Where to run amp power wire?

[gavin]

I have a 97 5.0 XLT. I've been hunting and hunting the firewall for a rubber grommet I can use, but can't find one. I really would prefer NOT drilling any new holes.
Anybody know where there's a grommet I can use, or a different way to run the wire?
I miss my bass!

Thanks!
Jeremy

 

[Alec]

above and behind the brake pedal. should be pretty easy to spot.

 

[gavin]

I'll check again.. I remember reading a post about one being there, so I looked for it and had no luck.
I have found 1 grommet, but there's already something running through it, and it's too small for the 4ga. wire.

Will check again, though...

Thanks!

 

[Alec]

There will be stuff running through it. Make a new hole on the side of it with a utility knife. I have over 3 dozen extra wires running through there, in addition to the factory wiring.

 

[gavin]

okay.. my truck must be "different".... or something. Only thing I see near the pedal is a screw coming from eng. comp. to cab, with a black plastic cap on it, to hold the black padding I guess, which is the 3rd pic...
Here's some pics of my firewall..

 

[aldive]

Its there on mine.....

 

[tbomb]

gavin, you see that yellow grommet? use that. take a utility knife and cut a "slice" out of it (like a pie - cut a slice of pie out of it), and run the wire through there; thats exactly what i did with my 4 gauge power wire.

 

[gavin]

well ****... if that would have been easier..
I ended up using the grommet near the accelerator pedal (where the hood release cable goes through - pic. 3).
Good god that was a PITA.. had to pull the grommet into the eng. comp. to cut it, and get the power wire through... THEN I needed to put it back into the hole.. wow, that was a 20 minute process just getting the grommet back into the hole.
oh well... finally got it through. Time for a break now.
Then off to run the remote wire, and possibly finally hook my 12-disc changer up to my HU, if I feel like goin into the lower property to take the changer cable out of my Bronco2

 

[BruceWayne]

I popped that yellow grommet out and ran my 0 gauge thru there. The noise drove me nuts from the engine (you'll be suprised how much that grommet keeps the sound in and the cold air out)... Just today i dynamatted it and its once again quite.

if ya want pics let me know

 

[gavin]

well I finally got 'er all hooked up! After about 5 hours..
How I missed that sound! I love it! hehe..
now for tomorrow, is to install my JVC 12-disc changer, and hopefully (finally) install my indiglo gauges.

 

[gavin]

what should the voltage be on a capacitor?
I remember when I first bought it and hooked it up, I had to touch a resistor to both poles to get the voltage up to like 12v or something. What should that voltage be at? After I got everything hooked up, it only had like between 5-7 volts.. After running my truck to pull it out of the garage, I'm not sure if it changed..
So what's the voltage it should be at?

And how easy is it to run a wire under the center console? I'm gonna install my cd-changer in the console, will the front portion of the console pop out, or are there screws or something holding it in?

 

[98BlackXSport]

What do you have the Capacitor hooked up to? It should be across the battery. Make sure your Cap is rated for the proper voltage. The voltage over the Cap is the voltage from the battery. If you are only getting 7 volts, then something is wrong

 

[gavin]

ok, that 5-7 volts is after the cap has been sitting unplugged from the battery for over a month.
And that was before I reconnected the ground cable on the battery.

I have it hooked up so Bat + to Cap +, then other Cap terminal to amp +
Like I said, I haven't checked it since I last ran my truck to pull it out of the garage.
Was planning on checking it again while the truck warms up before I go to my dentist apptmnt

 

[98BlackXSport]

The voltage over a Cap will dissapate when not connected to a voltage source. Once you connect it over the battery you should get 12 volts or so. You said you connected one end to the battery and one end to the amp? I would think you would just connect the amp up normally and then put the Cap across the battery, in parallel to the amp circuit. I don't know much about car audio, just electronics. Just double check. Someone else here might know for sure.

 

[Alec]

Wiring in and under the center console is pretty easy. The only hard part is that if you pop the large section out, the one that runs from the storage to the front pockets, it may be a bit hard to snap back into place. The front pockets pull out easily.

As for the cap, I think in car audio you run it inline between the battery and amp. I'm not sure though as I've never done it. The purpose of the cap is to charge, and discharge if voltage to the amp drops for any reason, or if the amp needs a sudden burst of power for a hard sub hit. Basically to keep a more constant power flow than the battery alone can provide.

Just trying to help.

 

[gavin]

yeah, the cap runs between the amp and battery.
so the front pocket is easy, but the middle pocket (my cup holders) are a PITA to snap back into place?
Well I got a few hours to work on it, so I'll see what I can break

Thanks again!

 

[gavin]

well I got it all hooked up! yay!
my cd changer (JVC, like CH-X1100, but old model) barely fit in the center console without the mounting brackets. So I found some sticky-sided velcro, and am using that to hold it in place.. put on 3 strips, so hopefully that will keep it from moving too much.
And none of the pockets were hard to put back in.. the cup-holder one was the biggest pain to get out, though, but went back in quite easily.

I am very impressed with my installation, as this is only the 2nd time I've installed an amp, and the first time (in my Bronco2) I didn't give a crap what the wires looked like, lol, so they just ran along the floor.
I think I did a pretty damn good job, hehe.

Thank you guys for all the help!

 

[combsone]

BruceWayne, I'm planning on running 1/0 gauge in my old 93. Can I see some pics of how you ran yours? Thanks.

comy

 

[BruceWayne]

Sure ill take some pics for you as soon as I can...

 

[gavin]

okay... can capacitors go "bad" after setting for a long period with no power source?
It seems that my subs ain't really workin, and I've nailed it down to the cap.
I check the voltage on it... only around 6-7 volts. Subwoofers do nothing.
I take a wire and short the 2 poles on the cap, and subs start hitting.
Check the voltage again real quick, and it's up to around 10 volts, but steadily drops.

Or is it possible that I have it hooked up incorrectly? Would swapping the cables onto the opposite pole do anything?
I have the wire from the battery running to the + pole on the cap, and then the other cap has the wire running to the amp..
Is that right?


edit:
Okay, I guess I was tryin to charge the cap wrong. Luckily I found out how on the Lightning Audio website.. Only problem is, I don't have the resistor anymore..
How safe would it be to "charge" the cap with just wire, and not the resistor?