ground

**Bluecoma** · 06-26-2002, 08:57 AM

I just got a cap and need to put it in soon, where can i get a ground wire? I know this sounds some what stupid but can it be any kind of wire or is it a certain type?

**89accordlxi** · 06-26-2002, 11:29 AM

What kind of wire is the rest of the system hooked up with. If you are adding a cap then I would assume you are running an amp... Use what ever guage wire the amp is using and you should be fine.

Wire made specifically for car audio would be best to use. Don't just go and cut up a lamp cord or something like that.....

Hope this helps.

Peace out.

**Bluecoma** · 06-26-2002, 11:54 AM

I have 4 guage running to my amp. I have some extra 8 guage so i'm gonna use that.

**NOAHS88accord** · 06-27-2002, 02:41 AM

NEVER EVER EVER, use smaller cable for your cap then you have for your amp, the cap will overheat and start leaking the anti freeze type liquid and it will be ruined along with anything near it. using smaller cable causes more resistance therefore causing more heat therefore overheating the cap

BELIEVE ME i have seen it happen to people

**Bluecoma** · 06-27-2002, 10:05 AM

No just for the ground, everything else is 4 guage.

**NOAHS88accord** · 06-29-2002, 01:56 AM

use 4 gauge cable for everything, it looks cleaner, and like i said before using different sizes will cause resistance therefore causing the cap to overheat the 4 gauge cable is only like $2.00 for the length you will probably need. if you cant afford the $2.00 give me your address and i will send you a $2.00 check

**POS carb** · 06-29-2002, 09:56 PM

lol, I can't believe this

picture the electricity like water and the cables of hoses. Think of your cap as your engine. hmm your positive wire is 4 gauge (upper radiator hose) but your ground is only 8 gauge (lower hose). Electrons flow in a circuit so the most that can flow through the circuit is whatever flows through the 8 gauge only an electrical fire isn't as forgiving as a leaking hose.
You can't fill a pool with a firehose and drain it with a straw!

**pimp86LX** · 07-07-2002, 11:30 AM

Originally posted by POS carb
lol, I can't believe this

picture the electricity like water and the cables of hoses. Think of your cap as your engine. hmm your positive wire is 4 gauge (upper radiator hose) but your ground is only 8 gauge (lower hose). Electrons flow in a circuit so the most that can flow through the circuit is whatever flows through the 8 gauge only an electrical fire isn't as forgiving as a leaking hose.
You can't fill a pool with a firehose and drain it with a straw!

DOOD you sound like my freakin college prof.!!! lol

**88lxicoupe** · 07-10-2002, 04:13 PM

unless ur running a huge system 4 guage sounds kinda of big to me 8 is good but i wouldnt go ne higher than 6 but what do i know

**shepherd79** · 07-11-2002, 10:50 PM

As NOAHS88accord said use the same size what you are using for power. if you don't you will overheat your amp. plus you will be hearing loud POP sound everytime you turn off the stereo.

**Bluecoma** · 07-12-2002, 02:03 PM

I used the 4 gauge.

unless ur running a huge system 4 guage sounds kinda of big to me 8 is good but i wouldnt go ne higher than 6 but what do i know

I have a 1000w Lanzar amp so i do need the 4 gauge

**88lxicoupe** · 07-12-2002, 07:19 PM

i got 8 runnin to my pheonix gold. ne larger and i dont think it would of fit

**TeKKnoTeKK** · 07-14-2002, 12:01 PM

Yeah I bought some 4 guage wire once......it was like a steel cable, you could have towed a car with that shit. Unless you are running 1000+ watts that wire is WAY too big.

**87DXHatch** · 07-14-2002, 09:56 PM

According to my Crutchfield guide to car stereo, you should use 4 guage if you are going over like 350 watts... My friend and I wired up his Ratshack 360 watt amp with a 4-guage kit... that wire is not very thick at all.

Anyways, the moral is, better safe than sorry... there are no downsides to getting a fatter cable, but with cable that is too thin, you can melt it if you run too much power through it.

**TeKKnoTeKK** · 07-15-2002, 11:40 AM

4 guage is not that thick? Are you nuts? Crutchfield is high....my amp is 800-1000 watts and my 8 guage works just fine, I would never listen to crutchfield anyway. Moral of the story is with car stereo's everyone has their own opinion on what's best. But for you to say 4 guage is not that thick is crazy, it's thicker than my battery terminal wire.

**88bluelx** · 07-20-2002, 06:17 PM

I have a 700s and I have four gauge if I was to do it over again I would use 8 gauge

**86LX-ihatch** · 07-22-2002, 08:19 PM

Here is the deal in my opinion. Different size wire is rated to carry different amounts of current. Now the length of the wire is considered in how much current it will carry also. Now, I wouldn't fully rely on the rated power of the amplifier to figure your wire size. Look at the fuse in the amplifer, because you figure amperage draw when figuring your wire size. Ex. If you are running 15ft. of power wire and your amplifier pulls 40amps of current on average youwill need 8 awg power wire.
Now 8 awg ground would probably work fine because the lenght the current is traveling is much shorter than on your power wire. Your power wire is probably running 12-18 feet and your ground will be less than a foot therfore it won't have to be as big as your power. For consmetic reasons I would run the same size as the power but it isn't necessary.
If money is a problem I have seen welding cable used successfully in car stereo installs.
Just my 2 cents.

**staticpat** · 07-22-2002, 08:25 PM

Originally posted by 86LX-ihatch
I have seen welding cable used successfully in car stereo installs.

thats what im using, its 1/0 guage, and i only have a 600w amp. its hecks ass cheaper, just harder to work with. its also grounded with a 4 guage battery cable, and works just fine.

**monsonhonda** · 07-23-2002, 07:10 AM

where do you guys run your grounds in the trunk, just looking for a good place

**POS carb** · 07-28-2002, 09:10 PM

if you compare the wires you will see the difference, a car electrical system is a high-current system, a house/industrial electrical system is high voltage. a high current wire will use multiple thin strands of conductor whereas a high voltage application may use a few thick or even 1 solid conductor. moral of the story... yeah you can use your 1/0 gauge welding wire for the amp but 1/0 gauge welding wire will probably support less current than a 1/0 gauge high current wire. electricity has been studied for over a century, don't you think there's a reason behind these seemingly insignificant differences. i used to run house wire to my amps too but they were pos jensens that were only pumping about 300 watts rms a piece, after upgrading amps i bought good quality interconnects and power wires and i have no noise or shorting problems, nor does the wiring ever get hot

**89bumblethumper** · 07-28-2002, 10:01 PM

run your grounds anywhere on your chassis...but i found out that if you have a digital cap, and your ground for you cap is too close to your ground for your amp(s) the LED display wont work....so if you want to play it 1000 times safe, get yourself THE SAME GAUGE WIRE AS THE INCOMING WIRE, and run it STRAIGHT to the negative post on your battery...that solved my problem with the LED...and EVERYTHING works fantastic now.