PRODUCT DETAILS
OEM Engine-to-Chassis Ground Strap | 2001–2005 Honda Civic | B-Series Swap Compatible
The Honda Civic ground strap you’re looking at is the OEM sub ground cable, part number 32610-S5A-000 (ground cable 32610-S5A-000). It’s the main engine to chassis return path on the 2001–2005 Civic, and your starter, alternator, ECU, ignition, and basically every sensor signal depends on it. If your Honda engine ground strap goes high resistance, your car can act like it has five different problems at once.
Rubber mounts isolate the engine electrically, so you need a dedicated bridge back to the chassis. When the Civic OEM ground strap cracks, corrodes, or breaks, you’ll chase “bad alternator” or “dying ECU” vibes for weeks. We’ve seen it, and yes, we still run these exact OEM style cables on our own cars because a boring ground cable beats a fun tow bill.
This same D17 engine ground wire also gets used constantly as a B Series ground cable on swaps. People like it because it’s shielded, uses factory crimped ring terminals, and doesn’t look like a crusty 1990s braid hanging off your bay. If you’ve ever opened the hood and thought, “that green strap looks sketchy,” you get it.
What This Part Does
Your Honda uses chassis grounds for stuff like lighting, and an engine ground reference for noise sensitive signals from the ECU, O2 sensors, TPS, and MAP. This Honda D17 ground cable ties the engine block to the chassis so both references stay at the same electrical potential. That’s the whole game.
When the Honda ground cable replacement starts failing, the ECU can misread perfectly good sensors because the return path gets dirty. The ECU usually isn’t broken. The sensors usually aren’t broken. The ground is.
Symptoms of a Failing or Missing Ground Cable
If you’re seeing any mix of these, put the OEM Civic ground cable on your shortlist:
Starting problems: slow crank, random click no start, or it starts fine one day and hates you the next. The starter can pull 100 to 200 plus amps, and all of that current needs a clean path back through the ground.
Rough or unstable idle: hunting or surging idle because TPS, MAP, and IAC signals don’t have a clean reference. A bad ground adds noise, and the ECU reacts like the throttle position just lied to it.
Misfires and hesitation: coil and injector returns run through the engine ground path. High resistance here can create intermittent misses that never show up when you want them to.
Electrical gremlins: flickering lights, gauges doing weird stuff, tach jumping, radio resets, warning lights stacking up. These get worse with load, headlights on, blower on, A C on.
Phantom CELs: repeat O2, TPS, or MAP codes that come back after clearing even when the sensor tests fine.
Charging issues: battery that won’t stay happy even though the alternator tests good. If the alternator output has to fight resistance on the return side, charging efficiency drops fast.
Quick check: voltage drop test while cranking. Put your meter leads between the engine block and a known good chassis point, crank it, and watch DC volts. Under 0.2V is solid. Over 0.5V means you’ve got excessive resistance and you should replace the cable.
Part Details
Honda Part Number: 32610-S5A-000 (also shown as 32610S5A000)
Honda Official Name: Cable, Sub-Ground
Construction: flexible shielded ground strap with factory crimped ring terminals. The shielding protects the conductor from moisture and corrosion better than the older open braid style straps that turn green and crunchy over time.
Dimensions: about 5.7 × 5.6 inches, about 0.20 lbs (91g)
OEM Mounting Location (D17): engine block near the upper radiator hose area to the chassis at the upper radiator support core support.
SKU: OHA-32610-S5A-000
OEM Fitment
This Civic 2001–2005 ground cable fits D17 equipped Civics:
D17A1 (Non VTEC, 115 hp) Civic DX, LX, VP trims. If you’re searching DX Civic ground strap or Civic LX ground cable, this is it.
D17A2 (SOHC VTEC, 127 hp) Civic EX. This covers the common Civic EX ground wire need.
D17A6 (VTEC E Lean Burn) Civic HX
D17A7 (CNG) Civic GX
Works on 2 door and 4 door, manual, auto, and CVT where applicable. If you’re hunting an OEM Honda D17A1 grounding cable or D17 engine ground wire, this cable matches the factory intent.
Does not fit: 2002–2005 Civic Si EP3 (K20A3) and does not fit Civic Hybrid models due to the different electrical layout.
B-Series Swap Application
This cable shows up constantly in swap parts lists because it works well as a B Series ground cable in EG, EK, DC, and other 1990s Honda and Acura chassis. If you’ve searched Acura ground strap B-series, this is the style people keep recommending.
Better long term durability. The old exposed flat braid straps on B16, B18, and B20 setups corrode fast, especially after 25 to 30 years of heat cycles and road grime. The shielded D17 strap holds up better.
Cleaner look. It looks like an OEM part because it is one, so it doesn’t scream “I gave up at 2 a.m. and used whatever was in the toolbox.”
Cost vs multi cable kits. Aftermarket grounding kits can hit $60 to $80. This single Honda engine ground strap covers the primary engine to chassis path that actually matters.
B Series install notes: People commonly run it from the valve cover area to the core support or radiator bulkhead. Your exact points depend on the chassis and brackets. The rule never changes, both ring terminals must land on bare clean metal. Paint, powder coat, and corrosion will beat any cable every time.
Installation Tips
On the D17 application, it bolts in like OEM because it is OEM. On swaps, keep it simple and do it right:
Clean the contact points. Wire brush, sandpaper, Scotch Brite. Get to bare metal on both sides.
Use a star washer if you can. It bites through surface oxidation and helps keep resistance low over time.
Inspect the rest of your grounds. If this one looks bad, the battery ground, transmission to chassis strap, and smaller body grounds often look just as sad. One fresh strap won’t fix a rotten system.
Seal after tightening. Wipe a thin coat of dielectric grease on the outside of the joint to slow future corrosion. Don’t pack it between the metals, you want metal to metal contact first.
Related Honda OEM Hardware
If your bolts are missing or mangled, these are the common OEM pieces people replace with the cable:
- 90114-SM4-900 Ground cable mounting bolt (6×15)
- 90153-SE0-003 Ground bolt (6×12)
- 93403-06012-08 Bolt washer (6×12)
Don’t let a $20 ground strap turn into a weekend of diagnostics. If you need an OEM Civic ground cable, a Honda D17 ground cable, or a clean upgrade for a B series swap, this is the simple fix that keeps the electrical side of your build boring, which is exactly what you want.