Static/Alternator whine

[av6gp 10+ year member]

So i know this is a topic that has been beaten to death, but this is a problem that is very irritating and also a problem that is not letting me enjoy my speakers to their full potential. I am experiencing static/alternator whine both when the car is on and off, obviously the latter only when the car is on. As i turn my gains up the static/whine gets louder, thus causing me to keep my gains real real low, which isn't exactly how i like to listen to my music. I have tried changing grounding points for the amps on several occasions with no change in static loudness. Also, whenever i turn my lights on the buzzing that is seperate from the static tends to lower a notch.

My Setup: Honda Accord w/Navi

-Stock Navi

-Hi/Low Converters at both front and rear speakers (Reason being the lady that talks with the navi only comes out in the front speakers so i had to tap into the front speakers as well.)

-Rockford 4-channel and Mono amp

-Pioneers all the way around inside the car

-Two 12" Alpine type E's in a sealed box.

I have considered purchasing a ground loop isolator, but i wanted to get your advice (considering you guys know much more) first before doing so.

Thanks for any help in trying to rule out this problem.

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[SethPhillips 5,000+ posts]

So i know this is a topic that has been beaten to death, but this is a problem that is very irritating and also a problem that is not letting me enjoy my speakers to their full potential. I am experiencing static/alternator whine both when the car is on and off, obviously the latter only when the car is on. As i turn my gains up the static/whine gets louder, thus causing me to keep my gains real real low, which isn't exactly how i like to listen to my music. I have tried changing grounding points for the amps on several occasions with no change in static loudness. Also, whenever i turn my lights on the buzzing that is seperate from the static tends to lower a notch.
My Setup: Honda Accord w/Navi

-Stock Navi

-Hi/Low Converters at both front and rear speakers (Reason being the lady that talks with the navi only comes out in the front speakers so i had to tap into the front speakers as well.)

-Rockford 4-channel and Mono amp

-Pioneers all the way around inside the car

-Two 12" Alpine type E's in a sealed box.

I have considered purchasing a ground loop isolator, but i wanted to get your advice (considering you guys know much more) first before doing so.

Thanks for any help in trying to rule out this problem.

youre line out converter's should have a ground wire on them, ground those..

a ground loop isolater is nothing but a band aid..

if you still have noise after grounding the line out converter try, grounding the outter part of the rca's.

 

[av6gp 10+ year member]

youre line out converter's should have a ground wire on them, ground those..
a ground loop isolater is nothing but a band aid..

if you still have noise after grounding the line out converter try, grounding the outter part of the rca's.

At what point should i ground the RCA's? At the amps? I'm running a stock headunit so i can't do the method that most guys with pioneer headunits are doing. The LOC only had negative/positive for the speakrs and then the rca's, nothing else. Maybe the ground is located inside the box?

 

[Loaked 10+ year member]

Silly question but you never know, did you run your power wire along the car next to the rca's or the speaker wires?

 

[av6gp 10+ year member]

Yes my power wire is run along my drivers side next to my drivers side front speaker wire. I'm gonna try and run it through the middle of the car. We'll see what happens but i don't think it'll solve the problem. I'll keep you guys updated.

 

[Loaked 10+ year member]

Usually when the rca's/speaker wires are ran along side of a power wire it picks up that engine wine. I would just lay them apart from each other real quick and test it before you do a full out tear down of pannels, etc you know.

 

[JUHL 10+ year member]

i heard if you run the 12v power on the drivers side, the RCA's throught the middle, and the remote on the passenger side, it will stop making the noises....

 

[av6gp 10+ year member]

Well, i went ahead and did a quick tear down(i've done it soo many times its like second nature) and i moved the power wire routing to the middle of the car. The static noise has ALMOST completely dissapeared but i still have very annoying alternator whine. I'm lost...don't know what else to try besides waisting my money on a ground loop isolator...even though it'll only be a patch, its still a patch to cover up the annoying noise no?

 

[av6gp 10+ year member]

Bump...any help guys? I'm still having really bad alternator whine. I'm pretty close to just ordering a ground loop isolator to see if it cures the problem.

 

[SethPhillips 5,000+ posts]

At what point should i ground the RCA's? At the amps? I'm running a stock headunit so i can't do the method that most guys with pioneer headunits are doing. The LOC only had negative/positive for the speakrs and then the rca's, nothing else. Maybe the ground is located inside the box?

ground the rca's to chassis ground at where you connected the line out converter's, usually they are behind the deck, but where ever you installed them at.. not at the amps...

the line out converters i sale have a black ground wire for these resons..

Usually when the rca's/speaker wires are ran along side of a power wire it picks up that engine wine. I would just lay them apart from each other real quick and test it before you do a full out tear down of pannels, etc you know.

you got the right idea.. but that's not the case.

when you run power wire, and rca's together is when you pick up ratiated noise..

i heard if you run the 12v power on the drivers side, the RCA's throught the middle, and the remote on the passenger side, it will stop making the noises....

once again you got the idea but kinda off a little

rule of thumb is.. POWER down batt side ( power wire, remote wire ), and SIGNAL down opposite side. ( rca's, speaker wire)...

 

[av6gp 10+ year member]

Do you have a link to where i can buy one of your LOC's? So the rcas coming out of the LOC's i just ground like the pioneer HU guys are doing. I zip tie them to keep them together and tie some ground wire around them and then to a ground point?

 

[SethPhillips 5,000+ posts]

Do you have a link to where i can buy one of your LOC's? So the rcas coming out of the LOC's i just ground like the pioneer HU guys are doing. I zip tie them to keep them together and tie some ground wire around them and then to a ground point?

i dont have a link for you. but they are made by Peripheral model # P50A

find a good spot behind the deck to ground, like the chassis of the vehile. or if you have to the factory wire harness

 

[av6gp 10+ year member]

Well i'm running the stock deck/navi unit, so should i add another ground to the stock deck?

 

[SethPhillips 5,000+ posts]

Well i'm running the stock deck/navi unit, so should i add another ground to the stock deck?

you could run another ground to the chassis of the stock deck.

 

[Phlipbak 10+ year member]

How exactly do you ground RCA's? Where does the ground wire attach to? The RCA only has two ends, one for HU one for amp.. and there is no other point to connect ground wire too.. I mean for HU's like the Pioneers that have grounding problems.. he said something bout wrapping ground wire around it, but still, the wires are covered in plastic how would that do anything..