Feedback "Noise" in system...can't seem to get rid of it.

[Stinger23]

Overview:

I installed a system in my boat. It's a Pioneer DEH390MP HU, 12" RF sub in a bandpass box, four 6.5" Polk DB651's, and two 8" Bazooka wakeboard tower speakers. I've got 3 amps total. One is running the sub, one for the tower speakers, one for the 6.5's.

Grounds:

I'm running a secondary battery just for the stereo and a battery isolator keeping it from draining the main battery. HU is grounded through the fuse panel in the back of the dash, all the amps are grounded to the secondary battery. Secondary battery is grounded to the main battery which is grounded to the engine (the only place to ground on a fiberglass boat).

Power Wires:

All amp power is coming from the secondary battery. HU power is in the factory dash wiring. HU has 3 preamp outputs which of course are hooked up to the amps via rca cables.

Problem:

If ANYTHING is running besides the stereo, it creates an extremely loud buzzing/humming sound through the speakers. The volume of the noise does not change if you turn the volume down on the head unit. Each accessory that runs causes a slightly different noise (bilge pump, depth finder, engine, etc.). The sound will change when the engine is revved. Also if you turn on any lights in the boat, there is a loud "click" through the speakers when you flip the light switch on.

To troubleshoot this problem I have:

1) ran a ground directly from the stereo battery to the engine (bypassing the main battery)--no change

2) double checked all connections, disconnected, reconnected everything--no change

3) move all power wires away from rca's, move rca's away from each other--no change

4) disconnected all RCA's--noise goes away

5) hooked one speaker to the speaker wire output on the stereo (bypassing the preamp outputs)--noise goes away

6) hooked up one amp with rca's--noise comes back

7) tried hooking up just any one amp and any one rca cable (every amp/cable/output combo was tried)--noise is still present.

I'm about ready to throw this $1000 system in the trash and start over, I just can't figure it out. Any ideas would be welcome. Thanks.

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[JBarber 10+ year member]

its your deck,ive had to many pioneers do this

 

[SethPhillips 5,000+ posts]

that's a poneer deck for ya!

ground the outer shield on the rca's to the headunit. and ground the chassis of the headunit.

 

[JBarber 10+ year member]

i will never own one again,have 3 sitting around some where with the same problem

 

[hardhitta47 10+ year member]

how are you with a soldering iron?

 

[shawnfleming 10+ year member]

yep, I just had a brand new Pioneer z2 do it right out of the box. A $2499.99 ****in headunit.

 

[btlking 10+ year member]

isnt there a how to thread on fixing this problem

 

[fwb_1234 10+ year member]

Read.

http://www.caraudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=198477

It also the pic of what they are talking about and other useful info.

Hope it helps and you get this worked out.

 

[snoopdan 5,000+ posts]

mine does it too, I had to ground the frame of the head unit to the RCA outter sheathing. You'd think pioneer would fix this problem considering its been known since 2003

here is a good example of old technology still working better than new - I have a 1989 Pioneer supertuner III tape deck that I can swap out wire for wire with my Pioneer 7600mp and have absolutely no noise with the old *** tape deck, but all sorts of shit with the new 7600 ... completely ghey.

 

[Stinger23]

Sweet, I'll give this a try and report back.