[DML] Re: Grounding.

["content22207" <brobertson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Speaking for myself, I used the term "EFI boys" as a collective multi-state group. You all *HAVE* been regrounding your cars, often in response to ground issues....

Gauge change is the big difference in my ground bus. It parallels the original seven ground wires (which were left intact and are still there, thank you very much). My car's ground profile is huge compared to a stock car, but it basically follows the same path.

Two of the seven OEM ground wires go to the headlights. My bus parallels them to the stainless bar behind the headlights, albeit 10 gauge, not 4. This eliminates any/all potential problems in the washer bottle harness connector. Junctions behind each headlight have been tied into that stainless bar. 

My bus does run to the engine as a secondary block ground.

And it has its own dedicated connection to the battery.

Stock wiring forces nearly the entire vehicle into seven 12 gauge ground wires -- that's it. With the exception of the radiator bolt (radiator fans and the trunk light) and the engine itself, every electrical circuit on the car -- including K-Jet (it's routed through the passenger compartment, not the engine) -- depends upon seven 12 gauge wires. The disparity between wire cross section on the positive side and wire cross section on the negative side is staggering. 

One final note: not a single OEM wire was cut or rerouted. My entire ground bus overlays the original ground system. It can be removed at any time and the car returned to stock configuration. 

Bill Robertson
#5939

--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Owen" <omalbec@...> wrote:
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> I'm new to this amusing little thread, but confess that reading it is much like watching a train wreck.  I do wish that you would leave my name out of your discussions unless you are willing to confirm all the facts first.  I have *NO* issues with my stock Delorean's electrical system and EFI playing nicely together, even with my large audio amplifier.  Never have. Dave M. helped solve an A/C compressor noise issue that was causing an alternator light flash and radio blips, but a simple capacitor/diode solved that problem.  
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> My grounding is to the engine block, all in one spot, as close to the Megasquirt unit as possible.  No additional ground bus in my car, but I have indeed ensured that the one 4 gauge strap from the battery to the frame was replaced after 30 some odd years of corrosion and exposure to the elements.  Anyone that believes their crimped on ring connectors are still electrically or mechanically tight on their old cables is insane.  I did reconfigure the + side minimally in that I commoned the battery, the alternator, the starter and the + supply post to the car together on one bar in lieu of the + post in the engine compartment.  No more daisy chain.  Others have indeed found that something in our cars interferes with the spark control features of Megasquirt (using the new 3.57 board, not 3.0 like mine) and not the fuel control portion.  It could be a more sensitive circuit.  I do not have the benefit of having crawled over their connections, cables and grounds like mine, so I won't make any arm waving generalizations on them.  
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> Lastly, I'm curious.  What is the difference between all grounds going to one post (per stock schematic) before being carried on 1 wire to the battery terminal, versus 1 wire coming off the battery, running longer but with the branches then coming off it?  Is it ultimately not the same; many into one?  Gauge change is one thing, but the shorter the distance traveled on 1 singular wire versus multiple smaller gauge wires is better in my mind, not worse, isn't it?  
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> Perhaps it is the tight bundling of wire with both + and - in proximity to one another over long straight stretches that induces cross talk and noise?
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