OK, so I bought a Double D Stealth sub enclosure with a 12" woofer for my C5 and will soon be installing it. I plan to install the Amp all the way to back of the car on the vertical panel between the latches for securing the removable top. I will need to run a power cable to the battery and am wondering what is the easiest/best path to get from there to the battery. Since several people have already done this mod, I looking to take advantage of their experience.


Phil

 

There's a gromet in the firewall that already has wires running through it behind the battery. This is the best and easiest place to come through. Then just follow the factory wiring up the passenger side floorboard and into the hatch area. It's pretty straight forward. Just make sure you run your RCA's on the opposite side of the car.

 

I had to use a stiff piece of wire to get through the grommet in the firewall, then tape my 4 guage power line to it. I routed it from the hatch area up along the right side wall (looking at the front through the back hatch area). When i got to the hatch area behind the passenger's seat, I turned 90 degrees to the left side of the passenger's seat and went along the wall below the emergency brake. I continued up into the passenger's side footwell, across to the right side, and brought it through the firewall where I ran my stiff piece of wire through. My ground followed the same path, but it stopped at one of the passenger seat lugs.

My RCA's went from the head unit down across the passenger's side (crossing the power runs at 90 degrees to eliminate interference), over to the right side of the passenger side floor and basically followed the existing cable route, up the wall, and back to the hatch area, where I followed the contours of the passenger side of the car to the amp location.

Of course, I started by taking out the seats and all the carpet, and installed several pieces of sound deadening material before I ran my cables.

 

pull battery out go through the oem grommet and down side of car. rcas/remote down center of car

 

OK, I have the speaker and amplifier mounted in the rear of the car and have all of the wires in place except for the battery wire from the Amp. I went through the backup lights opening for the ground wire and was able to drill a hole in the frame and used a self taping screw to ground to the frame. The battery wire is a much bigger issue for me. I have removed the battery as suggested, and there are two grommets through the firewall. A large one and a smaller one. Looking at the inside of the car, I cannot see where the grommets come through the firewall. I pushed a stiff wire into the larger grommet, but can not see or feel the wire inside the car. Is there something more I need to remove in order to find the grommet? If so how? Also how does the kick panel come out? I like to take it out for easier access, but don't want to break it.

Thanks,

Phil

 

I believe you have to pull down the black plastic cover above the passengers feet (the one with the light on it) to see the cable runs through the firewall. On the front edge of that piece there are 2 or 3 plastic push/friction pins that you need to pull straighht down on. They'll pop out and let the cover hang down, pop out the light before going too far. Once the light is out just let it hang down a few inches and pull it straight back towards the seat. There may be a portion of it that's still attached over near the center hump, pull it apart or just let the cover sit there while you work.

There are pics of the grommet in post #1 of the C5 audio FAQ thread.

 

Thanks Mark. I looked at the pics on the C5 Audio FAQ's and that is the grommet that I pushed the wire through. Interesting, that there is no mention of removing the panel in the FAQ's. I looked under the dash and there are three large white buttons that appear to be the push pins. I pull the panel and have a look.


Phil

 

Thanks for the help guys. I removed the panel this morning and pulled the wire through. Got the amp all wired up, except for connecting to the head unit.


Phil

 

So how'd it go? I did the same thing in my '02 vert recently and LOVE how everything sounds now. I found that fishing that power cable through the grommet and finding it to pull through was the least enjoyable, most time-consuming part of the whole installation. But MAN it sounds good!!!

 

windex on the wire makes pushing it through grommets a breeze.