Where to Mount an Amp? Run Cables?

I have an Eclipse amp that would make a good upgrade to my head unit, but it is too big to fit under seats.

Also would welcome any suggestions on running cables.

Typically, I would run power down the drivers side to the trunk, and all other audio cables down the passengers side, but I am unfamiliar with the MKV's trim and hidden spaces.

Any suggestions much appreciated.

Unless you post some photos of it, we can't give much useful advice...

You can jack the seats up (in my model at least), and I'm not sure how you wouldn't be able to get an amp down there somehow unless it was just enormous, and if that's the case, under a seat won't cool it off enough. You can run some cables under the door jambs. Probably not a #0 wire or anything.. but the amp in my Altima used #10 copper wire and its door jambs have similar clearance to the Jetta's. Don't get a #0 wire just because you think it'll improve sound quality/it's the most expensive/etc. A lot of people have this misconception that bigger == better sound quality, and as long as the wire is sized correctly, you won't have any issues. In my case, #12 was the smallest I could use safely, and #10 left me some margin for spikes or differences in cable construction. It's been a few years since I took an electrical course, so I can't remember how to calculate the correct cable size, but if you google it someone surely put it online. I'd say #4 is the largest you'd ever need unless you were running something ridiculous, and in that case, please put that money into chipping the car and installing a RNS-510 .

The bottom of the fuse box has a spare location for a spade connector that connects directly to the battery's spade connector like a distribution block.

I thought about running wire to power my Ham Radio gear but instead opted to use the 20A convenience outlet wiring and charge up a battery in the trunk. The notes that I could find about people who'd tried to run wire from the engine compartment to the trunk indicated about 15h labour to run the wire under the door jambs etc. It was far easier to use what was in place to do the job in my case.

I need to draw 35A intermittently to power my gear. With the smallish battery I have in the back (paid for by savings of copper wire from the engine), I can draw 50A continuous.

The gear is mounted onto a .090" aluminum plate and held in place by plenty of Industrial Velcro (Home Depot) and mounted onto the backside of the rear seat. In 20,000 miles of driving it has not wiggled one bit loose.

You may need to use a larger battery than I to accomodate your continuous power draw needs, but certainly with the car system charging it at up to 20A (depending on the charging circuit / backflow preventer you use) you'll have lots of overnight time for the two batteries to equalize.

vincedeon said:

I thought about running wire to power my Ham Radio gear but instead opted to use the 20A convenience outlet wiring and charge up a battery in the trunk. The notes that I could find about people who'd tried to run wire from the engine compartment to the trunk indicated about 15h labour to run the wire under the door jambs etc. It was far easier to use what was in place to do the job in my case.

I need to draw 35A intermittently to power my gear. With the smallish battery I have in the back (paid for by savings of copper wire from the engine), I can draw 50A continuous.

The gear is mounted onto a .090" aluminum plate and held in place by plenty of Industrial Velcro (Home Depot) and mounted onto the backside of the rear seat. In 20,000 miles of driving it has not wiggled one bit loose.

You may need to use a larger battery than I to accomodate your continuous power draw needs, but certainly with the car system charging it at up to 20A (depending on the charging circuit / backflow preventer you use) you'll have lots of overnight time for the two batteries to equalize.

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There is no way it would take 15 hours to run a power wire from the engine bay to the trunk. When I installed my sub and amp it took me about 3 hours to run all the wires and I was taking my time. I had no issues running a 4awg wire. I used this guide on the vortex to help me out. Its pretty straightforward.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?2329932

Here's what I did with my JL 500/1 and 10w6v3 in my 06 Jetta when I had it (fond memories)

Didn't take up too much trunk space, out of sight, well ventilated. Win win win in my book.

Thats a nice setup! Was that box custom built?

My Alpine PDX-5 is mounted in a similar spot to farfromovin's 500/1... don't have a pic handy though.

Power is down the drives side, audio source is down the passenger side.

I ran all wires down the driver's side, and that includes a 4AWG power line. There was still room for more. My amp is mounted to the speaker box. Lessons learned from a break-in on a previous car. I will never mount an amp onto anything that will prevent easy removal. Thieves are ruthless, and will stop at nothing to get what they want. I will also never use a non-oem head-unit. Security by obscurity ...

Farfromovin: Sweet setup. Where did you get the box for your sub?

soundchk said:

My amp is mounted to the speaker box. Lessons learned from a break-in on a previous car. I will never mount an amp onto anything that will prevent easy removal. Thieves are ruthless, and will stop at nothing to get what they want. I will also never use a non-oem head-unit. Security by obscurity ...

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As is mine, but because it was convenient. Care to share your story? I second the OEM headunit but mainly because the RNS-510/RCD-510 is really pretty damned cool (yes, I have an aftermarket headunit but I'd rather have a RCD-510 - my car came with a Premium 8 headunit or whatever).