Vervish

iTrader: (4)

Need some help since I have zero car A/V skills.

My shop installed an X-force exhaust which has electronically controlled flap in each muffler to change/quiet the exhaust tone.

The system plugs into a a cig lighter 12V plug (shown in red), which powers a receiving unit (shown in black), which powers the flap in the muffler. The opening and closing of the flaps is controlled wirelessly by a small transmitter (like a car alarm fob) that talks to the receiving unit.

Works like this:





The shop installed the receiving unit and associated wiring under the back seats, with an exposed wire running into the center console cig lighter. It looks terrible. I am trying to eliminate the exposed wiring that runs from under the back seats to the center console.

Is there anyway to tap the 12V power from somewhere in the trunk?

Mandrake

I don't think you can run it off of the fuel pump because modern fuel pumps are voltage stepping. That exhaust solenoid/motor probably draws too much current to run it off of the tail lights or trunk light. You'd get a bulb out warning because your ECU will detect too much draw. I think you're going to have to tap into the +12v ignition wire under the dashboard and run it under the door sills all the way to the trunk. In the trunk, you'll find a rubber drain hole grommet. You can probably just punch a tiny hole in that since you're only going to need maybe a 12 gauge wire. If you don't have a drain hole grommet, or you don't want to hack yours up, you can use a bulkhead pass-thru connector like this:



Then you're going to want to make sure the wiring from the trunk to the solenoid has shielding of some sort just like an oxygen sensor does. I'm assuming there's a pig tail with shielding like that already.

If I were you, I'd just leave it for a few months before doing all that because you might end up wanting to remove the X-force exhaust. Some systems like this in the past had a tendency to get stuck open or leak when closed due to carbon buildup. Maybe X-force finally got it right though.

Vervish

iTrader: (4)

Thanks for this. Sounds like I should probably have a car audio/alarm place do the work.

The reviews I have read on the X force show pretty good reliability on the flaps. I keep mine open 99% of the time anyway - I just wanted the option in the event that I need to quiet it down when I get headers.

Mandrake

Personally, I don't trust those places because they use crimp connectors and vampire tap connectors which aren't suitable for automotive purposes. They work fine as you drive out, but a year or ten later, you start having electrical gremlins. I solder and seal all my connections and it's really easy actually. They just don't do it because it takes longer than slapping it together. I've never found a stereo/alarm shop that doesn't do that. It's fine for the amplifier wire because that's a big lug bolted to the battery, but when you ask them to start hacking into the main harness for +12v ignition or accessory, it needs more care. You wouldn't be out of line to do it yourself because it probably wouldn't be any worse and it'd take the same amount of time honestly.

Vervish

iTrader: (4)

Thanks. I just cleaned up all the wiring in the trunk, but did not run power.

Forgot to mention - I have the Mark Levinson amp in the trunk..Any way to pull power from there?

Mandrake

Oh yeah if you have that amp, just tap into the +12v wire for that and use that. I guess I'm not sure what the wiring harness for that amplifier looks like but it's probably the largest wire and it'll be red or yellow.

Vervish

iTrader: (4)

Thanks for the help!

There are quite a few cables running into the amp. I need to remove the trunk trim and pull out the amp - currently looks like this:

Mandrake

From reading a few threads, it sounds like the bottom most connector probably contains the +12v. Just put the digital multimeter on volts DC, ground one probe and then put the other in the back of that connector with it still plugged in. Probe each pin until you find +12v. If you can't find it with the car turned off, turn the ignition to accessory and try again. Normally the amplifier power wire is fused but in this case, it might not be and you should add an additional inline fuse. You can just run the wire under the trim and carpet into the spare tire well and go through the grommet there. To make your connection, you could try shuving the wire you want to connect in the back of the connector with the +12v and dripping soldier into the hole. That's what I'd do.

Vervish

iTrader: (4)

Great - Thanks for the help.