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Old 07-18-2005, 01:18 PM   #1
pakman916
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Default CEL, misfires, Low Idle...grounding mod.

I posted this already and I know people don't like double post, but I posted it under the grounding mod thread where most people having similar problems wouldn't realize how grounding will help their problems. I felt it might be more helpful under it's own thread.

After my 60k service, I started experiencing problems with my car. First, I was getting a CEL. I took it to the dealer for service and they told me it was a misfire on 2 and 4. Since my plugs are new, they wanted to send my ECU to SOA to have it reflashed, but I didn't want to pay and I didn't want to wait that long, so I told them to just reset it and I'd wait to see if it happened again. 300 miles later, it happened. On top of the CEL and misfire issue, I was suddenly experiencing low idling. I searched the threads here and found something that might fix my idle problem, (Cleaning the IAC Valve). I still had no answer for my misfire and CEL. Then I came across the great debate over the effectiveness of the "grounding mod". If you don't know what this is yet, do a search. I, like others, decided to go ahead and do this because it's cheap and it can't hurt the car if done correctly. It was also my first attempt at screwing with my car with minimal chance of me breaking something.

After doing the grounding mod, I reset the ECU and took the car for a spin. Instantly, I notice idle was better. It wasn't significantly better, but it didn't feel as bad and I noticed the tach was just above 500RPM where before it was just below 500RPM. This has been consistent even after 2 weeks. The next test was the CEL and misfires. After 2 weeks, no CEL. I don't know if this means there are no misfires, but I sure hope so.

The rest might be placebo effect, but the car does feel smoother accelerating and the AC doesn't slow my car down as much as it did before. Most importantly, I don't have a CEL yet and I don't have to wait a week to have the dealer send in my ECU to have it reflashed with no guarantee of it fixing my problems. Lastly, it cost me under $20 to do. I'm sure there are people out there that think the grounding mod is a load of crap, but I recommend giving it a try. You have nothing to lose. By the way, other than my short shifter, my car is stock (02' WRX Wagon)
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Old 07-18-2005, 02:17 PM   #2
specialev
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Thats heartening news. I have been living with a engine misfire CEL for a few weeks now. I have been slowly trying different things to clear it but it always comes back. I cannot say that the car runs poorly, in fact, I think it runs quite well. I will have to look up this mod and maybe give it a go.
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Old 07-18-2005, 04:14 PM   #3
pakman916
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Default One more thing...

In case you are wondering how grounding can help with misfires, here's something to consider.

Although I'm not much of tech, I know the benefits of a proper ground. If the engine has poor grounding, improving the ground can only improve the car's electrical system. This includes the plugs that are misfiring. I CAN'T guarantee that this is the solution to your problems, but spending $20 at Autozone for some wire and connectors and a few hours of labor is much better than paying $99 at the Subie Dealership for a diagnostic and another $99 to have your ECU reflashed only to find out that it didn't fix your problems. Lots of people on this forum have been experiencing CELs and misfires. I haven't seen one solution that fixed everyone's problems. This is just 1 thing to try. Good luck.

(If you are looking for instructions for the "grounding mod" check out a post by Davenow. I'd leave a link, but I'm still feeling my way around these forums.)
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Old 07-18-2005, 06:36 PM   #4
specialev
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Thats what I was thinking. I am going to try running a nice fat wire from the negative battery terminal to the intake manifold, as seems to be the perscribed method. I suppose it cannot hurt. There is a fairly large thread in the electrical section of this forum, linked below.

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=156303
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Old 07-18-2005, 07:54 PM   #5
pakman916
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Let me know if you need help. I think I can be more descriptive about where the grounding points are.
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Old 07-18-2005, 07:58 PM   #6
pakman916
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by the way, I followed these instructions.

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...+grounding+mod

They say not to use the strut as a grounding point.
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Old 07-18-2005, 09:40 PM   #7
Hayes
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I think if you clean up the factory installed grounds you will aleviate the problem. It seems Subaru and others often attach the ground wire lug to a painted surface and depend on the screw to ground the system. Often times moisture builds up under and the screw rusts causing a bad connection. I would just remove all the ground connections, sand, clean and reinstall. Less money and less time to get a good job. ed
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Old 07-19-2005, 12:41 AM   #8
pakman916
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I'm not going to try and argue with that (cleaning the factory ground points) because honestly, I don't know all that much about car parts. You might be right, but as you probably know, there's a lot of debate over the effectiveness of grounding the engine. There must be some benefit since aftermarket companies make ground kits. But like I said, I can't really argue so I won't.

At the same time, it didn't take that much time to do it and it resolved my current problems. It didn't cost me much either...just some thick wire and connectors. Maybe your way would have done it for me too. The important thing is, so far, no problems. That's all I'm concerned about.
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Old 07-19-2005, 12:58 AM   #9
specialev
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hayes
I think if you clean up the factory installed grounds you will aleviate the problem. It seems Subaru and others often attach the ground wire lug to a painted surface and depend on the screw to ground the system. Often times moisture builds up under and the screw rusts causing a bad connection. I would just remove all the ground connections, sand, clean and reinstall. Less money and less time to get a good job. ed
YES! Good thinking. I have a nice little tool from Boeing surplus made just for this job.
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Old 07-19-2005, 01:24 AM   #10
hey1
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good stuff.. i'll give that a try!!! i am having similar issue..
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Old 07-19-2005, 02:11 AM   #11
eltrouble
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Follow Davenow's grounding mod, not the other one. No point grounding the strut tops, as the wires you are using all connect directly to the negative terminal of the battery...which also has a ground wire into the chassis.

As previously mentioned, clean your current grounds. My car only has 38k miles and the grounds were pretty dirty and fouled up. After doing that, I did the grounding mod as per Dave's instructions, and the car definitely seems to respond a bit better than before.
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