WIRING - How to... ???

[mellojoe]

I have a simple wiring question:

Does anybody know where I can run a couple of wires from inside the engine bay to inside the cabin?

I have a power converter that I am using when I use my laptop in the car (for work purposes). I don't like running the converter off the cigarette lighter, and I'd like to run it right off the battery. Get some 8-guage wire and go from the battery into the cabin into the power converter, so I can run my laptop from the passenger seat.

Is there a pass through in the firewall somewhere?

Please tell me where to find it.

[projekt_s13]

There is a little hole near the master cylinder that has a rubber cap on it, its on the drivers side. Also on the passanger side near the windsheid wiper motor there is a hole that comes out under the fender and in to the car. The wires will come out near the ECU. Sorry if i cant explain myself, I didnt know how to form the sentence. lol

[mellojoe]

Thanks, projekt, I'll check there to see what I can find. Where inside the cabin do the passthroughs run? Behind the glovebox?

PS: And if anyone out there were to happen to snap a picture or two, I'd be mighty obliged.

[Replicant_S14]

#8 wire is good for around 70 amps. That's some big-ass wire to run an inverter.

[projectRDM]

Pull out the passenger side fender liner. In the area between the fender and the inner firewall there's a rubber plug towards the top. Perfect for power wire running, you can tuck it behind the fender, above the ledge. It drops down into the kick panel, behind the ECU. This is the OE spot for the hood release cable on RHD cars.

[mellojoe]

Sweet. Found it. Going to get it all set up tomorrow.

And I'm going to run semi-heavy speaker wire from the battery into the converter. Its a 400W to run my laptop. And I'm going to get as tough of wire cover as I can get, to prevent rubbing and wearing and fraying.

Hopefully it will only take me a short time. And I'll have to hide the wires... probably under the trim panel at the bottom of the doorstep.

THANKS!

[finesses240]

I would run the 8 gauge IMO. And don't forget to fuse it at the battery.

[mellojoe]

Fuse, eh? I was just assuming that the power inverter had its own fuse, but you know thats probably a good idea.

What kind and how big?

[Replicant_S14]

Originally Posted by mellojoe

Fuse, eh? I was just assuming that the power inverter had its own fuse, but you know thats probably a good idea.

What kind and how big?

If it has a cig-lighter plug it's probably inside the plug. Whatever size it is is fine and you can choose your wire based on that. It probably has a fuse for the "output" side as well.

[finesses240]

Yeah normally there is a fuse on the inverter itself. Just match that and you will be fine. Put the fuse no more than 18 in from the battery. Good luck.