Two Questions that have gone unanswered

**DesolationAngel** · 01-18-2007, 03:20 PM

I looked around a bit for the answer to these questions my good friend the google monster gave me an array of different answers and I dont trust it. So i bring it here.

When you Set your Grounds for your components (Amplifiers, DC-DC, Computer,ETC) Is it a good idea to Ground Everything To a Common Point?

..and..

I Read that your 12v+ and ground should be the same gauge. But i wondered if it would be ok to have a larger gauged wire as your ground.

Example:

[+ -]--(fuse)---8Gauge---(amp)===4gauge===[¥] <ground point

**scott_fx** · 01-18-2007, 03:33 PM

yup, common ground is best. and yeah, you can have a larger ground, won't gain you anything but it wont hurt anything either.

**RedGTiVR6** · 01-18-2007, 06:24 PM

common grounds are best if at all possible, but you want to try and keep your grounds as short as possible if possible. It's a delicate balance really.

a larger gauge ground wire won't hurt anything. Just don't go smaller. This includes your battery ground. If you add on to your battery with an 8 gauge, take into account that added wire on top of the other wires that are coming off of the positive. That needs to be considered when upgrading your factory ground off of the battery.

**Ruffy** · 01-18-2007, 06:51 PM

common grounds are best but as said shorter ground wires mean alot too.

Heres what I did

1/0ga wire from battery positive to the trunk area
1/0ga cable from the battery negative to the trunk area

Positive cable goes to a fused distribution block
Negative cable goes to a non-fused distribution block

Everything goes to those blocks

**RedGTiVR6** · 01-18-2007, 07:00 PM

running a dedicated ground from the battery back is a good thing, it's exactly what we've done in our car.

**scott_fx** · 01-18-2007, 07:24 PM

i've heard mixed reviews on this (and to me; the way you did it, makes the most sense), what is your reasoning behind doing it this way?

**Megalomaniac** · 01-18-2007, 07:43 PM

Originally Posted by RedGTiVR6

running a dedicated ground from the battery back is a good thing, it's exactly what we've done in our car.

i always thought about doing that. but then the ground wire would be longer instead of short as possible. im assuming you used 1/0awg correct for least resistance?

**RedGTiVR6** · 01-18-2007, 07:49 PM

1/0 all the way. If it's connected to the battery, it's not as big of a deal with it being longer.

By running the ground back, you're not relying on the cars chassis to allow the flow. Many newer cars have silent steel technology that means that they don't ground as well as previous cars.

This method also means that there's little to no chance of ground loops. If you go through a distro block then from there to the ground on the battery.

The equivilant resistance of a chassis of a vehicle is around a 4 gua cable from trunk to under hood (remember this from a Dave Navone article from a few years back in Car Audio and Electronics I believe it was). This is due to spot welds and the like. If you're running more than 4 gauge for power...well, you can see the point I'm making.

Other downfalls? Cost...I guess...but in the grand scheme of things, it's really not that much.

**Megalomaniac** · 01-18-2007, 08:00 PM

i see

**Caelric** · 01-18-2007, 08:34 PM

Hmm, interesting. I use 0/1 gauge for my power and ground to a distro block, but the power is (obviously) direct to the battery, while the ground is to a well sanded point of bare metal. Maybe I should rewire the ground direct to the battery...