Ground straight to the battery?

[HK2k 10+ year member]

I was just thinking that with as much time and money as people spend to correctly set up an electrical system, is it at all better to run the ground wires from the amps directly to the negative terminal of the battery? It wouldn't be that much more work than grounding to the frame of the car, and it seems like there would be less resistance. Any thoughts? Thanks.

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[PretecSH 10+ year member]

I dont know why but my tach is the only thing i hooked up to the battery ground and one night it messed up. I hooked it up to the block and its been fine since.

no idea why.

pretec

 

[clarity413 10+ year member]

I actually asked this question a while ago. Anyways, everyone's response was it didn't make a difference one way or another. There are some pros about directly connecting the amp to the battery though. There is less interference with the freqs... this only makes a difference with cb/ham type radios though. There isn't as much of a load put on the bat -> ground wire. This doesn't make too much of a difference unless you plan on running an insane amount of amps. Anyways, most of the electrical problems are because of low amp alternators. However, I just went ahead and spent the extra 10 bucks or whatever and ran a neg wire to my bat I'm running 160amps through my two amps though.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

There isn't as much of a load put on the bat -> ground wire.

you kidding me? your vehicle's electrical system is a circuit...all current flows through every point in the circuit unless something's shorted out. The battery's ground is extremely important, which is why it's part of the "magic three" to get upgraded to a larger gauge when it comes time to.

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

it comes down to resistance. We know wire of a given gauge has a given resistance per unit length. The question - which no one here knows the answer to - is -- Which is less resistive, the wire, or your car's chassis?

My sources say the answer is a car's chassis, others claim it would be the wire.

 

[Acidburn 5,000+ posts]

i have heard that the car's chassis has less resistance too

 

[forbidden 10+ year member]

Most of you will be quite surprised at the resistance in the ground return using the car's chassis. 99% of installers never check this most important connection. Always make sure you check it and sooner or later someone just might add this important fact to the big 3 wire upgrade.

 

[skeptikal Premium Member]

did someone seriously say ground it to the negative battery terminal? i didnt think it was possible to do it without ****ing up the amp.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

did someone seriously say ground it to the negative battery terminal? i didnt think it was possible to do it without ****ing up the amp.

where else does the ground connection go? *silly*

that's what a DMM is for...0 ohms is telling you something *silly*

 

[LBX2G 10+ year member]

o ok ok let me get this question right u want to ground the amp negative terminal to the battery???????????????????????

 

[Omarvelous 10+ year member]

It's also cheaper to ground to the chasis, saves on the amount of wire needed.

But if the money isn't an object, and u like long grounds, then go for it.

JUST make sure ALL your wires arent exposed..... LONG story

 

[kungfoojesus 10+ year member]

If grounding it to the chasis works then ground it to the chasis. Why run a looong *** ground all the way back up to the battery if it isn't necessary?

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Noise resistance. That's about the only reason to do it.

I think this topic has been covered elsewhere on the forum //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[monte_carlo97 10+ year member]

I think this topic has been covered elsewhere on the forum //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

Sure has

10 chars

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

you kidding me? your vehicle's electrical system is a circuit...all current flows through every point in the circuit unless something's shorted out. The battery's ground is extremely important, which is why it's part of the "magic three" to get upgraded to a larger gauge when it comes time to.

If you ground straight to the battery, he is correct, the current that flows through the amps' power and ground will not go through the battery ground. That is the point of the direct battery ground. You bypass the chassis and battery ground and give it a straight shot. My amps are grounded that way, FWIW.