View Full Version : Wiring the Amp?!
Hey all,
I need to pass power wires from the battery to the Amp in back of the car (of my Leon) :)
The problem is passing the wires through the firewall (from the engine compartment to the inside of the car). I have done it previously on my Polo, a few years ago, and it was on the hard side... :eek:
PLEASE, if anyone has done this (and I'm sure some of you did), please let me know where you passed the power leads through. :confused:
A pic would be VERY helpful, and most welcome :)
BTW, I've read about two options:
1. Passing the wire from behind the glove box
2. Getting the power from the main power cables in the driver's side electric box (which are connected directly to the battery).
Any comments on these options???
Many thanks! :cheers:
Ranix
Amp wiring should always be on its own circuit. With suitable current capacity wire. Don't take a feed from anywhere except the battery terminal.
As for feeding the wire through. I think I'm right in thinking there is a rubber grommet underneath the windscreen on the passenger side. ICEMAN would be the guy who knows the Leon backwards so if I'm wrong ask him.
Icecavern
08-08-2003, 08:32
Originally posted by ranix
BTW, I've read about two options:
1. Passing the wire from behind the glove box
2. Getting the power from the main power cables in the driver's side electric box (which are connected directly to the battery).
Number 1 please... DO NOT take it from the distribution box. THe cable that runs from this to the battery is feable...
There is a handy grommit in the engine bay. I don't have the pic to hand now but I'll post it later...
Oh and Si mate, I know the Leon inside out, upside down, backwards and every other orientation :D It'll probably come appart again in a few weeks time too... One or two more cables ;)
Pete
Thanks for the tips ICEMAN - you ARE the MAN... and a cool one :D
I'd love to see them pics... would really help before unscrewing the wrong part of the car :(
Also, I heard it's a good idea to pass the RCA cables from a different place then the power wires. If I pass the power line from the passenger side, where would I put the RCA cables.
I originally thought of passing the power line down the left side (driver's side) since the battery is on that side and most of the power lines go there, and put the RCAs on the right (passenger side). But if I pass the power through the grommit near the passenger side it doesn't make any sense to take the power line on the driver's side of the car?!?!?
Comments?
Thanks again,
Ranix
I had problems getting a cable through the grommet behind the fan behind the glovebox. I just couldn't get clean at it from either inside or outside. I therefore brought the cable in through a largish black plastic plate under the windscreen wipers on the drivers side. If you remove the bit of rubber seal that runs width ways that seals the bonnet to the engine bay where the wipers are and lift up the plastic on the drivers side you should see it right in front of you. It will mean removing the drivers side lower part of the dash, but this is very easy and can be done in minutes. There are piccies on ICEMANs web page.
Cheers Darryl
Icecavern
08-08-2003, 13:14
Always cool, that's why my aircon is always set to "LO" lol
Ahhh Wait a minute you are LHD aren't you... Right it's littel differnet for you. If you can always run the power cable down the same side as the battery and then the RCA's down the other side or down the centre.
Can you take a pic of the engine bay of yours so I can see what's different? I can mark on where the gromit should be then.
Pete
chromeless
13-08-2003, 10:57
Originally posted by Darryl
I had problems getting a cable through the grommet behind the fan behind the glovebox. I just couldn't get clean at it from either inside or outside. I therefore brought the cable in through a largish black plastic plate under the windscreen wipers on the drivers side. If you remove the bit of rubber seal that runs width ways that seals the bonnet to the engine bay where the wipers are and lift up the plastic on the drivers side you should see it right in front of you. It will mean removing the drivers side lower part of the dash, but this is very easy and can be done in minutes. There are piccies on ICEMANs web page.
Cheers Darryl
I couldn't find the pictures on Pete's website - I believe I've found the plate though.
Did you cut it and put a grommet in?
Did you explore the possibility of going though the rubber boot that the other cabes go through right next to this plate?
I prefer to use whatever's already there, but don't want to try and put something though here if it doesn't go anywhere useful or isn't accesable from the other side!
