. I have seem them in blue, red, purple, green, and yellow. Also work on the car cold don't want to get burned.
Bruce C
Seattle Scikotics MFICND

mine are in black and orange in color also in two gauges 8 and 6 gauge

ahh, would be nice to have the pros/cons listed in the front page of grounding your car. I had to go through the posts to get a few pros

how about all the pros and cons of grounding your car?

great writeup, lots of good info, wish it could all be summarized someway, instead of having to read thru all the posts.

i think all tech post should have some sort of intro, purpose kinda deal...

I just wanted to let everybody know that I've released the this grounding wire kit tutorial on a new Wiki built just for Scions. The Wiki isn't necessarly ready for the public yet, but what better way to get people to contribute and add their own articles and tutorials than to get it's foot in the door?

You can read an updated and completely customizable Wiki version of this Grounding Wire Kit tutorial at The Scioniki - Ground Wire Kit (http://scioniki.com/Ground_Wire_Kit)

There really isn't much documentation yet, but it'll show up soon. In the meantime just look up the documentation for mediawiki.

I did the "mod" today. I took no time at all.

I used 4 AWG weld wire from work. I wanted 6 or 8, but 4 was in stock.
I may redo it (black was also available), I chose red, but if I ever begin with a "theme" I think it would be blue, plus it looks wierd to have red wires running to the negaive terminal.

If I switch, I will let make a post so if somebody wants red, I will send it to them.

P.s. No pics because my camera got broke on the 4th :(

Well, the red bothered me so much I already swapped it to black with blue heat shrink.

Check the classifieds.

If you want, you can ground the alternator, but I (and SL!) take no responsibility for your actions.

When this was said, did you mean that as just another 'in general' disclaimer? or is there something particularly sensitive about grounding the alternator? (or the trans for that matter ince i've got an auto and wanted to)

I meant it in general.

im looking into re-doing mine. I had to settle with Red cuz thats ll i could find in town. Im looking for either Yellow, Clear, or maybe even Orange...

I did this mod this weekend in hopes to see any difference.. wether its performace, smoother idle, or throttle response.
The result? No change.

I couldn't tell with mine. I almost think it idles a bit rougher.

At a stoplight it sits fine for a bit, then it begins to idle really rough. I think it may have to do with the AC compressor kicking in, but I haven't turned it off since it has been so dang hot. It goes away if i go to Neutral or Park.

I couldn't tell with mine. I almost think it idles a bit rougher.

At a stoplight it sits fine for a bit, then it begins to idle really rough. I think it may have to do with the AC compressor kicking in, but I haven't turned it off since it has been so dang hot. It goes away if i go to Neutral or Park.

Yeah, I would have to agree with you... my idle was bad before now its all over the place. from 400-1500 rpm. weird.

Ground Wire Kit success! :bow:

I finally installed my Mikochu uber Ground Wires today and it has made a big difference in the idle, it's now nice a smooth. Also my stereo is a bit crisper. I'm still waiting to see what it does for the lighting but a big thumbs up for Mikochu on this one! :clap:

I couldn't tell with mine. I almost think it idles a bit rougher.

At a stoplight it sits fine for a bit, then it begins to idle really rough. I think it may have to do with the AC compressor kicking in, but I haven't turned it off since it has been so dang hot. It goes away if i go to Neutral or Park.

Yeah, I would have to agree with you... my idle was bad before now its all over the place. from 400-1500 rpm. weird.

So... what is a typical idle. Shouldn't most of the xA's/B's idle at around the same range? Mine has never gone so low as 400 even with no a/c, etc, running. 800/900 is pretty much what I consider my "low" idle"... 1300-1500 being the higher and more typical.

wow i just installed mine last night on my auto xB and all i can say is
"did i just shift? cuz the tach said i shifted but i didnt feel it... hmm..."

two thumbs way up!

