Jeep Liberty shows you where to drill

[popnokick]

As I proceed with installation of a Alinco DR635T in my Jeep Liberty, I was pleased to find that Jeep has provided markings showing where it is "safe" to drill through the firewall into the engine compartment. I needed to run DC power directly to the battery, and looking under the dash at the firewall, I found bright yellow hole plugs on the sound insulation. They were open in the center, and you could see through to the firewall metal. Two under the steering wheel, and one on the passenger side. Estimating where the holes would come through on the engine side, it apppeared to be a clear, unobstructed spot behind each yellow hole guide. I chose the one on the passenger side, and it was perfect! A nice, reachable location away from other holes and objects on the engine side. So I was able to complete the power wiring today before it got too dark to continue.

Next steps: Mounting remote head, then drilling the roof for the NMO antenna mount.

Happy New Year!

 

[NeFire242]

Wow that's a good idea. Too bad they didn't already have the hole drilled and all you would have had to have done was remove a rubber plug and put in a grommet.

 

[garys]

Those might actually be to hold the insulation in place, not to mark where it's safe to drill. Nice that it worked out that way, though.

Gary

 

[popnokick]

Gary- At first that's what I thought, too (holding insulation together). But all three of the yellow "hole marker" grommets were located where there was no other insulation between the material holding the grommet and the firewall metal. They had about a 3/8" hole in the center of the plastic grommet, and the one I put the drill bit through actually caught on the bit while I was drilling. So I pulled it out and it did not look like any type of fastener... just a grommet with nothing in it.

 

[kingpin]

My '03 silverado had a similar invitation. A nice easy to get to round flat spot on the firewall with the insulation removed on both sides made an easy time of running power cables through mine. Now on the otherhand, the ford I installed one in last week......

 

[N_Jay]

Those are often for either accessories not on your vehicle or for "right Hand Drive" models.