Grounded TB mod?

[HammerZ71]

Anybody running this on their Hemi?

When I first heard about it I was skeptical as hell, so I tried it just to disprove it. I gotta admit however, that I can see a difference in throttle response...

[AWE Daniel]

Whatchu talking bout?

[Onk]

Do my eyes deceive me or it that really Ed?

[ORT]

..........

[HammerZ71]

Lots of guys are running it including me. There is a long thread about it on DT.

To be honest Teach, I had read something about it on a Jeep forum not long after the WKs came out and had the Hemi, but really didn't pay much attention to it.
But it's been picking up a lot of press on a LOT of forums recently. I thought "now way could this make a difference, the TB is grounded already or it wouldn't operate". Well I was wrong. I happened to have a brand new 24" pre-terminated 4 AWG wire in the garage I keep around for connecting batteries for either 24v trolling motor use or for extra winch power. So I hooked it up this morning from the TB to a sidewall ground (wasn't long enough to hit the neg battery post without running over the engine). First thing I noticed was my normal 200 RPM fluctuation at idle was GONE. Idle needle held steady as a rock. I'm pretty sure I can sense a better throttle response, although I won't 100% rule out the placebo effect. Now on deceleration there is no doubt, I feel a lot more response when I take my foot off the gas.
Haven't had a chance to run the truck outside of my neighborhood, which means no WOT or even speeds over about 40 mph, so as I get to test it hitting the gas hard, I'll better know about response on acceleration.

But to be honest, for the cost of the mod my rock steady idle alone is worth leaving the wire there (and it's basically a freeby as I'm sure most people have a piece of wire laying around - and you don't need 4 AWG, I just happened to have one pre-made at about the right length).

This is one y'all need to try...

And yeah Kevin, it's me. I ain't been on here at all or even the "other" forum I run nearly as much as I used to be. Got laid off the day after Thanksgiving when the place I worked for declared bankruptcy. I've got a few offers up home in GA, but my mom's health isn't good enough for me to leave her in FL. So I've been running around picking up as much work as I can doing about anything. I've done welding, re-done a boat right down to ripping everything out, fiberglassing, sanding, painting, wiring and installing everything from bilge pump to lights. Been giving golf lessons here and there and done a few truck mods for people. So I've been just a bit busy, LOL...

[HammerZ71]

Oh sorry, back to the mod.

Basically you take a piece of wire, 12 gauge would probably be fine or anything thicker, and loosen one of the bolts holding the throttle body on (there are four, one in each corner on the face). Connect the other to chassis ground or the negative battery terminal and you're done. Five minutes if you have a CAI as the bolts are right there in front of you, 10-20 minutes if you have to either finagle a way around the "Hemi Hat" or remove it to get it out of the way.

I just talked with a buddy of mine who is a retired electrical engineer with 17 years at NASA via text message and he told me why this works. It basically has to do with getting rid of electrical noise (same way as when your stereo whistles on acceleration and you fix it by increasing the ground). Also it dissipates static electricity that builds on the metal body of the TB. Normally this static builds until it is higher than the voltage coming into the TB from the battery and then it shoots out the TB ground wire through the stock plug. However it won't do it until it builds to a point that it can take the path of least resistance. With the housing grounded to chassis, this static never forms.

Makes sense I guess. Anyway this guy knows a hell of a lot more about electricity than I do. But I do know there is a perceptable difference, especially in the way my truck idles...


I am not going to do it on my Grand Cherokee (4.7 HO) as it is not "fly-by-wire" and I can't see any benefit on a TB with a physical throttle cable, unless you've heard anything, Teach???

[AWE Daniel]

I am gonna go do this right now!

[HammerZ71]

Here you go Daniel: (sorry for the glare in the pic)

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll301/hammerz71/IMG172.jpg

then just run it to either the (-) post or one of the chassis ground bolts on the side wall. I went right to where I have my off-road lights grounded. My lights work, so I know it's a good ground.

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll301/hammerz71/IMG173.jpg

A couple zip-ties along the fire wall and side wall to keep it out of the way and you're done...

[ORT]

........

[AWE Daniel]

Just finished it up, i do have a really smooth feeling idle now (ultragauge shows about a +/- 30 rpm bounce), and I think it helped the response a little. Pretty simple mod to do, I also used 4ga since I have 50ft of that stuff laying around. I grounded it close to the battery, up near the firewall, but I didnt take a picture of that, its a lot like where that smaller negative wire grounds from the battery, but closer to the firewall. I sanded it up with sandpaper real good to get a good ground.

Thanks for the pics Hammer!

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r74/cadillac360/100_0520.jpg

[Silverbullet08]

just drop the cam in it already hammer

[AWE Daniel]

Ok so after reading all 12-13 pages on DT I agree with what most people said about this mod. Especially the people that said when cruising through a neighborhood they barely needed to to touch the pedal to stay at 15mph, big difference there, I agree 100%. No extra power added, but the pedal just feels much better.

I am kicking myself about not paying attention to the rpms going down when stopping though.

[HammerZ71]

I would bet this is a viable solution for those guys who have the "stalling at stop signs/red lights issue" because my truck always fluctuates idle at a stop, has never stalled, but has idled so low at times that it looked like it was about to.

