# Mk6 Jetta/GLI Airline passage



## 2009RoutanSE (Feb 24, 2010)

Hey guys, I've been spending a ton of time on this section of vwvortex and have studied a lot this weekend in regards to how air suspension works and what components are needed and what they do. I pretty much have everything down except it leaves me to the question.

Where do I put my air lines through without drilling into the car? As I studied this weekend, I was under the impression my car had the same holes above the spare just like how mk5 GTIs/golfs had but today I took out my spare and couldn't find those holes anywhere.

and so this leaves me to the question to mk6 jetta/gli owners, Where did you guys run your airlines through?

and btw, is it me or is the FAQ section sticky not working? I mean the thread works but the links inside do not work for me for some reason.

thanks


----------



## jsharp4684 (Jun 18, 2009)

Is there a reason you don't want to drill? Bulkhead fittings are great for transitioning the setup through the sheet metal without any rubbing concerns. I installed my whole setup in the spare tire well, and ran all the lines through the wall of the well and over the rear subframe.


----------



## blknytro (Mar 18, 2013)

No need to drill. I ran my lines through the ABS grommets that are behind the rear wheel well liners on my Golf R. If you're not in a rush to install, I'm installing my friends bags tomorrow on his mk6 gti. I can take pictures.


----------



## 2009RoutanSE (Feb 24, 2010)

jsharp4684 said:


> Is there a reason you don't want to drill? Bulkhead fittings are great for transitioning the setup through the sheet metal without any rubbing concerns. I installed my whole setup in the spare tire well, and ran all the lines through the wall of the well and over the rear subframe.


Just thought of doing everything without having to drill holes but come to think of it, I think I will. When I do drill, you mentioned bulkhead fittings would be ideal, what about rubber rubber grommets?

Here is a picture of my wheel well. From what other mk6 jetta owners stated, they drilled a hole in the middle patch out of the three patches that are patched in a row vertically. Is that where you drilled yours to?

IMG_6469 by aj.mariano1990, on Flickr






blknytro said:


> No need to drill. I ran my lines through the ABS grommets that are behind the rear wheel well liners on my Golf R. If you're not in a rush to install, I'm installing my friends bags tomorrow on his mk6 gti. I can take pictures.


Please do take pictures for me and take pictures of where you hooked up the power lines through the fuse box / battery.

Thanks


----------



## jsharp4684 (Jun 18, 2009)

I drilled towards the top of the center patch, horizontally, to make sure I cleared the subframe. You can use grommets, but depending on the ones you use, they're not as weather tight as bulkhead fittings. The fittings cost a few bucks, but to me they were worth it...they're much cleaner. I also used rubber washers around the fittings, to keep water out. I'll try and take a picture for you later.


----------



## blknytro (Mar 18, 2013)

2009RoutanSE said:


> Please do take pictures for me and take pictures of where you hooked up the power lines through the fuse box / battery.
> 
> Thanks


Ok, I will. The power goes under the rear seat and along the driver side "side floor panel" and up through the firewall.


----------



## jsharp4684 (Jun 18, 2009)

I ran my power wires through a grommet in the trunk, under the air hoses, and ran them parallel to the air hose to the front left bag. In case you don't want to fool around with the firewall.


----------



## blknytro (Mar 18, 2013)

jsharp4684 said:


> I ran my power wires through a grommet in the trunk, under the air hoses, and ran them parallel to the air hose to the front left bag. In case you don't want to fool around with the firewall.


There's no "fooling around with the firewall". There's already a grommet in the firewall that you can use...it's the same grommet you would use for a boost gauge. Just poke a hole and feed the power lines through. Much safer than running them outside the car.


----------



## fasttt600 (Apr 12, 2007)

blknytro said:


> There's no "fooling around with the firewall". There's already a grommet in the firewall that you can use...it's the same grommet you would use for a boost gauge. Just poke a hole and feed the power lines through. *Much safer than running them outside the car.*


i would never run the power wire under the car...


----------



## blknytro (Mar 18, 2013)

fasttt600 said:


> i would never run the power wire under the car...


:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## jsharp4684 (Jun 18, 2009)

It's no riskier than running the air hoses. Maybe it's just the Airlift kits, but my wires were all pre-loomed...no exposed wires under the car. Not to mention the thick plastic trays that run the entire length of the car, lol. Anyways, more than one way to skin a cat, just my $0.02.


----------



## MechEngg (Jan 13, 2009)

fasttt600 said:


> i would never run the power wire under the car...


:thumbup::thumbup:

And this is where experience comes in. New people with little common sense trying to install a system vs. someone who has done it for many years. There is a right and wrong way to do things, and that definitely plays into the longevity of the system. It is the little (but major) things like this that make the difference; the direction of the pressure switch/transmitter, placement of water trap, location of compressor, etc.


----------



## blknytro (Mar 18, 2013)

Forgot I had a picture...this is only one air line going through the abs grommet. Just imagine another line going through as well.


----------



## jsharp4684 (Jun 18, 2009)

MechEngg said:


> :thumbup::thumbup:
> 
> And this is where experience comes in. New people with little common sense trying to install a system vs. someone who has done it for many years. There is a right and wrong way to do things, and that definitely plays into the longevity of the system. It is the little (but major) things like this that make the difference; the direction of the pressure switch/transmitter, placement of water trap, location of compressor, etc.


It must be quite a skill to make assumptions about someone's install without ever seeing it. And being a Master Certified technician with over a decade in the field obviously means I have no common sense or experience. But by all means, continue your snide, back handed remarks.

There's absolutely no problem running the wires outside the car, so long as they're routed and protected properly (just like OEM wires and hoses). I chose that route because the grommet in the firewall isn't big enough for everything I wanted to run through it, which may be a similar situation for other folks. Like I said before, there's more than one way to skin a cat.


----------



## MechEngg (Jan 13, 2009)

jsharp4684 said:


> It must be quite a skill to make assumptions about someone's install without ever seeing it. And being a Master Certified technician with over a decade in the field obviously means I have no common sense or experience. But by all means, continue your snide, back handed remarks.


It gives me some relief knowing that i work on my own car with Master Certified technicians with over a decade of experience like you around :thumbup:


----------



## jsharp4684 (Jun 18, 2009)

MechEngg said:


> It gives me some relief knowing that i work on my own car with Master Certified technicians with over a decade of experience like you around :thumbup:


It gives me some relief knowing you do your own work, so I won't have to deal with your know-it-all, condescending attitude :thumbup:


----------



## 2009RoutanSE (Feb 24, 2010)

jsharp4684 said:


> I drilled towards the top of the center patch, horizontally, to make sure I cleared the subframe. You can use grommets, but depending on the ones you use, they're not as weather tight as bulkhead fittings. The fittings cost a few bucks, but to me they were worth it...they're much cleaner. I also used rubber washers around the fittings, to keep water out. I'll try and take a picture for you later.


that makes sense, I'll look into the bulkhead fittings. Thanks




blknytro said:


> Forgot I had a picture...this is only one air line going through the abs grommet. Just imagine another line going through as well.


That looks really good. I need to look for where exactly those can be accessed. by any chance, are they accessible through those small rubber caps towards the top corners of the trunk (theres a zip tie on the right one)

IMG_6471 by aj.mariano1990, on Flickr


----------



## Buck Russell (Feb 24, 2003)

fasttt600 said:


> i would never run the power wire under the car...


Are you sure about that? Does a certain lexus come to mind?  :laugh:


----------



## blknytro (Mar 18, 2013)

2009RoutanSE said:


> that makes sense, I'll look into the bulkhead fittings. Thanks
> 
> 
> 
> ...


No. The way to do this is feed the air line from the outside of the car into the inside. There is a "cover" that needs to be popped off near the top of the rear seat belt. There should be screw behind it. Once the screw is out you can pull back the plastic panel and carpet. You'll then see the air line feeding through. If you do this, make sure your grommet seats properly afterwords...they tend to get pushed in when feeding the air line.


