Ground Strap On Cat, Poor Gas Mileage ?

[GSX95AWD]

I'm reading up to as whether the small strap that connects to the cat converter makes any difference is fuel usage. Currently mine is not attached and im seeing around 22mpg hwy. and 16 city give or take. Does that ground really make that much of a difference ? ?

 

[TechTherrien]

Luckily I'm from Alberta and we can legally remove the cat still. I would take it for some test trials, run for a week with it and a week without.

 

[1Gina2G]

I'm POSITIVE as an electrician, who's also done a FAIR amount of wiring & re-wiring in these cars, that the ground WILL NOT affect gas mileage.

Now as far as what the ground straps actually DO, and why they feel the exhaust should be grounded is beyond me.

With anything else you always see extra grounds, just cause. grounding things makes it safer, less chance of battery drain is ALL that comes to mind, but I hope someone else chimes in , as I left my grounds unattached when I installed the aftermarket exhaust ( no place to strap, unless I just wrapped some copper wire around the exhaust & tie it into the body ground - screw that, I don't have welding equipment either )

 

[bradselph]

They ground the exhaust because of the rear o2 sensor would be my guess, as the only true ground the exhaust gets is way up front off the engine.

does it need to be there no, will it hurt anything to remove it no but if you want it there go ahead and put it back it wont affect your fuel mileage.

 

[undefined0000]

I'm POSITIVE as an electrician, who's also done a FAIR amount of wiring & re-wiring in these cars, that the ground WILL NOT affect gas mileage.

Now as far as what the ground straps actually DO, and why they feel the exhaust should be grounded is beyond me.

With anything else you always see extra grounds, just cause. grounding things makes it safer, less chance of battery drain is ALL that comes to mind, but I hope someone else chimes in , as I left my grounds unattached when I installed the aftermarket exhaust ( no place to strap, unless I just wrapped some copper wire around the exhaust & tie it into the body ground - screw that, I don't have welding equipment either )

So that IS a ground. I have a wire about where my cat would be as well, bought the car like that, wasn't sure if it had any use so I just stuck in between the hangar and the exhaust pipe .

 

[1Gina2G]

Yeah that bare metal, non-instulated wire IS a grounded wire. Any wire that's non-insulated (assuming it was always like that) is going to be a ground. No one in there right mind would ever use a non-insulated wire for anything else electrical related. Personally I feel every ground should always be insulated, even if it's just touching something close by, whatever the ground actualy is, or is for, just for the extra protection of shorting out / air oxidation. Power shorts to ground regardless.

It's not the ground for any of the 02 sensors, they have their own dedicated ground within it's own cable..also a non-insulated ground (but in the cable).

 

[undefined0000]

Just one of those things did to mess with us.

 

[g4ebguy90]

Believe it or not, it has to do with lowering interference. In relation to wiring. Radio noise, speaker noise, humms etc etc. That is why it is installed. Most places just cut them off and think you don't need them. In newer cars with CAN bus systems, and all types of modules and radio options, the car cannot be able to produce to much interference weather it be sound itself, or electromagnetic fields. That's why stereo output cables are usually twisted together and/or shielded.

It's alot more complex then that I cannot explain exactly why it is on the exhaust piping right now, I literally read about this 2 weeks ago.

 

[GSX95AWD]

Believe it or not, it has to do with lowering interference. In relation to wiring. Radio noise, speaker noise, humms etc etc. That is why it is installed. Most places just cut them off and think you don't need them. In newer cars with CAN bus systems, and all types of modules and radio options, the car cannot be able to produce to much interference weather it be sound itself, or electromagnetic fields. That's why stereo output cables are usually twisted together and/or shielded.

It's alot more complex then that I cannot explain exactly why it is on the exhaust piping right now, I literally read about this 2 weeks ago.

Now that you say that, My cars radio does pickup alot of static noise when running. Or if i am outside my car and standing near the trunk it'll play fine, but i step 3 feet away and the radio just sucks. Could that actually be what that ground is for?

 

[bradselph]

Now that you say that, My cars radio does pickup alot of static noise when running. Or if i am outside my car and standing near the trunk it'll play fine, but i step 3 feet away and the radio just sucks. Could that actually be what that ground is for?

that sounds like a antenna problem

 

[KewlWinter]

Believe it or not, the ground strap is there to stop static electricity, and also aids in slowing rust on your exhaust system. Ever seen what happens to the old British cars with positive ground?

 

[silversgst]

What he ^ said. yes, but also there is a small, VERY SMALL amount of voltage created the exhaust gases. The ground wire is there to ground them out. alot of most newer vehicles will have them. There hasn't been to much bad discussion on removing them tho. Mines off and has been off for about 2 yrs

 

[AshyBone]

I don't have that on the DSM. Someone made a custom exhaust for this car and welded in a short cat. They also took out the radio so I'm gussing he was getting to much static .