2019 Edge ST amplifier install

[Beefnuts]

Hey guys,

 

I couldn’t find a good video on how to route wires for an amp install, so I made one for everyone to use. Hope it helps.

 

This video shows:

- firewall penetration

- key switched power fuse

- behind left and right cargo bay panels

- under cargo bay floor

- general routing suggestion

 

Beefnuts

 

Video:

 

Edited March 28, 2020 by Beefnuts
Clarification

[Gadgetjq]

Thanks for the video!  Your tips are going to be very helpful to others with wiring plans for their cars.

 

All due respect (and I respect the hell out of anyone who dives in to do their own work) I have one suggestion.  The video shows penetration of the firewall around the 'edge' of the grommet.  While it's certainly the easiest (and maybe most realistic) way to pull 12 feet of heavy cable through it also seems to be asking for trouble with the wire insulation squeezed between a sharp metal edge on one side and the grommet edge on the other.  Maybe a thin metal collar around the wire would help protect it.

I just had to do this for a different sort of project (adding a front camera) and spent quite a bit of time working with that grommet.  There are actually three ways through.  For each you'll pull the grommet away from the body so you can reach behind it and make sure no vehicle wiring is in your path.

1. Around the edge as shown in the video.  This is definitely the easiest.  You should wrap extra tape or put something like a piece of metal tubing around your wire to protect it from the sharp metal body.
2. Cut off the rubber teat (there's probably a technical term) that protrudes from the grommet then, using a small but very sharp knife carefully cut out that section of the grommet.
3. As you look at the grommet you'll notice an indentation or circled area.  That's actually the best way through.  The grommet is a little thinner in that spot and there's no vehicle wiring directly behind the area.  It's very easy to use a sharp knife or snap blade (shown below) to very carefully carve a circle in whatever size you need for your wire.  I'd suggest not caving to the urge to use an electric drill. 

To route wiring through the opening I suggest you use a piece of stiff wire (16 gauge works well) shoving at least a foot through the grommet.  That will give you enough slack to find behind the heater box (reaching through the glove box opening) to find that fishing wire.  Attach your power or other wire to that and (best with a helper) pull it all through.   Now you have a well protected power wire with no worries it'll ever short against the body of the car and create the dastardly magic smoke.

The photo below shows the three ways through the firewall.  At the far left is a piece of stiff wire pushed through the area where the tab/teat was removed (kind of hard to see), in the center is the 'dent' penetration and at right is wire routed through the side between the grommet and body. 

Cheers!

 

[Gregertech]

Good informative video. I just wanted to note that there is also a spot on the drivers side firewall, behind and below the battery to run the wire (battery must be removed). I have 1/0 gauge wire running through it to the back. It is important to note that you want to have protection around the wire as it goes through the firewall. I put a hole through the middle of the existing grommet. If the amp wire is laying against the metal hole through the firewall, it could overtime wear through the wire's shielding and eventually come into contact with the metal. This also brings up the importance of making sure the amp wire is properly fused.  I have an extensive audio build log over on diymobileaudio.com for those that may be interested. https://www.diymobileaudio.com/threads/2019-ford-edge-st-build.417123/

 

[fieldzz]

On 3/29/2020 at 11:15 AM, Gregertech said:

Good informative video. I just wanted to note that there is also a spot on the drivers side firewall, behind and below the battery to run the wire (battery must be removed). I have 1/0 gauge wire running through it to the back. It is important to note that you want to have protection around the wire as it goes through the firewall. I put a hole through the middle of the existing grommet. If the amp wire is laying against the metal hole through the firewall, it could overtime wear through the wire's shielding and eventually come into contact with the metal. This also brings up the importance of making sure the amp wire is properly fused.  I have an extensive audio build log over on diymobileaudio.com for those that may be interested. https://www.diymobileaudio.com/threads/2019-ford-edge-st-build.417123/

 

Do you have a picture of that location behind the battery? How difficult was it to route the wire up into the grommet? I'm doing an airlift suspension install this weekend and my quick search yesterday I came up empty. 

[dajo2012]

I just had my battery out and ran wiring through the grommet.  Grommet is behind all the brake lines behind the battery tray, easy to see and a pain to get to.  The grommet is larger than the wire harness already going through it but is very  tough and hard to penetrate since access is so hard. I failed to be able to put a hole through the grommet. Dash side is not much better. Maybe someone younger can do it.

[Brockdog12]

I just tried the passenger side large grommet to run power for a subwoofer and got through the little circle part with an exacto blade, but was hitting something beyond that point with my fiberglass rod.  My son could see the wire bundle moving inside the vehicle but I could not push the fiberglass rod through.  Any ideas what might be beyond the grommet?  I’ve made several firewall pass throughs on other vehicles, this one should be easy.  Thanks!