Right now i have an 8G power wire going to my amplifier from the batter (of course.. I have it run from the rear storage compartment, through all the plastic panels, down and under the plastic step-panel on the drivers side (you know, that little plastic strip that runs from back to front), up through the kick panel..

This is where my problem comes in, the previous owner had a friend put a sound system, he ran a very small 16-18G wire through the firewall in an extremely small hole in a plastic/rubber piece in the firewall.. What is this strange piece in the firewall, and why is it there? Will it damage anything if i run a large wire through it? Because right now i have it going to the top of the kick panel, over outside the car up to the hood like and through the small line there, to the battery along the drivers side of the car.. Problem here: the wire is visible when the drivers door is open :-(

H-E-L-P!

 

UNHOOK THAT SET UP RIGHT NOW!!! I hope your power wire is fused very close to the battery too, or you are begging for major problems. At best, you will fry your system, and at worst, you car! Power cable should never be run outside the vehicle (there are some exceptions, but those don't apply here). Go buy a rubber grommet that will fit 8ga wire, find a good spot on the passenger side firewall to drill a hole, and pass the wire through it, sealed and protected by the rubber grommet. This takes some time and patience, and don't do it when you have to work with the dome light for illumination You need to make absolutely sure you won't be drilling into a component on the other side of the firewall, so take your time.

Power wire from the battery should be run so it will not scrape against sharp metal edges, or get stepped on all the time. It should be securely fastened at many points, so it doesn't chafe away the insulation because of the vehicle's movement and vibration. Power runs should always be fused no further than 18" from the positive battery terminal. If you don't feel comfortable with this, then I would strongly suggest you seek a professional installer to do it for you.

 

1. I'm too lazy to drill through it, and would probably burn out my drill..

2. I have a 25A fuse inline, 6" from the battery, and another inline
25a fuse about 6" from the amp, I also have a fuse on the ground
wire so incase the car gets hit by lightning, it wont blow my amps..

 

1. Drills ARE ment to drill, it won't burn out your drill LOL.
2. ok...
3. The power wire is NOT ment to be put outside your car. Stop being lazy and drill a 1/4 inch hole in your firewall. Do it right the first time, not the 5th time.

 

If you're too lazy to do it right, return all of your equipment and have somebody put the stock radio back in, because you don't deserve anything better.

That being said, since you've got a firebird and your battery is on the driver side, I'd suggest drilling a hole right underneath and to the right of the clutch master cylinder. If you have an auto, you've got even more room. Just check 10 times to make sure you're not going to drill into something, then check one more time. Drilling into the clutch master cylinder sucks.... trust me.

Anyway, it's extremely easy, and it doesn't take long. After the hole's drilled, install a rubber grommet and push the wire through. Make sure you're fused within 18" to the battery.

 

CRAP, all this time i had my wire run the same way. First thing im doin is drilling a hole when I get back home. I never did before because I used to have that B&D versa-pac drill that had as much power as a toaster. Where are most of you guys drilling your holes in the firewall? (V8 TBI = Passenger side battery)
~Tim

P.S. - Jim, I remember the post when you drilled your MC, I can only imagine how much that sucked. Much thats like my friend putting a screw through his speaker wire and shorted out his radio.

 

1: I tried drilling through my truck's firewall once so i could go
ahead and run the wire through that way.. Burnt out my drill
and broke about 10 drill bits.. I had to go buy a new drill along
with a new box of drill bits..

2: I have pretty much NO space on either side of the firewall.
It's a manual tranny, therefor i have the clutch in the way of
drilling it from the inside, and on the other side, i can't even get
my hand down to where the last guy put that really small wire
through - there's a bunch of stuff in the way..the engine..metal..
wires..all kinds of little goodies to get in my way. I have plenty
of space up in front, between the fan and the engine..
Maybe i should just go move my engine forward so i can get to it,
eh? haha don't think so.

 

Why do I even bother? Hope your insurance is paid up. BTW, if you knew the answer you would get, why did you post this question in the first place??

 

Lesson #1, Don't buy cheap stuff when it comes to tools.
#2 Buy Titanium Drill Bits
#3 If things are in the way, MOVE them and put them back once the power wire is ran through.
#4 Like Jim said, If you arn't going to do it right, take it all back.
#5 Buy a Drill and bits that are ment for cutting METAL not wood. Then they wont break, lol.

 

Crap. I forgot that TBI cars had the battery on the passenger side. You've got it easy. Drill the hole through the passenger side kick panel right next to the antenna wire hole. Actually, you can probably fit 8 AWG through a hole in the antenna wire plug. My 2 gauge needed it's own hole

Anyway, that's an EXTREMELY easy area to work, you don't have any danger of drilling into anything important (check anyway), and you can run the wire cleanly into the engine bay right along the wiring harness.

 

Battery: Drivers side (left)

My car won't start anyways, i think it's shorted out, nothing in the
dashboard works.. headlights, gauges, taillights, radio, A/C, etc.

 

I ran my 4 awg through the kick panel into the fender, then up along the top edge of the engine bay straight to the battery (passenger side).

- Mike

 

umm....i wonder why your car does not work...maybe b/c you do **** half assed....and what in the hell do u need a system when the car won't move under it own power. i smell *******.....

 

update, for the idiot with the ******* comment:

one of the fuseable links by the starter was blown due to a loose
wire (stock) that had fallen down and was just hanging by the
clutch, everytime i stepped on the clutch it was cutting the wire
more and more until some wire was exposed through it's insulation and it hit the body which caused a short in the electrical system. And about the ******* comment, you probably don't even know what a real ******* is, so p•ss off lamer.