Jump to content

BIG 3 / Alt with no GROUND wire!


Recommended Posts

Hey everyone, I was attempting the BIG 3 or 4 upgrade recently and realized my alternator does not have a stock ground wire for me to upgrade to 0/1. I've been looking for days on what to do if this happened with no answers anywhere.  2011 Scion Tc.

 

After googling the alternator for my car I think the ground for it is integrated with the metal around alternator frame itself. And since it's mounted on the engine block no stock ground wire was added.

 

Should I remove a bolt from the side of the alternator and add a 0/1 ground anyways to the engine block, or is it redundant at that point? Or maybe run it to the negative post on the battery for the hell of it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just add the wire to the alternator bracket and ground it to the frame

 

U can never have enough ground 

06 Charger

Pioneer double din

Pioneer 6.5 and 6×9's

Knukoncept Krystal kable rca's

0 ga knukoncept kolossus wire 

Big 3 same wire ^ 1 run 

8g karma ss speaker wire

Sundown sia 3500d at 1ohm

2 Sundown U series 12's

Duralast platinum agm H7 (Main)

Xs power d3400

Trying to find a ho alt

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, Robiel said:

Hey everyone, I was attempting the BIG 3 or 4 upgrade recently and realized my alternator does not have a stock ground wire for me to upgrade to 0/1. I've been looking for days on what to do if this happened with no answers anywhere.  2011 Scion Tc.

 

After googling the alternator for my car I think the ground for it is integrated with the metal around alternator frame itself. And since it's mounted on the engine block no stock ground wire was added.

 

Should I remove a bolt from the side of the alternator and add a 0/1 ground anyways to the engine block, or is it redundant at that point? Or maybe run it to the negative post on the battery for the hell of it?

There's no stock wire from the battery negative that runs to the engine block? 

2011 Chevy Silverado under construction

My build log here. Check it out! 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's a ground in there somewhere. There *has* to be

BUT

Don't get hung up on it. You're adding to your factory grounds, not replacing them.

Ideally, if mounting positions allow: your best bet is to attach a ground to one of the mounting bolts on your alt. Barring that - a bigger/sturdier bolt / bracket you have access to that IS NOT part of a gasket. i.e. don't attach a ground to your valve cover.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, Dafaseles said:

There's no stock wire from the battery negative that runs to the engine block? 

The battery portion of the car only had negative from the battery to the frame. I upgraded that one already. The alternator doesn't have a ground wire to upgrade. I'll have to add my own wire to one of the Bolts on the bracket. I was confused as I thought all alternators had visible ground wires but I guess it's internal and some how grounded to the bracket and mounted on the engine block. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, Robiel said:

The battery portion of the car only had negative from the battery to the frame. I upgraded that one already. The alternator doesn't have a ground wire to upgrade. I'll have to add my own wire to one of the Bolts on the bracket. I was confused as I thought all alternators had visible ground wires but I guess it's internal and some how grounded to the bracket and mounted on the engine block. 

Like @SnowDriftersaid, there has to be something there already. If the battery negative only goes to the frame, there has to be something grounding the engine block to the frame. 

But it's not super important to find it. Just add where you can. 

2011 Chevy Silverado under construction

My build log here. Check it out! 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Who's Online   0 Members, 0 Anonymous, 837 Guests (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
×
×
  • Create New...