Hotwire Installation Tips

[HLxDrummer]

Hey guys,

Just got finished installing my STM Fuel Pump Rewire Kit and wanted to mention a few tips I found.

I ran my power wire right along side the wiring bundle between the fender and battery. I also taped it to this bundle so it doesn't stand out. I would have rather run it in with the factory wires but everything was old and brittle and it would have been a pain. If/when I have the engine bay apart I will do this.

I then ran the power wire through the grommet behind the battery. I have to kind of poke my own hole as I was running some other things through at the time. I then ran it behind the carpeting/door sill with all the factory wires, taped together wherever possible. It helped to take out the passenger seat while doing this. Be careful not to place wires anywhere they have a chance of getting rubbed through/pinched.

Next I took off the rear trim from the back seat to the garnish area. Ran the wire again with all the factory wires, taped together. Took it up over by the rear seatbelt and through the little passage in the upper part of the rear hatch (look around and you'll see it). Took out the ABS ECU while I was in there as well since it doesn't work.

Here is what I really wanted to share: Most people run the power wire under the access panel for the fuel pump assy, but I didn't like that. Instead, I mounted the relay on the upper left hand ECS ECU screw. Grounded the relay on the lower right ECS ECU screw. I ran the battery power wire to this point and wired that up as well. I also taped into the stock power wire right by the ECS ECU (the input that trips the relay).

At this point everything is wired up and protected on the interior of the car except the new power wire to the assy. I ran this in the tubing that the kit came with through the grommet near the right rear tailight. Zip tied it right to the factory tubing. Ran it up under the access panel and wired it in there. You could also wire this in inside the car, but I wanted to eliminate as much of the factory wiring as possible.

This way you have two connections not inside the car. Power wire to battery and power wire to fuel pump assembly. I like this much better than the method most people use. I also taped up every wire I could and it looks pretty close to factory. Not as nice as I would like it, but could be a lot worse

I would run any wires/tubes you may need in the future while doing this as well as it takes some time. I am in the process of installing the windshield fluid pump from the front reservoir on the rear reservoir and ran some tubing/two wires to the rear so it would work like stock.

Hope this helps someone!

Thanks to Auston from STM for giving me a heads up about the grommet in the rear and for the hotwire kit!

[Austin@STM]

Sounds about how i did mine a couple weeks ago.

Glad to hear it worked out for you.

-Austin@STM

[akotten]

Hey guys,

Just got finished installing my STM Fuel Pump Rewire Kit and wanted to mention a few tips I found.

I ran my power wire right along side the wiring bundle between the fender and battery. I also taped it to this bundle so it doesn't stand out. I would have rather run it in with the factory wires but everything was old and brittle and it would have been a pain. If/when I have the engine bay apart I will do this.

I then ran the power wire through the grommet behind the battery. I have to kind of poke my own hole as I was running some other things through at the time. I then ran it behind the carpeting/door sill with all the factory wires, taped together wherever possible. It helped to take out the passenger seat while doing this. Be careful not to place wires anywhere they have a chance of getting rubbed through/pinched.

Next I took off the rear trim from the back seat to the garnish area. Ran the wire again with all the factory wires, taped together. Took it up over by the rear seatbelt and through the little passage in the upper part of the rear hatch (look around and you'll see it). Took out the ABS ECU while I was in there as well since it doesn't work.

Here is what I really wanted to share: Most people run the power wire under the access panel for the fuel pump assy, but I didn't like that. Instead, I mounted the relay on the upper left hand ECS ECU screw. Grounded the relay on the lower right ECS ECU screw. I ran the battery power wire to this point and wired that up as well. I also taped into the stock power wire right by the ECS ECU (the input that trips the relay).

At this point everything is wired up and protected on the interior of the car except the new power wire to the assy. I ran this in the tubing that the kit came with through the grommet near the right rear tailight. Zip tied it right to the factory tubing. Ran it up under the access panel and wired it in there. You could also wire this in inside the car, but I wanted to eliminate as much of the factory wiring as possible.

This way you have two connections not inside the car. Power wire to battery and power wire to fuel pump assembly. I like this much better than the method most people use. I also taped up every wire I could and it looks pretty close to factory. Not as nice as I would like it, but could be a lot worse

I would run any wires/tubes you may need in the future while doing this as well as it takes some time. I am in the process of installing the windshield fluid pump from the front reservoir on the rear reservoir and ran some tubing/two wires to the rear so it would work like stock.

Hope this helps someone!

Thanks to Auston from STM for giving me a heads up about the grommet in the rear and for the hotwire kit!

Do you have any pictures of this?

[HLxDrummer]

Sounds about how i did mine a couple weeks ago.

Glad to hear it worked out for you.

-Austin@STM

You were the one that gave me the location of the grommet a while back :) Thanks again!


Do you have any pictures of this?

I'll go snap one for ya now. Hopefully it turns out even though it's dark out.

[HLxDrummer]

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46/HLxDrummer/DSC02246.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46/HLxDrummer/DSC02245.jpg

Just realized you may have been asking about the wiring as well. As you can see in the picture the black ground wire goes to the ECS ECU screw behind the insulation there. I used one of the wires in that bundle going through the grommet for the trigger for the relay (tapped it right near the ECS ECU there). I then ran the heavy gauge power wire through the grommet in the tubing to the fuel pump assembly so I could minimized the amount of stock wiring I had to use. So now there is a stock power wire chilling in there connected to nothing on either end between the assy and the ECS ECU.

Hope this helps!

[MaxClass]

Here is something that crossed my mind while looking at my hot wire kit (which is on my desk right now).

Obviously the two connections (ground and hot, not the one from the battery) that are responsible for triggering the relay require a complete circuit for the entire system to work.

Here's my idea. Anywhere in series in the trigger circuit simply add a switch, of suitable capability, and place it in a hidden out of the way place that only you know about. Maybe like hidden near the right rear side behind a panel, etc.

Now, whenever you park your car, maybe overnight at a hotel or in front of you house simply throw the switch and bingo, your car is incapable of operating because it will not have any fuel pressure regardless of what attempts anyone might use to hot wire or steal it.

Any other thoughts on this idea?

[DocWalt]

That'd work, MaxClass.

[Austin@STM]

yup, that would be good extra security.

[Sin'sVr4]

i had a hole in my fire wall from a old amp power cable (i guess from previous owner) and pulled out the old power cable and ran the hotwire power thru it and along the passenger door molding behind teh rear seats and along the rear plastics. all you see is the realy and about 2 inches of wire going into the fuel pump carriage. really clean and shnazzy. ;)

[DocWalt]

lol, sounds the same as what I had. Just a few inches from the trunk plastics to the access door. Still, I didn't like that the door was rubbing on the cable...