grounding

[William Lin]

can i ground my stereo to any metal part of the car?

[John Hartman]

yes.

Bigger current draw items will need bigger current capable grounds however.  If you are planning on drawing big power for say, a large amp and sub, you should have at least as much ground wire as you have for power wire.  This includes the connection to ground.

oh and as for your main question, I should add that, yes you can get a ground from any metal part, as long as its attached to the main "frame" of the car.  If you see a large metal panel under the dash, but its screwed to plastic parts or something, its not gonna ground for ya.

Easily tested with a test light.  And if you don't have one, you can easily rig one up with 2 pieces of wire and a light bulb, along with some tape.  Run power to one end and touch the other to your suspected ground.  If the light lights up brightly, its a good ground.

[Mike Schmid]

Just FYI tho most of the metal panels inside the dash are grounded.  At least in a 1G.  The factory radio grounds thru the mounting brackets.  If you're unsure, test with an ohmmeter to something that you know is a good ground.  Get very few ohms?  It's a good ground.