Poking around the PO's wiring I found a factory ground strap behind the new aftermarket stereo coming from the behind the instrument cluster. Anyone know if this was attached to the factory stereo and should just be isolated off? Everything works as it should so don't know what is un-grounded or if it needs to be. Thanks.
TJ behind dash ground strap
- Thread starter Assforkr
- Start date
I'm replacing a stereo from previous owner and found the same thing.He had the clarion head units ground wire loosely taped to the ground strap.Was that what the ground strap supposed to be used for on the factory stereo??
I just happened to replace PO stereo wiring on Saturday. The ground for the stereo (at least on my '98) goes toward the passenger side, but not very far. Small black wire with "ground" written on the side.
Bought this Jeep last week and the stereo stayed on constantly unless you took the faceplate off. I suspected he had just crossed the constant hot with the ignition hot. But when I got in there I discovered that the two hot wires and the ground weren't connected at all! He had snipped out the factory plug and direct wired everything in a nasty birds nest of electrical tape.
Instead there was a completely different set of lines running left from the stereo. Traced them under the steering wheel, through the firewall and then all the way back across the engine compartment and where they directly connected to the battery.
Not sure why he did that, but I also found that the stereo fuse was blown, so it's possible he (or whomever installed it) just thought the wires didn't work. (He didn't know about the door switch defeat fuse either and had removed all the interior bulbs)
Bought this Jeep last week and the stereo stayed on constantly unless you took the faceplate off. I suspected he had just crossed the constant hot with the ignition hot. But when I got in there I discovered that the two hot wires and the ground weren't connected at all! He had snipped out the factory plug and direct wired everything in a nasty birds nest of electrical tape.
Instead there was a completely different set of lines running left from the stereo. Traced them under the steering wheel, through the firewall and then all the way back across the engine compartment and where they directly connected to the battery.
Not sure why he did that, but I also found that the stereo fuse was blown, so it's possible he (or whomever installed it) just thought the wires didn't work. (He didn't know about the door switch defeat fuse either and had removed all the interior bulbs)
Got a pic? I recently replaced my factory stereo with an aftermarket one, and yes I found the ground wire and re-used it. Mine (97) goes back, up, and to the right/passenger side, to a bolt that sits just under the long removable 'grille' piece of the dash.
I found that when I didn't use it, there was enough 'accidental' ground, between the stereo unit and the mounting bracket, to ground it a bit. However, at high volume I had issues until I ensured a proper ground.
I found that when I didn't use it, there was enough 'accidental' ground, between the stereo unit and the mounting bracket, to ground it a bit. However, at high volume I had issues until I ensured a proper ground.
That's the factory ground strap that is meant to be attached to the stud on the back of the radio.
Interesting. Mine was different, but perhaps because mine's a 97, and many little things are different for that model. Or the PO may have done something to mine.
Anyway, I trust Jerry for his reply!
I guess the bigger question is whether yours is currently grounded at all. If not, I'd be sure to use this one. If it is already grounded, then I suppose that adding another ground could cause a ground-loop, but then again I'm using terms I don't fully understand myself.
My TJ was early 99 build so maybe they changed things up a bit.I am just going to use the wire that I showed in the pic.Wrap my ground wire from head unit and tape it off.I need to run my power amp wires from battery to inside .Did any of you go through the firewall to run the power cable ?Did you go through the firewall near the gas pedal or did you drill out another hole on passenger side?
I just cut all the wires out of my old wiring harness, and crimped them into the corresponding wires of my new stereo's harness. Took a phone call with Crutchfield to get it right, but worked fine.
As for the amp (to my sub), yes I wired that to the battery through the firewall hole near the clutch. I had not yet discovered the one near the gas pedal.
As for the amp (to my sub), yes I wired that to the battery through the firewall hole near the clutch. I had not yet discovered the one near the gas pedal.
That's interesting as my '06 didn't have one - but I coincidentally installed one when I put in my aftermarket head unit and CB radio!
yummycurryboy
Member
My 2000 Sahara has the ground strap. I am installing a new head unit that does not have a stud to attach the ground strap to. Instead it has a black wire coming off the harness designated as the ground. What's the best way to attach the black wire to the strap? The circular head is throwing me off.
does the factory strap need to be attached to something? i just took an old aftermarket radio out and i don't think it was attached...radio had a black ground wire running to the strap but the strap didn't look attached...just run new radio ground to old wire running off of the strap?
GreatWhiteTurtle
New Member
This reply might be too late to help you and/or "yummycurryboy" but hopefully it it will help someone eventually:
On my '99 Sahara and perhaps also on your (the reader's) Jeep, there should have been a ground strap bolted to the exterior of the factory head unit. It has a round connector end for that bolt to pass through. And it's covered in soft foam to prevent it from grounding improperly if it touches metal before the opposite end, which is bolted to a metal ground point on the chassis.
Now, all (that I know of) aftermarket head units will have a black ground wire, usually with a round loop connector end for a bolt/screw to pass through and secure it against a good grounding point.
Many aftermarket head units have a grounding block on the back of the deck with one or more potential screw holes in them. Not all will be threaded but at least one should be. Hopefully the deck came with an appropriate screw, but if not just find something with threads that are close, and which isn't so long it would hit bottom and fail to fully seat. Then pass it through the loop ends of both the ground strap and the stereo ground wire (bonus if you have a lock washer to spare and a screw long enough to have room for it on the stack--this which will help keep everything tight) and into the best-fitting hole in the grounding block, then crank that bad boy down nice and tight without stripping it out. This will ensure the ground of the stereo has continuity with the ground strap to the chassis because the two connectors will be in snug contact.
If you have a tap and die set you can just tap any of these holes to thread them to some threading that will accept a screw or bolt you have laying around.
Here is how mine looks
Just wanted to come back here and post thanks for this. I've had my TJ for a while, replaced the radio about 10 years ago. I've been all over this Jeep in different areas, had the transmission out, replaced shocks, took the whole dash out and one point and cleaned it up, painted it...
Some time ago, the radio started to turn off if over a certain volume. 26 - fine. 27 - it's gonna cut off and restart. Finally had time (and the annoyance level got high enough) to look into it. Found another note that this can be caused by an improper ground on the radio. Took my dash apart, sure enough, ground wire was not connected to anything. Looks like I had wrapped it around the screw holding the front panel on, but it shook loose somehow.
Found this post with the pic of the grounding strap. Reached back behind, found the strap. Currently have it connected with a nut and bolt, but may go back at some point and connect it to the grounding block, as suggested in the last post. And now it goes to 11, and beyond...
Anyway, thanks.
Some time ago, the radio started to turn off if over a certain volume. 26 - fine. 27 - it's gonna cut off and restart. Finally had time (and the annoyance level got high enough) to look into it. Found another note that this can be caused by an improper ground on the radio. Took my dash apart, sure enough, ground wire was not connected to anything. Looks like I had wrapped it around the screw holding the front panel on, but it shook loose somehow.
Found this post with the pic of the grounding strap. Reached back behind, found the strap. Currently have it connected with a nut and bolt, but may go back at some point and connect it to the grounding block, as suggested in the last post. And now it goes to 11, and beyond...
Anyway, thanks.
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