• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Running stuff through firewall

BIGSLVRXJ

BIGSLVRXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Des Moines, Iowa
Hey guys installed an OHC a few months back and I've just let the temp sensor hang inside my kick panel. I'm getting a little sick of watching it get to 104 degrees in the middle of winter. My question is on the passenger side what is the best way to get wires out through the firewall. If I pull up the carpet is there going to be a grommet that will go out? I'm allergic to rubber so I prefer not to just play with the carpet/carpet pad too much. I plan to mount the temp sensor in the stock place behind the front bumper so I need to get wires that far. Any suggestions/ideas where to get the wires out?
 
When I ran my fog light wire out I used a small ice pic and put it right thru where the harnes comes in, below the master cylinder. I was very careful to staty away from the wire bundle, stuck some slippery stuff on the wire and pushed it thru the hole. I have a couple of other wires I want to run thru there and will be doing it again this summer.
 
RichP said:
When I ran my fog light wire out I used a small ice pic and put it right thru where the harnes comes in, below the master cylinder. I was very careful to staty away from the wire bundle, stuck some slippery stuff on the wire and pushed it thru the hole. I have a couple of other wires I want to run thru there and will be doing it again this summer.
Click to expand...

Thanks I will try that if I can't find a place on the passenger side. Does anyone know of a place on the passenger side or is it easier to just run the wires over to the drivers side?
 
Plumber's putty or the automotive equivelent is great for sealing where a wire goes through the firewall. I do recommend a putting something around the wire to prevent chafing.
 
I have not found any convenient place to run the wires on the passenger side. The heater takes up most of the firewall area and below it you end up too low. IMO I would route them to the drivers side.
HTH
 
i have run a lot of wires thru the firewall. it isnt too hard....a few things to keep in mind..

passenger side is very tough, i prefer to roue everything over to the drivers side, behind the floor HVAC vents---theres plenty of room back there to go across, and then route everything up and over the wires uner the dash--be careful not to interfere with the operation of any of the pedals

i seem to remember finding blank (rubber) hole plugs that i was able to cut the centers out of to easily pass wires thru and into the eng. compt.

if rubber is a problem for you for this, maybe put on some thin work gloves- i like to use craftsman work gloves (they go on sale every so often for 9.99 a pair, usually the mechanix brand are like 19.99 a pair, and these are similiar...)

if you DO have to go thru the firewall, and you can find an existing location to go thru---u can always drill a hole, and use a grommet......but, as mentioned above, be REALLY carefully, looking on BOTH sides before you drill....

good luck
 
On My 2000 there is a spot on the pass side where I drilled thru for some wires. About 6-8 inches below the heater hoses and maybe 1 inch inboard. The firewall and the tranny tunnel come together and make a landmark you can find from the inside and the outside. Double check for stuff that shouldn't be drilled on the iside and the outside. I use lots of GE silicon for a grommet to protect the wires from shorting out. Existing rubber or metal plugs are also a good place to go thru.
 
Radio Shack sells a bag full of grommets in various (small) sizes for $3-5 IIRC... sorry I don't have the part#, my bag is 30 miles away at work.

For larger cables (like for an in-cab battery, winch controls, amplifier + wire, etc) look at West Marine's electrical section, they have a good selection of bulkhead pass-throughs.

I've just fed small wires through the existing passages on the drivers side. The Throttle cable grommet has tons of room for several 8-14 ga wires.
 
I think I'm going to just run it through the driver's side that way I don't have to deal with drilling, it's not that big of a deal to just get 3 more feet of wire or whatever. Really appreciate the help guys.
 
Thats good to know because I'm about to start, thanks.
 
Keep in mind that the hood cable 'moves', the sheathing flexes, ever so slightly everytime you use it, some more than others so be careful it does not pinch the wire you are running thru over time...
 
I just ran some wire through my firewall for CB. On the passenger side if you pull down the carpet just a llitle you can see a small tube coming through the firewall. I drilled a couple of inches to the right of it, Was easy go after that. The wires were easy to pass through , not to far down in the engine bay easy to fish wire through and not to close to the engine. Just put some caulk around the hole when done.
 
Hey guys I didnt quite finish tonight because like always I find other things on the Heep that can be done. I realized though that the wiring and plug for the temp sensor were already there, even though I didn't have a overhead console from the factory. I've looked a little bit and it looks like the wires are different colors (I got my OHC from a 94 and mine is a 90 so thats possible I guess) but the temp sensor plugs right into it. I tried to pull back some of the protection that is around the wires but it just flaked off so I have no idea where the wires enter the car. My question is do any of you guys know where the wires for the sensor enter from the engine bay? Also since there was nothing for it to plug into inside the car, would those wires be capped off or....?
Any help is greatly appreciated
 
I believe the plug for the wiring that is there, even if you didn't have the unit in there stock, is behind the kick panel on the passengers side. I remember seeing one there on mine and I think someone has mentioned it in here before being for the overhead console. Should take all of 30 seconds to check.
 
Cool, I'll check that tomorrow thanks. Anyone else had experience with this?
 
You might get even luckier and find the harness is already above the headliner ready to be plugged in.
 
I've actually had the console in for like 5 months, I wish the harness was above the headliner but there was no such luck. Everything was done except for the temp sensor was hanging inside my kick panel but tomorrow that will change also.
 
I've drilled and grommetted on the pass. side, I'd rather have held my hand over a candle or two than to do that again. Don't ask why, but part of it had to do with running out of existing grommet room on the driver's side, and desiring to minimize cable length to a device that sits nicely between the pass. air bag and upper dash ducting, fairly straight path to underhood b+.

Rich's location is the very best existing one. Up higher, at about the eleven o'clock position on the driver's side, I had ample room to drill two large enough holes to run two lengths of 2 guage b+ wire so I could mount a solid state battery isolator under the dash.

West Marine makes these two-piece hard blue-colored plastic grommets that mate together, one from either side of the sheet metal. Totally eliminates the possibility of the chafing/flexing of the sheet metal I think Rich rightfully referred to. For that gauge/amperage b+ I don't think it's overkill, but for other stuff, as long as you can deburr and slather on some silicone, this type probably is overkill.

If I can find some extra blue ones, I'll post pictures of them.

Long winded, hope this helps though.
 
Tim_MN said:
On My 2000 there is a spot on the pass side where I drilled thru for some wires. About 6-8 inches below the heater hoses and maybe 1 inch inboard. The firewall and the tranny tunnel come together and make a landmark you can find from the inside and the outside. Double check for stuff that shouldn't be drilled on the iside and the outside. I use lots of GE silicon for a grommet to protect the wires from shorting out. Existing rubber or metal plugs are also a good place to go thru.
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this information. I was beating my head against the wall trying to get power for my 2 Meter and CB right off the battery in my 90 XJ. Found the "Sweet Spot", drilled it and no problem fishing the wires. :wave:

Thanks again,
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Saudade
Speedo Deado
Replies
4
Views
2K
Anak
Anak
S
98 XJ manual ignition problem
2
Replies
20
Views
4K
SurplusFan98
S
M
96 XJ stumbles then shuts off when warmed up. P0171
4 5 6
Replies
113
Views
11K
Unclewolverine
U
S
'88 Temp Gauge Stuck At MAX, Even When Engine isn't Running.
Replies
2
Views
1K
Saudade
Saudade
M
New to my XJ & wrenching - How to choose parts and what to prioritize?!
2
Replies
28
Views
4K
flyin_ryan
F
Back
Top