Grounding Kit? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

CROYCE992 · 12-13-2009, 12:49 PM

I recently installed a new stereo, amplifier, and 2 subs into my car. Come Tuesday or Wednesday, I will also have installed 2 new speakers in my rear deck for the one I blew already. I also run a radar detector at all times, with an occasional stand alone GPS unit, and from time to time I use an inverter if I am not using the GPS... background info.

Anyways, after doing some searching on the forums and online. It seems like a grounding kit would be a good idea. It is relatively cheap and apparently gives a smoother idle and such. Has anyone here on the forums installed a grounding kit on their cars. I want to know where to hook up everything if I did get one for my 5SFE.

'_' · 12-13-2009, 01:54 PM

Me and my cousin installed kits on our cars (94 5SFE and 00 5SFE). We just hooked up the wires ourselves instead of buying one of the preassembled kits. I didn't notice any improvements though.

hill8570 · 12-13-2009, 03:14 PM

Haven't used one, but they look like yet another way to seperate suckers from their extra money. I suppose if you live in the rust belt and your factory ground points are corroded to hell, this might be easier for some folks than just fixing the factory ground point, but otherwise just seems silly.

flyeri · 12-13-2009, 08:03 PM

Hill8570 is on point. The engine is grounded to the frame and battery, and the battery is grounded to the frame. It may pay to check these connections ocassionally as they may corrode as do the battery terminals causing electrical problems in the ECU. That may be where the improved idle claims come from. If you are running high amp equipment then a dedicated positive and negative from the battery is a good idea. Also corrosion where the alternator case, mounting brackets, and bolts are could cause some noise in audio equipment and a separate ground strap could solve that. The audio experts might have better info on that. Other than that you would be better off saving your money.

CROYCE992 · 12-14-2009, 11:27 PM

Has anyone read about the "Big Three" that you are supposed to upgrade/do when you put an amplifier into your car? I was thinking that by putting a grounding kit into my car I would essentially be covering the "Big Three" and then some which should not hurt.

hey, do you have a pic of your install? I want to see how to wire it all and how it should look?

Quote:

Originally Posted by '_'

Me and my cousin installed kits on our cars (94 5SFE and 00 5SFE). We just hooked up the wires ourselves instead of buying one of the preassembled kits. I didn't notice any improvements though.

djb2 · 12-15-2009, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CROYCE992

Has anyone read about the "Big Three" that you are supposed to upgrade/do when you put an amplifier into your car? I was thinking that by putting a grounding kit into my car I would essentially be covering the "Big Three" and then some which should not hurt.

It certainly will hurt your wallet.

Unless you have a specific problem, a grounding kit won't do any good. You would have to have a really corroded ground cable -- too corroded to start the car -- for it to make a difference in the spark, yet you frequently read that claim. You should evaluate the rest of the claims in that light.

Going to thicker speaker wires will help an up-powered system sound better, but there isn't a reason to go over-board unless you have a really massive system. The kind of system where you need a remote because you cannot be in the car when it's turned up.

hill8570 · 12-15-2009, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CROYCE992

Has anyone read about the "Big Three" that you are supposed to upgrade/do when you put an amplifier into your car? I was thinking that by putting a grounding kit into my car I would essentially be covering the "Big Three" and then some which should not hurt.

The "Big 3" (Battery positive (+) to alternator; Engine block to chassis ground; Battery ground to chassis ground) is a pretty easy upgrade -- way less $$$ than a grounding kit. The need even for that really depends on how much power your tunes are pulling (and, frankly, since it ignores most of the the +12 supply path to the power amp, it's only marginally useful for a high powered setup). I just don't see the point in any of it unless you're measuring significant voltage drop at your power amp during operation.

2win2rbo · 12-15-2009, 10:04 PM

I tried installing that into a Subaru around 3 years ago and noticed no improvements. I found out, through researching, that most cars made '94 up are very well grounded by the manufacturer. Grounding kits can be used as add-on ornaments though.

I agree with the "Big 3" setup because points on these areas corrode, thereby reducing the current. I added a voltage stabilizer and got a way better result.

Kvo_8 · 01-12-2010, 10:47 PM

sorry to dig up an old thread. but the point of the big 3 upgrade is to upgrade your current alt positive to battery, engine block ground, and battery ground to supplement the extra current pull from a bigger aftermarket sound system. it really does help your volts stay up while you have your system up, but its not a fix that will make all of your electrical problems go away..depending on the amount of watts you are running, you will need a 2nd or 3rd battery in the trunk with a high output alternator.

ballinpnoi87 · 02-01-2010, 05:44 AM

I have a 93 camry and I am going to install the big three soon. I will post pictures up when I do the install.

for reference here is a example of how to do the big 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p82xRzCr-lc