What's Up W/ Ground Wire Kits?

[branshew]

Someone please educate me.

It seems like a rather inexpensive thing, but what does it really do (if anything)?

I thought my car was already grounded.

[amf1932]

I think the only reason they sell crap like that is because a lot of people are very gullible! Years ago they sold electric medical devices that were supposed to help people with all kinds of ailments. They also were proven to do absolutely nothing for the patient.......but they made the manufacturers rich.

If automobile manufacturers felt there was any validity in using these devices you can rest assured that they would sell them as an option. IMHO! <_<

[branshew]

That's pretty much what i figured. Darn, and I thought it would look good with my copper magnetic bracelet.

[blake918]

Get a new ground wire! I got my setup from PepBoys for $12 and 30min. of installation-at a very relaxd pace! I and a few others on here ACTUALLY have experience with new ground wires, and we can all verify that they are worth the time and money-$10 and 30min!

Go look at your current ground; if it's anything like the one in my '94, it looks like a little shoe-string...lol. When/If you buy a new one, buy a 1gauge wire-it's massive!!! If your ground is similar to my '94-which it should be!-there is 1 ground with 2 wires coming off of it. I bought a 1gauge and a cheapo 4 or 6 gauge wire to serve as the smaller wire that goes under the battery.

Ever since I changed the ground, my car has been better in a number of ways. There is a post somewhere on here where everyone is telling me that all of these improvements are coinsidences(or my imagination!...one of the 2!) that just so happened after I put in a new ground!

Everyone who hasn't done this to their older car will definantly debate it with you. ;) Try it, and you'll see for yourself!

[JPI]

This is just a waste of money! There was a kid in an Is300 came into our shop with this ground wire kit. We told him we don't install junks. If you want real hp, put a turbo kit on. Sorry if I offended anyone here.

JPI

[blake918]

If automobile manufacturers felt there was any validity in using these devices you can rest assured that they would sell them as an option. IMHO!  <_<

This is so not true! A bolt in OEM supercharger would be awesome, but I don't think I'll be seeing them at my local Lexus dealer(muchless the factory) anytime soon!!! I think we could all think of at least 1k different items that would improve our cars, but because Lexus of New Orleans doesn't offer it at their parts counter or they don't bolt it in in Japan it's junk??? Come on!!!! Grant it, a new ground in your 2003 ES would do very little as your's still brand new, but in the MCV10's-like the bulk of us have-they do make a difference as the wires get old and don't work as well as they did in back in the early 90's. I'm just curious about why you and several others are so doubtful of a $10 DIY modification. It's not like I or SK or any others that have done this work for wire manufacturers! lol

Bran, take a look at what happened with my car after the new ground... http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...&hl=ground+wire .

Gain in hp??? That's not why I did this! I did it because I read on this site that it would improve my car in some way, shape, or form, and this claim was delivered upon perfectly!!-Thanks SK. I felt an overall improvement in my car's behavior specifically in the powertrain as noted by my own consistant "experiments." Worth $10? You bet your sweet Toyota! Why are you guys so inclined to bash something you haven't even tried??? I'm not offended at all. However, I'm just confused by the responses from people that haven't tried this mod before! <_<

[amf1932]

Why are you guys so inclined to bash something you haven't even tried???

I have tried this on many cars, from Fords to Cadillacs and the improvements were virtually non existent!!

Read the amount of resistance on a factory ground wire and then check the resistance on your updated wire. If there is a difference of more then a few ohms, then and only then will these new wires make a minimal difference in performance.

I'm sure when the car was manufactured that this was taken into consideration(wire aging). And I'm not talking about corroded old wires that you feel would be on an earlier model car! For that matter, why don't you change ALL the wiring harnesses to insure that the electrical flow is up to par. :D

[SKperformance]

Its a simple equation

if you have not tried it you have nothing to base your non experiance with. I think the kits are junk as they clout adding more grounds which is a whole other ball of wax. It comes down to making the ground wires new again.It isn't gained horsepower it is renewed. Basically all copper gets old and breaks down. Change the wires and the ends and it will make a difference. If you haven't done it on an OD2 car tehn you have no experiance with the product and are just bashing it because you failed to think.

A car is an electrical animal any time a voltage changes it changes the readings over all of the sensors and tehre ability to adjust and function normally. If the wires get old as they all do it will affect the way the ecu ( brain ) thinks . This is not a performance upgrade it is general maintance, i think that is where you guys have the hang ups with it. If your valve cover leaked you would fix it right? well the main wires get stressed the most and occasionally do need changing also.

nothing else but a simple procedure and cost.

btw it is pretty useless on a new car.

no one ever said it was. and any older pre obd car will make less difference as it has less electronics to support. The harness is sheathed fully the battery terminals and its ends are not and are still subjected to large amounts of stress form the engine moving and heat as well as the large amounts of voltage used to supply there ends.

[blake918]

I have tried this on many cars, from Fords to Cadillacs and the improvements were virtually non existent!!

Were these your own personal cars that you drove regularly? Didn't you work as a mechanic for a while?(I think you've said that before @ a Caddy dealer, huh??) So, you would at most drive the car around the block for a test to makes sure all is well-never for an extended period of time. That is simply not good enough. You need to drive the car every single day of the week so you can know exactly what has changed. If I didn't drive my ES regularly, I would have never know that there was any change, but I do, so I know.

[blake918]

I'm sure when the car was manufactured that this was taken into consideration(wire aging).

We'd like to think so, but obviously it hasn't. You give Lexus too much credit! I'm in no way bashing Lexus, but no car manufacture is perfect. With this mentality, you should just let the tranny lag which I know drives(no pun intended...lol) you insane rool off your back because Lexus engineered the tranny and electronic throttle to act that way. Or I should let my burnt LCD go(I've never ever seen this on any car but Lexus!)? Right? NO, I don't think so!! Somewhere along the way things didn't do according to their plans.

Regardless of the wire being corroded or not(-in my case it wasn't, I changed because of suggestion), I replaced my ground with a wire that is probably 2-3x the size of the OEM wire. So, even if you could say that my OEM was still good, this much, much larger wire is better by default.