Ground Wire Upgrade
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ground Wire Upgrade
Have any of you sec. gen 4runners upgrade your ground wires? Are there any write-ups on this? I tried searching and coudln't any. Anyways i want to upgrade the ground wires because my lights blink or twitch lightly when my sub is on. I also plan on getting an optima red top. I'm really not familiar with toyotas. I'm more familiar working with my old prelude. i did the ground wire upgrade on my prelude and boy did it make a difference. Lights are brighter, audio is much louder, headlights pop out faster etc.. So if any of you guys have write ups or pics on a ground wire upgrade for sec. gen t4r please get back at me.
#2
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Blowing Rock, NC
Posts: 536
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not familiar with the main ground wire on 2nd gens, but my 96 4r has an upgraded main ground wire bolted to the firewall. An 8 gauge w/ hightemp wire coating should do you just fine.
#3
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Kirkland, WA
Posts: 1,954
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
yes there is a write up here on yotatech about it. i haven't done it yet, but hopefully by the end of summer. i'll do a search for ya and see if i can find the link.
BAM!!!!!!
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116/2nd-gen-mystery-electrical-problem-solved-write-up-33526/
definetly a hard thread to find.
BAM!!!!!!
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116/2nd-gen-mystery-electrical-problem-solved-write-up-33526/
definetly a hard thread to find.
Last edited by KevyWevy; 08-16-2005 at 06:13 PM.
#4
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by KevyWevy
yes there is a write up here on yotatech about it. i haven't done it yet, but hopefully by the end of summer. i'll do a search for ya and see if i can find the link.
BAM!!!!!!
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33526
definetly a hard thread to find.
BAM!!!!!!
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33526
definetly a hard thread to find.
#6
Or check out Roger Brown's www.4Crawler.com, as he's the one who I think originally came up with it.
#7
Contributing Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 3,400
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I did ground wire upgrade as well as upgrading to a redtop. I also added a cap to my system. The cap more or less fixed the problem but the redtop made a huge diferance also. Between all three upgrades the cap made the biggest diferance but the ground upgrade is worth doing cus it is so cheep. Also upgraded to gold terminal for the bling factor (as well as end to all corosion factor) and it was only like $20 on ebay.
Last edited by bike4miles; 08-16-2005 at 09:34 PM.
Trending Topics
#8
Good call on the "cap" Miles (I'm glad to see that someone is listening..., and learning in the process), but the significance of "ground wire upgrade" should'nt be downplayed as it is what helps our little 90 amp altenators recover the battery's charge lost from equipment usage, i.e., both are equally beneficial to the vehicles' electrical system overall.
#9
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by bike4miles
I did ground wire upgrade as well as upgrading to a redtop. I also added a cap to my system. The cap more or less fixed the problem but the redtop made a huge diferance also. Between all three upgrades the cap made the biggest diferance but the ground upgrade is worth doing cus it is so cheep. Also upgraded to gold terminal for the bling factor (as well as end to all corosion factor) and it was only like $20 on ebay.
#10
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by kevin444
The big 3 upgrade would benefit you even more.
"Basically its an upgrade of the battery neg. to chassis ground, engine to ground and alternator positive to battery positive."
#11
Contributing Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 3,400
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cap= capacitor which is kinda like an extra baterie that temperarly stores some power and then rapidly discharges it when there is a drop in voltage (AKA the bass hits). This keeps the flow more consistant so the lights don't dim. It's usually a big tube about 3"x8" and can be had at any stereo shop for $100. They really do work.
#12
Originally Posted by MarkieMark
do you have any more info on the big 3 upgrade. it's hard to search specifically for the big 3 because there are lots of results on other things. ROMAD made it clear on what it is. but i don't know the procedure in doing this upgrade. this is from ROMAD's post:
"Basically its an upgrade of the battery neg. to chassis ground, engine to ground and alternator positive to battery positive."
"Basically its an upgrade of the battery neg. to chassis ground, engine to ground and alternator positive to battery positive."
#13
Originally Posted by bike4miles
Cap= capacitor which is kinda like an extra baterie that temperarly stores some power and then rapidly discharges it when there is a drop in voltage (AKA the bass hits). This keeps the flow more consistant so the lights don't dim. It's usually a big tube about 3"x8" and can be had at any stereo shop for $100. "They really do work".