----------



## 2009RoutanSE (Feb 24, 2010)

blknytro said:


> No. The way to do this is feed the air line from the outside of the car into the inside. There is a "cover" that needs to be popped off near the top of the rear seat belt. There should be screw behind it. Once the screw is out you can pull back the plastic panel and carpet. You'll then see the air line feeding through. If you do this, make sure your grommet seats properly afterwords...they tend to get pushed in when feeding the air line.


Gotcha. I know what you mean. Thanks for the tip


----------



## fasttt600 (Apr 12, 2007)

Buck Russell said:


> Are you sure about that? Does a certain lexus come to mind?  :laugh:


hahaha. 

and to the OP, those grommets are aren't by that zip tie, its behind the the carpets on either side. Trust me, just drill the holes in the center of the spare well. It's the safest place to route the airline. As for bulkheads....to each their own. I'm not a fan. it's another place that can potentially leak. I like running lines direct to the manifold. Granted some set-ups benefit from bulkheads, so it usually comes down to your layout, but in your case, I would say use the rubber grommets and run the airline directly. just my 2 cents


----------



## 2009RoutanSE (Feb 24, 2010)

fasttt600 said:


> hahaha.
> 
> and to the OP, those grommets are aren't by that zip tie, its behind the the carpets on either side. Trust me, just drill the holes in the center of the spare well. It's the safest place to route the airline. As for bulkheads....to each their own. I'm not a fan. it's another place that can potentially leak. I like running lines direct to the manifold. Granted some set-ups benefit from bulkheads, so it usually comes down to your layout, but in your case, I would say use the rubber grommets and run the airline directly. just my 2 cents


Thanks, I have my management in my spare compartment as I've installed it yesterday and I'll go ahead and trust you as well as what others have also said about drilling the holes.

My only comment is that my tank is so bulky, it won't fit in the spare wheel compartment and so it would be mounted visibly and here's my question, the airlines coming from the tank to the management will be fully exposed, I'm worried that in the future if I have items or luggages in my trunk and if they roll around they might hit the airline. Any tips?


----------



## blknytro (Mar 18, 2013)

2009RoutanSE said:


> Thanks, I have my management in my spare compartment as I've installed it yesterday and I'll go ahead and trust you as well as what others have also said about drilling the holes.
> 
> My only comment is that my tank is so bulky, it won't fit in the spare wheel compartment and so it would be mounted visibly and here's my question, the airlines coming from the tank to the management will be fully exposed, I'm worried that in the future if I have items or luggages in my trunk and if they roll around they might hit the airline. Any tips?


Why would your airlines be exposed? I made a wood frame (wrapped in carpet) below the false floor and mount the manifold underneath. Then it's your chose to mount the compressors on top or bottom. If you "reverse mount" the tank like I've done, the air line that comes from the tank can go down through the carpet and it won't be exposed. Check out my pictures below.

Frame mocked up:




























Relays and manifold mounted to the wooden frame in the first picture:


----------



## 2009RoutanSE (Feb 24, 2010)

blknytro said:


> Why would your airlines be exposed? I made a wood frame (wrapped in carpet) below the false floor and mount the manifold underneath. Then it's your chose to mount the compressors on top or bottom. If you "reverse mount" the tank like I've done, the air line that comes from the tank can go down through the carpet and it won't be exposed. Check out my pictures below.
> 
> Frame mocked up:
> 
> ...


I get what you mean thanks

In addition since I'm a worried person as always. My setup doesn't have water traps in which I noticed yours have some. 

Can I just buy the water traps they sell at Home Depot or lowes for the air compressors they sell?

Like this one? 

http://m.homedepot.com/p/Campbell-Hausfeld-3-8-in-Filter-PA212103AV/203009773/

Or do they have to be air bag specific


----------



## 2009RoutanSE (Feb 24, 2010)

disregard my previous post in regards to the water traps. just did some research and found that the recommended water traps are AVS and SMC.

Thought of still researching about which to buy before monday, its just I have my suspension almost set up and am anxious to have it installed already. Will I be okay to run my set up without the water traps for a while, while the water traps are being shipped?


