Jarvace

I installed a grounding kit to my Forester and couldn't find much information on previous installs to a 2003 - 2005 XS so here are some pics and instructions.

It has made my car idle better, smoother acceleration, electrical stuff doesn't dim any more when you use the car windows etc. It has also made my sound system sound better, in a nut shell i thoroughly recommend doing this as the OEM grounding kit is pretty piss poor.

I believe the improvement to the engine running smoother is down to properly and directly grounding the throttle body and giving all the sensors ie MAP, IACV etc a really good connection rather than just going through the bolts to the manifold.

So here is the route i took:

Battery Negative -> Drivers side Intake Manifold

Drivers side Intake Manifold -> Alternator

Alternator -> Throttle body bolt

Throttle Body bolt -> Passenger side Intake Manifold

Passenger side Intake Manifold -> Chassis or strut nut.

All of the new ground wires were installed with dielectric grease and i made sure all the bolts connections etc was clean and shiny using a dremmel.

I had the wires custom made for me, i'm not very good at soldering so i left it to a professional.

Here's some pics:





Battery Connection:



Alternator Connection:


Throttle Body Connection:

Throttle Body Connection, close up:


Passenger side Intake Mannifold Connection:


Chassis Connection:

Nthads

Nice write up! Was poking around the forum the other day looking for grounding solutions.

link1896

It's quite amazing the difference it makes. I noticed improved idle and better automatic shifting performance mainly.

Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX

I need to do this...

EffenBee

What was your total cost?

Mizac

I also did this to my 2000 L. There was a very noticeable difference. It idled and ran much, much smoother. I made my own wiring setup from 10 or 12 gauge wire, connector eyes and hear shrink, and soldered it all together. Had less than 20 bux in it.

pleiad7

That looks like a nice kit, but one thing I would recommend is to reduce the slack in the wires as much as possible. The shorter the individual pieces, the better.

__________________
-Silke
04 FXT PP PSM ~ "Subed"
98 Forester S ~ "Slynki"

Nthads

does anyone know where to get the high temp woven ribbon cable? iv seen several cars stock using this type of grounding and im thinking it might be a cleaner and less apt to fail from heat and will provide a pretty solid grounding path...yet probably susceptible to corrosion?..... but anyways....any thoughts?

Chilidawg

From an aesthetic or safety standpoint, I understand. Electrically, I'm puzzled. Electricity travels through wire at slightly less than the speed of light. I believe that the gauge, number of strands of wire in the cable, and quality of the connections would have a more significant effect than length.
Less is better when it comes to resistance in this case.

But you're right, neatness counts.

__________________
________
Kent
2004 Black XS
4EAT

Wessneroo

From a physics standpoint, R = (pL)/A. Resistance equals resistivity times length divided by area. There is a direct relationship between length and resistance.

__________________
-Matt
'06 FXT Limited 4EAT CGM - "Roo II"

Nthads

with all this being said if you go with something similar to what i was saying with the metal woven ribbon and kept the length short and tight. It would prob have phenomenal conductivity yet resistance would probably be a bit higher than a straight wire but more surface area and wider than a spun wire.... just throwing thoughts out there.....

Easy Fixer

How does the expression go? Too much of a good thing is sometimes too much! For sure, a properly grounded engine is a necessity. However, remember that some Subarus are waste spark ignition systems. A high voltage spark on one end of the engine should go to the other. Put a nice low resistance ground wire between and you might get a misfire.

forester06x

Wow, that sounds like a pretty big improvement, even stopping the lights dimming is a huge plus in my book. I will have to do this.

__________________
5MT Swapped & M62 Supercharged (WIP)-The GolfBall

Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX

But is the difference in 1-2" of wire, worth even mentioning?

No...

dirtroadrunner

Anyone with the grounding kit notice a reduction in the greenish-white powder (corrosion?) buildup around the battery? I have to clean mine every month or two, which is kind of annoying because every other car I've ever owned never had that crap grow on the battery. The terminals are cleaned, greased, etc and I still get it.

I may put together a grounding kit this weekend. My lights dim when I run the power windows all of the time.