Throttle Boby Modification

[aha]

Thanks, diesel! I enjoy this mod - the gap when pressing the gas pedal is now gone. My car becomes "punchier" for the lack of better terms .
It seems that Mazdaspeed3 comes with this from the factory! Now, who's next to do the advance timing mod?

[dieseldriver]

Took a 700+ mile trip down to Busch Garden in Williamsburg VA past weekend and was averaging about 27.1 MPG using regular gas. Car was packed along with rear hitch receiver cargo carrier, food, packed with water etc. It seems that MPG is better if I was to take it up to around 75-78MPH than going about 60-65MPH.

Thanks, diesel! I enjoy this mod - the gap when pressing the gas pedal is now gone. My car becomes "punchier" for the lack of better terms .
It seems that Mazdaspeed3 comes with this from the factory! Now, who's next to do the advance timing mod?

[torquelover]

Was going to take an overnight trip with the MZ5 but are being joined by two other people, bringing the total to 6+luggage. A no-go for our 5. Have any pics of the hitch and cargo carrier? Any effect on MPGs?

[dieseldriver]

I have not yet found any side effect with this mod to go back to stock. Maybe Mazda just overlooked the fact that there are some lack of grounding syndrome on the M5!

[dieseldriver]

Just go to eTrailer.com and look for 2012 Mazda5 for cargo carrier. They have my car's picture posted there. It's the one with angled hitch extension rather than straight which is the one I would recommend as the car has such low ground clearance. The angled extension allows for the platform to be raised by an inch or two which allows it to be about the same level as the top of the bumper. I am planning to get a Rola vinyl cargo carrier which fits perfect on the platform.

I also purchased recently, a large cooler too which is rated to carry around 90 cans which I also need to get a ratcheting tie down to hold it securely on the platform. It will come in handy when going to the beach or any other types of excursions during the hot summer months.

Was going to take an overnight trip with the MZ5 but are being joined by two other people, bringing the total to 6+luggage. A no-go for our 5. Have any pics of the hitch and cargo carrier? Any effect on MPGs?

[oldenglish82]

We just purchased one thrusday and only have 120 miles. My questionis warranty. Will this affect my warranty at all?

[dieseldriver]

Just remove the grounding cable when you take it in if you feel uncomfortable that's all.

We just purchased one thrusday and only have 120 miles. My questionis warranty. Will this affect my warranty at all?

[eyeballs]

Anyone try this on a 6MT? Throttle response on my 2 is worse than on the 5. I was actually thinking of trying it on that 1st. Its pretty bad coming from a cable-driven setup with lightweight flywheel and hardened drivetrain mounts. Getting the hang of consistent rev-matches on these DBW setups is taking awhile. I'm hoping I can get the same improvement you've noticed on the auto equipped 5.

[metalfab]

I may give this a try, how long is the cable and do you have a photo that shows the entire 'run'? I'm a mechanically challenged.

[MarkVII88]

I second this sentiment. I mean your statement about connecting from the drivers side ground point to one of the screws on the throttle body is simple enough but I'm confused by the photos you posted showing your engine bay. The stock grounding cable goes beneath that fluid reservoir and into the battery box and attaches at the negative battery terminal. Your engine bay photo shows the grounding cable that attaches to the throttle body also going into the battery box. Is it supposed to do this or can I just go directly from the grounding point directly to the throttle body? From a quick measuring under the hood with a tape measure, it looks like 30-36 inches of cable should be sufficient. Thanks.

I may give this a try, how long is the cable and do you have a photo that shows the entire 'run'? I'm a mechanically challenged.

[ukulele]

Sounds like you made an "electrical bypass" whatever relies on electrons at the TB is getting them much faster and in larger quantities now that it's tied to the chassis ground. I'm sure Mazda engineers know this can be done but for emissions reasons and to prevent the kids from "snapping their necks" from no TB delay and a mom with a heavy foot, this is what they came up with. Kudos! Just when I thought there was not much else you can mod on a mini-minivan...... I was wrong!

I have seen 5-point grounding stuff and I always thought it was snake oil at best but I guess it does work after all.

[xxxmonoxidechil]

There is no such thing as too many grounds performance wise. And Mazda has had many issues in the past not installing enough on there vehicles from the factory. The old KL engine cars are typical for having grounding issues for instance.

[eyeballs]

I took a shortcut and used a battery cable from autozone for $7 or so since it was heavy gauge and already included ends. I did end up trying this mod on my 2, and noticed no improvement. Haven't been motivated to try it on the 5, though I'd be curious to see if anyone with the 6MT notices improvement.

[MarkVII88]

I decided to see for myself how this easy modification worked on my 2012 Mazda5 Sport AT. I used 10 gauge insulated, marine-grade copper wire with crimp-on end-connectors. I used zip ties to help secure and route the wire in the engine bay and keep the wire from rubbing or interfering with any other components. I really do think that I can tell the difference with this extra ground to the throttle body. We've gotten a bunch of snow in the last few days and the driving has been a bit trickier than on dry or simply wet roads, so detecting the improved throttle tip-in hasn't been straight forward. But the lag before take-up that was present seems to be much less pronounced with the new ground. 10 gauge wire sure isn't as beefy as battery cable but how thick does it need to be for 30 inches of wire to sufficiently ground the throttle body? Other posts to this forum have indicated that this mod reduced their fuel mileage but they also suspected their driving style was altered by the improved pedal feel such that they became more of a lead-foot. I'm monitoring the mileage with my ScanGaugeII and will remove the ground if I think it's hurting my MPG.