Line Out Converter causing all speakers to not work!

[iblue]

I bought a new car with some pretty weak speakers and wanted to add some bump to the car by adding a subwoofer and amp. The car is pretty difficult to add an aftermarket HU so I thought I would try the Line Out Converter method and retain the stock HU.

I picked up a cheap LOC at best buy and a kicker sub. I am using a Kenwood amp I bought for another car a few years ago. I installed the amp with no issues. On the LOC there were 5 wires. L+, L-, R+, R- and GR. I tapped my rear driver side speaker using L+ and L- only. I taped away both right wires. I also used the ground wire attaching it to where I grounded the amp. I checked everything and it all looks good.

Turn on ACC, amp turns on, no sound from any speakers. I disconnect the LOC L+ and L- while the ACC is on and all the speakers begin to work, and when I reconnect the LOC while the ACC is on, the subwoofer and speakers all work.

Why is it that all speakers do not work when the LOC is connected, but everything works if I turn the car on first and then connect the LOC?

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[iblue]

Forgot to mention I've returned and bought another brand LOC with the same results. So I do not think its a faulty converter.

 

[Jepalan]

What is the model and year of the car?

 

[iblue]

2008 mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Base model GSR.

 

[™Caveman 10+ year member]

Buy a Audio control lc2i.

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

Apparently the stock HU thinks there's a short in the speaker line when you turn it on. I would have said try a different brand LOC, but you've already done that. Hmm.. dunno. Does the HU turn on if you unplug the LOC from the amp but leave it connected to the speaker?

 

[iblue]

The HU comes on everytime, whether it is connected to the amp or disconnected. The only connection between the amp and loc is the RCA cable.

I was also thinking that the HU was going into some safety mode thinking the speaker was being shorted out. I was reading on the active and passive LOCs. The lc2i is active, will it help in a case like this?

 

[Ahmed Johnson]

Disconnect,_the_ground_on_the_l.o.c.

The HU comes on everytime, whether it is connected to the amp or disconnected. The only connection between the amp and loc is the RCA cable.
I was also thinking that the HU was going into some safety mode thinking the speaker was being shorted out. I was reading on the active and passive LOCs. The lc2i is active, will it help in a case like this?

 

[CrossoverOre 10+ year member]

you are really going to want to tap left and right signal. music being stereo will pass some music on the left side and some on the right side if both sides are not tapped then you will be missing music at the output of it all. I would also try turning it on without the ground wire for the loc connected. that wire is not mandatory to hook up.

 

[iblue]

I will try removing the ground when I get home. I was told that single subwoofers run mono, there for I only need to tap one side. If that's not true then I will tape both sides.

 

[Jepalan]

Are you sure you don't have the EVO with the factory amplifier under the front seat? If you have the amp, be sure you are wiring the LOC to the amp *outputs*. If you have the factory amp system, then wiring to the headunit outputs is probably loading them down, as they are low level differential pairs. IN any case, do try removing the LOC ground first.

 

[iblue]

I have the evo with no amp. The original owner just threw the Rockford fosgate navi head unit on.

 

[iblue]

Ungrounding the loc did not help.

 

[Side Show 10+ year member]

loc converts a signal going to a speaker to an rca, so you'll have no output from the speakers you have stolen the signal from? confusing!

take it to an audio dealer and ask for the installer to check all your wiring. might be something simple

 

[iblue]

The speaker I tapped into still works, I simply soldered the LOC to the speaker wires, not cut it off completely.