wiring amp power from battery through cab

First time on this site and I must say it looks quite promising. I have a 2002 Toyota Rav4, and I'm installing some subwoofers into the vehicle. Its my third subwoofer installation, but Ive run into a peculiar problem this time. I bought a power wiring kit from RF and hook up the 0 ring to the terminal and then, I have NO idea where Im supposed to thread this wire. Its a 4 guage awg copper wire, and there's nowhere to fit it through the walls of the engine compartment into the cab (to my amp!) most of the wires run through a hole under the drivers side, but they are impossible to reach and also sealed thoroughly. I messed around with running the wire up the outside under the rubber lining on my window, but it was way too noticable. so heres my question. How on earth do I get the wire through to my amp, it needs to look proffessional. However, it should be noted that I, in fact am NO professional. My options:      (in order of preference)

1) Find some Rav4 owner like myself who knows some hidden hole to put the wire through.

2) piggy back the wire off of the power for my head unit? (seen it done, looks ghetto...)

3) Run the wire under the chasis (probably would melt the housing)

4) Give up and go with my 45 watt preamped outs. (lame)

Hope someone can help. Thanks guys!

Yeah I can run the rest of it, its just that part. Thanks though. about how much should this cost me?

MY solution (although I'm not suggestion you do it unless it sounds good) is that I'm going to run my 1 gauge from my battery along the underside of the chassis.  That's right.  And I've had several local shops say it's not going to be a bad idea.  Hey, have you ever tried to run a 1 gauge cable along your door jambs?  NOT and easy task.  I also have the same problem as you.  Heck, it took almost an hour just to run a measly 16 gauge wire through the dash of my Dodge Stratus!  So I can't imagine the hassle it would be running a 1 gauge through the dash.  I did, however, buy one of those dash grommets just in case I figured something out.  But the way it looks, I'll most likely run the 1 gauge under the car, but it will be securely secured with cable tie-downs (a loop with a screw hole) all the way back.

Good luck with your dilema.  I'm fighting the same lack of dash room problem so I know what you're going through.  But DO NOT run your amp's power wire along with your deck's power wire.  Not only "looks ghetto" but it is ghetto and you'll end up melting something or continuing to blow fuses, not to mention the possible amplifying engine whine.  The only time I've ever "piggybacked" (as you put it) another power wire to my deck's was when I used an underdash passive equalizer that didn't draw more than a few amps max and didn't technically amplify anything.

I have no doubts you will find your answer here in the forum.  Good luck!

That sounds great and all, but you forgot one thing: he dosn't have any room in his dash.  I've run into that problem too.  I have drills and long bits and the ability to drill a hole, but the issue is that there is so little room because the firewall in the engine compartment is so cluttered up with A/C and other stuff.  Heck, I almost needed to call a Rocket Scientist when I was just trying to run a 16g wire for my alarm siren.  You should have seen the issues I went through when it came to running my deck's power cable to my battery, through the firewall.  After fighting it and cussing at it for a long time, I managed to poke a hole through the factory harness sealed rubber gromment in the dash.  I then ran the wire, taped to a coat hanger, through the hole I poked in the rubber.  Although I realize that running power wires alongside any other hot wires is an invitation to alternator whine, I got lucky and did not get this problem.

So, although you are totally correct in your suggesting that a pro drill a hole, there isn't much a pro can do either if there simply is no room for a new hole, which is the case on many of today's later model cars.  Especially the ones that are small but with many options and features.  In fact, my own firewall didn't even have so much as enough room to drill as much as a 1/8" hole.

Again, take it to a PRO and have them do it for a PRO knows that there are two sides to a firewall and one side is far easier to go through than the other, especially with todays newer vehicles.

Well I ran it today and it works fine. It drilled straight through, I put the grommet in there threaded the wire then sealed it up with some silicone from Lowes. It looks fine to me and its in a very out of the way place. So thanks for the advice!