I installed mine yesterday:

http://www.scionlife.com/gallery/personal/39698_2.jpg

And was I surprised at how well it worked (not that I didn't trust you Mikochu), but my idle seems to be lower, like around 500 instead of 1000 and when my car shifts gears, it's a lot smoother. Not sure about the audio bonus some have claimed or the static... but it does seem to have helped.

And also waiting to see about the lights as well.

WEEEE! A project for next weekend! hahaha

Installed the Kit last nite! Thx Mikochu!!! I used Black High Heat 6gauge wire throughout with black heatshrink (so OEM). Cold idle is now @800rpm warm idle is @500 rpm :) New OBX header dropped my idle to @500 rpm and i love it. Thx again Mikochu for the awesome DIY and pics keep it up. Next...ground the girls new tC...

I did mine this weekend! WOW it does not feel like my car is shifting at all... That is pure madness... Is it just me or is it possible for hid's to be brighter due to this kit?

:D

Just built and installed a 7-point ground kit in my fiancee's '07 automatic tC. Kit took me an hour or so to build, install took about 40 minutes. I used these points to ground: body-head, body-block, body-alternator, head-coil pack 4,coil pack 4-battery ground, battery negative-body, transmission-body. We used 10.5' of Black 6gauge high-temp wire, with black heatshrink for an OEM look. Much better throttle response, stronger idle, no shudder when you start the car with the AC blowing, more stereo clarity...she loves it...and is convinced the shifts are smoother too, even at higher Rpm. All at a total cost of less than $40.00! Will post pics soon.

I have installed Mine Yesterday.

Things Changed immediately.

Better Idle, Better Lightning and Awesome Sound. Also the Car seems more powerful on the 3rd. Shift.

Thank´s for the Hint.

Installed mine last week using my old grounding kit. Improved normal and A/C idle a little. Can't go with free stuff!!!

has anyone here used the ground kits from ebay? lmk what ya'll think?

yo itsmistale2u, I got a cheap-o ($20) grounding kit from e-bay. Similar to this one (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/04-05-06-SCION-XA-XB-TC-TOM-S-JDM-GROUNDING-GROUND-WIRE_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33691QQihZ004QQitemZ140039700304QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW)

Following the instructions here on SL, it was super -easy to hook up.. did it make much of a difference? Ehhh, some days I think it did, some days I can't tell. I left the wires on just cause they mess with people (like at Jiffy Lube) that open the hood. "What are these tube things?" "Oh, those are for the freon cooled super charger.. bump them loose and the freon will freeze your arm off." Funny how that makes them real careful working on your box. I know, it's not nice to screw with people like that... but damn, it sure is fun.

Did it. Home Depot 8 gauge, w/ring connectors from The Specialist, heat shrink from Radio Shack. I like this mod. Low cost, easy install.

awsome how-to. If not for members like you most of us would be lost!!! Thanks again!

i did mine w/ 4 gauge and it made a big diff, plus it looks hella sweet

Somebody needs to do a detailed walkthrough On the TC!!! puh-leeez

It can't be that different on a tC... just use string to measure your wire lengths...go from body to block, block to #4 plug (or daisy chain all 4 plugs if you want), #4 to battery neg., neg to body...

yo itsmistale2u, I got a cheap-o ($20) grounding kit from e-bay. Similar to this one
Following the instructions here on SL, it was super -easy to hook up.. did it make much of a difference? Ehhh, some days I think it did, some days I can't tell. I left the wires on just cause they mess with people (like at Jiffy Lube) that open the hood. "What are these tube things?" "Oh, those are for the freon cooled super charger.. bump them loose and the freon will freeze your arm off." Funny how that makes them real careful working on your box. I know, it's not nice to screw with people like that... but damn, it sure is fun.

Is that an actual TRD kit? I almost bought one the other night simply because I want to stick with TRD everything. But i'm a little hesitant because they're like $15.

Anyone ever actually solder the wire to the ring connectors? I'm planning on doing this tonight and instead of having to mess with crimping figured I'd just solder the rings to the wire and save a ton of hassle, then shrink wrap as usual to insulate the contact.