----------



## fasttt600 (Apr 12, 2007)

Yeah, you will be fine


----------



## blknytro (Mar 18, 2013)

2009RoutanSE said:


> disregard my previous post in regards to the water traps. just did some research and found that the recommended water traps are AVS and SMC.
> 
> Thought of still researching about which to buy before monday, its just I have my suspension almost set up and am anxious to have it installed already. Will I be okay to run my set up without the water traps for a while, while the water traps are being shipped?


You will be fine until the water traps arrive but it is highly recommended that you have them (1 per compressor). I went with SMC. If you live a cold climate (below freezing in the winter) I would also suggest running air brake anti-freeze in your system.


----------



## MechEngg (Jan 13, 2009)

blknytro said:


> You will be fine until the water traps arrive but it is highly recommended that you have them (1 per compressor). I went with SMC. If you live a cold climate (below freezing in the winter) I would also suggest running air brake anti-freeze in your system.


I would recommend putting a single water trap between the tank and the manifold, not between each compressor to the tank. :thumbup:


----------



## blknytro (Mar 18, 2013)

MechEngg said:


> I would recommend putting a single water trap between the tank and the manifold, not between each compressor to the tank. :thumbup:


You could just run 3 water traps.  I have both of my water traps before the tank and nothing after but I do agree a water trap after the tank would help too!


----------



## 2009RoutanSE (Feb 24, 2010)

blknytro said:


> You could just run 3 water traps.  I have both of my water traps before the tank and nothing after but I do agree a water trap after the tank would help too!


What airline sizing did you get for your car and the one you installed on your friends GTI?


----------



## blknytro (Mar 18, 2013)

2009RoutanSE said:


> What airline sizing did you get for your car and the one you installed on your friends GTI?


Both cars have 1/4in.


----------



## 2009RoutanSE (Feb 24, 2010)

I currently have 1/4" and haven't installed it yet, but looking to sell my kit and get a new v2 kit. wondering if I should get 3/8s or 1/4s

I've done so much hours long of research and still stuck in which I should get lol


----------



## blknytro (Mar 18, 2013)

2009RoutanSE said:


> I currently have 1/4" and haven't installed it yet, but looking to sell my kit and get a new v2 kit. wondering if I should get 3/8s or 1/4s
> 
> I've done so much hours long of research and still stuck in which I should get lol


"Air line comes in a variety of sizes, each with a different inner diameter which affects the amount of air that can flow to/from a bag when lifting/dropping your vehicle. Simply put, ⅜” air line allows air to flow faster than ¼” air line. ¼” air line is slightly easier to route than ⅜” air line just because it is smaller in diameter and thus bends a bit easier. Keep in mind that if you have ⅜” air line and decide that is too fast you can always control the flow of air via inline flow controls and dump controls. "


----------



## 2009RoutanSE (Feb 24, 2010)

blknytro said:


> "Air line comes in a variety of sizes, each with a different inner diameter which affects the amount of air that can flow to/from a bag when lifting/dropping your vehicle. Simply put, ⅜” air line allows air to flow faster than ¼” air line. ¼” air line is slightly easier to route than ⅜” air line just because it is smaller in diameter and thus bends a bit easier. Keep in mind that if you have ⅜” air line and decide that is too fast you can always control the flow of air via inline flow controls and dump controls. "


yeah thanks, thats also what i've concluded with how with 3/8s you can control the flow of the air if its too fast. i'm still undecided with what airline to get...ugh


----------



## lisek99 (Nov 22, 2009)

So how did you end up running the lines? I have the same problem my GLI doesn't have any openings in the trunk.


----------



## 2009RoutanSE (Feb 24, 2010)

Through the rear wheel wells. Literally next to the abs line. I drilled holes next to the abs grommet


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## 2009RoutanSE (Feb 24, 2010)

Also it's kind of hard to see but I drilled two holes in the grommet behind the left rear wheel arch and ran my exhaust and drain airlines through there


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## 2009RoutanSE (Feb 24, 2010)

Sorry I'm posting a lot but after two full days of working on my car I'm almost done. I'm taking my time with the install. Don't want to do a crappy job. Plus this is my first time messing with electricals, plumbing, jig saw/cutting wood and all that jazz. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------

