Hey everyone, im new to the forum so I would just like to say hi before I ask my question.

I recently bought a 94 850 Turbo and would like to install a subwoofer in the trunk. I have everything set up except I cant find anywhere to pass a power cable to the battery through the firewall. I know I read that a lot of you have installed a sub, just wondering where you passed the cable?

Thanks

 

How big of a subwoofer is it? You don't necessarily need to go to the battery. I hooked my subwoofer up to the cigarette lighter, it's a constant power source and I don't use it anyways.

 

For now its 1x300W RMS sub...but this summer there might be 2x300W subs going in the trunk...I have a 4AWG wire that i have to pass to the battery. The lighter wires are too thin

 

Just run it under the frame along the same rails as your brake lines then make a portal into the trunk. Helpful to have a rubber grommet to protect the insulation and some silicone make to it water tight.

 

no, ^ dont do that, in the engine bay there is a line that is MADE FOR THIS, ill get you a picture, give me a couple minutes..

 

alright:

where you see the red wire, thats the entrance to the hole, it will be capped off.


close up of the entrance, it is capped off on both ends so thats the entrance, inside the cabin on the driver side, when you remove the plastic sheild you'll see the same cap up near a big bundle of wires that run through the firewall..

as you can see it is not very easily accessible. with the intake box and stuff in the way, take your time. if you need help, just post.

-matt

 

Whoa! hold on there. Yes that will 'work' but not perform. You must run it to the battery. The amperage that an amplifier pulls cannot be supplied by the wiring of a cig lighter. The factory loom will gladly accept up to 4 gauge.

 

ya, i agree with boxpin, there too much power to be running a 300watt (or more most of the time) amp off of that, the wire is very small. you might be actually damaging the wiring, and im suprized if you dont blow your fuse.

 

Wow, thanks for the responses guys. I'm going to try to pass the wire through the hole in the pictures. Thank you very much, i'll post what happens!!

 

great

 

So I looked around in my hood...it seems really hard to get to the wire. Im not even sure if it's the right one. I found a plastic hose that goes into the firewall with a rubber around it...but theres already a thin wire going through it :S
I think it might just be easier to go by under the car and clip it beside the gas or brake lines.

 

no, its not difficult at all. it'll be harder and dirtier to do it your way.
do it the way you want, but i dont like the idea of running a power wire down underneath the car where its exposed to the elements, especially here we have tons of ice and snow always up in the chassis of our cars.

look clearly at the picture, theres a space there, if it has not been used before there will be cap which you can easily pull off. same on the interior.

if i saw it ran the way you want to do it on my car, i would definatly re-do it.

 

I agree, make the effort to use it.

 

I ran 4 gauge through the loom in the firewall (even with that small wire and a vacuum line for the cruise control in it), even got fancy and cut an opening in the rubber cap on each end to seal around the wire.

Why run the wire under the car when you already have to take apart the inside of the car a bit to run audio and control to the amp? Just run your power at the same time (I usually pull two stereo RCA's while I'm at it in case I want to add a second amp or upgrade to four channel).

My 850 is the only car I have ever put subs into that from the factory provides a way through the firewall and provides a fantastic ground under the back seat. Oh, and the wire runs along the door frame have plenty of room for RCA's and your 4 guage without having lumpy carpet.

 

Hey everyone, my new forum, so I just want to say hi in my questions. How much a subwoofer for that? You do not need to go to the battery. I hook my subwoofer to the lighter, which is a constant power source, I do not use it anyway.
_____________________
business leads

 

Welcome aliceringney.

Dont hook your subwoofer to the cig lighter...dont. As I said before, it will 'work' but not perform. Your taxing the electrical system in the car and causing the finals inside the amp to run hotter than they should or would with the proper power supply. Not to mention you will get more out of your sub system if you stop it from starving.

Trust me, I know what I am talking about.

Credentials:
17 year car stereo installer
Car Stereo installation Manager for the following stores..
Federated
Mobilworks
TheGoodGuys
Boyers

Certifications:
IASCA
MECP
Kenwood
Clifford
SoundStream
Fosgate
Alpine
Code Alarm

I dont think we should even be having this conversation...dont do it.

Boxpin

 

i wouldent have done that, prove myself, all you can do is give advise, what he does with it is his own problem.

 

Understood. I dont have all the answers for Volvos but I do know quite a bit about car audio.

Here are a couple cars I did....

 

Couple more

 

now you are just bragging. wanna do mine next? lol