Final update for today... ActiveTuning.com's Custom Engine Grounding Kit!
There has been considerable talk of the benefits of an aftermarket grounding kit on the forums here. If I were to summarize my understanding of the theory it would go something like this:
<ul>
- Cars contain an awful lot of electrical devices.
- Most of the grounding for these systems comes from the negative battery ground cable.
- The grounding efficiency of most systems hovers around 95%.
- If you increase the amount of grounding you can achieve closer to 100% efficiency.
- The increased efficiency allows systems to run more optimally, increasing HP and MPG.
[/list]
Hopefully some rocket scientist will correct any fallacious assumptions here, but I bought into the story. I also figured that we're only talking $50 and an hour or so of work to experiment with this modification - so, not much to lose.
Before I get started, I average 13.4 MPG combined driving in my Titan 4X4. This is woefully unacceptable given that the window sticker claimed 14 to 17 MPG. I almost think we should bring a class-action suit against Nissan for this incredible lie. But that again, is another thread.
There have been folks on this discussion board who have claimed that a grounding kit netted them 1-2 MPG gains in fuel economy. If that were true for me, I'd recoup my $50 investment quite quickly and would be a very happy camper. So, I decided to give it a try.
I ordered my kit from ActiveTuning.com. It was $50 plus shipping... under $60 total. The kit arrived VERY fast. The overall quality of the cables were outstanding. All of the soldering, terminating, etc. was fantastic. These are nice looking cables... The kit also included every bolt, nut, washer and even tie downs needed to install the system.
Here are some photos of my install (The guys at ActiveTuning can feel free to use any if they help). Select any image to see a larger version (800x600):
<center></center>
<center></center>
<center></center>
Now, everyone says the installation is easy, and to some extent this is true. After all we are only talking about bolts and screws. But I found some of the connections to be a bit challenging. For example:
<ul>
- I had tremendous difficulty making a connection on the back of my alternator. Perhaps this is because I have a 4WD with the skid plates. All I know is that I had to turn the front wheel all the way, crawl up inside the wheel well, pull back some plastic and insert my arm into an area that I could not see. After feeling around for the mounting point I eventually got it and then managed to ratchet it down. But you'd better be seriously committed to completing this task or you're likely to call it quits.
- I couldn't decide exactly how to attach the additional negative battery ground wire based upon the install photos on ActiveTuning.com's web site. The install guide is fairly detailed, but I would say the one weakness is that there are some photos which are zoomed out, and some which are zoomed in but there needs to be both photos for each of the mounting points. As a result, I sometimes had difficulty locating a particular mounting point, and at other times I had difficulty determining if a mount should be above or below a piece of steel. (It may not matter, of course.)
- One of the cables includes a terminal which has a slightly larger hole on it than all of the others. The instructions listed this cable as being a certain length, but in my kit it was a different length. Fortunatly the two cables, which were probably inadvertently swapped in manufacturing, fit anyway.
[/list]
The only other issue which I am facing is that I received a kit that was for a 2WD Titan instead of 4WD. I don't remember the order process allowing me to select the drive train when I ordered it, although it now does. It is possible that they corrected a glitch after I ordered it... it is also possible that I somehow screwed it up. Anyway, one of the 4 cables is different for the 4WD and I've contacted them to request a solution to the problem. I'll update the group after I learn what the resolution will be.
With 3/4 of the grounding kit installed, I would really, really love to say that I notice a difference... but unfortunatly I don't. I've driven a few tanks with this kit installed, as well as a new K&N air filter, but my gas mileage remains absolutely unchanged. 13.4 MPG before and after. Now the engine "feels" a little better with these two mods in place, but I think it felt the same after only the K&N mod.
So unless something substantively changes after I install the last cable (transmission ground wire) I'm going to have to go with this summary:
If you are looking to dress up your engine compartment a bit, or if you are an Electrical Engineer who absolutely believes that additional grounding will benefit the system, by all means spend the $50. If you are looking for fuel savings or HP gains, I'm not able to provide any empirical data to support those claims.
