Codger wrote: Thanks for this thread. Just because it was posted I went and took a look under the hood of my car. I had swapped out all the cables and terminals not long after I got the car for some higher grade, fairly expensive stuff.
I found cracked and split insulation, lots of it, so I have to redo it all this weekend.
What cable did you use for your re-wire?
Again, thanks for starting this thread or I wouldn't have gone and looked as thoroughly.
I used Rockford Fosgate wire. Red and Black (actually smoke gray) and got the hightest strand count I could get my hands on. If I knew for a fact I wouldnt use anymore of it, I'd sell you what I have left as Ive got plenty to do another job.
With the responses Im getting here, I guess Im going to have to go take some pictures of all this so I can do a write up on it, if I had known I was going to get this kind of change in the car I would have been taking very careful notes and pictures.
I also got some red split wire loom to run over the power wire to the starter so that most of it from the starter and along the firewall has an added layer of protection. I guess I could have gotten black to make it blend in better with the rest of the wiring in the engine bay. I may yet do that so that it looks more stock under there.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
SyntheticShield wrote: smoknzx3 wrote: Actually I have read a few things on the better grounds working for HP gains. It was more less a myth though. Your the first person to confirm the myth.
Oh, by the way I got a sport trac I want to sell. LOL 03 XLT 17,000 miles.
REALLY!! I really do! I would just give it to you for take over payments. There is nothing wrong with it other then I don't like the $500 a month payment. And that is with 2.9 APR. LOL Only problem is I live in the middle of the ocean. Azores Portugul
smoknzx3 wrote: I really do! I would just give it to you for take over payments. There is nothing wrong with it other then I don't like the $500 a month payment. And that is with 2.9 APR. LOL Only problem is I live in the middle of the ocean. Azores Portugul
Now see, your just being a tease now. If you were to put it on a raft and give a good push, would it make it you think? .
Well gosh, the two considrations I was making was either a Chevy Colorado Z71 package or a Ford Explorer Sport Trac, both would fill the business needs. Oh well, I cant swim that far and I dont think they have made any under water tunnel roads yet.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
I understand what you did for the wiring. Before, Ford had a "Daisy Chain" system- a wire from the Alt to the starter, and a wire from the starter to the battery. You ran 2 seperate wires- one to the starter and one to the alt (correct?).
People have claimed 3-5hp gains with a good ground wire system before, but there have never been any dyno tests to prove it. Maybe we need to set up a dyno test? See if there actually is a gain on the Focus?
Either way, wiring that up the way you did makes more sense than how Ford did it, so I'll be sure to do it eventually- I'd hate to have a fire!
DAISY CHAIN!!! Thats the word I couldnt think of. Thank you James. It would be interesting to see before and ofter dyno's. From what I know and understand of electricity and electronics its certainly plausable, but I would be willing to do the re-wire work if someone paid for the dyno. But all you pukes are on the east cost a billion miles away from me so that wont work out too well.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
Well a few days and some 270 miles later my car is still peforming better than it was before the fire. So I dont know what to make of it.
I did hook up the scan tool for the drive from work to home. I did notice a few things. First, the O2 sensor signals are much cleaner, they dont have the transient voltage spikes I was used to seeing. Idle is definately more stable. Fuel trims are much better, both long term and short term fuel trims are closer to 0%. The short term fuel trim was running anywher from -2 - 5% where as the long term fuel trim was around 5% or less. Im used to seeing the short term around 10% or there abouts and the long ther a little higher. The fuel trims is information telling the ECU how much to increase or decrease the fuel. A negative number is calling for the fuel amount to be reduced. Short term is right now change the fuel by this amount and the long term is, as best I understand it a pattern predictor of sort if you can use that description. Its more or less trying to predict how much fuel will be needed. Its not really a good indicator of fuel mileage but rather the fuel needed to maintain the proper A/F ratio.
Im moving about 3lbs of air per minute at 75mph which seems a bit higher but I dont have prior numbers wrote down to confirm that. Coolant temp. was pretty steady at 230 deg during the trip. Fuel pressure stayed right at 40lbs unless I was on it hard and it would reach as high as 50lbs.
