Absolutely cannot get engine noise and altenator whine to stop[SNAP-CRACKLE-POP]

[will106106]

I am at an end with car audio, and would not be posting a redundant question if I thought something I haven't read would be within the first 30 pages on google. As stated above, I have gained the dreaded popping and whining through my system.

A little info:

Hu: avh2300(pioneer double din)

Speaker: Treo 6x8

Tweeter: interfire w/ passive high cross

Amp:400watt/4channel

Ok so my system was working fine which was the speakers\tweeters and an amp and sub(not mentioned above) THEN greedy me decided I wanted to amp the front speakers. I bought the 400w/4channel and hooked it up. It sounds GREAT with the key only in acc. Now when I turn the car on I get a very fast clicking/popping(3-4 times a second) and altenator whine.

-the clicking has no dependence on volume/ engine RPM

-the whine IS dependent on engine RPM

-no clicking or whine when head unit is off and car engine running

-seemingly less of a click noise when rcas are unplugged from the head unit(still in amp)

-all noise gone when rcas unplugged from amp(still in headunit)

What I have tried:

-FIVE different locations tried for amp ground( currently on the bare chassis(completely sanded, star washer on round washer) it is however now at the same spot as the subwoofer amps ground(only 1 of the 5 locations where they the same ground spot(no change in pitch/volume of clicking between the different spots tried.

-the two amp ground wires(remember I have a mono kicker in trunk and 4channel under driver seat) are same gauge and distance, and same gauge as power

-I have tried 3 different grounding spots for the headunit.(factory ground via harness, then spliced that to the chassis(again bare metal), and I tried splicing it to the amp ground terminal.

-I have grounded the rca outs on the headunit(the wire figure 8 around the outputs then to a screw)

- I have purchased a bandaid ground loop isolator. I plugged it in on the amp side rather than headunit(is this right?)rca plugs. It had two ground wires that I put on the amp ground terminal. This did absolutely nothing for the trouble noises, just extended my rcas a couple inches for 20$.

- I plugged a DMM one end on the amp neg terminal and one to amp chassis ground spot. It reads 0.00

-

I have worked for over a week in the Texas heat on this stupid problem and would not like to admit defeat and take it to car toys for 200$

Click to read more...

 

[rfmayhem 10+ year member]

I am at an end with car audio, and would not be posting a redundant question if I thought something I haven't read would be within the first 30 pages on google. As stated above, I have gained the dreaded popping and whining through my system.
A little info:

Hu: avh2300(pioneer double din)

Speaker: Treo 6x8

Tweeter: interfire w/ passive high cross

Amp:400watt/4channel

Ok so my system was working fine which was the speakers\tweeters and an amp and sub(not mentioned above) THEN greedy me decided I wanted to amp the front speakers. I bought the 400w/4channel and hooked it up. It sounds GREAT with the key only in acc. Now when I turn the car on I get a very fast clicking/popping(3-4 times a second) and altenator whine.

-the clicking has no dependence on volume/ engine RPM

-the whine IS dependent on engine RPM

-no clicking or whine when head unit is off and car engine running

-seemingly less of a click noise when rcas are unplugged from the head unit(still in amp)

-all noise gone when rcas unplugged from amp(still in headunit)

What I have tried:

-FIVE different locations tried for amp ground( currently on the bare chassis(completely sanded, star washer on round washer) it is however now at the same spot as the subwoofer amps ground(only 1 of the 5 locations where they the same ground spot(no change in pitch/volume of clicking between the different spots tried.

-the two amp ground wires(remember I have a mono kicker in trunk and 4channel under driver seat) are same gauge and distance, and same gauge as power

-I have tried 3 different grounding spots for the headunit.(factory ground via harness, then spliced that to the chassis(again bare metal), and I tried splicing it to the amp ground terminal.

-I have grounded the rca outs on the headunit(the wire figure 8 around the outputs then to a screw)

- I have purchased a bandaid ground loop isolator. I plugged it in on the amp side rather than headunit(is this right?)rca plugs. It had two ground wires that I put on the amp ground terminal. This did absolutely nothing for the trouble noises, just extended my rcas a couple inches for 20$.

