Running 12GA speaker wire into the doors ???

[mrpeaches]

Honestly, I think that this is much more trouble than it is worth. The stock wiring should be just fine for your purposes unless you are running some insane amount of power to the speakers. For all normal purposes, you should be just fine using the stock wire to run to your speakers in the doors.

[Besbro]

Well by my calculations the factory wire (18 or 20 gauge) could handle approx 50 watts. I will be pushing 95 watts rms per side. It would be a lot easier to use the factory wiring, can you confirm that it can handle 95 watts rms? I am nervous it cannot.

[mrpeaches]

I'm pushing close to that with my amp and speakers and it's just fine on the stock wire. Go ahead and run new wire if you want, but I don't think there should be much of an issue.

[freemind]

Use this calculator, http://www.bcae1.com/wire.htm

You are fine if you use 12ga from the amp to the front of the car and into the OEM speaker wire.

[Besbro]

Using this calculator, i punch in 95 for power output per channel, Speaker wire length 3, speaker wire gauge 18 and Load Impedance 2 (as my speakers a 2 ohms) and I hit enter. On the bottom is says " The wire is too small to meet the 300 circular mils per amp of electrical current standard."

Am I doing something wrong?

[freemind]

No, I ran it at 16ga.

At this point it is totally up to you.

If you do drill it, post up pics and write a tutorial. You get Rep points for that kind of stuff.

[alaskanzx5]

i personaly think 50 watts would be pushing stock 18 gauge wire. 16 gauge can be pushed to 100-150 and some people use 12 gauge for sub with amps that put out thousands of watts but those are short run and i would still use 8gauge for subs running anything over 1k.

[Besbro]

I will attempt to run this wire (and install my system) this Sat. I will take pics and document my progress, be it good or bad....
Thanks for all the help!!!


P.S. How do you give rep points?

[freemind]

By clicking on the clicking on the blue number next to "FF Reputation:" in the Avater box.

[mitchv]

Stock wiring and anything over head unit power scares me. You could run your 12 gauge speaker wire from the amplifier right up to the door jam, tap into the factory wiring, then on the otherside inside the door tap into the factory wiring and run your 12 gauge into the speaker. That way your run of wire would consist mostly of 12 gauge and only a couple inches of stock factory wiring. That would be safe to run 95wpc on and that way you dont have to drill into a brand new 2012.