Just wondering as I haven't specifically read that anyone soldered vs. crimping.

i did both i crimped 'em and soldered 'em and heat shrinks the ends gives it a nice clean look

Solder will work. It's actually better. I just don't like sniffin' lead. lol

I did this last night. The instructions were great and very straightforward. Unfortunately, I'm one of the people who saw little-to-no difference. The only discernable difference was when the car was warmed up it idled ever so slightly lower than w/o the ground wires. I removed them all in about 5 minutes, restarted the car to confirm and the idle was approximately 50-75RPMs higher than with the ground wires on.

Thanks, again, for the great write-up.

just what ground wires do help improve the ground connections even improves the facotry ground connections too

Make sure you get thin ring connectors because if you dont they will not be able to wrench down inside the coil pack. I tried to buy a longer bolt to bolt it down from auto zone but I guess that metal was crap because it broke inside the coil pack threads and I can't get it out.

Also I was wondering if anybody knew if that would mess up my car. The coil pack just sits in there so it shouldn't be a problem. But if the crappy bolt starts to melt or break inside the threads of that coil pack it isn't going to mess anything up is it?

yeah theres no noticeable difference with the grounded coil packs so i took mine off

Tony...you really need to get that bolt out....try putting the pack in a vice and use a hammer and punch to walk the broken bolt out. It really needs to be secured to the motor....

^^^^ Im sorry but I didn't understand what you meant above. Could you explain it a little better. I tried to get it out but it wouldn't budge I thought about taking it to a shop and seeing if they could drill it out but I didn't know if that was possible. I have actually been driving with it like that for about a year and havent had any problems so maybe it isn't that big of a deal.

You might be right then.....

But what I was thinking of was to remove the coil pack and gently putting it in a vise, take a small punch and hammer and tapping it off certer to either"walk" it back out or on thru the unit....kinda like a screwdriver....

Puttin this on tomorrow. Thanks for the write up.

Forgive me, but I'm just trying to get a grasp on the physics of this whole concept. In the setup described here, we're daisy chaining the ground points, linking the body to the engine to the battery to the body again. This, of course, is in addition to the factory ground wire run, I believe, below the right headlight. Wouldn't the ideal situation be to have one unified ground point? In no way am I claiming to be an expert. Heck, I don't have much of a clue, but if someone who understands the science behind it could explain the difference between the daisy chain vs. one ground point approach, I'd appreciate it.

Also, on these kits that you see on eBay, the ones with the disc and the multiple mounting slots for wiring, is that designed such that, in this case, you'd mount that metal disc one the bolt on the body and run all the other grounding wires from their origin to the disc? I can't figure those things out.

Does this also help eliminate ground loop problems (hissing audio)?

In particular, I'm getting a lot of noise (from the alternator?) when I plug in my iPod to the AUX jack as well as the cig lighter for power. I heard it's due to the cigarette lighter jack having a different resistance to ground compared to the audio system's ground, so that current flows to/from the cig lighter ground to the audio ground. Not sure how improving the grounding in the engine bay helps, but these things are quite over my head already so I thought I'd ask :P

dand, you might want to run a ground from the alt to the body as well.

I put this on and noticed the idle is smoother but I am getting shocked by the drivers side door when I get out now.

Forgive me, but I'm just trying to get a grasp on the physics of this whole concept. In the setup described here, we're daisy chaining the ground points, linking the body to the engine to the battery to the body again. This, of course, is in addition to the factory ground wire run, I believe, below the right headlight. Wouldn't the ideal situation be to have one unified ground point? In no way am I claiming to be an expert. Heck, I don't have much of a clue, but if someone who understands the science behind it could explain the difference between the daisy chain vs. one ground point approach, I'd appreciate it.

