Power Wire as Ground Wire?

Inprogress · 04-07-2006, 02:20 AM

Can 4 ga. power wire be used as ground wire? That may be a dumb question but im S$$$ scared of electricity and better safe then sorry..

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nerdydorkus · 04-07-2006, 02:25 AM

its the same exact thing, just different color. make sure you wrap both ends with some black electrical tape so that you know its the negative/ground.

jam69007 · 04-07-2006, 02:30 AM

yeah like ^^he said. its the same, my fosgate wire says on it power/ground wire all over it.

Inprogress · 04-07-2006, 02:40 AM

sounds good, im making my own grounding kit I didnt realize it woudl be so cheap...

any suggestions on some good wire terminals? I mean keep in mind its for a grounding kit...

jam69007 · 04-07-2006, 02:57 AM

any will do, gold is a better conductor as i am sure you know though. once you measure all of the locations you want to run a ground wire to, i would cut the wire to length and have an audio shop crimp on your wire terminals. most individuals dont have the proper tools for crimping such large ring terminals properly.

Inprogress · 04-07-2006, 03:02 AM

So basically run one from the battery to metal of car, and then one from the metal of car to lets say the intake manifold, another to the other side of intake manifold, one from that end of intake mani to wall again by intake and from there to one of the bolts by the fender...

Hows that sound? Confusing enough lol...

How are these terminals?

http://www.cardomain.com/item/STIS4PRG

LastResort · 04-07-2006, 11:44 AM

Those should be fine, but get some extras and get a REAL crimping tool, not one of those combined crimper/stripper.

Like this:

And use heat shrink, that rubber stuff may melt.

PARANOID56 · 04-07-2006, 11:47 AM

You could always solder it

Shane

clbd39 · 04-07-2006, 12:18 PM

i grounded mine by way of underneath the rear seat once, and when i did a different car i used a bolt that is in the jack compartment on the left side, basically you're supposed to rub the paint off so you get a good metal to metal contact, just don't make your ground wire too long just for the sake that you may create a short circuit sometime so find some place near that's easy to access, the 1 ft thing is BS but it's a safety precaution, also running the RCA and power wire on serpeate sides is a myth, i've done it every time, my brother has (he's an ME) and it's just a myth, but i agree with all the above lol, it's the same wire, different covering color lol

easiest places though are usually underneath the carpet or rear seat to ground though!

armand1 · 04-07-2006, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clbd39

...
easiest places though are usually underneath the carpet or rear seat to ground though!

He's doing the "grounding mod," not an audio mod... (yeah, it probably should have been posted in the Electrical & Lighting Forum).

clbd39 · 04-07-2006, 01:43 PM

ah ha, i don't read well oh well :P

there's some useless info then for someone haha i suck -1 for me

Tang 06 i wagon · 04-07-2006, 01:59 PM

OH MY GOD YOU'LL BLOW YOURSELF UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Yeah, its fine, its the same crap.

clbd39 · 04-07-2006, 02:29 PM

ah ha, i don't read well oh well :P

there's some useless info then for someone haha i suck -1 for me

04-07-2006, 02:20 AM	#1
Inprogress Scooby Specialist Member#: 65166 Join Date: Jun 2004 Chapter/Region: TXIC Location: Sugar Land Vehicle: 2008 EVO X	Power Wire as Ground Wire? Can 4 ga. power wire be used as ground wire? That may be a dumb question but im S$$$ scared of electricity and better safe then sorry.. * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

04-07-2006, 02:30 AM	#3
jam69007 Scooby Specialist Member#: 86968 Join Date: May 2005 Chapter/Region: South East Location: West Palm Beach, FL Vehicle: 02 WRX / 05 350Z '11 335d	yeah like ^^he said. its the same, my fosgate wire says on it power/ground wire all over it. Last edited by jam69007; 04-07-2006 at 02:57 AM.

