Splice ground wire onto different ground wire?
08-13-2014, 11:07 AM
#1
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Splice ground wire onto different ground wire?
I recently relocated my license plate so therefore moved the license plate light as well, I ran the power wire to the light just fine but need to ground the ground wire... Behind the left rear brake light there is the ground wire for the brake lights (and I assume reverse as well), is it ok for me to just splice the license plate light ground into the brake light ground? There aren't many good places for a ground back in that brake light well.
08-13-2014, 11:22 AM
#2
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I recently relocated my license plate so therefore moved the license plate light as well, I ran the power wire to the light just fine but need to ground the ground wire... Behind the left rear brake light there is the ground wire for the brake lights (and I assume reverse as well), is it ok for me to just splice the license plate light ground into the brake light ground? There aren't many good places for a ground back in that brake light well.
08-13-2014, 12:46 PM
#5
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It isn't an issue here, but not all grounds are the same. The shield of your CB radio cable is grounded. But it would be a bad idea to use it for your lights. I could tell you a lengthy story from my time in Vietnam War figuring out why an automatic direction finder, key to finding downed pilots, would not work, but will spare you. ;-)
08-13-2014, 02:30 PM
#6
A ground is a ground, period.
You bring into question RF vs electrical grounds, but it's not being discussed here, so why muddy the discussion with non relevant facts that only go to confuse an obvious electrical neophyte.
OP, as stated, a ground is a ground for your intended purpose. All that you have to be leery about has already been stated, make sure your wire gauge is up to task to handle the intended load and have some buffer, just in case.
You bring into question RF vs electrical grounds, but it's not being discussed here, so why muddy the discussion with non relevant facts that only go to confuse an obvious electrical neophyte.
OP, as stated, a ground is a ground for your intended purpose. All that you have to be leery about has already been stated, make sure your wire gauge is up to task to handle the intended load and have some buffer, just in case.
08-13-2014, 04:34 PM
#7
JK Jedi Master
And why don't you try being nice for once?
Last edited by Mark Doiron; 08-13-2014 at 04:39 PM.
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08-13-2014, 04:45 PM
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Seems to me Mark was responding to an earlier comment that stated a ground is a ground. It makes sense to me that someone, Mark in this case, would feel the need to clear that up, as it is not necessarily true that a ground is a ground. It may be the case with a simple license plate light, but absolutely not the case with all things in an automotive electrical environment.
08-13-2014, 05:03 PM
#9
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Hate to add this at this point, because again it isn't directly related to OP's question, but another reason a ground may not be a good ground is because of circuit loads. If you have a 10 amp circuit and you tie another 10 amp return line (ground) to it, then that ground wire you tied into is carrying 20 amps. Unless the manufacturer oversized it (yeah right), you're overloading the wire and run the risk of a fire. So, a ground is not always a safe or electrically sound ground.
08-13-2014, 08:44 PM
#10
A ground is a ground, period.
You bring into question RF vs electrical grounds, but it's not being discussed here, so why muddy the discussion with non relevant facts that only go to confuse an obvious electrical neophyte.
OP, as stated, a ground is a ground for your intended purpose. All that you have to be leery about has already been stated, make sure your wire gauge is up to task to handle the intended load and have some buffer, just in case.
You bring into question RF vs electrical grounds, but it's not being discussed here, so why muddy the discussion with non relevant facts that only go to confuse an obvious electrical neophyte.
OP, as stated, a ground is a ground for your intended purpose. All that you have to be leery about has already been stated, make sure your wire gauge is up to task to handle the intended load and have some buffer, just in case.
Hate to add this at this point, because again it isn't directly related to OP's question, but another reason a ground may not be a good ground is because of circuit loads. If you have a 10 amp circuit and you tie another 10 amp return line (ground) to it, then that ground wire you tied into is carrying 20 amps. Unless the manufacturer oversized it (yeah right), you're overloading the wire and run the risk of a fire. So, a ground is not always a safe or electrically sound ground.
