Been trying to thread wiring through the door for the last few hours, the only thing I have to show for it is bruises and blood loss.
Is there a way to thread wire past the bellows?
Alternately, is converting the light group wiring (for the door lock operation) to constant power a reasonable choice. If so, any suggestions on how to do that?
you can attach the wires to a rigid wire and fish them through. but they're probably going to be taped tight against the old wires inside the door with no room for more wires I believe. you have to get the tape off to get more wires through.
I found it easier disconnecting the wires in the door then yanking the door off, threading the wires and putting the door back on.
I'm guessing you don't have the wires already in the door? my doors have them in there on the wiring harness. just not connected to anything.
I can get a coat hanger through the bellows. The problem is getting past there. The kick panel is off but the bulkhead prevents me from reaching up to that point. Anything rigid enough to get through the bellows won't make the 90* bend downward.
I was able to do just what you did, but it did take a lot of patience! I fished the coat hanger through from the inside of the car thru the bellows and into the door, and then pulled the (speaker wire in my case) through taped to the coat hanger. Be sure to wrap a long enough length of wire to the "fish tape" or it'll likely pull apart INSIDE the bellows (ask me how I know!). I had to bend the coat hanger into a gradual "C" shape to get it to work.
I need to borrow someone's 8yo or a little person with thin arms, can't get in there far enough.
That could be my secret, I am pretty skinny! Small frame arms help as well. :D
Good luck!
I say run a string first and then use it to pull the new wires in.
When I did it, I pulled the bellows out of the bulkhead, then fed the wires through, and pulled like 2 feet of wire and let it hang, then fed the coat hanger wire through the bellows from inside the door, taped the wire to it, then pulled it through. I did it this way so I could straighten the bellows and pull it through easier.
Tbird232ci,
Okay, that sounds like a something I was looking to do, but was afraid of breaking something.
Are they just stuck in there, or is there some kind of release?
For posterity - the bellows are basically grommets connected to an accordian. Gently squeeze and twist away from the holes. Threading the wire after that is a breeze.