"I am vindicated, I am right, swear I'm right, swear I knew it all along and I am (maybe) flawed, but I'm cleaning up so well, I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself (but were afraid to admit)."
Dashboard Confessional
Last edited by 94x4; 08-17-2005 at 07:21 AM.
#14
Contributing Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 3,400
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
?? Not sure what is going on here. I'm not trying to overpower anyones opinions on this electrical matter but I still maintain, do the ground upgrade, 4g or better, and if you still have problems and you have a decent baterie, a capcitor should fix the problem. How much power are you pushing with your systme? Mine is 1200 watts rms and with ground upgrade, red top, and cap I have no dimming whatsoever and I had substantial dimming before the lised upgrades.
#15
Registered User
Originally Posted by MarkieMark
do you have any more info on the big 3 upgrade. it's hard to search specifically for the big 3 because there are lots of results on other things. ROMAD made it clear on what it is. but i don't know the procedure in doing this upgrade. this is from ROMAD's post:
"Basically its an upgrade of the battery neg. to chassis ground, engine to ground and alternator positive to battery positive."
"Basically its an upgrade of the battery neg. to chassis ground, engine to ground and alternator positive to battery positive."
Read through that and then take a look at the wires in question in your 2nd gen - it should be pretty obvious at that point. Its not terribly difficult but it does take a bit of time to gather up the cables and such.
I still recommend my cheap upgrade of the main feed wire in this thread, its been solid ever since I first did that mod (although I dont have anywhere near the stereo stuff some of you guys have)
Last edited by ROMAD; 08-17-2005 at 01:17 PM.
#17
Originally Posted by bike4miles
?? Not sure what is going on here. I'm not trying to overpower anyones opinions on this electrical matter but I still maintain, do the ground upgrade, 4g or better, and if you still have problems and you have a decent baterie, a capcitor should fix the problem. How much power are you pushing with your systme? Mine is 1200 watts rms and with ground upgrade, red top, and cap I have no dimming whatsoever and I had substantial dimming before the lised upgrades.
No Miles, no "overpower(ing)" issues or anything here.
It's just that I've mentioned the use of a "cap" several times previously and was just as many times met with rebuttals or nay sayers when I did and that's why it's nice to have someone actually try it out, find out for themselves that it does work and post the results here.
And it's not so much that I'm looking for "vindication" really, it's just that I'm trying to get people to listen when I bother to take the time to type out some info here in response to a question that's been asked. I'm not doing it for my own benefit, I'm trying to pass along advice that either I or my friends have found out about on various things that has worked for us when faced with similar problems, we're already benefitting from the knowledge and don't stand to benefit anymore so, that is, unless it's by way of recieving some good karma by helping others in need out.
Last edited by 94x4; 08-17-2005 at 11:24 PM.
#18
big 3 is well on mines.
1 Ground----> from battery to chassis
1 4ga cable running from pos terminal on bat to pos terminal on alternator
1 4ga cable running from pos terminal on bat to pos terminal on fuse box
and possibly a ground to engine block.
1 Ground----> from battery to chassis
1 4ga cable running from pos terminal on bat to pos terminal on alternator
1 4ga cable running from pos terminal on bat to pos terminal on fuse box
and possibly a ground to engine block.
#19
Contributing Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 3,400
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by 94x4
No Miles, no "overpower(ing)" issues or anything here.
I'm not doing it for my own benefit, I'm trying to pass along advice that either I or my friends have found out about on various things that has worked for us when faced with similar problems, we're already benefitting from the knowledge and don't stand to benefit anymore so, that is, unless it's by way of recieving some good karma by helping others in need out.
I'm not doing it for my own benefit, I'm trying to pass along advice that either I or my friends have found out about on various things that has worked for us when faced with similar problems, we're already benefitting from the knowledge and don't stand to benefit anymore so, that is, unless it's by way of recieving some good karma by helping others in need out.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
the1998sr5
95.5-2004 Tacomas & 96-2002 4Runners
15
07-14-2020 08:35 PM
montanatruck
86-95 Trucks & 4Runners
15
02-26-2017 07:07 AM
v_man
86-95 Trucks & 4Runners
14
07-23-2015 04:01 PM