The reason the manufacturer "Can't ground their own car right" comes down to cost and engineering. First looking at cost... the manufacturer wants to make a product as cheaply as they can. Adding 8-gauge wire to something that is "okay" is a waste of money for them. But if you want "great" instead of "okay", then you need to change it yourself. Yes, aluminum conducts electricity, but it is not very efficient.

Now to the important engineering. They want to make a product that works, is reliable and of course is cheap. They know exactly how many amps need to go where, how many volts need to do what and they build it for the general public in mind.

Now you come to a performance minded person. They want stronger, faster and quicker. I hate to tell you this but the Multi-Billion Dollar aftermarket community was built on improving the vehicle. And based on your response, the car CANNOT be improved upon. Who's taking sugar pills now? Perhaps we should all look at an automotive magazine and see whats out there.

Sure some stuff that is aftermarket is BS, but look at wheels. The manufacturer could have made then lighter and stronger, BUT... it costs more money.

Now personally I don't really care if anybody does a grounding kit or not. But at least have some understanding of what you are talking.

 

Same here....blaaaaah!

 

I love your response Jon. That's funny trying to mix electronics with electricity. Let's just hope some people don't take you too seriously.

 

So what do manufactures of the kits have to say? This is a basic test that would show some type of varience for at least shifting.

I know this is beating a dead horse here so if you want to comment feel free but I just want to know who is willing to take a step out and try and prove that a result is possible.

Not trying to bash anyone for saying it works or doesn't. Just trying to get a test done by those who sell the product. If you bought one, feel free yourself to give it a try.

 

Why dont you email Stillen. Im sure they have the R&D department that may give a damn...

 

are we considering camcorder lag?

 

First, I've had a Grounding kit, and laughed when people said it was dyno tested to add 3-5hp...I also laughed with smoother idle, smoother top end, and every other claim in there. We're talking wire here. I also had an arguement with some guy who said a certain brand was better...really wire with a logo is better engineered?

The car is electrically grounded, if you like it or not. From the factory. Never did I say there isn't performance to be had, but lets be real. It's wire. It does nothing and you can't prove it does. And to be fair I can't prove it doesn't, but I'll go with odds...if you can't really explain why (how the hell does it affect shifting of a mechanical device that's hydraulically controlled) or how...I don't really have to prove it doesn't.

If you want to "think" it does something...go ahead. I'm not stopping you from buying them. But to tell me that some guy in a garage selling wire from radio shack is "engineer" over nissan or any other car (I don't see grounding kits on Ferrari) you're kidding yourself.

Why does Stillen sell them...because they take $5 worth of wire and sell it for $100.

 

Thanks Doug, I like your response too....except...." I hate to tell you this but the Multi-Billion Dollar aftermarket community was built on improving the vehicle." I hate to tell you, but the Multi-Billion Dollar aftermarket
community was built on making profit rather than improving the product.
That's why manufacturers

 

I agree with you on many of your points Beer Mag. I don't believe that it will get you any more HP and I can't say anything as to the smoothness of any other operating systems. I didn't notice any difference. And as for using one type of wire over another I also agree with you. It doesn't really matter. But the honest fact is that the car now shifts a lot firmer with the grounding kit. As far as anything else performance wise, I couldn't tell. I don't endorse any Kit over another, in fact, I made my own because I am cheap and like to do it myself.

I am well aware of the placebo affect. I have done a few mods to my car with little to no noticeable affect. Small HP power is hard to feel with a butt dyno. But shifting firmness... hard to negate.

If we both can agree, the engine and tranny is made of aluminum and the engine and tranny are mounted to the frame with rubber mounts, for vibration reasons. So the only contact to ground this the small 12-gauge wire or wires that is connected to the front of the engine. Now check out this page on metal conductivity. As we see Alum has almost half the conductivity and almost double the resistance of copper and is not nearly as dense. Meaning the electrical impulse can travel much faster along copper wire than through Alum. And that is what we are talking about is the electrical impulse. Don't forget the whole engine (spark plugs, throttle bodies, VVEL system, Transmission and other stuff) is run off those one or two 12-gauge stock wires. Is the engine/car grounded... yes. Could it be better grounded... yes.

We both have no idea of each other. You might have thought it was going to snap your head back when it shifts... and it didn't, it only had a slight change. So this is the biggest waste of time in your mind. I don't know. You also don't know me and I could have thought vise-versa. To be honest I just like the intelligent exchange of ideas.

 

Very good Jon. I do have to agree with you there. But there are still some companies that actually do it to improve the car. Our job is to find those companies and help them stay alive.

 

In the seventies they used to sell a gizmo that attached to your car and was in constant contact with the road. It was supposed to help too.

 

I don't get why everyone is criticizing him, he has a point. If people make claims they should be able to back them up. I don't think it unreasonable to require proof from manufacturers that their product does what it says it does.

 

Doug, sorry for the interrupted post.....got to make some quick trades....
I like the conversation and will return.....Thanks.

 

Now this is what I like to see. We have established that a product exists and some question to the claims of performance improvment are on both sides of the fence. We agree that we have no proof? So as stated before, a test as the one I mentioned or some other test could be done I'm sure in a short time frame and put some end to this ongoing debate.

So again, do we have any takers?

I find it very funny that people question customers wanting a manufacture to have proof of a products ability to improve.

 

Why r u guys paying $75 for grounding wires?