GS4 - Teck Kit ground kit
06-25-03, 06:47 PM
#1
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Teck Kit ground kit
There's been some posts lately about grounding wire kits. I went ahead and bought the Teck Kit grounding wire kit (http://www.teckkits.com/app_gs400.html).
The quality of the wires (REALLY THICK) and connectors is really high. The kit has everything included, including longer bolts to replace some stock ones to insert the additional wires, and some additional bolts to attach to new grounding points. Also included are tie wraps to tidy up the wiring.
The instructions are excellent - 2 pages of color pictures with important areas highlighted and text explaining what to do. If *I* can install it, anyone can. Just take your time.
OK, so does the kit DO anything? Well, to install the kit the instructions strongly recommend disconnecting the negative battery terminal while you do it, which of course resets the engine ECU. The alone makes my car at least feel quite a bit different after (smoother shifts, perhaps more responsive), so it's very hard for me to tell which difference came from resetting the ECU, and which difference came from the kit. But I got the kit because I figured it certainly couldn't hurt, and also it would dress up my engine bay a bit!
The cables are offered with different color coverings and connectors, so you can match your car color, or contrast with it. I got silver cables/connectors, which means clear covering to show the metal (aluminum?) cabling. After seeing it installed maybe I should have opted for a contrasting color instead.
Anyway, here's the pictures I took right after installing it. The wires could be tidier, but you'll get the idea.
The quality of the wires (REALLY THICK) and connectors is really high. The kit has everything included, including longer bolts to replace some stock ones to insert the additional wires, and some additional bolts to attach to new grounding points. Also included are tie wraps to tidy up the wiring.
The instructions are excellent - 2 pages of color pictures with important areas highlighted and text explaining what to do. If *I* can install it, anyone can. Just take your time.
OK, so does the kit DO anything? Well, to install the kit the instructions strongly recommend disconnecting the negative battery terminal while you do it, which of course resets the engine ECU. The alone makes my car at least feel quite a bit different after (smoother shifts, perhaps more responsive), so it's very hard for me to tell which difference came from resetting the ECU, and which difference came from the kit. But I got the kit because I figured it certainly couldn't hurt, and also it would dress up my engine bay a bit!
The cables are offered with different color coverings and connectors, so you can match your car color, or contrast with it. I got silver cables/connectors, which means clear covering to show the metal (aluminum?) cabling. After seeing it installed maybe I should have opted for a contrasting color instead.
Anyway, here's the pictures I took right after installing it. The wires could be tidier, but you'll get the idea.
Last edited by bitkahuna; 06-25-03 at 06:56 PM.
06-25-03, 06:49 PM
#2
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2 (see how the cable comes down to the throttle body.)
06-25-03, 06:50 PM
#3
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3 (note right side cable)
06-25-03, 06:52 PM
#4
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4 (note cable on the left side)
Total cables in the kit: 7, of varying (appropriate) lengths.
Total cables in the kit: 7, of varying (appropriate) lengths.
06-25-03, 06:57 PM
#5
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So overall I'm glad I got the kit - my car's running great, it did dress up my engine bay some, and the quality of the kit, the speed of delivery and the instructions were all great. 
06-26-03, 04:37 AM
#6
Lexus Test Driver
Great post. I too ordered the kit. The guy is not shipping out till late next week cause he is getting married. I do not expect to get the kit till about 2 weeks or so.
Have you seen any improvement in the throttle response? You have so many different mods going on, TC, intake, etc. Hard to say what does what anymore...but a good mod overall.
Are your lights brighter, less vibrations during idle or in park? Have you seen any definate improvements that you can directly attribute to the ground kit?
Have you seen any improvement in the throttle response? You have so many different mods going on, TC, intake, etc. Hard to say what does what anymore...but a good mod overall.
Are your lights brighter, less vibrations during idle or in park? Have you seen any definate improvements that you can directly attribute to the ground kit?
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06-26-03, 09:33 AM
#8
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I also had a set of this "TECK Kit" for my GS430 for the past 2 month. I cannot scientifically quantify the improvement via dyno or 1/4 mile run. However, I must admit that the throttle response was definitely more sensitive and the shifting is a little smoother. Since I don't have the e-shift function, I cannot speak for the GS400 model. TimDimman has the same "ground kit" in his GS400. I will ask him to post for his feedback.
This kit is definitely not designed to be a HP gainer break through technology. However I will give the designer its credit for delivering a good quality of product to his customer. The solder joint between the wires and the lugs are top notch quality from what I have seen in commerical electronic industries. I believe the "kit" delivered what it claimed to be from my butt-o-meter.
One good thing to know is that, I guess you can never "over ground" a circuit.
This kit is definitely not designed to be a HP gainer break through technology. However I will give the designer its credit for delivering a good quality of product to his customer. The solder joint between the wires and the lugs are top notch quality from what I have seen in commerical electronic industries. I believe the "kit" delivered what it claimed to be from my butt-o-meter.
