Can I ground my amps to the negative post on my cap?

[parabola]

It is the method for providing the shortest possible (and most convenient) ground. Also the negative post has a 4ga cable attached to it and thats what I need to ground my amps with. I had a shop install the cap a long time ago, so I'm not sure where that ground cable goes..

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[maylar 10+ year member]

The "recommended" installation is to ground the amp to the sheetmetal within 2 feet of the amp, then run separate wires from the cap to the + and - terminals on the amp. If your cap is grounded, it was wired incorrectly (for getting max beneft of it).

However, for all practical purposes yes you can connect to the cap neg terminal for amp ground if the cap is grounded.

 

[Bumpin_Ack 10+ year member]

^ I thought most caps recommend that the cap also be grounded?

 

[PT Teal 10+ year member]

I am confused here as well, can someone say more on this

 

[indosia 10+ year member]

You ground both the amp and the cap to a single point on the chassis. You do NOT ground the amp to the caps negative post. The only wire going from the cap to the amp should be +.

 

[paikiah 5,000+ posts]

You ground both the amp and the cap to a single point on the chassis. You do NOT ground the amp to the caps negative post. The only wire going from the cap to the amp should be +.

i think we want to know WHY it shouldn't be done.

 

[indosia 10+ year member]

Your amp wants a short ground path with as little resistance as possible. Grounding your amp to the caps negative terminal will cause more risistance than if you just grounded str8 to the chassis.

 

[PT Teal 10+ year member]

The "recommended" installation is to ground the amp to the sheetmetal within 2 feet of the amp, then run separate wires from the cap to the + and - terminals on the amp. If your cap is grounded, it was wired incorrectly (for getting max beneft of it).
However, for all practical purposes yes you can connect to the cap neg terminal for amp ground if the cap is grounded.

If your cap is grounded, it was wired incorrectly (for getting max beneft of it). this is what i wanted to know

 

[fast4door 10+ year member]

Originally Posted by maylarThe "recommended" installation is to ground the amp to the sheetmetal within 2 feet of the amp, then run separate wires from the cap to the + and - terminals on the amp. If your cap is grounded, it was wired incorrectly (for getting max beneft of it).

However, for all practical purposes yes you can connect to the cap neg terminal for amp ground if the cap is grounded

Well what if my cap is hooked directly to a extra battery in the trunk then to the amp??

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

The "recommended" installation is to ground the amp to the sheetmetal within 2 feet of the amp, then run separate wires from the cap to the + and - terminals on the amp. If your cap is grounded, it was wired incorrectly (for getting max beneft of it).

Of course since it's parallel wiring, it's almost 6 of one half a dozen of the other. As long as the wires are as short as possible it shouldn't really matter much. You are grounding the cap by running the neg wire from it to the amp neg terminal which is also grounded. If it ends up being less wire to run the amp to the cap and then to ground than the other way around, then you should be fine.