Car grounding

[Andy from the block]

Ive been reading up on the importance of good grounding recently, while replacing a melted engine to chassis ground wire.

A guy talked about how JGTC cars had their ground wiring setup
http://www.micra.com.au/community/message.php?messageid=4604
and came up with this...


Anyone think its worth using this kind of setup in our cars?
Also, I want to make a ground from my engine rocker cover to the firewall, can I undo one of the bolts on the rocker cover head in order to connect the wire? Just checking cuz I think I was told that taking off engine head is a expert job (not sure about one bolt).
PS: would anyone know why my original engine ground wire melted in the first place? according to what I read it may have been too small?

[Tezza]

Well i've just bought one for the Altezza so i hope so.

[kingcorolla]

the head and the rocker cover are two different things. U should not undo one headstud then re-fasten. The rocker cover on the other hand you will be fine undoing on of these nuts in order to place a ground wire.

is the ground wire you are replacing the ecu earth on the head/inlet manifold? If so it should be reasonably thick because it is a grounding point for several components.

increasing grounding wires seems like a good idea to increase grounding effiecency. Be sure to clean the grounding surface before you attach a wire to achieve good contact.

[Lloyd]

Just ground everything to the chassis, will have exactly the same effect.

I'm assuming that you melted the wire due to being too near something hot rather than excessive current through it?

[Andy from the block]

is the ground wire you are replacing the ecu earth on the head/inlet manifold? If so it should be reasonably thick because it is a grounding point for several components.

Im not sure if the wire I replaced was the ECU earth...
It was a black wire about 4mm thick attached just under the rocker cover on the same bolt as a hook thingy (I think its a engine hook to lift engine etc) and connected to the chassis by a near by bolt.
I went to Dick Smith and asked about replacing it and I bought 12mm thick cable and crimps and replaced the melted wire.
Wear is the ECU earth located?

Just ground everything to the chassis, will have exactly the same effect.
I'm assuming that you melted the wire due to being too near something hot rather than excessive current through it?

Yeah I was thinking of grounding more stuff to the chassis
What "stuff" do u think I should ground and where are they?
Does grounding the rocker cover basically ground all the ignition and fuel injection components etc?
Nah the orignal ground wire wasnt near anything that could have melted it really, it was too straight and short to touch any hot surfaces near it. It had a plastic connector in the middle of the wire that melted, the actual rubber insulation was fine.

[Lloyd]

If the connector melted then it would have been due to dirty terminals inside basically. Corroded or whatever means they are a source of resistance, voltage through a resistance = heat. Maybe... I dont know, Ive been drinking

Anyways, everything is pretty much grounded where it should be, no real point in chaging it other than trying to tidy up wires all over the engine bay.

[Andy from the block]

Anyways, everything is pretty much grounded where it should be, no real point in chaging it other than trying to tidy up wires all over the engine bay.

Yeah suppose ur right.
Ive tidied up the existing ground points and sanded the chassis contacts.
But I wanted to have a grounding DIY project dammit...only cheap thrill I cod afford for the car.

[Lloyd]

Take randoms bits off and paint them

[Andy from the block]

Take randoms bits off and paint them

Already done that...lol