- I plugged a DMM one end on the amp neg terminal and one to amp chassis ground spot. It reads 0.00

-

I have worked for over a week in the Texas heat on this stupid problem and would not like to admit defeat and take it to car toys for 200$

what type of amp and rca are you using for the highs

 

[clickclickw00t 10+ year member]

It may be the amp man. Do you have your gains set properly? Are your power and RCA cables run on separate sides of your car?

 

[will106106]

I assume you mean the tweeters. They are hooked up with the front speakers on a 4channel amp 400watts American legacy. The rcas are from a typical amp install kit that cost 30$

And the rcas are through center console, power down passenger side. However upon getting in there I see that the car toys installation had the subwoofers power/rca running together, those *****

^ not to confuse my problem isn't solved

 

[dragon.breath 10+ year member]

sounds like a rca problem. here is a easy way to test. spend $3 and buy one of these (any place that sell electronics will have them, even walmart, target, etc. )

3 5mm to RCA Aux Cable Cord for iPhone 4 4S iPod Touch 4th | eBay

unplug the rca's going to your speaker amp and replace with this cable. use a mp3 player to play the front speakers with the engine running. if the noise is gone, you have a headunit or rca cable problem. if the noise is still there, you have a amplifier or amplifier wiring problem.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

-seemingly less of a click noise when rcas are unplugged from the head unit(still in amp)-all noise gone when rcas unplugged from amp(still in headunit)

By process of elimination I'd say it seems either they're poor quality or damaged RCA's OR they're ran too close to something that's radiating noise into them (possibly something behind the HU in the dash that will be difficult to avoid).

That isn't really a great amp and I'd be suspicious of that, and Pioneer heads can blow a "pico fuse" which will cause endless noise issues, though grounding the RCAs should be a Band-Aid for that.

Big box stores with return policy are good if you don't have extra equipment or some friends with know working stuff. Replace things and if it doesn't fix the problem return.

 

[will106106]

Thanks for all the replies! I am going to go to Walmart and see if they have the rca to aux cord.

I know it's not a great amp, I got it from Craigslist for 30$ and my intentions were to use it until I can get a good one, so i already have the wires ran so its a simple drop in.

 

[Jes 42 10+ year member]

You could try takin the rca's from the highs amp and hookin em to the sub amp and see if the noise is still there also.

 

[will106106]

I tested the rca to iPod and there is no noise with the engine running. So that must mean it's the rcas or headunit. I have already disassembled my pioneer double din only to not be able to find either of the pico fuses. I looked all around the circuitry and found no FUxxx labeled spots, just a p123 spot, any tips?

 

[raptor727 10+ year member]

I would try running a new set of rca's also seems to be the culprit in my case with my older mtx amp

 

[nu2spl 10+ year member]

its your pioneer man mine does it and i have 3 friends and theirs do it too,something with pioneers,every one ive ever had has done it, i had to cut an rca and plug it into the radio and ground it to the chassis

 

[raptor727 10+ year member]

its your pioneer man mine does it and i have 3 friends and theirs do it too,something with pioneers,every one ive ever had has done it, i had to cut an rca and plug it into the radio and ground it to the chassis

All of my pioneer head units had to have the rca's grounded as well, one reason I am not fond of them

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

don't give up on car audio, just Pioneer.

 

[will106106]

Does anyone have any experience replacing/fixing the pico fuse on DOUBLE DIN / AVH models specifically? All the online guides are for the single din models that I can find. As I said above I sit here with my disassembled head unit only to not be ale to find a pico fuse

As well my rca outs are/have been grounded with all these problems still occurring. I have seemingly got rid of the altenator noise but the same snap crackle pop plagues me

 

[phemps 10+ year member]

its your pioneer man mine does it and i have 3 friends and theirs do it too,something with pioneers,every one ive ever had has done it, i had to cut an rca and plug it into the radio and ground it to the chassis

Yessir everyone has the same problems with them ive had it as well. I didnt have to read any farther than what head unit you had to have this idea. Try grounding the RCAs as mentioned