There isn't a picture of the plastic plate that I mention on ICECAVERN, I was more refering to the 'how to' remove the lower drivers side of the dash. I made a small hole in the existing rubber boot at the top and fed the cable through that way.
Cheers Darryl
Icecavern
14-08-2003, 08:28
The plate you are talking about is where I fed my boost gauge pipe. Just drilled a hole in it and then put a nice dollop of sillicon sealant around it... :)
Pete
chromeless
14-08-2003, 08:50
To get better access to it did you remove all the plastic shielding (and presumably the wipers too), or did you just work quickly while bending it up? so to speak ;o)
My personal favourite trick is to get access to one side of the hole in the firewall/bulkhead and poke a long bit of wire through until it appears (and can be grabbed) at the other side. The underside of the dash looks pretty full - is this shortcut likely to work or am I just going to have to face it and remove the lower dash?
Edit to say : when I say wire, I mean of the stiff kind (e.g. coat hanger ;)), not cabling.
I just held the platic out of the way when I did it. It was fairly warm at the time and so the plastic was supple.
I poked a small cable through first, roughly 3mm diameter and soldered the main cable to it an pulled it through.
I can't see how you're going to do it without removing the lower part of the dash though. Its very easy and can be done in minutes.
Icecavern
14-08-2003, 10:30
Lower part of the dash removed and the windscreen wipers and the plastic sheild all removed... "If it's worth doing a job it's worth doing it properly" as Uncle Bulgaria always says :D
Pete
chromeless
14-08-2003, 11:09
Thanks for the advice, I think i'll go for the poke the wire though the existing grommet, but then remove the lower dash. I don't fancy taking the wipers off and seem to be able to get reasonable access to the gromet by pulling the plate up gently (I guess I'll find out soon enough ;)).
I appreciate that it could be tricky to remember but what length of cable will be necessary, since I've always tended to run the power down the same side as the battery - obviously this will be different here and I don't want to end up needing to "pop out" and get some more cable with half the dash removed ;)
I appreciate that I could just measure it, but if you have a rough idea then I'd be grateful.
Is there a headunit removal guide you know of, since I may as well install the remote lead at the same time...
Can't remember an exact length. Will the cable be going to the distribution block on the left or right of the boot? Probably best to get out an give it a quick measure and then add 1m. The HU is very easy to remove, just need a couple of very thin peices of plastic or metal, which you poke in the horizontal slots. You'll feel when they've gone in far enough. Pull the HU unit out using the tape slot. Or as I did a removed the glove box and pushed it out as I wanted to run the RCAs down the left.
Cheers Darryl
chromeless
15-08-2003, 08:34
since it looks like I'll be running the power down the drivers side I'll put the distribution block on the right (drivers side) of the boot.
For neatness, I trimmed the large gauge power cable that I used in my last install - I doubt that it's long enough to run the extra 1.5 meters or so ... I guess I'll need to go and get some more ;o)
I was so chuffed when I found the battery in my BMW though - being in the boot meant that I could run an absolute whopper of a cable for about, oh, 80cm straight into the distribution block.
They should put all batteries in the boot ;o)
The look on the guys face when I bought the cable - "You'll need more than that, and you'll have a job running a cable that big too.". Nope. Easiest install ever - apart from putting a screwdriver through one of the speaker cones...:mad:
The battery in the boot was about the only thing I liked about the 325ti compact that I test drove when looking for a new car! :D
Very very twitchy. Got the thing going from understeer to oversteer very easily. Even with traction control on I felt it twitching.
Cheers Darryl
chromeless
15-08-2003, 13:45
Not fond of the compacts at all personally. So many other cars do it better and cheaper. Don't really like the saloons either.
Only the 330 sport coupes/convertibles.
Shockingly a fully specced up 316 (or is it 318 that's the bottom of the range) will cost over £35k ;o)
Battery in the boot is an absolute stroke of genious though IMHO.
Confused a friend who wanted to jump-start, he spent a fair while looking for the battery under the bonnet ;)
Thanks for your help, I'll let you know how I get on.