Suggestions for amp whine

[soderdna 10+ year member]

So ive rewired my system and even purchaced a new deck but I still get the allternator whine. So now ive established that the amp running my speakers is causing it. Is there a way to fix it? Its getting power and grounded right to the battery which is in my trunk so its not a lenth issue. Could the speaker wire wrapped around the rca's trick work for the amp? Or is my amp just toast, possibly from hot swapping?

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[Pataforce8 10+ year member]

What do you mean by hot swapping? Switching subs without turning the amp off?

 

[soderdna 10+ year member]

switching rca's without unplugging power to the battery, but the head unit wasn't on if it makes a diffrence

 

[Cruzer 10+ year member]

how do u know its the amp for sure? also what brand is the deck, is it pioneer?

 

[slammedincouch 10+ year member]

try a .5 farad cap up front (close to the alt) if it's the alternator that is causing it

 

[bergend2 10+ year member]

Double check your ground wire from the amp, make sure it is in a good location, and all the paint is removed.

 

[soderdna 10+ year member]

try a .5 farad cap up front (close to the alt) if it's the alternator that is causing it

How would I wire this up?

how do u know its the amp for sure? also what brand is the deck, is it pioneer?

Its a brand new JVC Arsenal KD-A815 ive never had a problem with any JVC.

Double check your ground wire from the amp, make sure it is in a good location, and all the paint is removed.

My battery is in the trunk from factory, amp is wired directly to ground terminal

 

[disturbed471985 5,000+ posts]

U sure your rca's arent crossed with a power wire somewhere?

 

[soderdna 10+ year member]

not a chance with a battery in the trunk, rca's one side power and ground on the other

 

[tobey 10+ year member]

Does wiggling the RCA cables at the amp change anything? I've had an amp do this. Something was wrong with the RCA jacks.

 

[dragonrage 10+ year member]

Lots of things can cause whine. Here are some:

-Bad ground at head unit

-Bad ground at amplifier

-Multiple amps grounded to different locations

-Bad head unit e.g. Pioneer with blown pico fuse

-Bad ground somewhere in the big 3

-Bad alternator (this was my problem - my DC Power alt took my whine completely away even without new wiring)

-Noisy component in car e.g. fuel pump

-Bad connection somewhere, either in the cable or the connectors

Check your grounds. Try running a portable CD/MP3 player directly into the amp. If that doesn't show the problem then try a ground loop isolator on the RCAs. Amazon has one for like $6, Prime eligible.

 

[soderdna 10+ year member]

-Bad ground at head unit-Bad ground at amplifier

Ive thought of this, as my deck is grounded to the harness, but when it is grounded to the frame, the whine is louder and it makes a pop when it turns on.

-Multiple amps grounded to different locations

Both amps are grounded at the battery with a block

-Bad head unit e.g. Pioneer with blown pico fuse

not possible, brand new deck, JVC.

-Bad ground somewhere in the big 3

probably the cause, ive thought of re grounding my alternator to see if it could solve it.

-Bad alternator (this was my problem - my DC Power alt took my whine completely away even without new wiring)

it's a possiblity, my car is only 6 years old though and im the only owner so probably not but you never know...

-Noisy component in car e.g. fuel pump

also a maybe, with the car off and the deck on, if i turn the key to on, i can here the fuel pump cycle.

-Bad connection somewhere, either in the cable or the connectors

rewired everything this winter, triple checked.

Check your grounds. Try running a portable CD/MP3 player directly into the amp. If that doesn't show the problem then try a ground loop isolator on the RCAs. Amazon has one for like $6, Prime eligible.

This seems like my only option, if the alternator it self is not the cause.

 

[dragonrage 10+ year member]

My car is not even 2 years old and my alt was problematic. Not trying to say that your alt is or isn't bad, but it's a possibility.

 

[soderdna 10+ year member]

My car is not even 2 years old and my alt was problematic. Not trying to say that your alt is or isn't bad, but it's a possibility.

what would be the best way to ground an alternator? frame or engine block?

 

[dragonrage 10+ year member]

The source of ground in a car is the alternator casing. It grounds to the engine via the bolts/bracket it attaches with. Most cars then ground the engine (elsewhere) to the frame. Ideally you should tap the ground right from the alternator's casing, but that can be hard to do if all of the bolts for the alternator are on the front and thus near the accessory belt.