All these sensors I'm buying/installing and I think all of my problems are related to the grounds coming off of my valve cover. I re-adjust them, car runs 1000% better, later today, ran crappy, can't get back to top running condition but I can tell it's related to these grounds. The back right of the valve cover is a small metal plate bolted to the valve cover with two wires coming off it, one to the firewall, one to a bolt behind the coil. I was hoping someone could create for me an ULTIMATE ground for my engine. I was thinking of a wire coming off this plate to maybe the ground on my battery. Any ideas?
Anybody got a REALLY good way to ground your engine???
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
Re: Anybody got a REALLY good way to ground your engine??? (JBRONCFAN)
You can make ground/power wires for your engine out of that big-ass power wire/ground wire that stereo guys use. I replaced the battery terminals and all the power/ ground wires,even the wire to the alternator-it made a big difference in the way the car ran,and would make a bigger difference on a digifant car,which is known for engine ground-related running problems.
You can make ground/power wires for your engine out of that big-ass power wire/ground wire that stereo guys use. I replaced the battery terminals and all the power/ ground wires,even the wire to the alternator-it made a big difference in the way the car ran,and would make a bigger difference on a digifant car,which is known for engine ground-related running problems.
Re: Anybody got a REALLY good way to ground your engine??? (vr6swap)
You should have a fairly thick ground wire coming from near the battery, running over to a stud sticking out of one of the engine-to-tranny bolts, with a nut over the stud.
That is the engine ground strap/wire, and it can be replaced and upgraded. Just use nicer wire, and run it straight from the negative post over to the stud, and remove the smaller OE wire. Same with the power wires, you can replace those with heavy wire.
Broke
You should have a fairly thick ground wire coming from near the battery, running over to a stud sticking out of one of the engine-to-tranny bolts, with a nut over the stud.
That is the engine ground strap/wire, and it can be replaced and upgraded. Just use nicer wire, and run it straight from the negative post over to the stud, and remove the smaller OE wire. Same with the power wires, you can replace those with heavy wire.
Broke
Re: Anybody got a REALLY good way to ground your engine??? (Broke)
More specifically, I see results by playing with the ground wires coming off my valve cover. Does anyone know what grounds these wires are for? They seem to have an impact on my engines performance. I was thinking of grounding them with another wire to my battery negative.
There is one thick wire that bolts onto my battery's negative ground. From there, about six inches away a part of it gets bolted to a screw sticking up and then another six inches it gets bolted to another screw. So it's one wire coming from my negative bolted to two different screws, that's it. There is no other wires bolted to these two screws......should there be? Should there be a wire coming from my engine and bolting to one of these screws?????
[Modified by JBRONCFAN, 4:45 AM 4-10-2002]
More specifically, I see results by playing with the ground wires coming off my valve cover. Does anyone know what grounds these wires are for? They seem to have an impact on my engines performance. I was thinking of grounding them with another wire to my battery negative.
There is one thick wire that bolts onto my battery's negative ground. From there, about six inches away a part of it gets bolted to a screw sticking up and then another six inches it gets bolted to another screw. So it's one wire coming from my negative bolted to two different screws, that's it. There is no other wires bolted to these two screws......should there be? Should there be a wire coming from my engine and bolting to one of these screws?????
[Modified by JBRONCFAN, 4:45 AM 4-10-2002]
Re: Anybody got a REALLY good way to ground your engine??? (JBRONCFAN)
OK, I thought I had a pic, but I didn't, so I ran out and looked on my 87 Golf GL.
On the negative clamp of my battery, the clamp itself is molded/cast from soft metal...cast into that clamp (not crimped on or added later) there are 3 black ground wires leaving my battery. One is about 6 inches long, heads up, and bolts to the side of the fender above the battery. Another is 6 inches long, heads down, and bolts to the tray the battery is sitting on. The last one is thicker than the first 2 wires, and is longer. It runs right from the clamp over to one of those big bolts that holds the engine and tranny together. It has a big eyelet on the end of the wire, and the eyelet slides onto a stud that is on one of those engine-to-tranny bolts.
Basically, I have a single thick wire right from the battery pole to the tranny, which provides ground to the engine.
I'm not sure how many styles of clamps VW used over the years, so I can't say if mine is original, or yours is, but no matter what, I'd add in a ground strap to the engine if you do not have one.
Broke
OK, I thought I had a pic, but I didn't, so I ran out and looked on my 87 Golf GL.
On the negative clamp of my battery, the clamp itself is molded/cast from soft metal...cast into that clamp (not crimped on or added later) there are 3 black ground wires leaving my battery. One is about 6 inches long, heads up, and bolts to the side of the fender above the battery. Another is 6 inches long, heads down, and bolts to the tray the battery is sitting on. The last one is thicker than the first 2 wires, and is longer. It runs right from the clamp over to one of those big bolts that holds the engine and tranny together. It has a big eyelet on the end of the wire, and the eyelet slides onto a stud that is on one of those engine-to-tranny bolts.
Basically, I have a single thick wire right from the battery pole to the tranny, which provides ground to the engine.
I'm not sure how many styles of clamps VW used over the years, so I can't say if mine is original, or yours is, but no matter what, I'd add in a ground strap to the engine if you do not have one.
Broke
Re: Anybody got a REALLY good way to ground your engine??? (Broke)
I have two wires coming off my negative. One bolts to two spots, the battery tray and back by the tranny. The other I don't know but does the thick engine ground wire attach to the battery or one of those bolts I mentioned?
I have two wires coming off my negative. One bolts to two spots, the battery tray and back by the tranny. The other I don't know but does the thick engine ground wire attach to the battery or one of those bolts I mentioned?
Re: Anybody got a REALLY good way to ground your engine??? (Broke)
What do those black wires bolted to the valve cover gasket ground out anyway?
What do those black wires bolted to the valve cover gasket ground out anyway?
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