Running wires through the firewall

Yes, just right of the gas pedal and up there is a rubber grommet where you can run wires through. Read the Fog Light Retrofit thread or Document for a picture of the grommet. It is a little tough to get to but doable.
Good luck.

 

EMS first response.. awesome. please post pictures or a video of the lights when you are completed.

 

Yeah, I can't imagine doing from the engine side... I used a coat hanger to poke through the right hand side (cab side) nub and pushed two wires through. Got a bit bloody from sure.
Glad to help. And like Cobra said, post pictures.

 

just run it through the OEM rubber plug that the harness goes through. Use a Coat hanger and secure the wire to the hanger and and poke the hangar through and pull through the wire.. its pretty simple

 

Hi - New to forum...
Just wanted to do a quick post that might help others. I just finished installing the OEM fog lamp kit from from the Prius shop and thought I'd pass this along. At first I struggled with getting a phillips screwdriver poked through the boot without pushing the whole thing out. I took a look from the engine side - well went in an felt around - watch out, there's a lot of really sharp stuff in there. Anyway, I found a 2 to 3 inch long rubber nipple on the engine side that would close around the shaft of the screwdriver before poking though, so I took a pair of wire cutters - the ones with the cutter 90 degrees from the handles and cut off about a quarter of an inch ( the part with the closed end ) and then I could easily pull the wire back into the passenger side. This all had to be done by brail, as my boot was installed with the hole at 4 o'clock passenger side, thus that part was not visible from the engine side. Now there is plenty of room to run whatever through there and it still closes very tightly around the wire harness. Amazing how flexible that stuff is.
As for the rest of the install I did it over the course of 3 nights. First, I put in the engine harness and relay and tried to get through the boot then wrapped all the loose stuff up so as not to get caught in any of the mechanicals. Second, I did the passenger wire install and hook-up. Third, I did the light install ( You Have To Jack The Car Up - Alway Use Jack Stands Folks - Unless You Are Really Good At Bench Pressing A Ton Off Your Head And Chest!!! ). Anyway, it only took about 1 to 2 hours per night and was not too hard.
By the way, great kit and a very good price, I'd highly recommend it to others.

 

If anyone from this thread is still around, I'd like to push through something a bit larger than a wire. I have a composite video cable with the standard yellow plug on the end. It would be nice to know if I can get it through the firewall without having to cut it, or drill a large-enough hole.
Thanks in advance.

 

I know most holes already in the firewall tend to be big enough, but you might have to cut a slit in the grommet to get something larger to squeeze through. This tip isn't specific to the Prius, though.

 

Thanks, I'm considering cutting a slit in the rubber grommet, and fishing everything through with a pickup tool.

 

Taped a sharp knife to a stick, and cut a slit in the grommet. The rubber is still too stiff to push the video connector through it with a pick-up tool. Next, I'll be taping the wires on to the end of a sharp stick, and forcing it through...

 

If you can pull out the grommet, you'll have a better idea of how big the hole is. Then, you split the grommet on on side and push your cable(s) into the harness. Fish it through using the whole opening of the firewall, then reinsert the grommet.

 

I can't get at the grommet without dis-assembling things. I have to use a stick and a flashlight.

 

It's always easier to pull a wire through than it is to push. Use a stiff wire like a coat hanger and tape the video wire onto the end of that using a lot of tape, making sure you use a lot of tape to cover the larger connector, and make the transition between the coat hanger wire and video cable as smooth as posible.

Lastly, you might need some lube. Use something water based like KY jelly, or hair gel. Don't use anything petroleum based like petroleum jelly because it will degrade the rubber grommet.

Push the wire through. Locate the wire on the engine side, then pull the wires slowly through.

 

Thank you for making the thread PG-13.

Honey! I need some KY Jelly. Do we have any upstairs?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THE GARAGE!!!

 

Yeah, I knew I'd get ribbed on that one, even as I was typing it.

They do sell lube for fishing wires through electrical conduit in the hardware store, but it's hella expensive. So I thought I'd suggest something that might be on hand (pardon the pun).

 

Sage advice. I probably will use a coat-hanger if I can. I'm not sure about the lubricant; I think once it gets past the grommet, it will go right thru. I plan to push coat-hanger, wires and all, right into the interior floor-mat area, mainly because I hate poking around under the dash.

 

It's really hard to see the grommet on the engine firewall side though. Much easier, IMO to push through from the inside, even though it'll mess up your back from laying out over the door sill.

 

I'm working on avoiding that option at all costs. Instead of lying on my back, working under a dash, I'd rather shave my head with a cheese-grater.

 

Looks like WD-40 is a safe lubricant for rubber.