Are running wires through your car easy?

 

Bronze Member
Username: Djzavala

Whittier, Ca USA

Post Number: 18
Registered: Oct-04
I want to run the wires in my car from the HU to my trunk, I have a Camry, is it hard to do, or should i just go to a "professional", would rather do it myself but i have no clue how.
 

Silver Member
Username: Pat_l

Tucson, AZ USA

Post Number: 677
Registered: Apr-04
I wouldnt say its hard, but very time consuming. Especally if you doing it for the first time. It also helps to have two people the first time you install. But i would say as long as you know where the wires need to go, you will be able to find areas to sneak the wires through.

Try it, if you find its more than you want to do, take it to a shop.
 

guest
Unregistered guest
What model Camry do you have? I can tell you exactly how to do it EX: how the panels + seats come apart, where to drill a hole in the fire wall etc...
 

Bronze Member
Username: Djzavala

Whittier, Ca USA

Post Number: 26
Registered: Oct-04
i have a 1992 camry, thanks alot
 

guest
Unregistered guest
awesome, it is quite easy then. What are you trying to run?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Djzavala

Whittier, Ca USA

Post Number: 27
Registered: Oct-04
i want to run the wires from the battery to the trunk, so i can hook up an amp, sorry for the delay i was eating
 

guest
Unregistered guest
So you need to drill a hole through your firewall then, or did you already have it done? If not on the drivers side of the car there are 2 bolts holding the break/gas pedal in place. If you pop your hood and look inside at the wall in the same area you will see these 2 bolts poking through. If you are looking at the wall from the front of the car they stick through over to the right of the fuel injector and about 3 quarters of the way down the wall. This is a fairly open space and you will need to drill through some sound absorbing material and two small sheet metal walls. Use a SMALL drill bit first to drill an initial test hole. It helps to have someone looking in from the engine compartment side to tell you imediately if you are drilling through at the wrong spot. Start drilling above and a little over these 2 screws in the wall with your small bit until it goes through. Have a friend hold a portion of wood to protect any components from being stuck by the drill bit when it pokes through. Once you have made a pilot hole make sure its all clear and use a drill bit slightly larger then the diameter of cable you need to run through, proceed to center the bit and drill this hole. Install a grommet or JB Weld the cable in place after your done running the wire to prevent the metal from cutting the cable over time. Now what you want to do is tape the end of the power cable down by the battery terminal DO NOT HOOK IT UP DO THIS LAST. Then take the rest of the cable and run it along side of the compartment down into the hole and feed it through CAREFULLY, THE HOLE IS SHARP! Once you have the cable through you can run it up under the dash to the right tell it meets the center console. Use a flathead screw driver and push the power cable up under the center console plastics along the side to the back where it comes out in the back by the passenger side foot area. From here you can run it under/over the carpet where the little bump on the floor is in between right and left seats then up UNDER the rear seats. The front of the seats lift up enough with some small force to push a cable through. Shove your arm down under the seats at the back and grab the cable. Put the seats down and pull the rest of it through into the trunk!
 

guest
Unregistered guest
how about the RCA cables from your HU to the trunk?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Djzavala

Whittier, Ca USA

Post Number: 29
Registered: Oct-04
i already have one amp back there and i was wondering if i can just connect the power wire and the REM memory wire to another amp. So they both can just run off the same source
 

Bronze Member
Username: Djzavala

Whittier, Ca USA

Post Number: 30
Registered: Oct-04
what about them? are u asking if i need them or what?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Djzavala

Whittier, Ca USA

Post Number: 31
Registered: Oct-04
My alpine HU already has 3 outputs (front, rear, and for subwoofers)
 

Silver Member
Username: Pat_l

Tucson, AZ USA

Post Number: 683
Registered: Apr-04
I am kinda lost now. You say you already have a AMP set up. If its already set up then all you really have to do is splice the wires (remote and get y conects for RCAs). But for your Power and ground, the grounds will need to be seperate for each amp. How big is your amps?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Djzavala

Whittier, Ca USA

Post Number: 32
Registered: Oct-04
The one i have right now is a 851s Power RF, and thats for my subs, I want to put a 4 channel amp for my 6x9s and my mids. The other amp i have is a Kenwood 750 watt amp ( i dont know how much it really puts out)
 

Bronze Member
Username: Deathshadow

Post Number: 70
Registered: Oct-04
I was asking if u need to run the RCA from HU to trunk. You can only run the same power wire from the battery to 2 amps if a few conditions are met. The gauge wire MUST be low enough to be able to handle the current draw. You MUST use a fused distribution block and run 4/8 gauge wire to the amps from the outputs of the block. You can use a simple Y connector and use the same wire for the REM; they require very little power (something along the lines of 4 volts).
 

Bronze Member
Username: Djzavala

Whittier, Ca USA

Post Number: 33
Registered: Oct-04
I guess i didnt really clear anything up, ok, lol, right now i have the Fosgate amp hooked up to my subs, I have the 6x9s and mids, but they have no amp, so i bought that kenwood amp to power them, thats the other amp i want to add.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Djzavala

Whittier, Ca USA

Post Number: 34
Registered: Oct-04
is there an easier way to add an amp, or is splitting the power wire the easiest?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Deathshadow

Post Number: 71
Registered: Oct-04
Alright then, for 750 watts 8 guage power cable is fine if it resides in the trunk. You MUST have another fuse holder as close as you can get it to the battery terminal like the other power cable. You can run this cable the same way the other cable is through the car. The REM(s) can use the same wire, it uses very little voltage.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Deathshadow

Post Number: 72
Registered: Oct-04
As lorenz stated above each amp needs its own ground as well. Sand the paint away from the unibody and bolt it down.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Djzavala

Whittier, Ca USA

Post Number: 35
Registered: Oct-04
ok..i think i understand and i have a clear cut idea of what im gonna do, anything else i should when doing this?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Deathshadow

Post Number: 73
Registered: Oct-04
Hmmm...

*In the engine compartment avoid running the wire near anything that radiates extreme ammounts of
heat (the radiator, headers, cylinder head, etc..)

*Also avoid running the wire around or near any moving parts (throttle cable assembly, belts, etc...)

*Remember to protect the portion of cable that runs through the firewall and take care while feeding it through; the metal is sharp enough to strip away the wire casing and cut through it.

*Use a grounding point with in 18 inches of the amp, try not to ground both amps to close to each other.

*Remember you must have a fuse for the power cable
as close to the battery as possible.

* keep the Power cables and RCA cables as far apart as you can.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Djzavala

Whittier, Ca USA

Post Number: 36
Registered: Oct-04
alright thanks
 

Bronze Member
Username: Djzavala

Whittier, Ca USA

Post Number: 37
Registered: Oct-04
would it be good get an EQ?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Deathshadow

Post Number: 74
Registered: Oct-04
One more thing, when bolting down the ground make sure you *KNOW* where it will come out on the other side. Your fuel tank (under the trunk area), electrical wires, and vacuum lines all run through out the car.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Deathshadow

Post Number: 75
Registered: Oct-04
Depends if your satisfied with what you hear then there is no need. Little things can also be done to improve the SQ of your vehicle. If you still want to
improve the sound quality of your system after these things then EQs and other stuff come in and can be quite pricey
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