Anybody on the forum complain of it lately? It's fairly common on the '04 & '05s...

[AWE Daniel]

I had a low idle problem, but never stalling. i raised it with my diablo cuz it was too low for the alternator to keep up with my stereo, so now I idle around 750ish.

[ramthis9501]

It only works on the electronic throttles right?

[HammerZ71]

It only works on the electronic throttles right?

I can't see where it would do anything for a conventional (throttle cable) TB, which is why I'm not doing my Jeep (4.7 HO) as it has a cable - unless someone can give me a reason why it should help...

I had a low idle problem, but never stalling. i raised it with my diablo cuz it was too low for the alternator to keep up with my stereo, so now I idle around 750ish.

Yeah, before I did this my idle would fluctuate between 600 - 800 and when it dipped to around 600 it would start to shimmy like it would stall but I can't remember it ever actually stalling. Now the SOB doesn't dip at all.

It would be nice if SC did the idle thing. I won't give it up because of the advanced transmission tuning but there are a couple of things I wish they'd put into the thing...

It would be nice to find a guy with the stalling issue and have him try this and see what it does. I know on the "other" forum there are probably a couple of dozen guys complaining of it. I have a post there looking for them...

[AWE Daniel]

Yup, no interference possible with a cable throttle

[shadow11]

Anybody do it to a 4th gen Ram?

[NOTPAID4]

Very interesting read guys! Never heard of these problems before.

[AWE Daniel]

Anybody do it to a 4th gen Ram?

I dunno but I would imagine it would do the same thing

[shadow11]

I dunno but I would imagine it would do the same thing

Might have to try it out tomorrow.

[BAD HABIT]

Good info Ed thanks for sharing, I wish it would work on the conventionals cause mine has a bouncing rpm not horrible, and also come close to stalls once in a while.

Sent from my badass EVO on TapaTalk....

[truckin]

Interesting, wonder if it will help any with the fluctuation I get at lower idle with my cam..... gonna have to try it tomorrow.

[AParrette]

Would this just be on the hemi? Or would it work on the 360?

Kindle Fire: The Keyboard Sucks, So Please Forgive Mass Misspelling

[03 Rammer]

Oh great another thread on this. This thread exploded on DT. Honestly No difference no matter what car you run. It only helps reduce communications errors and fuzz between the modules etc. You can basically do this to any car that is fly by wire. There are grounding kits avalable aftermarket but you can do this all your own. I did this for shits and giggles on my wifes focus, no change in anything. I will how ever add that there is a TSB that ask for the tech to add 3 more grounds on some vehicles.

[AParrette]

Well I should have realized the fly by wire. I am cable driven but the motor I'm looking to swap on is drive by wire

Kindle Fire: The Keyboard Sucks, So Please Forgive Mass Misspelling

[03 Rammer]

Well I should have realized the fly by wire. I am cable driven but the motor I'm looking to swap on is drive by wire

Kindle Fire: The Keyboard Sucks, So Please Forgive Mass Misspelling


I have heard some ground the modules in the car better to just help with communication. Like the TCM,PCM etc etc. For me if I cant feel or see a difference its not worth it. Even if test prove it works. Which no one has come up with on any of the threads I have been watching. Alot of speculation but in theory it makes sense.

[HammerZ71]

I'm still on the fence as far as if I can feel any driveability improvements. I think I feel a little crisper throttle response but won't swear to it. So at least on my truck, it's a subtle difference, if any.

BUT the steady tach needle at idle is unmistakable where I ALWAYS had that 200 or so RPM fluctuation before doing this. So given the cost of the mod (basically free) coupled with how fast and easy it is to do, it's worth doing it IMO...

[truckin]

It be worth a try just for a steadier idle

[AWE Daniel]

Maybe I can make a video with the thing grounded vs not grounded on the idle

[OklaHemi]

holy hell im going to do this tomorrow to my ram and my tahoe that thing idels so rough and the shops cant find anything wrong with it.

[ramn it]

my hemi is the b*stard 03 hemi and its starts at a rough idle but smooths out after a few minutes . A few more pages and I might try it.

[03 Rammer]

My trucks idle never stays the same. Dont if its the same issues as you gassers, but I always thought its a diesel thing.

[truckin]

So what I have learned with this mod is that if you have a lot of performance mods (cam tune etc.) this mod does squat

[HammerZ71]

So what I have learned with this mod is that if you have a lot of performance mods (cam tune etc.) this mod does squat

In looking over results spanning about six forums (not all Ram or even Dodge, btw) that's about what I'm seeing. The more stock the truck, the better the results seem to be. With my mods, the biggest thing I see is the idle smoothing out and in my case it's pretty huge, but I had to basically run with it, take it off, run with it again to get to where I can tell a subtle difference in throttle response and shifting.
Guys with bone stock trucks or very mildly modded ones just about across the boards are saying that the throttle response is significantly better and shifting feels a lot firmer.

But again, for the cost of the mod, the very little time it takes to do it and the fact that just adding an additional ground cannot hurt anything in any way, it's worth trying for anybody with a fly-by-wire vehicle, IMO. The worst thing that can happen is you feel no difference...

[Silverbullet08]

im good i like my throttle response :D