Custom subwoofers connected to stock HeadUnit help?

[Jujment699]

Alright I'm going to try and keep this simple.

I'm starting to feel the urge to cry. I've spent 9 hours on it today, with 3 friends helping, who know a lot as well. I'm in the USA and it hasn't been above 8 degrees once today and its been snowing. I'm a extremely frustrated. And cold. Please help.

I have a 1998 Ford Explorer and i'm trying to put new subwoofers in it. I have searched and searched for days after i received these speakers trying to figure out how to wire them. I saw i needed a head unit, so i added to my google search "without a headunit" and i came across something called a Line Output Converter. I looked into it and purchased one.

After much trials, i got it all set up.
Red wire through the firewall from the battery to the amplifier.
Ground wire from metal floor of car to amplifier.
Remote wire from fuse box to amplifier.

Now. I looked up an Explorer speaker wiring diagram, and i took off the cargo panel (wow those things are so tough!) and i opened up and found the stock amp. I found the wires connected to the stock amp and i clipped them (no going back T_T) I took my LOC wires and connected them to the clipped speaker wires in the back of the car. I then put my RCA's in my LOC and hooked them into the amp, and finally i took speaker wire and put it from the amp into the subwoofer.

The problem is now, no sound comes through. Sound still works in all the other speakers. But not the subwoofer. The amplifier light is on and working, and this is where it gets interesting. I know it all works because when i connect the factory HU wires to my LOC, i get a powersurge, and a huge bang comes out of my woofers right as i touch the wires together, then it stops working, no music. When the wires stop touching each other they also pop. So what could be the problem? Please let me know.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Bruces expo]

Sounds Like you Have Crossed Wires Somewhere , If you Can Take pics of your Wiring going to amp , Going to Sub , And Coming From Speaker wiring to your LOC , I can help more If I know the Wiring is Correct or not


Edit : Also you need to make sure your Ground is Going to Bare metal , As in no paint , no Rust . Etc , You can use a Flat screwdriver or and old knife to take it down to bare metal , you need a good ground that is going to the body and or frame , While were talking wiring , Look up the Big 3 Mod , Bigger Power wire from Battery To Solenoid , Bigger Wire from Alternator to Solenoid And Also An Added Ground From your Battery to the Frame , It Ensures you that your Getting max Voltage to All Components . Hope I can help ! .

 

[99SportX]

I assume you wired the LOC into the wires going to the stock sub amp? I am pretty sure those LOCs are designed to receive speaker (line) level inputs, not pre-amp signals. You could try wiring into the side past the amplifier, or you will have to tap into the rear speaker wiring at the head unit or somewhere along the way. Read the directions one again to verify this, but this has been my understanding of those units.

 

[Jujment699]

I assume you wired the LOC into the wires going to the stock sub amp? I am pretty sure those LOCs are designed to receive speaker (line) level inputs, not pre-amp signals. You could try wiring into the side past the amplifier, or you will have to tap into the rear speaker wiring at the head unit or somewhere along the way. Read the directions one again to verify this, but this has been my understanding of those units.

Yeah i had the amplifier, and about four wires went in and two wires came out, i cut the four wires going into the amp and put the LOC right there. So you're saying i should basically have two amplifiers? Rewire these four wires back into the stock amp, and take the wires that are coming out?

 

[Jujment699]

Sounds Like you Have Crossed Wires Somewhere , If you Can Take pics of your Wiring going to amp , Going to Sub , And Coming From Speaker wiring to your LOC , I can help more If I know the Wiring is Correct or not


Edit : Also you need to make sure your Ground is Going to Bare metal , As in no paint , no Rust . Etc , You can use a Flat screwdriver or and old knife to take it down to bare metal , you need a good ground that is going to the body and or frame , While were talking wiring , Look up the Big 3 Mod , Bigger Power wire from Battery To Solenoid , Bigger Wire from Alternator to Solenoid And Also An Added Ground From your Battery to the Frame , It Ensures you that your Getting max Voltage to All Components . Hope I can help ! .

I'll take some pictures. My ground is going to metal, but not all of it is touching it. The whole is uneven and parts of the wiring touches it. I mainly wrapped it around the screw that was drilled in so it could hold it all in place.

 

[toypaseo]

I just T-tapped into the wires after the single OEM amp in my Explorer. I tried before the amp, but there was not enough signal to work.

 

[Jujment699]

I just T-tapped into the wires after the single OEM amp in my Explorer. I tried before the amp, but there was not enough signal to work.

I made a mistake, a guide i was watching on youtube, told me to snip the wires, and now i can''t go back theres not enough room to reconnect to the amp :/
Is there a part i can buy? What do i do? I'm so new to this.

 

[1999_sport]

you need to take wires from the left or right rear speaker and put those into the line out converter forget about the stock amp and sub stuff

 

[99SportX]

You can repair the connection you cut by purchasing some butt splice connectors and some equal or larger gauge wire. Most generic wire stripper tools have a built in crimper for those connectors. You could also use solder and heat shrink tubing or electrical tape.

Since you have the panel off, you might as well do what I suggested earlier and tap into the wires between the stock sub amp and sub. toypaseo has confirmed that it works.

If you cut too close to the connector you may be able to remove the pins from the connector and solder some wire to the little bit that's left but at that point it may be more involved than you were hoping for. If this is the case you might as well give up on the stock sub. Tap into the rear speaker wires. The stock sub harness can be disconnected behind the passenger kick panel.

 

[Jujment699]

You can repair the connection you cut by purchasing some butt splice connectors and some equal or larger gauge wire. Most generic wire stripper tools have a built in crimper for those connectors. You could also use solder and heat shrink tubing or electrical tape.

Since you have the panel off, you might as well do what I suggested earlier and tap into the wires between the stock sub amp and sub. toypaseo has confirmed that it works.

If you cut too close to the connector you may be able to remove the pins from the connector and solder some wire to the little bit that's left but at that point it may be more involved than you were hoping for. If this is the case you might as well give up on the stock sub. Tap into the rear speaker wires. The stock sub harness can be disconnected behind the passenger kick panel.

Sorry about my response time I forgot my password to this forum -.- anyway, how would I go about fixing the connector? You say connect equal or greater sized gauge wire, but the hard part for me is: how do innow whichnisnpositive and negative? If I have both + and - wire and I cut six wires I think, all with different colors, how do I know to connect the positive to the right one or whatever? And removing the pins? Do I pull or is there a tool? I'm very constrained on money and I'm only 17. I have a few common tools and items to fix this with but nothin fancy. Please help. Again sorry about the delay.

 

[Jujment699]

Ouch. Huh? Short