Now that I've got my console sorted, it's time to move on to my next newbie enquiry..

The amp that I bought has a wiring diagram that shows you run a lead from the battery's +ve to the amp and another from the battery's -ve to the amp, and then it shows that the -ve terminal of the battery should be earthed.

Just about everything I've read on here and elsewhere says that you just run a wire from the battery's +ve to the amp, then from the amp's -ve terminal straight to an earth point.

I realise both scenarious present essentially the same circut, but what's the best practice? Does it matter?

hey i just had one of my amps installed professionally and they have run + from the battery then just earthed it to an earth point under the centre consol, just near my amp.

Earth from the amp directly onto a solid point on the chassis is fine. You will actually get less power loss than running another cable all the way back to the battery as the chassis acts as one huge conductor (save $$ on cable too). You may want to check the ground cable that goes from the battery to the chassis, to ensure it is sufficient thickness + is grounded well.

and make sure that when you do ground it, Make sure its getting good contact with the metal and that theres not paint on the contact.

Thanks guys

Earth from the amp directly onto a solid point on the chassis is fine. You will actually get less power loss than running another cable all the way back to the battery as the chassis acts as one huge conductor (save $$ on cable too). You may want to check the ground cable that goes from the battery to the chassis, to ensure it is sufficient thickness + is grounded well.Unless u are runnin a huge-power system (READ High CURRENT through neutral return), an earth to ur body will be fine.
However, I'm a sparky apprentice & I'm tellin u now, it'll never be as good as a decent guage neutral wire as teK said.
U don't get losses as such through the wire .. the perceived loss is the resistance of the current path (condutor + all connections) useing energy & cause a voltage drop (utterly negligable in that distance & gauge of wire)

U are better off haveing the low resistance path of a wire with a lug @ each end (which will be ur weakest current 'link'), than 2 wires with 2 pairs of lugs @ each end plus the 2 joins to the body which are ur weakest points. Every little joint & change of conductor (copper is better conductor then steel) will ever so slightly increase the resistance of the circuit.

[AMP] )======( [Battery] vs. [AMP] )==( [BODY] )==( [Battery]

Therefore the 'Earth' cable will have 'less losses' as it'll have sweetFA resistance compared to a body earth, allthough both will be bugger-all, so as I said u should be fine unless ur plannin to run say 2x 1000wrms amps?

PS didn't mean to step on ur toes teK

Therefore the 'Earth' cable will have 'less losses' as it'll have sweetFA resistance compared to a body earth, allthough both will be bugger-all, so as I said u should be fine unless ur plannin to run say 2x 1000wrms amps?

PS didn't mean to step on ur toes teK

No offence taken but you have just agreed that there is negligible difference in resistance either using a (sufficient gauge) cable, or the car chassis. The noticeable difference is in the cost of cabling where some good quality 0 gauge cable (even if you don't go for flashy audio cable and use welder's cable) is quite steep. Unless you are running a show car... then you can pay $15/m for 0 gauge Stinger cable lol

Unless you are running a show car... then you can pay $15/m for 0 gauge Stinger cable lol

Damn - you can get 0 gauge stinger that cheap?? I am impressed!!

Manual