Hey Everyone,


I apologize if this question has been posed elsewhere in the forum...


I am about to embark on an audio upgrade project for my HHR (non-Pioneer premium). I will begin with replacing all the door speakers, then move on to the head unit and a small under-seat subwoofer enclosure. I'm not trying to create a monster system that scares children, just something clear and bumpin' for my ears only.


I'm going to buy a compact mono amp that fits under the dashboard to power the subwoofer. Again, I don't need anything very big; some new compact amps put out some major juice. The amp only requires 8-gauge power wire.


My question: Is there a place under the hood to hook up this power wire instead of routing it all the way to the battery in the back? The amp has a built-in fuse and there will be an in-line fuse as well (duh!!) and it draws very little power, so safety should not be an issue as long as there is a clean power source up front somewhere. The idea being that the only long wire running through the vehicle will be the output speaker wire going to the subwoofer enclosure (probably under the passenger seat).


Any help would be appreciated, including tips on routing and placement. I'll take some pics of the whole project as it progresses.

 

To answer your question: how do you expect power gets to the under hood fuse box? That is used for the positive jump start point.

It is shorter to the battery and no holes to drill.

There is power at the BCM. Even a couple unused positions, depending on your amperage needs.

 

I'm mostly curious to read if anyone else has used either the jump start point or an empty space in the fuse panel to draw power for a device such as an inverter or an amp?


I won't have to drill a hole.

 

Derek James, how big is the fuse in the Amp. I believe 8gauge wire is rated for forty to fifty amps. What you will be pulling is needed to know for a safe place to go up.

 

The amp has two 15A fuses on it, so I suppose 30A is the answer. The spec sheet claims an operating voltage of 8-16V, and a dyno test of it showed 14-15V.

 

There are lots of install posts in the AV section. Lots about where to get power.

Here is one: https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/audi...mp-fuse-58020/

You already have a hole in the firewall, OK?

#12 & #21 on the BCM are 20 amp spares. #6 is 20A for the optional audio amp.

There is at least 1 10 A spare.

The fuse box drawings are in the Owner Manual, see the link in my sig for a digital copy.

You are not saying how many amps you need. Or if you need ign or bat.

That's about all I got to offer, some AV guru may pop up later.

 

This one!