Hello SSA it has been a while!

I just recently purchased a '12 mustang base model and I really need to upgrade the audio soon before I go insane. The problem is if I want to run any kind of aftermarket head unit I have to buy a $300 dash kit just to put another radio in due to the climate control and radio controls being in one panel. So by the time I get a nice double din and a dash kit it will be $600 easy.

I was thinking of just running a LOC out of the factory unit and plugging that into a rockford 5-channel on some sundown components and maybe a sa12.

My main question is if the LOC gets the signal from the speakers that are coming from the head unit and I replace the speaker wire going to my components running off of the amp how will the LOC receive signal from the speakers? Because the amplifier has to be getting a signal from the LOC am I correct?

Am I better off just forking over the money and buying a dash kit and the head unit so I can run two amps and do this the proper way?

The audio control lc2i is what I am going to get. SS teacher uses it and is very happy.

http://www.audiocontrol.com/17612/645207/OEM-Integration/LC2i-2ch-Line-Out-Converter-with-AccuBASStm-and-Subwoofer-Control.html

Don't buy from there though. You can get it cheaper on other websites if you do buy it.

Wow that looks exactly like what I need, how does it get the signal exactly?

Tap into the rear deck speakers with some speaker wire and then run the wires into the module

See that is the problem. I am going to be powering my door and deck speakers with a 4 or 5 channel amplifier so the only wire going to the speakers will be from the amplifier so there will be no signal coming from the deck.

nothing wrong with using the factory headunit if it has the features you need.

you would want to find out if there's a factory amp between the hu and speaker. if so it may be possible to tap low level signal between the hu and factory amp, this would allow you to skip the loc all together.

i'll draw a diagram

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So basically I need to pull the signal from the head unit directly before it goes to the speakers? My car doesn't have a external factory amp it is built into the factory head unit.

So go into one of the rear speaker wires in the factory harness behind the head unit and hook up the LOC and then run it to the aftermarket amplifier?

You should still see the factory wires that go to the rear deck speakers.

Radio 12V gray/red + radio, gray 24 pin plug, pin 1

Radio Ground black/blue - radio, gray 24 pin plug, pin 13

Radio Ignition gray/blue (base radio only; MS CAN on premium) + radio, gray 24 pin plug, pin 2

Radio Illumination purple/gray (base radio only; MS CAN on premium) + dimmer radio, gray 24 pin plug, pin 3

Factory Amp Turn-on purple/red + radio, gray 8 pin plug, pin 4 or gray 24 pin plug, pin 7

Power Antenna N/A

Left Front Speaker (+/-) white - white/brown or green - gray +,- radio, gray 24 pin plug, pins 8 and 21

If equipped, the amplifier is under the center console. On vehicles with amplifier, the speaker wires are white - white/brown at the amplifier, gray 16 pin plug, pins 2 and 10. The tweeter wires are green/orange - gray/orange at the amplifier, gray 16 pin plug, pins 3 and 11.

Right Front Speaker (+/-) white/purple - white/orange or purple - yellow +,- radio, gray 24 pin plug, pins 11 and 12

If equipped, the amplifier is under the center console. On vehicles with amplifier, the speaker wires are white/purple - white/orange at the amplifier, gray 16 pin plug, pins 6 and 14. The tweeter wires are purple/orange - yellow/orange at the amplifier, gray 16 pin plug, pins 7 and 15.

Left Rear Speaker (+/-) white/green - brown/yellow +,- radio, gray 24 pin plug, pins 9 and 22

If equipped, the amplifier is under the center console. On vehicles with amplifier, the speaker wires are white/green - brown/yellow at the amplifier, gray 16 pin plug, pins 4 and 12.

Right Rear Speaker (+/-) brown/white - brown/blue +,- radio, gray 24 pin plug, pins 10 and 23

If equipped, the amplifier is under the center console. On vehicles with amplifier, the speaker wires are brown/white - brown/blue at the amplifier, gray 16 pin plug, pins 8 and 16.

Center Channel (+/-) green - gray/yellow +,- amplifier, gray 16 pin plug, pins 1 and 9

If equipped, the amplifier is under the center console.

Subwoofer (+/-) purple/green - green/white (1); grn/pur - gray (2) +,- amplifier, blue 16 pin plug, pins 1 and 9; 2 and 10

If equipped, the amplifier is under the center console.

Aux. Audio Input Left (+/-) blue - yellow/green (without SYNC) +,- radio, gray 16 pin plug, pins 7 and 8

Aux. Audio Input Right (+/-) blue/green - white/green (without SYNC) +,- radio, gray 16 pin plug, pins 6 and 14

RSE Video (+/-) brown/purple - white/green (front display w/navi) +,- radio, gray 10 pin plug, pins 3 and 8

RSE Audio Left (+/-) blue - gray/orange (SYNC audio) +,- radio, gray 16 pin plug, pins 1 and 2

RSE Audio Right (+/-) purple/green - brown/white (SYNC audio) +,- radio, gray 16 pin plug, pins 9 and 10

Satellite Radio 12 Volts N/A

Satellite Radio Ground N/A

Satellite Radio Ignition N/A

Satellite Radio Antenna N/A

Satellite Audio Left (+/-) N/A

Satellite Audio Right (+/-) N/A

Item Size Depth Location

Headunit irregular center of dash

Left Front Speaker 6 x 8 3 left front door

Left Front Tweeter 1 1 left front pillar

Right Front Speaker 6 x 8 3 right front door

Right Front Tweeter 1 1 right front pillar

Left Rear Speaker 6 x 8 3 left rear door or side panel

Left Rear Tweeter N/A

Right Rear Speaker 6 x 8 3 right rear door or side panel

Right Rear Tweeter N/A

Center Channel top center of dash

Subwoofer 8 3 under rear seat

Left Front Headrest

Right Front Headrest

Left Rear Headrest

Right Rear Headrest

Satellite Radio Tuner (built into radio)

^^^Those should be the wire colors double check to make sure.

I tapped the front speakers for signal into the LC2i. It has one RCA out for the sub channel and one full range RCA output for the front speakers. I use Y splitters to send a 2nd set of RCAs to the rear channels of my Boston 5 channel amp. In retrospect, I wouldn't bother with rear speakers, just a good component set up front and sub in back. Mustangs are pretty small, you win't need rear speakers to get loud.

If you have the Mach or Shaker system, the factory head unit will have a low level output. This is unfiltered for all outputs. You should be able to purchase an adapter that will just plug into the low level output and have standard RCA connections on it. All the processing for these systems are done via outboard processors. The low level outputs should be black rectangular female plugs on the back of the head unit.

Tap into the rear deck speakers with some speaker wire and then run the wires into the module