Throttle Body Ground (by loudboxer)

It dissipates any static electricity that builds up due to the plastic intake pipes and manifold. That static can cause interference in the servo motor that controls the throttle plate.

Will it make a huge difference? Of course not.

Is it worth the 50 cents it costs to make the wire? Yep.
 
flyrevs said:
I tried this mod (2006 Mazda 3) and it did nothing at all! Before I started, I got out my DVM and measured the resistance from the TB to the cars neg. battery terminal (open circuit). So the TB is completely isolated from the ground of the car. Can anyone give me a valid reason why this would do anything to the throttle response? Thanks

The service manager at the dealership saw the write-up from here and the senior mechanic advised against it. There were a lot of issues to discuss about my 3, so I cant remember why they were against this. Next time I talk to him I will ask. But, the bottom line was NOT to install the wire. I think it's best to be safe than sorry and heed the advice.
 
I did this several months ago w/my 5-sp. I noticed it seemed to be more smooth. And the rough, dead spot @2100-2350 RPM seemed to improve also. Since then however, I think the ECU "re-learned" and the rough spot is back, though I do still believe the acceleration is smoother overall. I have had no other problems at all. I don't even think about it being there most of the time. I haven't noticed any difference in fuel mileage. I still manage 27-28 when my right foot is idle and 24-25 when I'm in it hard and heavy.
BTW: I don't see any need to use 10 awg wire for this either, unless your TB is pulling 15 amps @ 12v.
blondee_yvr said:
The service manager at the dealership saw the write-up from here and the senior mechanic advised against it.
The bottom line was NOT to install the wire. I think it's best to be safe than sorry and heed the advice.
"Potential" warranty void... should, and only should, you develop a problem in the TB, or electrical area.
These guys are trained to "not bite the hand that feeds them." Look @ your owners manual. It looks like the Supreme Court justices wrote it w/all the legal disclaimers in there. Try to get through one page w/o @ least one.
 
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* "Jeep" AirBox MOD huh?

bbrich57 said:
I did this several months ago w/my 5-sp. I noticed it seemed to be more smooth. And the rough, dead spot @2100-2350 RPM seemed to improve also. Since then however, I think the ECU "re-learned" and the rough spot is back, though I do still believe the acceleration is smoother overall. I have had no other problems at all. I don't even think about it being there most of the time. I haven't noticed any difference in fuel mileage. I still manage 27-28 when my right foot is idle and 24-25 when I'm in it hard and heavy.
BTW: I don't see any need to use 10 awg wire for this either, unless your TB is pulling 15 amps @ 12v.

"Potential" warranty void... should, and only should, you develop a problem in the TB, or electrical area.
These guys are trained to "not bite the hand that feeds them." Look @ your owners manual. It looks like the Supreme Court justices wrote it w/all the legal disclaimers in there. Try to get through one page w/o @ least one.
What's the "Jeep" AirBox MOD?????????
 
flyrevs said:
What's the "Jeep" AirBox MOD?????????
Ha-HA!! I wondered when someone was gonna notice that. You win the cookie!! (first)
It's really simpler than it sounds. A co-worker, who's wife drives a "6" hatch but who himself is into Jeeps told me that because the air box on the 4.0L Jeeps is so big that many would drill a series of holes around the perimeter of the lower housing and add a K&N or similar air filter.
I didn't want it confused with the "resonator delete MOD" seen here so I called it... you guessed it, the Jeep airbox MOD!
/Threadjack!!
 
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I took goldwing2000's advice and did the tb mod but a little differently and it was real easy.
Instead of goin all the way back to the battery, I figured since the engine is a nice ground - why not use it? This is cleaner and easier. I used a short piece of monster cable and wrapped in black tape to make it blend in better. Then I bolted it to the tb and used a manifold bolt for the other end (the grounding point). Took about 15 minutes.
 

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blondee_yvr said:
The service manager at the dealership saw the write-up from here and the senior mechanic advised against it. There were a lot of issues to discuss about my 3, so I cant remember why they were against this. Next time I talk to him I will ask. But, the bottom line was NOT to install the wire. I think it's best to be safe than sorry and heed the advice.

(sleep)



Anyway, i think this mod isn't really grounding the TB per se, but you're providing a better ground for the TPS (throttle position sensor) instead, which is why mz3 members have been reporting differences in drivability.

Oh, for anyone who didn't know already there are no hp/tq gains on this mod.

flyrevs, are you sure that bolt you used is properly grounded?
 
thebeansoldier said:
(sleep)



Anyway, i think this mod isn't really grounding the TB per se, but you're providing a better ground for the TPS (throttle position sensor) instead, which is why mz3 members have been reporting differences in drivability.

Oh, for anyone who didn't know already there are no hp/tq gains on this mod.

flyrevs, are you sure that bolt you used is properly grounded?

Well if the engine block is grounded, then yes as the bolt goes straight into the block.
 
flyrevs said:
Well if the engine block is grounded, then yes as the bolt goes straight into the block.

It goes into the head, actually. The only issue is that the further you get from the battery, the lower the quallity of the ground. Where you have it hooked up, you have TB-bolt-wire-bolt-head-bolt-block-bolt-wire-battery. Each connection increases resistance.

That being said, I don't think it's going to make a lot of difference, since this mod mainly dissipates static electricity moving through the plastic intake tract. As long as you make the metal-metal contact, it should do the job.

However, if you ever have any real power moving through a ground wire, you want as few connections as possible.
 
Well, I did this mod today and I have noticed improved throttle response. It's not all in my head, since I've had to actively change the way I apply my foot to the pedal in response to the sensitivity change.
Before, the throttle was a little vague and sluggish, but now it's quick, eager, and precise.
 
JRH1 said:
Well, I did this mod today and I have noticed improved throttle response. It's not all in my head, since I've had to actively change the way I apply my foot to the pedal in response to the sensitivity change.
Before, the throttle was a little vague and sluggish, but now it's quick, eager, and precise.

I know this is a doom 'n' gloom post, but don't expect it to last too long. The ECU in the 3 re-learns and compensates for it.
I was extremely happy w/this at first too, but in order for it to work consistently you have to reset the ECU about every 100 miles or so.
 
JRH1 said:
But, how does it relearn it? It doesn't suddenly start to ignore other mods!

As a matter of fact I, and others here too, believe that that is exactly what it does. It is designed to "compensate," within reason, for parameters outside the ones it was programed for. That's it's whole purpose. To keep you car running the way the company and the Goverment think it ought to. (i.e. pollution standards.)
I believe that unless you recurve/program ("flash") the ECU with new programing that may be what is happening. I have noticed it and so have others that have done some of these MODs.
You may feel the same after a few miles have passed. And if not, hey, more power to ya'.
But please be sure to post and let us all know what your own experiences are with it.
 
Well, I put a couple hundred miles on (drove across the state this past weekend) and it seems to still work. I'll update back as soon as I notice it's not working any longer.
 
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