Any clips or ways to hold power wire along windshield without disassembling trim?

[fieldofview]

Hi,
I have a new car (VW) with curtain airbgs on the front pillars. I'm reluctant to mess around with trying to take the pillar trim off in case I cause the airbag to not deploy properly. I'm wondering if there are such things as clips to hold the power cable? I'm thinking a half circle into which the wire sits and the half circle has a tab that slides under the trim.

Some vendors include wire clips with sticky tabs but I'm not sure the adhesive will stay stsuck in the hot sun.

I can get the wire to the base of the windshield no problem, it's up the pillar and across the top of the windshield.

 

[Gabolinche]

I have a new car (VW) with curtain airbgs on the front pillars. I'm reluctant to mess around with trying to take the pillar trim off in case I cause the airbag to not deploy properly.

When I installed my cam in a car with curtain airbags I had the exact same thought. What I ended up doing (and it worked great) was just to gently push the cable into the small space left between the pillar plastic trim and the windshield. I noticed it gave way so I used an old credit card and pushed a little harder until it snapped inside. I continued doing the same all the way up and it worked like a charm. Once I was up there, to go across the top of the windshield there was also some space available to push the cable between the ceiling and the headliner fabric.

 

[fieldofview]

When I installed my cam in a car with curtain airbags I had the exact same thought. What I ended up doing (and it worked great) was just to gently push the cable into the small space left between the pillar plastic trim and the windshield. I noticed it gave way so I used an old credit card and pushed a little harder until it snapped inside. I continued doing the same all the way up and it worked like a charm. Once I was up there, to go across the top of the windshield there was also some space available to push the cable between the ceiling and the headliner fabric.

OK, great I'll try that. I tried gently pulling the trim off but wasn't successful. On my old car things came off easier or there were obvious screws under caps. The credit card idea is great, no scratches.

 

[dsldude]

Invest in a set of tools like these, they're great.

11 PIECE CAR TRIM REMOVAL and MOULDING SET by NEILSEN TOOLS
Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B004OEL4LW

 

[buellwinkle]

I had an MB with airbags there and it was not a big deal, just like any A-pillar trim, just popped it off. Actually harder on my Smart Car where I had to remove the visors and a bunch of screws and the windshield header just to get to the one bolt holding the A-pillar trim, sort of overkill. Check out a VW forum, you can't be the first to want to remove this trim on your car as many enthusiasts remove this to put gauge pods. In the end you'll have a very nice clean luck and it will be worth it.

 

[dsldude]

If you have a VW (or an Audi, Seat or Skoda) then you might want to get hold of ETKA. It's essentially a breakdown of how the car is built with complete instructions and pictures on how to remove panels and trim. I retrofitted rear seat entertainment in my A6 and without ETKA I wouldn't have known how the various panels come apart or where the fixing points were.

 

[fieldofview]

If you have a VW (or an Audi, Seat or Skoda) then you might want to get hold of ETKA.

Thanks DSLDude re: tool kit and ETKA. I have never heard of ETKA, it loks like a good resource. I usually buy a Bentley manual for each car but it deals mostly with the mechanical aspects and not the trim other than the step "remove trim".

I see some people pull the rubber storm seal off and run their wires up the channel behind the seal up to the top ofo the door then under the headliner and avoiding the pillar all together. I've ordered a 3m USB cable and will see how the wiring goes, either poke into gap under pillar trim or behind the door seal.

 

[Johny]

Here is what I used to hold some of the wires to avoid disassembling my trim.

I went to a local hardware store and looked for little hooks that people use at home on their walls without puncturing holes. It worked really good for me. No one was able to see them and they keep my wires clean.

I even used it to keep my phone charger cable out of the way.

The cost was $5 U.S.

 

[Johny]

Hope this helps, I was snapping pictures with my phone and typing so I am really sorry for poor photo skills.

 

[fieldofview]

Hope this helps, I was snapping pictures with my phone and typing so I am really sorry for poor photo skills.

Hi Johny, Great, thanks, exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for all the pics, I can show the hard ware store what I'm looking for.

What's your experience with the tabs in hot weather, do they remain stuck? In the summer here, outside temps get into the high 30's C (100 F) and inside the car the thermometer reads in the high 40's C (120F).

PS. If anyone is looking for an adhesive that will hold up in hot hot weather, the adhesive to glue the felt "bearing" on clothes dryers works great. This is the felt that both holds up the dryer drum and the drum turns on it. You can get the tube of glue from appliance repair stores. I used it to glue a 3rd brake light on a car rear window and it's been there ever since despite the heat.

 

[Johny]

You can use whatever adhesive you decide on the back of these clips. I have not had a chance to test them in the hot weather but theoretically speaking it would be OK probably since you are not planning to pull/move wires everyday. Plus the price is not to expensive if you need a little extra.

 

[Xybone]

Clear packaging tape works like a charm. Nice if you don't have trim, just plastic.

 

[Michael Campbell]

Here is what I used to hold some of the wires to avoid disassembling my trim. View attachment 1689

I went to a local hardware store and looked for little hooks that people use at home on their walls without puncturing holes. It worked really good for me. No one was able to see them and they keep my wires clean.View attachment 1688

I even used it to keep my phone charger cable out of the way.View attachment 1690

The cost was $5 U.S.View attachment 1691View attachment 1692

For those wondering, I found these exact things at amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/B0084M67LM

 

[James Carpenter]

I had a similar issue and needed a low impact solution just to keep the wire tucked in as it kept popping out... I found some "hook and loop" (aka velco) squares at Dollar Tree. Using the rough side of the velcro, they did the trick for me, see pictures.