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my grounding kit results

Old 11-03-2006, 03:43 PM
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I'm having some recent difficulties with my grounding kit/system. The first round of problems started when I went to my car after work. Went to start the car and nothing...I checked the battery cables and found that the grounding plate was loose. I tightened it by hand and it was enough to allow me to start the car. When I got home, I tightened it further.

That problem went away and things were fine for 2 weeks or so...then a new problem started to occur. The new problem occurs when I am driving at high rates of speed and then come to a stop...like when the freeway goes from full speed to stopped...or when stopping at the end of a freeway offramp.

What occurs is that the electrical for the car seems to shut off. The radio dies, the dash cluster lights up like at startup and the car shuts off. In most cases, the engine restarts on its own...but I am left with the falshing DSC and traction control lights (again, like when you disconnect/reconnect the battery). What is strange though, is that the radio presets do not clear out, the radio clock continues to be on the correct time (which suggests that the battery was not disconnected).

It happened again this morning as I was braking on the offramp. I did not happen to have my radio on at this time...so the only way I knew something was going on is that the brake pedal did not work the same....was almost as if I didn't have brakes for the short period of time that the engine/electrical was doing its thing.

I am at the point right now where I just want to pull the system off the car.

Any ideas guys....am I just dealing with a bad grounding plate, not a good connection with the negative terminal? This is a new problem...it was not like this the first month I had the system installed.
Old 11-03-2006, 03:48 PM
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Originally Posted by M23RX8
The coil packs ground to the engine (which is grounded to the chassis), not those 2 tiny wires. Something else in the engine bay is using the metal plate for the coil pack as a ground, thats why they are attached.

BTW, that Buddy Club ground kit is out of control. As a rule, grounds should be as short as possible. Plus, the longer the wire, the more resistance it will give = not good.
GREAT!!!
so, what are those wires? i'd like to know the best way to do this w/out cutting my coils.
Old 11-03-2006, 04:10 PM
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Originally Posted by kwescott
I'm having some recent difficulties with my grounding kit/system. The first round of problems started when I went to my car after work. Went to start the car and nothing...I checked the battery cables and found that the grounding plate was loose. I tightened it by hand and it was enough to allow me to start the car. When I got home, I tightened it further.

That problem went away and things were fine for 2 weeks or so...then a new problem started to occur. The new problem occurs when I am driving at high rates of speed and then come to a stop...like when the freeway goes from full speed to stopped...or when stopping at the end of a freeway offramp.

What occurs is that the electrical for the car seems to shut off. The radio dies, the dash cluster lights up like at startup and the car shuts off. In most cases, the engine restarts on its own...but I am left with the falshing DSC and traction control lights (again, like when you disconnect/reconnect the battery). What is strange though, is that the radio presets do not clear out, the radio clock continues to be on the correct time (which suggests that the battery was not disconnected).

It happened again this morning as I was braking on the offramp. I did not happen to have my radio on at this time...so the only way I knew something was going on is that the brake pedal did not work the same....was almost as if I didn't have brakes for the short period of time that the engine/electrical was doing its thing.

I am at the point right now where I just want to pull the system off the car.

Any ideas guys....am I just dealing with a bad grounding plate, not a good connection with the negative terminal? This is a new problem...it was not like this the first month I had the system installed.
Make sure the negative terminal post on the battery is not broken. Its actually quite fragile.

Last edited by M23RX8; 11-03-2006 at 05:28 PM.
Old 11-03-2006, 05:34 PM
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Originally Posted by MazdaManiac
I then measured the resistance to the chassis ground buy the washer bottle to the negative terminal as a baseline. The amount of resistance to ground from this point in the chassis is considerable at 4.7 ohms.



I then attached the first wire to this point on the chassis to the distribution block.



Then I re-measured the resistance from the ground point right next to the one just connected (to get the actual change in grounding at this point rather than what is being carried directly by the wire). The resistance had dropped to .4 ohm! 1/10 the original resistance.



.

Regarding ohms, when the number goes down the resistance goes UP!
Old 11-03-2006, 05:39 PM
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Originally Posted by M23RX8
Regarding ohms, when the number goes down the resistance goes UP!

hmn...this statement strikes me as odd..
Old 11-03-2006, 06:18 PM
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somewhere Georg Ohm is rolling in his grave
Old 11-03-2006, 07:39 PM
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Was MM drinking or did someone change the post.
Old 11-03-2006, 07:46 PM
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Originally Posted by kwescott
I'm having some recent difficulties with my grounding kit/system. The first round of problems started when I went to my car after work. Went to start the car and nothing...I checked the battery cables and found that the grounding plate was loose. I tightened it by hand and it was enough to allow me to start the car. When I got home, I tightened it further.

That problem went away and things were fine for 2 weeks or so...then a new problem started to occur. The new problem occurs when I am driving at high rates of speed and then come to a stop...like when the freeway goes from full speed to stopped...or when stopping at the end of a freeway offramp.

What occurs is that the electrical for the car seems to shut off. The radio dies, the dash cluster lights up like at startup and the car shuts off. In most cases, the engine restarts on its own...but I am left with the falshing DSC and traction control lights (again, like when you disconnect/reconnect the battery). What is strange though, is that the radio presets do not clear out, the radio clock continues to be on the correct time (which suggests that the battery was not disconnected).


