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View Full Version : Alternative (easier?) access point through the firewall



rgoldsmith
09-06-2010, 02:49 PM
G'day,
Just thought I'd post this as a favour to all those people who want to run cable from the engine bay to the dash and vice versa, who are currently taking wheels off etc. to get through the grommet behind the battery. There is another way, which I found a fair bit easier:

Under the dash on the right hand side there is a very large white terminal block, just above this you will find a grommet that looks like this:

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/5566/grommet.jpg


You'll need to get upside down to see/reach it
Pull it out and you will have direct access to the wheel arch. Feed your wires through this hole. Undo the scrivets and bolts and screws holding the plastic guard under the wheel arch on (you may need to turn the wheel full lock to get to some of these) and pull the guard aside (if you like just undo them all and take the guard off completely - I couldn't be bothered). Here you can see the vacuum hose and wiring I was running poking out:

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/2081/img0180fn.jpg

I cut the centre of the grommet out, and pushed the wires through the centre, then pushed the grommet back in place to reduce road noise. Here's the view from inside the wheel arch:

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/7243/img0184td.jpg


After pulling the cables through I ran them over the top of the guard and was astonished to find a spare set of clips that exactly fitted a vacuum hose running the length of the wheel arch :woot:, I reckon that sort of thing happens to me about once every ten years:

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/969/img0185pty.jpg

Anyway: push the cables/wires right through to the end of the arch and they come out here near the washer bottle:

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/3140/img0186o.jpg

You'll need to get your hand in deep in the arch and root about to pull the wires through.

Overall I thought it was easier than the other method (and I wanted an access point on the other side of the car), however it wasn't so easy that I didn't bother running a second spare wire for possible future use ;)

Cheers,
RG

Whippy
09-06-2010, 06:40 PM
just so everyone knows.. third gens even have these plugs...


and whats the vacuum hose for?

Foozrcool
09-06-2010, 07:14 PM
Thats the mirror reverse path to a previously desribed access hole in the passenger side guard where the engine wiring loom travels.

Mikey380sx
09-06-2010, 07:18 PM
Yep thats the one I used....are there really any other places on the 380 anyway?

Foozrcool
09-06-2010, 07:22 PM
Yep thats the one I used....are there really any other places on the 380 anyway?

Don't think so or no one has found a different way to my knowledge.

I found that one out when I installed my blower kit coz the instructions told me to run the piggyback ecu loom through there.

rgoldsmith
09-06-2010, 09:43 PM
Don't think so or no one has found a different way to my knowledge.

I found that one out when I installed my blower kit coz the instructions told me to run the piggyback ecu loom through there.

ah.. well the only reason I posted this is because when I searched the forum looking for an access point , all I could find was reference to the grommet at the rear of the battery. Hopefully the pictures are of use in any case

rgoldsmith
09-06-2010, 09:51 PM
just so everyone knows.. third gens even have these plugs...


and whats the vacuum hose for?

Mainly so I can see pressure drops at different points along the intake path to test efficacy of filters and intake mods etc and also so I can check when the PCV valve is opening for my PCV condenser project. I'm sure I'll find other uses as well beyond the obvious monitoring of engine vacuum for issues

Mecha-wombat
10-06-2010, 06:15 AM
Added to the PS41 guide anyway

JoshSX
14-05-2012, 09:31 PM
Firewall? What firewall? lol If you want easy you can't get much easier or dodgier than this. But hey.. works for me

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7072/7195848106_bf68d3e1ae_c.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5470/7195846988_97703c1fc1_c.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5331/7195849084_47f60d3ac1_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7077/7195849930_ecceab6680_c.jpg

Eventually I plan to run it properly through the grommet at the back of the battery but I really couldn't be stuffed taking the wheel off at the time. For the time being its fine, there are no clearance issues and the only time you see it is with the door open. When closed you can barely see it lol