Adding a Subwoofer to your FACTORY Radio

The vast majority of factory radios do NOT come with RCA outputs to add an aftermarket amplifier/subwoofer. However, the use of a line-level output converter (LOC) can create RCA outputs for your factory radio.

How It Works:

The LOC takes the HIGH level outputs from your factory radio (i.e., the speaker outputs) and converts them into LOW level outputs (for the use with an aftermarket amplifier).

Tools Needed for Installation:  

• A LOC
• In-line Wire Strippers (or a razor blade)
• A Pick (or something with a point to poke a hole through a wire)
• Electrical Tape
• Zip-ties  

Installation:

There are typically six (6) wires found on an LOC; the wire colors are as follows:

• White – Left Channel + (connect to the +, driver side speaker)
• White/Black – Left Channel – (connect to the –, driver side speaker)
• Gray – Right Channel + (connect to the +, passenger side speaker)
• Gray/Black – Right Channel – (connect to the –, passenger side speaker)
• Brown (x2) – Ground

The wires needed are the white, white/black, gray, gray/black; tape the brown wires up.

You need to find a left and right channel speaker output; this is most typically and easily found behind the factory radio; BUT can be found underneath the rear deck if you have speakers in the rear deck – or elsewhere.

Once you find the speaker outputs you want to use your inline strippers (or razor) to strip back some of the sheathing around the appropriate wires.

Use the pick (or similar tool) to poke a hole through the wire. Take the appropriate wire from the LOC, put it through the hole, and wrap it tightly. Tape the exposed section of wire up, and then use a zip-tie to hold the two wires together to prevent the wire from being pulled or otherwise stressed.

Repeat for all of the connections; once this is done, make sure all of your connections are tight and secure, plug the RCAs into the LOC, then hide the LOC out of sight.