Have fun,
John
There has been considerable talk of the benefits of an aftermarket grounding kit on the forums here. If I were to summarize my understanding of the theory it would go something like this:
<ul>
- Cars contain an awful lot of electrical devices.
- Most of the grounding for these systems comes from the negative battery ground cable.
- The grounding efficiency of most systems hovers around 95%.
- If you increase the amount of grounding you can achieve closer to 100% efficiency.
- The increased efficiency allows systems to run more optimally, increasing HP and MPG.
[/list]
Hopefully some rocket scientist will correct any fallacious assumptions here, but I bought into the story. I also figured that we're only talking $50 and an hour or so of work to experiment with this modification - so, not much to lose.
Before I get started, I average 13.4 MPG combined driving in my Titan 4X4. This is woefully unacceptable given that the window sticker claimed 14 to 17 MPG. I almost think we should bring a class-action suit against Nissan for this incredible lie. But that again, is another thread.
There have been folks on this discussion board who have claimed that a grounding kit netted them 1-2 MPG gains in fuel economy. If that were true for me, I'd recoup my $50 investment quite quickly and would be a very happy camper. So, I decided to give it a try.
I ordered my kit from ActiveTuning.com. It was $50 plus shipping... under $60 total. The kit arrived VERY fast. The overall quality of the cables were outstanding. All of the soldering, terminating, etc. was fantastic. These are nice looking cables... The kit also included every bolt, nut, washer and even tie downs needed to install the system.
Here are some photos of my install (The guys at ActiveTuning can feel free to use any if they help). Select any image to see a larger version (800x600):
<center></center>
<center></center>
<center></center>
Now, everyone says the installation is easy, and to some extent this is true. After all we are only talking about bolts and screws. But I found some of the connections to be a bit challenging. For example:
<ul>
- I had tremendous difficulty making a connection on the back of my alternator. Perhaps this is because I have a 4WD with the skid plates. All I know is that I had to turn the front wheel all the way, crawl up inside the wheel well, pull back some plastic and insert my arm into an area that I could not see. After feeling around for the mounting point I eventually got it and then managed to ratchet it down. But you'd better be seriously committed to completing this task or you're likely to call it quits.
- I couldn't decide exactly how to attach the additional negative battery ground wire based upon the install photos on ActiveTuning.com's web site. The install guide is fairly detailed, but I would say the one weakness is that there are some photos which are zoomed out, and some which are zoomed in but there needs to be both photos for each of the mounting points. As a result, I sometimes had difficulty locating a particular mounting point, and at other times I had difficulty determining if a mount should be above or below a piece of steel. (It may not matter, of course.)
- One of the cables includes a terminal which has a slightly larger hole on it than all of the others. The instructions listed this cable as being a certain length, but in my kit it was a different length. Fortunatly the two cables, which were probably inadvertently swapped in manufacturing, fit anyway.
[/list]
The only other issue which I am facing is that I received a kit that was for a 2WD Titan instead of 4WD. I don't remember the order process allowing me to select the drive train when I ordered it, although it now does. It is possible that they corrected a glitch after I ordered it... it is also possible that I somehow screwed it up. Anyway, one of the 4 cables is different for the 4WD and I've contacted them to request a solution to the problem. I'll update the group after I learn what the resolution will be.
With 3/4 of the grounding kit installed, I would really, really love to say that I notice a difference... but unfortunatly I don't. I've driven a few tanks with this kit installed, as well as a new K&N air filter, but my gas mileage remains absolutely unchanged. 13.4 MPG before and after. Now the engine "feels" a little better with these two mods in place, but I think it felt the same after only the K&N mod.
So unless something substantively changes after I install the last cable (transmission ground wire) I'm going to have to go with this summary:
If you are looking to dress up your engine compartment a bit, or if you are an Electrical Engineer who absolutely believes that additional grounding will benefit the system, by all means spend the $50. If you are looking for fuel savings or HP gains, I'm not able to provide any empirical data to support those claims.
Have fun,
John