It happened again this morning as I was braking on the offramp. I did not happen to have my radio on at this time...so the only way I knew something was going on is that the brake pedal did not work the same....was almost as if I didn't have brakes for the short period of time that the engine/electrical was doing its thing.

I am at the point right now where I just want to pull the system off the car.

Any ideas guys....am I just dealing with a bad grounding plate, not a good connection with the negative terminal? This is a new problem...it was not like this the first month I had the system installed.

The problem with some of the ground kits is the terminal connector and plate is coated with a paint that is not very conductive.

I would rough up the inside of the negative terminal to prevent this from happening.
Old 11-03-2006, 08:14 PM
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Originally Posted by M23RX8
The coil packs ground to the engine (which is grounded to the chassis), not those 2 tiny wires. Something else in the engine bay is using the metal plate for the coil pack as a ground, thats why they are attached.

BTW, that Buddy Club ground kit is out of control. As a rule, grounds should be as short as possible. Plus, the longer the wire, the more resistance it will give = not good.
I guess you had better pull out your coils and follow the grounds on the harness before you pontificate on something that you haven't checked out.

Look at it and get back to us with your final answer

OH...by the way there are 4 small wires on that ground point....coincidence??
Old 11-03-2006, 10:31 PM
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Originally Posted by M23RX8
Regarding ohms, when the number goes down the resistance goes UP!
Uh, no. Ohms IS resistance. You are confusing current. When resistance (measured in ohms) goes down, current goes up.
E=IR, R=E/I, I=E/R, etc...

Originally Posted by 4 years to Supercharge
Was MM drinking or did someone change the post.
What do you mean?

Originally Posted by M23RX8
The coil packs ground to the engine (which is grounded to the chassis), not those 2 tiny wires.
Unfortunately, not true.
The attachment lug on the coil is not wired to the ground internally, so the plate serves no other purpose than to attach the coils physically.

Last edited by MazdaManiac; 11-03-2006 at 10:35 PM.
Old 11-03-2006, 11:04 PM
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Thank you MM. I was counting on my fingers there for a moment. You missed the 'but wait, to zero the ohm meter I touch the probes and...' mumble mumble.

Been awhile. I don't even know where my mutimeter is...
Old 11-04-2006, 04:36 AM
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Originally Posted by MazdaManiac
What do you mean?


oops I thought you had said the number going down meant the resistance went up, it was after your quoted post.

I know you know better. That is why I asked if someone changed what you said or you must be posting while being tanked like some of us do.
Old 11-04-2006, 07:54 AM
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Originally Posted by dannobre
I guess you had better pull out your coils and follow the grounds on the harness before you pontificate on something that you haven't checked out.

Look at it and get back to us with your final answer

OH...by the way there are 4 small wires on that ground point....coincidence??

You're right, I made that statement prematurely. It certainly looks like the coils use the plate as a ground though. Plus, to use such a small guage wire as a ground for something like a coil doesnt make sense to me. Sorry for the bad info.

Uh, no. Ohms IS resistance. You are confusing current. When resistance (measured in ohms) goes down, current goes up.
Right again. Ok, Ill stop posting now.
Old 11-04-2006, 01:30 PM
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http://www.sromagazine.com/shop/productinfo6380.html
Old 11-04-2006, 02:43 PM
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^^ I've got a bridge to sell. You interested?
Old 11-04-2006, 07:11 PM
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And I hae some swamp land in Florida--beach front.
Just have to tap into the black wires off the individual coil pack--not that hard.
OD
Old 11-04-2006, 07:19 PM
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True. Don't know for sure the benefit, however.
Old 11-05-2006, 08:47 AM
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Benefit? It is reported per Roar racing and speed source and my good friend Charlie at Mazcare to help with burning up coils. If you never had coil probs--then I guess it is a mute point. If you have(all 4 of mine was burnt) then it is a good thing . Simple mod for some insurance.
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Old 11-05-2006, 10:03 AM
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I've fried a 1/2 dozen of the things over the last two years.
However, the primary path to ground for the coils is through the plug! The ground wire is just a reference for the trigger pulse.
Old 11-05-2006, 10:18 AM
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it's obviously more than just a ground issue, Mazda could provide an easy fix for it rather than alternate coils
Old 11-05-2006, 10:24 AM
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The problem is that those coils ere designed to fire 1/2 of the amount of time that the Renesis makes them fire.
You are already at their maximum design duty cycle by the time you get to 5k RPM.
Old 11-05-2006, 04:27 PM
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In the meantime, does anybody claim any REAL difference between the $200 Super-Duper grounding kit and the $25 eBay special? As in SupDup works 10% better, 100% better, 1% better?
Old 11-05-2006, 04:31 PM
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My experiment was with a cheapie. I can't imagine what improvement could be made with something more expensive.
Perhaps a cosmetic difference?
Old 11-05-2006, 05:00 PM
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MM, was it successful enough that you plan on retaining the cheap wires, or have you removed them?
Old 11-05-2006, 05:01 PM
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Well, I have no reason to remove them. They do what I'd expect, so I'm leaving them.

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