Audio Dave
07-08-2008, 10:03 AM
Ok... now, let's run the Violet wire out to the ECM, located in the passenger fender well. Some of you guys have simply run the wires through the door jambs, or drilled new holes in your vette's firewall to make a hole for the wire to pass through. While any good way is effective, if done properly, I will show you the way I generally do a pass through with smaller wires.
But first, let's remove the inner fender shielding to gain access to the ECM. Turn your front wheels all the way to the right, so that you can remove the inner fender well shielding.
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/235.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/236.jpg
There are six trim "plugs" located in the inner fender. 4 are along the side where the inner fender meets the outer fender,
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/237.jpg
and the other 2 are at the top of the trim piece inside the wheel well.
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/238.jpg
There are also 3 bolts that hold the inner fender in as well... 2 under the car, one of which is right along the side edge of the car (a 7 mm bolt)...
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/239.jpg
...and the other, which is a 7 mm bolt as well, is located under the car, more towards the transmission and exhaust tunnel.
The 3rd and final bolt, is one that you cannot see,
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/240.jpg
but when reaching in behind the wheel, with your right hand,
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/241.jpg
run it towards the bottom of the car, and you will feel this 7 mm bolt...
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/242.jpg
Now you can remove the inner fender well, and you will reveal the ECM, or Engine Control Module.
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/193.jpg
Now let's run the Violet wire out to the ECM... :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
If you look closely at the pic above, you can see that I have the Violet wire already run out to the ECM... and you probably also notice the ground from my Fluke Meter in the background...
NOTE: Never, EVER, use a test light, of any kind, even the "computer safe" test lights, on a car with airbags or an onboard computer system... everyone says not to, but here is why: every test light will have a tiny bit of voltage seeping back through the test light. A good DMM (digital mutli meter, like a Fluke) will not. They use diodes in the Voltmeter, and proper circuitry to keep voltage or ground of any kind from backfeeding up the test probes. If you were to stick the test light probe into an airbag wire, you WILL blow the airbag, most likely, totally out the car, because the voltage of the test light backfed up the airbag wires... a good DMM won't do that, nor will it fry the sensitive circuits found in a BCM or ECM of nearly every car made now. Just a little good information!!
Here is how I ran the VSS wire out to the ECM: take down the panel under the passenger side of the dash, and you will notice a large rubber grommet with wires run out of it, going out under the hood. I use a "grommet poker", which is a very sharp tube, basically, with enough room to run up to a 10 gauge wire through it. Here you see it poked through the grommet.
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/243.jpg
In the following pictures, I pulled back the first layer of the grommet to illustrate to you how and where the wire goes through the grommet.
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/244.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/245.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/246.jpg
This batch of wires comes out directly behind the battery, and so does my Violet VSS (Vehicle Speed Sense) wire.
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/247.jpg
Now we run it down to the ECM, directly below the battery tray.
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/193.jpg
Then, we hook it into the Dark Green with the White Stripe wire, located in the top black plug, pin 57. It is almost dead center. The wire will read on your meter, when switched to AC voltage (yes, AC), and with the car started, rev it up. You will notice a change in the reading of the wire. It will increase to around 1 volt, and then back down. When the car is moving, it will read even higher. For the record, the other Dark Green/White wire reads 12VDC if I remember correctly.
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/248.jpg
Now you can put the fender back together, mount the radio in the dash the reverse of the OEM radio removal (with the exception of using a new aftermarket radio in a kit... :) ), and test it out.
Here are some pics of the radio installed. Also, I ran out an aux. input to the center console for Gerald's MP3 player...
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/249.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/250.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/251.jpg
The aux. input....
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/253.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/254.jpg
More radio pics...
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/252.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/255.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/256.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/257.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/258.jpg
Of course, if you have any questions, email me or pm. I am happy to answer any and all questions you guys may have!! Enjoy!!:thumbsup::thumbsup: :cheers: :cheers:
But first, let's remove the inner fender shielding to gain access to the ECM. Turn your front wheels all the way to the right, so that you can remove the inner fender well shielding.
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/235.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/236.jpg
There are six trim "plugs" located in the inner fender. 4 are along the side where the inner fender meets the outer fender,
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/237.jpg
and the other 2 are at the top of the trim piece inside the wheel well.
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/238.jpg
There are also 3 bolts that hold the inner fender in as well... 2 under the car, one of which is right along the side edge of the car (a 7 mm bolt)...
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/239.jpg
...and the other, which is a 7 mm bolt as well, is located under the car, more towards the transmission and exhaust tunnel.
The 3rd and final bolt, is one that you cannot see,
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/240.jpg
but when reaching in behind the wheel, with your right hand,
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/241.jpg
run it towards the bottom of the car, and you will feel this 7 mm bolt...
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/242.jpg
Now you can remove the inner fender well, and you will reveal the ECM, or Engine Control Module.
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/193.jpg
Now let's run the Violet wire out to the ECM... :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
If you look closely at the pic above, you can see that I have the Violet wire already run out to the ECM... and you probably also notice the ground from my Fluke Meter in the background...
NOTE: Never, EVER, use a test light, of any kind, even the "computer safe" test lights, on a car with airbags or an onboard computer system... everyone says not to, but here is why: every test light will have a tiny bit of voltage seeping back through the test light. A good DMM (digital mutli meter, like a Fluke) will not. They use diodes in the Voltmeter, and proper circuitry to keep voltage or ground of any kind from backfeeding up the test probes. If you were to stick the test light probe into an airbag wire, you WILL blow the airbag, most likely, totally out the car, because the voltage of the test light backfed up the airbag wires... a good DMM won't do that, nor will it fry the sensitive circuits found in a BCM or ECM of nearly every car made now. Just a little good information!!
Here is how I ran the VSS wire out to the ECM: take down the panel under the passenger side of the dash, and you will notice a large rubber grommet with wires run out of it, going out under the hood. I use a "grommet poker", which is a very sharp tube, basically, with enough room to run up to a 10 gauge wire through it. Here you see it poked through the grommet.
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/243.jpg
In the following pictures, I pulled back the first layer of the grommet to illustrate to you how and where the wire goes through the grommet.
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/244.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/245.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/246.jpg
This batch of wires comes out directly behind the battery, and so does my Violet VSS (Vehicle Speed Sense) wire.
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/247.jpg
Now we run it down to the ECM, directly below the battery tray.
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/193.jpg
Then, we hook it into the Dark Green with the White Stripe wire, located in the top black plug, pin 57. It is almost dead center. The wire will read on your meter, when switched to AC voltage (yes, AC), and with the car started, rev it up. You will notice a change in the reading of the wire. It will increase to around 1 volt, and then back down. When the car is moving, it will read even higher. For the record, the other Dark Green/White wire reads 12VDC if I remember correctly.
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/248.jpg
Now you can put the fender back together, mount the radio in the dash the reverse of the OEM radio removal (with the exception of using a new aftermarket radio in a kit... :) ), and test it out.
Here are some pics of the radio installed. Also, I ran out an aux. input to the center console for Gerald's MP3 player...
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/249.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/250.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/251.jpg
The aux. input....
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/253.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/254.jpg
More radio pics...
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/252.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/255.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/256.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/257.jpg
http://www.myvettepage.com/file/pic/gallery/258.jpg
Of course, if you have any questions, email me or pm. I am happy to answer any and all questions you guys may have!! Enjoy!!:thumbsup::thumbsup: :cheers: :cheers: