ground strap on downpipe - useless?

[Sephroth57]

i just installed a new 2.5inch downpipe and im wondering if the ground strap does anything? cause there wasnt a spot to put it on on the new pipe. some people say it does, some people say it does nothing... what is it?

 

[Coup D E'Tat]

When both of mine were off, my car threw a CEL.

 

[91TalonTSi_53]

I think that ground straps are used to reduce RFI aren't they?

 

[Mike1992]

From what I've heard they have to do with your O2 sensor, if the pipes aint grounding your gonna have crappy O2 readings, which will equal bad gas mileage

 

[awd4g63]

My O2s weren't reading great at all on my logger when I left it off one time. I would go WOT and the O2s would drop from .92v all the way to .00v or .02v. Keep it on... if anything, tach-weld a decent sized wire onto the downpipe somewhere and connect it thoroughly to the chassis. Better safe than sorry.

 

[SpeedFreak03]

Yea I'd weld/connect a 4 or 2 gauge wire from the DP to the neg battery terminal, or your O2 sensor wont have a good ground and your car will run rich, etc.

 

[awd4g63]

Well, I wouldn't go that big of a wire, maybe a 10 gauge at the largest. Mine's been fine with the little wire they give you from the factory.

 

[doodie]

I don't know if it really affects that much. Mine was disconnect from the downpipe ever since I bought it and I never bothered to connect it back because the whole thing was ripped off. Also, I'm getting great gas mileage.

 

[Sephroth57]

do you have a logger? how are your readings

i think ill reconnect the stock wire with a welded screw to the DP or something just for the hell of it

 

[Samurai Jack]

I got crappy gas milage after taking(it grounds the 02 sensor)it off with my new dp. I just bought a new ground strap at the local auto parts store and put it back on. Gas milage better.

 

[FourG63 97GST]

I don't know if it really affects that much. Mine was disconnect from the downpipe ever since I bought it and I never bothered to connect it back because the whole thing was ripped off. Also, I'm getting great gas mileage.

same here.

 

[Quasimondo]

Good grounds are your friend. You'd be amazed at the kinds of electrical bugs you can get from bad grounding.

 

[90AWDTalon]

When I installed my downpipe I left the ground strap off, the car ran like shit. Hooked the ground strap back up and the car ran great.

 

[leet]

Looks like there's a consensus. I've done it both ways as well, car ran better with them attached. I just drilled a hole in the DP, sanded the immediate area down, and attached the ground strap with a screw. Works perfect!