Power Wire routing

[amadorbarajas]

I am wiring my car for an amp in the trunk for my subs, and I was wondering, for those who have installed subs in their car, where did you route the power cable for your amp? I already got the RCA and ground figured out, I just gotta finish the power now. I hope to pass it through the firewall in an existing grommet. Or am I going to have to drill a new hole for it? Thanks in advance!

 

[beermonkey9417]

you can route the wire behind the kick pannel out into the fender and to the battery, theres prolly a better way but i didnt want to have to drill a hole and get a grommet to fit said hole.

 

[-83MONTESS-]

you can route the wire behind the kick pannel out into the fender and to the battery, theres prolly a better way but i didnt want to have to drill a hole and get a grommet to fit said hole.

x2. This is what I did, it seemed like the most practical way to do it.

 

[axisg]

On my car the heavy 12v+ line is run front to back on the on the same side as the battery.
There is a 16" run to the top of the inner fender where there is a mounted fuse block. From there its an 96"' run down the fender and thru the grommet that was used for the CCC system ( if you remove the PS front wheel and wheelwell you will gain access much easier as it's under the HVAC box and a bugger to get back in properly ). From there its run along the factory routing under the doorsill (where the rear speaker wires from the factory radio are originally run) back to a power distribution block. I ran the RCA's, remote wire, and speaker wire back from the amp to the front speakers all up the drivers side. For a ground I used 24" of welding cable with one end crimped and bolted to the trunk support and the other end to another distribution block used for 12v-

If you have the battery on the PS this is a great way to do it. If your battery is on the DS then it gets a little crowded under the steering column so you may consider running the power accross the bottomside of the rad support and then down the PS but whatever way you do it mount your fuse as close to the battery as you can so there is less chance of a fire in the event of an electrical short in the system

 

[Phoenyx]

Also, I would run the RCAs and power wire on opposite sides of the car.

 

[454muscle]

Also, I would run the RCAs and power wire on opposite sides of the car.

X2. That's the important part. Otherwise, there will be interference and you will get unwanted noise in your speakers during playback.
If you ran the RCAs down the left side of the car, then make sure you run the power wire down the right side. And vice versa. You may need extra length to accomodate this but it's the better way.

 

[amadorbarajas]

Thanks for the advice. I do have the RCA and remote running on the left side, while power runs on the right side. Got it all situated now. One thing I have noticed though, I need to upgrade my batter or alternator, my lights are dimming with just 1 12" sub. Or maybe the Big 3 upgrade might help?? Thoughts!

 

[454muscle]

You might wanna run the remote wire on the same as the power wire. It's still 12 volts and will still generate some electric field which may still give you whining noises. While it's out, re-route it just to be safe. The RCAs need to be far away from any electrical interference for cleanest sound, so isolate them. You can even get shielded RCA cables for cleaner sound.

 

[chevyman454]

id go with a extra battery, capacitor and a larger alternator

 

[burgundy83]

I cut a hole in the pass. door boot and ran it through the fender...tsk tsk