Now the really interesting thing to me was the ignition timing advance. When I first got the scan tool which wasnt long after I got the car I was running 20deg of ignition timing advance. I checked it again after I had all the mods I currently have on now and it was right at or just slightly below 30 degrees. And I checked it just a couple weeks ago so the data is pretty recent cause I was isolating the studder I had and traced it to the ignition system. I replaced the coil and wires and the studder was gone and I was still running about 30 degrees ignition timing. On the drive yesterday I was running from 35 to 40 degrees. So for whatever reason the ECU is now calling for ignition advance which probably accounts for the added performance but I still have no reason why the tranny is shifting so much better.
I think at this point Im just going to enjoy it.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
I'd say your performance gains revolve around 2 things, which revolve around one thing.
The two things increasing your performance are the better a/f ratio, and the timing advance. And I'd say those are because your engine computer is getting cleaner readings from everywhere, because of the rewire.
I wish we had a dyno for this.
As for the tranny, I'd say it too is probably getting better, cleaner voltage so it does it's job better.
I will add now after being able to make a couple short trip runs starting with a full tank it appears that the thing is getting even better mileage. Right now it looks like it may be about 1 mpg, but Im going to watch it and see, I hate to say YES it is getting better mileage only to find out later it was a fluke. Hopefully by the end of this week or the first of next I'll know for sure. That will give me time to run a couple tanks and make sure it stays consistent.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
I think that you will find the fuel consumption is better. I originally changed out all the cables when there were threads about ECU failure and other oddities that seemed to me to be bad ground related. There were differences between the fuel consumption that I was getting before and after but they seemed to be bigger differences as time went on against other cars the same age as mine.
I'll check out the Rockford Fosgate wire. The stuff that I originally changed to was Monstercable.
____________________
A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams...John Barrymore
This is probably the same thing as monstercable if we are talking of the same thing. Oxygen Free, high strand count, super flexible wire/cable. It works well, I just all the other wiring was like it.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
Oh I lied too, It's only got 15,000 miles. No I don't think it would make it on a raft. LOL I'm 3,000 miles off the east coast. No tunnels that far either.
Well you're absolutely no fun, LOL. Right now Im leaning heavily to the Colorado. Though, I suppose, that if the pricing was right on the SVT Sport Trac I would consider that as well. The down fall to that choice would be the fuel economy. With it reportedly going to make around 400 hp I cant imagine it being anywhere near what the Focus gets. Furthermore the Colorado has ALL KINDS of room in the engine bay and would lend itself very well to the dual remote bypass system, a pre-oiler an external transmission filter and beefed up oil and tranny coolers. Oh, and of course, the occasional mod .
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
Don't kid yourself the Sport Trac doesn't get good gas milage either. LOL it's got a small 4.0 V6 which is waaaayyy under powered for the size of the truck. All in all it's a good truck with a lot of cool options. I just can't buy anything other then Ford. And it's my job to keep you in the Ford family. LOL Stay away from the dark side!
ROFL. Chevy = Dark Side. Well you should know Ive been a GM person all my life, particularly Pontiac. However since they dont make the Firebird anymore (not that it would suit my business needs) nor would the Vibe or Grand Prix or Grand Am so Im forced to check out a mid sized truck.
Ford hasnt really impressed me since owning my Focus and following what they do. And what it really boils down to is familiarity. One of my biggest pet peeves is parts availability for Fords. I can walk into auto parts stores with GM vehicles and get just about anything at about any time, but that hasnt been the case with the Focus and it may be that it is because its a sport compact and not a 302 motor but I dont like being forced to go to the dealership for simple things like tranny filters.
I have to leave room that other Ford vehicles could be different, but I dont own any of those so I have to base it on what I have experience with. Dont get me wrong, Im not an unhappy Ford owner nor do I despise my Focus. Quite the contrary, I love the car and if not for the business I would not consider anything else right now or for some time to come, but with that need arising I have to consider the whole package. The vehicle I get next will have to not only last a while but serve my business needs and my desire to 'tweak' things.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
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