[Maplicito]

I've got a 5 channel amp on order, so I took the opportunity yesterday to lay down my speaker cable and RCA's but I ran into a snag.

The rubber tubing between the car body and the car door is several inches higher on the door than on the car body, basically creating 2 elbows that the speaker wire will have to pass through - I tried slowly running some 16 gauge through it, but it wasn't stiff enough.

I tried pulling the tube's boot out at the door - I succeeded in doing that, but the boot itself is physically attached to the stock wiring, so that really didn't give me any room to straighten out the hose. It also means that taping the speaker wire to the stock wire and pulling isn't really much of an option.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to run the wire? I've already got the wire laid through the rest of the car, so it's just a matter of running that one end into the door, and when the amp arrives, connecting it.

I've half considered drilling new holes in the door and car body, and installing my own tube, but if it's reasonably avoidable, that would be preferable. I probably won't be able to try again until next Saturday, assuming the weather isn't too frigid - the only other idea I can come up with is trying a relatively thin and flexible coat hangar, and easing it around the elbows in the hose.

Thanks for any ideas you can come up with!

Edit: The car is a 2002 Hyundai accent.

 

[SQLnovice]

What year/make is the car? Maybe someone has that exact car and will be able to offer some tips.

 

[Maplicito]

Yeah, I should have put that in the OP. It's a 2002 Hyundai Accent.

 

[Geordie68]

No experience with that particular car, but I read a suggestion on here that worked for me on a really difficult door jam. Tape the end of the speaker wire to a 2 or 3 ft zip tie. Spray the zip tie and wire with silicone spray, then try snaking it through the rubber boot.

 

[Maplicito]

I might have to look into giving that one a try - I never would have thought of it, thanks!

 

[Alrojoca]

Sometimes when you pull that boot, and there is a connector attached to the door, if the new wire does not fit in the boot with the connector putting pressure, you can find a spot on the connector to drill a hole to feed the wire through.

 

[Weigel21]

I've never used a Zip tie, but instead I've used straightened out metal hangers (do those still exist? I still have a few around the house, but haven't actually seen any for years).

 

[sierrarider]

I successfully used the zip-tie trick with my door wiring. I also had to remove the Molex connector and drill through it to pass the wire through.

 

[sunshinefc3s]

God didn't create that door. Man assembled it. All you need to do is reverse engineer it. Whenever there is a wiring harness, there are connectors on the end of that harness. Disconnect the plugs inside the dorr, and pull out the harness from the door side hole in the door. Viola, straight boot and slack to work with. Pull two wires for active just in case.

 

[Maplicito]

God didn't create that door. Man assembled it. All you need to do is reverse engineer it. Whenever there is a wiring harness, there are connectors on the end of that harness. Disconnect the plugs inside the dorr, and pull out the harness from the door side hole in the door. Viola, straight boot and slack to work with. Pull two wires for active just in case.

The wires are actually physically connected to the boot, so I would need to figure out how to undo that, but I suspect it may actually mean cutting at the rubber in the boot. There is however, more empty space that I can pass wire through the boot... I just need to find something of the appropriate combination of rigidity and flexibility, and pass it through. I'll probably give it a go next weekend.

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

 

[SQLnovice]

Take some pictures and post it up and we'll go from there. There has to be a way to get it off.

 

[Maplicito]

Will do - although I think I'll put this thread on hold for a little while - it's dark, and I spent enough time yesterday with my butt in the snow working on the thing :laugh:

 

[chasinbass]

Why not use the stock wires ? Hook into them with a aftermarket plug behind the deck easy ? I know its not high zoot bright colored new speaker wire but it will do the same job unless your using super high power amps or something ?

 

[Maplicito]

Why not use the stock wires ? Hook into them with a aftermarket plug behind the deck easy ? I know its not high zoot bright colored new speaker wire but it will do the same job unless your using super high power amps or something ?

That's my other option. The amp I'm waiting on is rated at 80 watts per channel, and it's just a short distance that the stock wires would have to run to reach my 16 gauge wire. Right now, it's a case of mind over OCD - I may not SEE the stock wire connected to my new wire, but I'll KNOW

 

[chasinbass]

You will be fine I just did my GF daughters car like that and its over 100 watts a channel 4 channel amp. Now if its OCD i get that but theres no reasoning with that I know I have it too. and If this is your chosen hobby and you want upgrade in the future I would run new better OFC speaker wire and It will be a good learning project . If not just tap into the stock wires you wont lose a thing. and also they make those cheap claw grabbers that work good in your situation. Some ting like this and they have them cheap at harbor frieght Long Reach Flexible Shaft Retrieval Tool Claw Grabber Magnetic Part Pick Up Tool | eBay

 

[Maplicito]

It is mostly OCD at this point. This is a very new hobby for me, and I've diving in head first and hands on, learning as I go. BUT, weather forecasts and work schedules are making me lean more and more toward splicing the new wire into the stock wire - I can always redo it in the summer when it's warm and dry.

 

[chasinbass]

It is mostly OCD at this point. This is a very new hobby for me, and I've diving in head first and hands on, learning as I go. BUT, weather forecasts and work schedules are making me lean more and more toward splicing the new wire into the stock wire - I can always redo it in the summer when it's warm and dry.

And solder and heat shrink your connections not smash crimps that makes more of a diff than new wire IMHO and its something you need to learn how to do if you dont already cuz you will use it alot in the future

 

[Maplicito]

That's something I have been and will be doing, is going back and redoing some work that has already been done, because as I've gone along, I've been learning to do it better, whereas everything I did at the start - I've been quite happy with the results, but I've definitely learned that I can do things in a cleaner and more reliable way.

 

[chasinbass]

That's something I have been and will be doing, is going back and redoing some work that has already been done, because as I've gone along, I've been learning to do it better, whereas everything I did at the start - I've been quite happy with the results, but I've definitely learned that I can do things in a cleaner and more reliable way.

Thats goes for all of us

 

[chasinbass]

That's something I have been and will be doing, is going back and redoing some work that has already been done, because as I've gone along, I've been learning to do it better, whereas everything I did at the start - I've been quite happy with the results, but I've definitely learned that I can do things in a cleaner and more reliable way.

Check this out too. http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum...-members/5087-snaking-wires-through-door.html