[HELP] Using line out converter to connect subs to amp

j0n

Junior Member
Hi everyone!

I posted this on another forum dedicated to my car, but I don't think its very active anymore and was hoping I could get some better help here. I'm sorry if this post has some redundancies or seems jumbled but it's a direct copy from my last post.

My car is a 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse SE that comes with a stock Rockford Fosgate 9 speaker system.

This past week I've been working on installing a 12" SA-12 into my car, and I'm powering it with a JL XD1000/1v2. I ran some 4gauge power wire through a factory grommet in the fender, and I was going to use a line out converter for the RCA's (After looking at my amp manual, JL says that I can splice directly into speaker wire and run RCA's from that and that a LOC shouldn't be necessary?). The line out converter is a Raptor CK-AJLO

I know it's better to use an aftermarket HU and I even have one to use but money is tight right now and I would need to buy a dash kit and harnesses, not to mention that I'm terrible at wiring. I'm sure if I just spent the money and energy on setting that up I wouldn't be having this problem but I've already spent a lot of time on this and just want to see it finished.

Anyway, I'm using a line out converter. I tried splicing into the stock RF subwoofer cables but I couldn't find a good diagram for it and was just left confused. I really searched to find the right connections but I just couldn't find the right thing, what I found was:

Subwoofer coil 1: gray (+) / red-blue (-)

Subwoofer coil 2: green-red (+) / red (-)

My first problem was that I don't have a "green-red" cable in the back. It's dark out at the time I'm posting this so I can't get a good picture right now but I can get one later if needed, but I have a gray-red cable instead, so I spliced into that hoping it would work instead, but didnt get a signal from the line out converter. I really wanted to set them up this way for convenience sake and I know other people have done it this way, I also figured that the low frequencies get sent there anyway.

Anyway, I decided to try something else, and I have it spliced into the wires behind the dash that should be for the rear speakers, I used these out of the wiring harness which according to the diagrams I found should be correct:

yellow/blue = LR+

grey/blue = LR-

yellow/green = RR+

white = RR-

After I got it all connected and ran the RCA's to the amp, I got a signal. But what plays through my sub is what should be playing from the rear speakers, I get high frequencies when it should just be playing the bass, and I'm really not sure how to tune my amp or if I messed up somewhere.

TLDR: Used a line out converter spliced into the rear speaker cables out of the radio wiring harness to get a RCA signal, subs are playing speaker tones but not bass.

Also, if anyone could figure out how I can splice into the sub wires that would be great too, but I could use any help you guys can give me because I'm at a loss and worried I could have messed up my sub or amp.

I can provide pictures if needed

Thanks in advance

 
The stock head unit has a built in high pass filter that filters out bass frequencies so your door speakers never get damaged. You have to splice into the signal before the factory subwoofer amp not after. You might want to disable the factory sub amp as well, completely useless.

You dont cheap out on the head unit and signal. Thats a huge part into having a proper working system. You have an overpriced amp along with semi overpriced sub and you cant spare 20 bucks for a dash kit and wiring harness?

Also Stock factory systems always need to be bypassed and re-done completely. If you gonna do an audio setup, never get a car with an upgraded factory setup, its just pain and headaches to no end unless you completely rip every factory amp out.

 
You have to splice into the signal before the factory subwoofer amp not after. You might want to disable the factory sub amp as well, completely useless.
You dont cheap out on the head unit and signal. Thats a huge part into having a proper working system. You have an overpriced amp along with semi overpriced sub and you cant spare 20 bucks for a dash kit and wiring harness?
That's what I did, I put my LOC onto the wires coming straight out of the wiring harness to my radio that go to the non-amplified rear speakers... And when I plug in my rca's to my amp my subs play like its a rear speaker if that makes sense. Theres a voice coming out and everything.

Also, I know you don't "cheap out" on a headunit, but my subs and amp are taken out of another car that I unfortunately totaled, and were bought when I had money lol. The headunit that I have lying around is an AppRadio 3 which if you know anything about is a pain in the *** to install, I would need a new harness/bypass to get around it not starting unless the parking break is up plus a harness to get the stock amplifier to work which ends up costing a few hundred dollars, plus the double-din dash kit made for my car is in the 50$ price range. If it was 20$ I would do it in an instant. Not to mention if I got an aftermarket amp to power new speakers it ends up costing more money, and all I want is some extra bass in my car.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Activity
No one is currently typing a reply...
Old Thread: Please note, there have been no replies in this thread for over 3 years!
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.

About this thread

j0n

Junior Member
Thread starter
j0n
Joined
Location
georgia
Start date
Participants
Who Replied
Replies
2
Views
4,387
Last reply date
Last reply from
j0n
IMG_20260506_140749.jpg

74eldiablo

    May 22, 2026
  • 0
  • 0
design.jpeg

WNCTracker

    May 22, 2026
  • 0
  • 0

New threads

Top