Also, on these kits that you see on eBay, the ones with the disc and the multiple mounting slots for wiring, is that designed such that, in this case, you'd mount that metal disc one the bolt on the body and run all the other grounding wires from their origin to the disc? I can't figure those things out.

now i took advanced electronis in school a while ago, so dont quote me on this

but im pretty sure its the same thing. the negative on the battery being the common pointwhen you do this, you aresending current to the point you have it at, as well as having that point act as ground for the next part in the sequnce. and of course it all ending back up at negative. the only thing i see different with the ones on ebay are A LOT more wires needed. plus it says you gotta mount that disk and crap, sounds like a pain. this is a very simple solution.

great write-up BTW

Forgive me, but I'm just trying to get a grasp on the physics of this whole concept. In the setup described here, we're daisy chaining the ground points, linking the body to the engine to the battery to the body again. This, of course, is in addition to the factory ground wire run, I believe, below the right headlight. Wouldn't the ideal situation be to have one unified ground point? In no way am I claiming to be an expert. Heck, I don't have much of a clue, but if someone who understands the science behind it could explain the difference between the daisy chain vs. one ground point approach, I'd appreciate it.

Also, on these kits that you see on eBay, the ones with the disc and the multiple mounting slots for wiring, is that designed such that, in this case, you'd mount that metal disc one the bolt on the body and run all the other grounding wires from their origin to the disc? I can't figure those things out.

now i took advanced electronics in school a while ago, so dont quote me on this

but im pretty sure its the same thing. the negative on the battery being the common pointwhen you do this, you aresending current to the point you have it at, as well as having that point act as ground for the next part in the sequnce. and of course it all ending back up at negative. the only thing i see different with the ones on ebay are A LOT more wires needed. plus it says you gotta mount that disk and crap, sounds like a pain. this is a very simple solution.

great write-up BTW

thansk for hte DIY! did it today! saved me some $$$!!

Anyone think this will make a difference on an xB with 400 miles on it? Should I do it now, or wait until performance deteriorates (like I could tell over time), and do it then for the peace of mind that it did something. :)

A 4awg wire has considerably more resistance then the engine block. Among other things this "mod" will not stop or lessen is static discharge when exiting the car (unrelated to parallel wires under the hood). :nope:

Just cleaning the existing connections then coating with a anti-oxide compound where the factory grounds attach to in the chassis would of produced better results then adding more wires and now introducing “ground loops”. :doh:

…by the way a 3 1/2 digit DMM is not a suitable device to use as reference standard since it does not have enough resolution to generate valid results. :no:

Wow This this mod is awesome. I did it three days ago and I have to say its incredible just the difference in the throttle response alone was worth the effort.

Felt like I was driving and different car. they should have made this stock.

Great write up. thanks.

How much did everyone spend on parts for this kit? Wheres the easyist place to find everything u need? Any info would be great thankx

I bought 8ga. wire from Home Depot for about $1/ft.
Then I bought 30 8ga ring terminals from:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290069371801
for $6.50. The wire crimper I have already. It's only supposed to go down to 10ga, but crimping the 8ga rings worked fine.

For those people with auto and grounded to it, where did you attach the ground? I can see one bolt straight down behind the airbox, and then there's a few around the housing. I can't really tell what the one pointing down is for. It doesn't really look like it's holding anything together, but I don't want to accidentally release something internally if I remove it.

Just use the same bolt that the stock ground wire is attached to. Under the airbox. Just follow the wire that branches off from the battery negative..the same one that also grounds to the body.

If the negative lead was taken off the battery, how would the ECU set? I know how to set the clock, and the radio. TIA.

As I have a stoplight idle really rough, which goes away if I shift to neutral or park. I'll try this to see if there is any difference.

The ECU will reset. You shouldn't notice any difference though. Just reset your clock and radio presets. Actually if you disconnect and reconnect the battery ground
within in minute or two the radio will probably retain it's memory. I know mine has at times.

Just did mine today...4-gauge power wire from KNukonceptz on Ebay instead of at their site. It was much less expensive than ordering from their website.

Thanks for the great write up!!!

Just installed this on my XA. I got all the supplies fro Oznium. I used the Stinger Pro 4 guage wire. I can'te believe the differece this mod made! My XA has 800 miles on it. The throttle response and shifting are incredible now. This is a must do mod. Thank you for the write up.... good stuff.