ok yall need yall input here. im looken at some ground straps an i was wandering if they work? from what i have read is that they help ur hp an trany shift is it true if so im think im going to get them.:confused:

From first hand experience, it "works". Keep in mind I have not put any on my Armada, just my old Camry. I used to have a pretty decent sound system, and my amplifiers were putting a big load on my alternator. A new higher amp alternator would have cost too much money, and a capacitor is pretty pricey too. I didn't buy one of those $100-$150 kits. I made my own. I had extra connectors and wire laying around.....everywhere there was a factory ground wire under the hood, I kept the original, plus added my extra wire, and I cleaned all the contact points with a wire brush/sandpaper.

results: My headlights didn't dim near as much when the bass hit.....big plus, that was what I expected, and the effort was worth that payoff alone. I was surprised to find out the engine itself seemed more eager to rev. I seriously doubt I got any "real" horsepower from the added/cleaned grounds.....but the engine was more responsive to throttle input. I didn't notice any change in shifting performance, as my Camry was never harsh or too slushy to begin with.

I have the Active Tuning kit in the Armada. From what I've seen, it's helped me resolve some random glitches I was having using the non-recommended cheapo Wal-Mart car battery.

delete....

euro, do you plan on doing this "mod"? it looks to be a bit of work for someone (like myself) who does not like to stay under the hood long...

It's actually really super easy if you buy the pre-made kit. Making your own is easy too if you don't mind the extra effort. The install took me about 10-mins the first time then only about 3-mins the second time on a buddy's Titan.

I too have installed the active grounding kit (home-made), but while doing so discovered that the the grounds on the Armada are inadequite. If you upgrade the wires to at least 4 ga.(0 ga. is optimum) to the body ground (behind battery) and the ground wire to the battery hold down/alternator solves any grounding issues. Adding the rest of the wires to the transmission and on the front panel around the lights will not hurt (gains on some vehicles). Make sure all surfaces are paint and corrosion free.

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk68/9ballrook/armada1129003.jpg

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk68/9ballrook/armada1129004.jpg.

hay yall thks for the in put its all good stuff. but what are some of the things that are happen to yalls mardas. Is the HP,thr,an trany running any differnt

Let's see.... Power glitches like dimming lights, random power loss like a quick flash blackout, weird electrical noises once in awhile, all obviouslty due to running an under powered battery. Well, I figured better connections don't require as much power and that seems to have turned out right. HP, trans, etc don't seem any different.

The only thing I really noticed, it seemed to start a little more crisp.

well i dont have .. or have not noticed... those issues you guys are posting... :shrugs:

i did it. What i notiesed was the thr was better the trany shifts better an the lights are a little brighter to. An it runs a lot smother also. I whould recamend it to other people. An it only cost me around 30 bucks. I love it whan things cost cheep an has such good benafite for the marda.

I too have installed the active grounding kit (home-made), but while doing so discovered that the the grounds on the Armada are inadequite. If you upgrade the wires to at least 4 ga.(0 ga. is optimum) to the body ground (behind battery) and the ground wire to the battery hold down/alternator solves any grounding issues. Adding the rest of the wires to the transmission and on the front panel around the lights will not hurt (gains on some vehicles). Make sure all surfaces are paint and corrosion free.

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk68/9ballrook/armada1129003.jpg

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk68/9ballrook/armada1129004.jpg.

Looks good, but how did you get both of those batteries in there?

When I was do for a new battery, I decided on a Stinger 1500, which is about the same size as the stock one. I went to a buddy's A/V shop and he had 3 1000's which are a little smaller but deliver 1200 amps, we did some measuring and decided more battery less money(the guy who ordered them changed his mind so I got a GREAT deal). I trimed the original battery mount with a dremmel/cut-off wheel to make it flat. The Stinger's come in their own sleeve, so I turned sideways and screwed them down to the original mount, slide the batteries in and wired them together. The terminals and wire was the expensive parts.Stinger's (IMO) are the best battery out there, but expensive.

http://www.stingerelectronics.com/search.aspx?delineateQuery=battery

9balllrook: Opinion on Yellow Top? When I had my Titan- my factory battery completly died and went to battery heaven so I was a little limited on choices and I always heard great things about the Yellow tops. I love that set with your batteries! Have you already done a write up on it in the How-To Section?

i can comment on the yellow top. its a wonderful battery and highly recommended. i have been using the yellow battery since the early 90's...

With a background in electronics - what happens with a corroded connection is that the corrosion acts as a resistor, preventing the adequate amperage from flowing. The resistance, in cases, causes heat to generate, which in turn, equals a loss of energy flow. Same happens for cables that are not designed to handle enough amperage. You may have noticed when running a vacuum with a long cord, the cord towards the plug may feel warn after you have ran it for some time. This is a sign that the 12 AMP motor on the vacuum is trying to pull as much as possible, and the cord wires may not be adequate enough to allow the full flow. Same goes for your wiring in the engine. Like 9 Ball said, 4 ga is good, but go all out to 0 ga wire and have no issues.
Also - a clean connection is key. If you want to go super connection, solder it.

Balllrook can you isolate one of those batteries?

I have them wired as one, but yes it can be done to dedicate one for the truck and one for aux.

Active is out of stock and I tried to email them and the email came back. Guess they are out of buisness? Anyone know of any other kit that isnt $150 like stillens kit?

Make your own. You need about 15 feet of 4 gauge wire (you can use your favorite color, and I think it was 12 ring terminals. Should be able to do it in a few hours and it'll be better than the 8 gauge one you'll buy.
You can use Active Tunings directions for install, just make your own cables.

http://www.activetuning.com/products/nissan/multiple/NI-MP-04GRNDKT-TNAR/installation.php

Make your own. You need about 15 feet of 4 gauge wire (you can use your favorite color, and I think it was 12 ring terminals. Should be able to do it in a few hours and it'll be better than the 8 gauge one you'll buy.
You can use Active Tunings directions for install, just make your own cables.

http://www.activetuning.com/products/nissan/multiple/NI-MP-04GRNDKT-TNAR/installation.php


you only need 7 feet of wire. i ordered my stuff from crutchfield and it arrived yesterday. got everything put together and installed today. $40 for everything shipped and $2-3 in bolts, washers, and nuts from home depot