Where to ground amp in 90 C4?

[gr8erV8]

This is question 5 in the c4 audio FAQ. I looked in the FAQ and couldn't find the answer-maybe I am blind though. I would love to use the passnger seat bolt-but I can't tell if it is supplied ground by the harness or through the frame--anyone know? If it is through the harness then it will definitely be too small of a wire--I am using 4ga wire for ground. If not with the seat bolt, where is a convenient place to ground that doesn't require a drilled hole in the floor pan and a bolt to the frame? I'm at the tail end of an install in my 90 c4. I have 6x9's in the back, 5x7s up front, and a 10" sub in the storage compartment. Wish I went with 6.5's in the back and 5.25's up front. Too late now. Anyway they will be way better than blose. I made an amp rack to replace the storage compartment doors for two amps--a 4X150 and a 1X500 Everything is wired except amp ground.

[-=Jeff=-]

Originally Posted by gr8erV8

This is question 5 in the c4 audio FAQ.

I looked in the FAQ and couldn't find the answer-maybe I am blind though.

I would love to use the passnger seat bolt-but I can't tell if it is supplied ground by the harness or through the frame--anyone know? If it is through the harness then it will definitely be too small of a wire--I am using 4ga wire for ground.

If not with the seat bolt, where is a convenient place to ground that doesn't require a drilled hole in the floor pan and a bolt to the frame?


I'm at the tail end of an install in my 90 c4. I have 6x9's in the back, 5x7s up front, and a 10" sub in the storage compartment. Wish I went with 6.5's in the back and 5.25's up front. Too late now. Anyway they will be way better than blose. I made an amp rack to replace the storage compartment doors for two amps--a 4X150 and a 1X500 Everything is wired except amp ground.

Seat bolt is fine.. I have mine grounded to the driverside seat bolt.. no problems

[gr8erV8]

Originally Posted by -=Jeff=-

Seat bolt is fine.. I have mine grounded to the driverside seat bolt.. no problems

Thanks. BTW your install looks pretty nice!

[Vis Croceus]

Seatbelt bolts and/or the structure underneath. (In a vert there are seatbelt towers. I assume in the coupe the belts bolt to the roof hoop.)

[adown]

In my 88 I just went through the bottom of the car right to the frame.

[gr8erV8]

Originally Posted by Vis Croceus

Seatbelt bolts and/or the structure underneath. (In a vert there are seatbelt towers. I assume in the coupe the belts bolt to the roof hoop.)

So the seatbelt bolt is grounded, but is the seat bolt?

[-=Jeff=-]

Originally Posted by gr8erV8

Thanks. BTW your install looks pretty nice!

My install??? where did you see it.. I don't have many pictures of it

[-=Jeff=-]

Originally Posted by gr8erV8

So the seatbelt bolt is grounded, but is the seat bolt?

YES I grounded to the Seat BOLT.. I did not ground to the seat belt

[bogus]

hm... I will double check the FAQ... thanks for the heads up!

I ran my ground right back to the battery.

[gr8erV8]

Originally Posted by bogus

hm... I will double check the FAQ... thanks for the heads up!

I ran my ground right back to the battery.

Bogus, Thanks for the update.

Jeff, I thought you had a few pictures up.

At any rate I cannot see where the seats are connected to anything but plastic. I must assume that they are grounded with a wire through the harness.

The seatbelt bolt is obviously right into the frame--it is just about 45 minutes worth of time harder to use than the seat bolts.

I know the c5 guys use the seat bolts, but maybe c4 guys shouldn't.

Because the seat is grounded your amp would maybe work fine for awhile, but ultimately you would be grounding your amp with something on the order of a 12ga wire. Maybe this is fine, amp wiring is ususally overkill anyway. But then why buy the fancy 4ga wire? Also, there is the very real chance of frying the seat ground wire.

Sorry for the long post--just summing up the topic.

Thanks to all who contributed!!

[bogus]

I was always curious about how the seats were attached. But I think DOT requirements mean they must be secured to metal. What we are not seeing is perhaps a cross spar. The big washer thingy is simply reinforcment.

I ran mine back to the battery because I know that Vettes can be tough to deal with...

I updated the FAQ, too! Thanks for the heads up!!

[Teddydog]

I can answer this definitively...at least for my 96. I finished installing my equipment today, but have not reinstalled the seats yet. I screwed one nut down a seat bolt just far enough to make room for my ground ring and another nut. Worked great for my testing! Since the seat is not installed, the ground is ABSOLUTELY going through the bolt into the frame.

Rob

[Vis Croceus]

Since I have my car apart, I thought I'd add what I found.

In a 94 vert there are some factory ground screws that could be used:

- on the wall behind the passenger's seat (next to where the wires pass into the storage bin)

- on the wall behind the driver's seat (up near the seatbelt tower) - I think this ground is for the heated window, so it is probably not there on coupes or early verts.

- in the passenger footwell just in front of the door (visible if you remove the sill carpet)