Mazda 3 Factory Integration Nightmare

[jdub486 10+ year member]

I have a 2004 Mazda 3 wagon with factory head unit. I had some local audio shop install a 4 channel Blaupunkt amp (cheap) and alpine coaxial speakers up front. Front channel powers front components, rear channel powers small sub. Well after 5 days and 4 different trips back to the shop, they finally have it working, sort of. First issue: horrible alternator whine. Ground is fine, paint removed. Goes away when I remove rca's from amp. Second problem: factory tweeters are still producing sound- loud, ugly blaring treble due to being fed way more power than designed. When I disconnect them, the alpine's shut off as well. The alpine's are coax and I do not want the factory tweets playing! A line out converter was used to get rca level signal to the amp. Any ideas about either issue? Thanks!

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[Worlddre 5,000+ posts]

what shop did this?

and second the ground can still be inadequate merely having a location with stripped paint doesnt mean a good ground has been found.

i do not know the details of the factory system in that vehicle but it is likely that the shop wired the factory tweeters and alpine coaxs together which would explain the reason that when they are disconnected the coaxs cut off as well....in order to fix this problem you must discover the place at which they are joined together which is likely in the door if the tweets are on the door or in the kick if they are on the dash or the a-pillar.

 

[jdub486 10+ year member]

ttt

Installed by Car Toyz 2 in Rockville, MD. I am thinking they are idiots. Why on earth would they connect the factory tweeters when there are two ways in the doors?

 

[lashlee 10+ year member]

The tweets are probably tied in with the factory wiring for the doors. Disconnect one, and the other stops. As for the whine, it may be a few things. I had a similar problem with a mustang a few years ago. The customer was dead set on keeping the factory 6 disc, but when he finally gave in, the new radio had no noise. It was all inside the factory unit.

 

[SethPhillips 5,000+ posts]

i would replace the factory deck......

as an installer i hate it when someone has me install a sub amp/ 4ch and want's it hooked up off factory deck.....

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

The newer Mazdas have a lot of the car tied into the radio. Its not a simple matter of just getting a harness and dash kit for them. That's the main reason I quit looking at a CX-7.

Chances are good that the whine is coming from the LOC being grounded poorly, not the amp. It also could be that the LOC is not adjusted correctly and the amp gains are maxxed allowing it to pick up noise easier.