battery or fuse box?

[KB1NKJ]

Hi, I have no hole in the firewall of my truck to run power cables to my 2 meter radio. Can I connect  through the fuse box for power or would that create a problem with amt. of power going to the radio?

[N0FPE]

Drills are wonderful things.  BUT I find it hard to beleive there NO penatration thru the firewall some where. Steering column, wiring harness, heater hoses, Using the fuse block is asking for trouble, noise, heat/melting/fire. Direct to the battery is the ONLY way you should even think abt.

[KB1NKJ]

Thank you for the help.I thought it would be a problem
but was not sure. I will have someone check for a spot to run it though to battery
                           
                         73'S

[NJ2E]

You may want to try a commercial radio business. I used
one to run a wires to the trunk of my new Civic. They knew of the secret grommet, ran the wires through the right side channel below the doors. It was worth the cost to have them to the difficult part. I finished the wires with power poles and the mounting of the remote head and radio.

[WX7G]

You can connnect to the accessory fuse if the current is not too high. Have an extra fuse or two in case the extra current opens the fuse. You might also pull the fuse to see what accessories stop functioning if the fuse opens. You don't want sometime important (like head lights) to stop working at night.

[AA4PB]

Even with a fairly low current requirement I wouldn't put it on a fuse with some other vehicle circuit. Under some combination of conditions it is quite possible to blow the fuse and disable the vehicle function. There are often unused fuse spots available or you can tap into the hot (feed) wire at the fuse box and add your own in-line fuse.

Personally, I see no reason to avoid running wires to (or close to) the battery for a permanent installation. I have never seen a vehicle where it is impossible to get through the firewall. If there are no spare grommets you can usually put the wire though next to the parking brake cable or something similar. I'd stay away from the multi-conductor wiring harness connector if possible.

[N1LO]

Hi Joan,

What I have done is run the power lines through the front quarter panel and then down inside the front door jamb, using self-stick cable tie anchors.

In both my Expedition and my Camry, I've found openings from the engine compartment into the quarter panel and then out in the door frame that were pretty easy to fish and weren't pinched by any mechanisms.

Mark

[AI7RR]

Get under the dash and find the wiring harness that runs through the firewall to the fuse panel inside the vehicle. Being very careful, take a small pocket knife and make a little slice in the rubber boot. In some cases, you may need to do this from under the hood instead of under the dash. I use and old mobile antenna with a sharpened point on one end and a hook bent at the other end to fish the wires through the boot to the other side.

There are other ways to get the wires to the battery but this is the best I've found and yes, I am a professional installer.

[K0BG]

Folks who suggest using vehicle wiring, and/or cutting holes into existing grommets are off on the wrong foot. If they cared to read the vehicle manufacturer's suggestions, they'd know this is NOT the correct procedure.

There is an easy way through every firewall, even if that requires a hole. An NMO saw like those sold by Antenex is an ideal tool for such things. This said, some vehicles make it easy to wire through. Most Hondas have a hole just for this purpose. Some, like Toyota, have an extra teat on the main wiring harness. It isn't necessary to punch, cut, or probe if you know where to look.

If you're afraid to do the work, get a local sound or two way shop to do it for you.

Want more info? Go to my web site.

Alan, KØBG
www.k0bg.com