One good thing to know is that, I guess you can never "over ground" a circuit.
06-26-03, 09:34 AM
#9
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Originally posted by DrewGS4
Have you seen any improvement in the throttle response? Are your lights brighter, less vibrations during idle or in park? Have you seen any definate improvements that you can directly attribute to the ground kit?
Have you seen any improvement in the throttle response? Are your lights brighter, less vibrations during idle or in park? Have you seen any definate improvements that you can directly attribute to the ground kit?
But my car is running very smooth and very quick. Could be the ECU reset. Could be the ground kit. Could be a combo. Could be nice weather. Could be all in my head! I haven't checked the lights. How the heck would I know if they're brighter than before?
This is somewhat like an exhaust upgrade, it might not make your car faster, but it sounds faster.
Last edited by bitkahuna; 06-26-03 at 08:15 PM.
06-26-03, 10:14 AM
#10
Lexus Test Driver
Hey if it sounds faster than I am in. When i was a kid i use to stick baseball cards in my BMX spokes to make that clicking sound. I was convinced that this made my bike faster cause of the extra cool noise that it made. Now I am all grown up and still believe in this theory ....
One thing that did not change was my expensive taste .....I had a great BMX bike than and have a great car now
I had 2 bikes, one was a Hutch Trick Star and the other was a Redline. My younger brother had the Haro Master
Anyone remember these bike like 15 years ago?
One thing that did not change was my expensive taste .....I had a great BMX bike than and have a great car now
I had 2 bikes, one was a Hutch Trick Star and the other was a Redline. My younger brother had the Haro Master
Anyone remember these bike like 15 years ago?
06-26-03, 11:40 AM
#11
EV ftw!!!
Great write up Paul!
I just ordered mine now! Blue wire with silver terminals
I just ordered mine now! Blue wire with silver terminals
06-26-03, 08:23 PM
#13
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Well guys, I have about 150 miles on the car since the install and have some more feedback.
I figure the effects of the ECU reset are over now since the car would now have learned the routine by now. The last few days though I was 'noticing' that the shifts seemed smoother than usual and the car seemed VERY peppy, but I kept saying to myself "nah, can't be", but today I was driving and I am pretty sure it really is driving more smoothly than before! Tonight I did a hot start from a traffic light and the shifts were amazingly smooth at high rpms. And the sound with my intake and exhaust, ooooh MAMA!
Tonight I was playing pool with some guys in a local pool hall and one guy I know there runs a Mustang performance mod shop so I asked him if he knew anything about ground kits. He said with all the electronics in cars, improving the grounding of the car can improve things. He then went beyond theory and told me about a racing Mustang he has where he relocated the battery to the back of the car for weight distribution, and he'd done some grounding with the car, and the car was running ok, but then he added additional grounding to the roll bar cage, and the chassis and maybe other places, can't remember, but he said the car then ran SIGNIFICANTLY better. So I'm thinking maybe there is something to this. His point was that every sensor and all the electronics relies on a clean electrical supply so improving the grounding may well improve the car's overall smoothness and possibly power too.
So I now heartily endorse the TeckKit grounding kit! 
I figure the effects of the ECU reset are over now since the car would now have learned the routine by now. The last few days though I was 'noticing' that the shifts seemed smoother than usual and the car seemed VERY peppy, but I kept saying to myself "nah, can't be", but today I was driving and I am pretty sure it really is driving more smoothly than before! Tonight I did a hot start from a traffic light and the shifts were amazingly smooth at high rpms. And the sound with my intake and exhaust, ooooh MAMA!
Tonight I was playing pool with some guys in a local pool hall and one guy I know there runs a Mustang performance mod shop so I asked him if he knew anything about ground kits. He said with all the electronics in cars, improving the grounding of the car can improve things. He then went beyond theory and told me about a racing Mustang he has where he relocated the battery to the back of the car for weight distribution, and he'd done some grounding with the car, and the car was running ok, but then he added additional grounding to the roll bar cage, and the chassis and maybe other places, can't remember, but he said the car then ran SIGNIFICANTLY better. So I'm thinking maybe there is something to this. His point was that every sensor and all the electronics relies on a clean electrical supply so improving the grounding may well improve the car's overall smoothness and possibly power too.
So I now heartily endorse the TeckKit grounding kit!
06-27-03, 04:47 PM
#14
Bit: I'm curious to wonder if the silver (actually the clear cover) over the silver wire will start to fade a yellowish color after several months of driving due to engine heat. I say this because on my last stereo setup, I had a 4 gauge silver power wire running from the battery and noticed it turning yellow after 6 months. I believe the heat under the hood caused this problem. Hopefully you don't encounter this problem. I now have a 0 gauge silver power wire running from my battery but it's only been 2 months so far and no yellowish fading yet... BTW, I too was looking at buying the teck kit in silver... nice write up...
