Running wires / cables through the over door channels?

[ScienceBoy]

Dear all,
I need to run a couple of wires from up top to the dash.

Above my sliding door, behind the headlining, there's an oval shaped hole in the channel. Inside there there is a wire (I suspect the live from the sliding door switch to the corresponding light) and a sheath which feels like it contains a couple of wires too. Now this channel appears to run along the length of the vehicle, and using a 3m length of net curtain wire (stiff yet flexible) I was trying to fish from this hole, down to the area behind the fuse box.

Was having a go for quite a whiule and hadn't had any luck thus far. There's a gommet over a hole for a door switch on LH too, but I couldn't see the wire coming down that channel. Haven't resorted to pulling out the fuse box just yet, in case that's a waste of time.

Has anyone run cables down this route. Does anyone have any experieince or otherworldly knowledge / arcane on the subject?
Cheers

[Wychall]

It IS possible to use this route, but not easy. There is a tight constriction at the top of the A post which tends to prevent the use of a curtain wire or similar. I made use of this route by breaking the interior light wire at the light, withdrew the wire, pulling a cord with it, then used the cord to pull the wire plus additional wire and more cord back up. I now have my new auxilary ( reversing camera) wired via that route, and also have the cord lying there in case I want to add something else later.

[ScienceBoy]

Cheers Brian,
Where does the channel come out under the dash? Perhaps it's easier to go up rather than down?

Peering up from underneath, there appears to be a tube that issues two wires above the fuse box, perhapos these are the same two wires I reckon are in the sheath above the sliding door????

[Wychall]

It comes out of the A post just at the level of the top of the dash, and No, it is not easier from that end. I tried both ways, and my dash was out at the time.

[DavidPallister]

At the base of the A pillar is another strengthening plate that essentially splits the single upper section into 2 separate box sections. The upper one runs into the dash area, whilst the lower one runs into the vertical box section that runs down the front of the door and out just in front of the cab step.

The chances are that your cable is falling into the lower box section (thanks to that pesky gravity phenomenon!) and so being directed away from the dash area.

Hope this helps

Dave

[Oldiebut goodie]

I got through using single strand copper - like the core from ring main cable. Definitely not easy but can be done. Use copper so that you can put a little bend in it to manoeuvre around obstructions.

[ScienceBoy]

The chances are that your cable is falling into the lower box section (thanks to that pesky gravity phenomenon!)

I removed the solid grommet where the door switch should be on the LH side but saw no cable come down. I tried going up that way too, but no luck.

From the top I've nearly got 3m down, but nowhere I can see. I'm fairly certain it's not "gathering" too much so goodness knows where it went. Or time it came back covered in grease - and I'm just wondering if it came out at the bottom of the sliding door running plate??

My next plan is the sheath. I'm fairly sure this is what I can see emerging high behind the dash as Brian said. I've snipped a hole, and will try to feed my wires down it, there's a bit of room inside so we'll see!

[Wychall]

You've snipped a hole in your sheath?

Is that for extra sensitivity?

[ScienceBoy]

Yikes!!!

[ScienceBoy]

Finally, finally, finally!!!! So after about 5 hours over the past couple of weeks I finally did it. I took off the pull up handle on the door frame which shows the channel beneath. I then pushed the net curtain cable up from where I could see the sheathed wires coming in behind the fusebox until I could see it where the I'd removed the handle screws. A bit more angling and hey presto.

Oh I forgot to say I did pull some headline back from where the passenger door light would be if there was one, and found the cable coming through there. By this time it was dark, so pulling the wires through and repairing the mess has to wait