Osmodious

OK, so I'm going to go cheap on my first attempt at improving the already pretty good sound in the TSX...I'm going to disconnect the rear 6x9's and connect them up to an Infiniti BassLink I have from an old car. I plan on upgrading the speakers (and replacing those 6x9's with CDT subs, maybe) to JL XR650's at some point, but for now this should give a bit of punch.

So, now I have to wire the thing. The car I used to have it in, an '01 Audi A4 was cake to wire, as all the trim just clipped on/off...and the firewall had a decent sized unused grommet from the conversion to DBW that happened in the '00 model year (drilled a small hole in the triangular grommet, ran wire through it which came out by the gas pedal and fed it into side panel...cake).

Now where do I run a wire through the firewall on an '06 TSX (manual, Navi)?

I've read a few examples, but I'm not super keen on kludging up one of the big wire bundle/grommet sets in the firewall. The one recommended in one of the DIY guides is off-center to the left (as you look at it) and would work...but I found what appears to be an unused grommet a bit further to the right (as you look at it...it's actually on the driver's, or left, side of the firewall).

Does anyone know anything about this grommet? I couldn't get to it because of the heat from the exhaust header, so I'm not sure if it's plastic or rubber. I just don't want to drill through it and kill something important.

Here's a picture of both...the one circled in blue is the grommet the DIY article mentioned. The one in red is the one I'm talking about. Any help is much appreciated!

Thanks

Reach

Drill a new hole, easy as cake.

mercman

Don’t drill a new hole. Unwrap the electrical tape (take your time and don’t use anything sharp). Once you get the tape off (mine had two layers different color tape) you will have exposed the rubber boot. The boot is attached to a plastic ring that snaps into the firewall in three places. You will see tabs on the rubber indicating the approximate locations for the tabs. Just feel for them and squeeze then towards the center and the ring and grommet will pop right out. Fish the wire through the firewall from the inside passenger side. Then coat the end of your power line with petroleum jelly and slide it through the ring and boot from the rear. I used a piece of wire as a lead to slowly expand the boot. Then just snap the ring/boot back into the firewall and re-tape.

I ran a #4 power cable through mine. I’m out of the country this week but when I return home I will post a picture.

jeff

jimbo3123

I gave up on trying to figure out how to get through the existing holes/harnesses.

I just drilled a new hole by the existing main wiring harness (above and to the left of the gas pedal). I used a rubber grommet and kitchen/bathroom caulk to seal it up after I ran the wire through.

Osmodious

OK, well, I listened to some of the input and decided to just go with the big grommet...well, now I can get it to reseat. I can't even figure out how it is supposed to go back on. Does ANYBODY have any idea how to reattach it? I can't be driving around with this thing hanging off...not least because it is supposed to rain here in the next day. So...PLEASE...if anyone knows, PLEASE post it!
Thanks in advance!

Os.

mercman

I hope this will help,
If your boot and ring have separated you need to align the tabs on the ring with the ears on the rubber boot.

The boot slips over the outside edge of the ring. It might take an extra set of hands or an old screwdriver with a bent tip (don’t use anything sharp). You just have to get it started and work around in a circle.

Osmodious

Thank you so much! The pictures help an incredible amount...I will be running out to try this as soon as I log off.
Thank you again!

Os.

Osmodious

Those instructions helped immensely...I was lost for a while even WITH them (until I took a step back and calmed down!).

My advice to anyone who does this...make CERTAIN that you do NOT separate the grommet from the plastic backing...it is a b!tch to get it back on. It's not so much that it is a poor design (it is), it's that it is a very, very difficult location to get to...you have to lay across the engine and wiggle your arms through (not too tough, but awkward) a gap to work on it. There is very little play in the cables to pull it out to work on it.

One other thing...there are two gaps in the plastic base that correspond to two little edges in the grommet...it is very easy to think you have the 4 tabs lined up but not have those two gaps/edges lined up correctly (don't ask how I learned this).

All in all, if you have your heart set on using this particular grommet to punch through the firewall, try to pull the whole unit (grommet and base) from the firewall (if you push the tabs toward the center you should be able to accomplish this). Otherwise, follow the sage advice of others who said to either drill your own (carefully, of course) or use another grommet (easy if you have a 5AT, as the clutch grommet is unused).

Many thanks, again, to mercman...you saved my hide, buddy!

Os.

mercman

Glad you got it back in. Hopefully the next guy that does this will be able to pull the gourmet assembly out without pulling the rubber boot off. I can do it now by feeling for the tabs in the plastic ring.

jeff

TSX408

Were does this hole lead to in the car?

cwinterrowd

Thank you!! I'm in the process of installing the Tein EDFC system in my TSX and this route from the center console through the firewall worked very well!

It took a while to cut through all of the electrical tape surrounding the rubber boot, and there was plenty of room to pull the EDFC cables through the boot with the help of some lubricant.

Pull back the carpet in the passenger's side footwell and you should see the main wiring harness that passes through this hole. You really can't see the path from the passenger's side footwell, but I measured less than 6" from the opening in the firewall to where it arrives in the footwell on my fish tape.