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Firewall

7K views 36 replies 13 participants last post by  wwahl 
#1 ·
Has anyone had any luck passing wires from the engine bay through the firewall into the passenger compartment? I'd like to do a laser jammer install and haven't found any great descriptions except for one person who went underneath the car and through the driver floor. Seems like there should be an easier way.

Thanks
 
#2 ·
This is a project I've been sitting on since December... mainly because I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to get the wires through the firewall.


I guess since no one has posted up any solid info on this I'm just going to have to start pulling trim out in the engine compartment and looking at the firewall myself.
 
#4 ·
Adding sports exhaust requires a wires to be passed from above brake pedal to behind the main ECU via a rubber seal. It requires unplugging the ECU from its slot to gain access.


You should try to get hold of the instructions for this.


Alternatively the hood release cable goes through a rubber grommet near the door pillar. The remainder is exposed going into the engine compartment. Might be a way there.
 
#5 ·
There's only a handful of Porsche cars within a 1000 miles of me, and no dealer without a 1000 mile drive + an 8 hour ferry crossing.. That's not an exaggeration. So it's in my best interests to figure this out myself.


I've managed to install this stuff in numerous cars before and I did my own dual channel dash cam install in December in the Macan... This car is very well put together and easy enough to figure out; I just didn't want to remove all the trim from the side and back of the engine compartment blindly looking for a spot to pull the wires through.

@gir has given me a few hints.. I'll try to find the motivation to tackle this in the coming days.
 
#6 ·
There's only a handful of Porsche cars within a 1000 miles of me, and no dealer without a 1000 mile drive + an 8 hour ferry crossing.. That's not an exaggeration.
Wow, I admire you! I would not have the guts to buy a vehicle where the nearest factory warranty service is that far away. Perhaps a year ago there was someone on the forum in Montana who was contemplating buying a Macan, but the nearest authorized dealer was something like 6 hours away. Not sure what he/she ended up doing as we never heard more so far as I know.
 
#10 ·
@kcrunch Thanks for the PDF.. I'll have a look at this hopefully tomorrow and see if I can make it work.. Looks perfect though!

@Shark I just didn't like the SQ5, they hadn't issued the refresh yet and the old layout is like 6+ years out of date.. and to be honest, the new SQ5 (and the newer Audi's as a whole) don't have as nice an interior layout. I really like the fact the Macan has buttons for everything, and a touch screen for the PCM. Haven't owned a BMW since my '03.. and felt it was too little car for too much money.
 
#11 ·
Having some success with this. almost ready for the firewall.


I'm about to start on the firewall. Does anyone have Workshop Manual '247019 Removing and installing the DME control unit' or any advice? I'm got the compartment open and I'm staring at the DME.. Just want to make sure I do this correctly.
 
#13 ·
I installed an ALP and STiR and it is all bluetooth. No wires needed through the firewall. My iPhone is the controller. What dis you install?
 
#14 ·
The ALP folks recommended against an engine bay install as apparently the heat can be hard on the controller box. I also wasn't really interested in a bluetooth setup since I use Waze a lot and didn't want a second phone for the ALP. I have been hesitant to remove the DME control module as Aoshi mentioned above for a direct firewall passthough.

I'm only planning on keeping the Macan for maybe 2 more years so I didn't want to sink too much into a professional install or do too much alteration. I ended up running the wires under the plastic cladding on the outer portion of the engine bay, and then into the passenger door. It can all be run internally under the body panels with the hood up/door open. I then just taped the wires down and ran them directly through the front lower portion of the door opening. I had to tinker a bit and add some extra weather stripping but Porsche makes pretty nice door seals that close easily over the ALP wires. It is water tight even in heavy rain, big puddles and automatic car wash (I know some just cringed). There might be extra wear and tear on the wires from door opening/closing over the years but I don't actually use the passenger door very often so not an issue for me.
 
#15 ·
Makes sense for your application. I only use my phone for music and ALP Connect while driving. My control electronics are in a tupperware box in the same protected area as the DME box and wiper motor and there are no issues. I measured the temperature in there and it was actually lower than the cabin on hot summer days. Certaintly the engine bay itself gets toasty, so best to stay away from it.
 
#20 ·
That sounds like a reasonable way to go. I have a 2 head set-up (no VPR laser in my area). But if I switch to 3 head or decide to add Net Radar I may do what you did and just get a second phone I leave in the car for ALP. Did you manage to find switched power anywhere? I thought I read in another thread that you tapped the battery terminals directly and were having trouble with your phone bluetooth connecting to the ALP while you were parked.
 
#16 ·
Decided to farm this out, heading down to Boston next month for a professional install.

@MacanUK - did you go with the 3 across head setup you were discussing on the other forum? How does it look? I've got ACC so I'm thinking of going lower, but will need to get it tested. Thus the pro installer.

edit: Ok, if it's still capping UK in Macanuk I have no idea why.. I edited the post, tried on my phone, it will not save it lower case.. :/
 
#17 ·
@Aoshi, you missed the "c" in Canuck, so that's why it's picking a different user.

And yes, I went with 3 across. I couldn't go lower because then the headlights aren't protected. ALP recommends shiny surfaces should be no more than about 1.5 feet away from a jammer for best protection from the toughest guns. This restricts the positioning. I can post a picture tomorrow.
 
#23 ·
As promised, a pic with the 3 ALP laser heads. STiR antenna is tucked under the license plate holder. Much easier to see under cars than it is to see over trucks, SUVs and vans these days. The ALP heads are mounted in custom milled pieces of matching Plexiglass 3143 that I made and fitted in with Sugru putty (https://sugru.com) after aligning the heads with a laser. I still need to trim the Sugru, but it is pretty stealth even now. Look like 3 radar cruise control sensors.
 

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#25 ·
Yeah, my install is on the extreme end but necessary due to the legality of it where live.

The biggest challenge on a self install is taking everything apart to run the wires. I had over 10 hours invested into taking apart my bumper, grill and firewall access before i gave up and paid someone else to do it.

I’ve done several installs on my Audi’s in the past but the Porsche was a whole other level of difficult.
 
#26 ·
The install is very nice. Also, got another estimate from another installer and I believe I may getting the Porsche discount. Hoping that @Macanuck or @ebs send photos of their engine compartments so I can see where the CPU is installed and the wires located. Won't need to find a way thru the firewall until I want rear sensors. Also interested if Macanuck has any drawings for the plexiglass mounts, as I have access to a Gerber which could cut them out.
 
#27 ·
Here are some pictures from my ALP install - https://photos.app.goo.gl/M6iCDWZ6sHkB4Ppj2
I use bluetooth so I didn't have to go through firewall - I learned this the hard way after installing Bel STiR+...

I've put ALP controller, bluetooth module and voltage cutoff device in a water tight box, I got the power directly from the front battery terminal. Have been working fine over the last three years...

I've placed the box in the empty spot which I think is used to mount sport exhaust sound "enhancer" :)

Oh, completely forgot, I have three front ALP sensors, one right above cruise control radar and two on each side in the intercooler intakes, and of course, they are used strictly in detection mode only...
 
#32 ·
Here are some pictures from my ALP install - https://photos.app.goo.gl/M6iCDWZ6sHkB4Ppj2
I use bluetooth so I didn't have to go through firewall - I learned this the hard way after installing Bel STiR+...

I've put ALP controller, bluetooth module and voltage cutoff device in a water tight box
Much prettier than my Tupperware, but same general idea!
 
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