04-07-2006, 03:02 AM	#6
Inprogress Scooby Specialist Member#: 65166 Join Date: Jun 2004 Chapter/Region: TXIC Location: Sugar Land Vehicle: 2008 EVO X	So basically run one from the battery to metal of car, and then one from the metal of car to lets say the intake manifold, another to the other side of intake manifold, one from that end of intake mani to wall again by intake and from there to one of the bolts by the fender... Hows that sound? Confusing enough lol... How are these terminals? http://www.cardomain.com/item/STIS4PRG Last edited by Inprogress; 04-07-2006 at 03:08 AM.

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04-07-2006, 02:25 AM	#2
nerdydorkus Scooby Specialist Member#: 67062 Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: SunDiego!	its the same exact thing, just different color. make sure you wrap both ends with some black electrical tape so that you know its the negative/ground.

04-07-2006, 02:40 AM	#4
Inprogress Scooby Specialist Member#: 65166 Join Date: Jun 2004 Chapter/Region: TXIC Location: Sugar Land Vehicle: 2008 EVO X	sounds good, im making my own grounding kit I didnt realize it woudl be so cheap... any suggestions on some good wire terminals? I mean keep in mind its for a grounding kit...

04-07-2006, 02:57 AM	#5
jam69007 Scooby Specialist Member#: 86968 Join Date: May 2005 Chapter/Region: South East Location: West Palm Beach, FL Vehicle: 02 WRX / 05 350Z '11 335d	any will do, gold is a better conductor as i am sure you know though. once you measure all of the locations you want to run a ground wire to, i would cut the wire to length and have an audio shop crimp on your wire terminals. most individuals dont have the proper tools for crimping such large ring terminals properly.

04-07-2006, 11:44 AM	#7
LastResort Scooby Guru Member#: 99289 Join Date: Oct 2005	Those should be fine, but get some extras and get a REAL crimping tool, not one of those combined crimper/stripper. Like this: And use heat shrink, that rubber stuff may melt.

04-07-2006, 11:47 AM	#8
PARANOID56 Scooby Specialist Member#: 22035 Join Date: Jul 2002 Chapter/Region: SCIC Location: San Diego, CA Vehicle: 2008 STI White	You could always solder it Shane

04-07-2006, 12:18 PM	#9
clbd39 Scooby Specialist Member#: 104078 Join Date: Jan 2006 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Missouri Vehicle: 2002 SRP VF43 WRX P&L Jorge Tuned	i grounded mine by way of underneath the rear seat once, and when i did a different car i used a bolt that is in the jack compartment on the left side, basically you're supposed to rub the paint off so you get a good metal to metal contact, just don't make your ground wire too long just for the sake that you may create a short circuit sometime so find some place near that's easy to access, the 1 ft thing is BS but it's a safety precaution, also running the RCA and power wire on serpeate sides is a myth, i've done it every time, my brother has (he's an ME) and it's just a myth, but i agree with all the above lol, it's the same wire, different covering color lol easiest places though are usually underneath the carpet or rear seat to ground though!

04-07-2006, 01:43 PM	#11
clbd39 Scooby Specialist Member#: 104078 Join Date: Jan 2006 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Missouri Vehicle: 2002 SRP VF43 WRX P&L Jorge Tuned	ah ha, i don't read well oh well :P there's some useless info then for someone haha i suck -1 for me

04-07-2006, 01:59 PM	#12
Tang 06 i wagon Scooby Specialist Member#: 99333 Join Date: Oct 2005 Chapter/Region: NESIC Location: Greenwich, CT Vehicle: 2006 2.5i Wagon Black	OH MY GOD YOU'LL BLOW YOURSELF UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Yeah, its fine, its the same crap.

04-07-2006, 02:29 PM	#13
clbd39 Scooby Specialist Member#: 104078 Join Date: Jan 2006 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Missouri Vehicle: 2002 SRP VF43 WRX P&L Jorge Tuned	ah ha, i don't read well oh well :P there's some useless info then for someone haha i suck -1 for me