Whine

[widgit117 10+ year member]

OK, I am new to the forum so be gentle also I don't do comp so don't laugh at my amps.

I will start out with what I have:

HU: Pioneer FH-P8000BT

Amps: Sony 1200W 2 channel bridged at 4 ohm, Sony 500W 4 channel running speakers.

Speakers: 2 Infinity Kappa 680.9 CS (front) and 2 Pioneer 3-ways (rear)

Subs: 2 Rockford Fosgate P2L-212 in a ported box.

Battery: Kinetik 600W

Now to the problem.

I have installed all the equipment and I am getting a significant alternator-type whine. I have seperated the RCAs from the power line, I have done a direct to car battery ground for both the HU and the amp in question. The amp in question is the four channel amp running my door speakers. I said/wrote alternator-type whine do to the fact that the whine matches the revs of my car. Here is the kicker: the whine shows up when the engine is not running as well. I have grounded the amps and battery in their own locations and I do not think there is any ground looping as it is not that type of whine. Here's the monkey wrench: The whine does not happen all the time, just most of the time. Any suggestions will be welcome and I hope to have a decent two way conversation to the solution to my problem.

Thank you for your time.

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[illbmeubu 10+ year member]

take everything out and start again. you've pretty much done everything that someone on here would suggest

 

[SomeDonnieDude 10+ year member]

Have you tried grounding your RCA's at the back of your head unit? It's a more common thing with pioneer units.

What RCA's do you have?

 

[widgit117 10+ year member]

Well at this time I have two different types. A pair that came with the installation kit and a set of Radioshack. I don't have much in the way of a car audio shop around me.

Edit* I drive a 2002 Mazda Protege5

 

[widgit117 10+ year member]

How would I go about grounding the RCAs to the HU?

 

[TurdFergueson2 5,000+ posts]

Could be the amp, the RCAs or the HU. Try swapping out all of them and see what eliminates the noise. I would try changing the amp first. If you have a buddy who has equipment ask him to do you a solid. Or have your HU and amp tested somewhere else.

 

[widgit117 10+ year member]

Well I don't think it is the amp due to the fact that I isolated the amp meaning I unplugged the RCAs to see if the amp was causing the noise and there was no whine from the amp. Any noise caused by the amp should have kept going as it would be an artifact of the amp. The HU is not causing the noise itself due to the fact that it worked perfectly on my stock speakers.

 

[AlterEgo99 5,000+ posts]

How to ground RCA's on a Pioneer HU:

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

As far as the RCA's, dude, Radio Shack!? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wow.gif.23d729408e9177caa2a0ed6a2ba6588e.gif Get some decent RCA's, cause knowing that, I am LMAO!!!! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

 

[widgit117 10+ year member]

I know I know..... But Radioshack was across the street and there is no where that I know of around me that sells premium RCAs. Oh well, I guess I could use those RCAs on my TV or something... Anybody in Dallas that know where to get the good stuff preferably near Richardson Texas?

 

[nineball 10+ year member]

you can pick up decent quality rcas cables in the fs section. there are always some on there.

since you have eliminated the amp (my first choice as sony amps are known for being sub-standard) and the hu i would agree with the rca grounding. have you ever hot swapped the rca cables?

 

[ultimate157 5,000+ posts]

Since you have a pioneer head unit, do this FIRST.

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

Take 10 minutes and try that. Don't spend any money.

 

[TurdFergueson2 5,000+ posts]

Well I don't think it is the amp due to the fact that I isolated the amp meaning I unplugged the RCAs to see if the amp was causing the noise and there was no whine from the amp. Any noise caused by the amp should have kept going as it would be an artifact of the amp. The HU is not causing the noise itself due to the fact that it worked perfectly on my stock speakers.

You unplugged the RCAs going to the amp to test alt whine? With that Pio HU, if you have been constantly screwing around with the RCAs while they're hot, you more than likely blew the pico fuse in your HU.

I really do not understand how you have it wired. If you unplug the RCAs the way I have mine hooked up, you will not get sound. Are your speakers wired to the deck as well? If they are and you are not getting noise when the RCAs are unplugged it is the amp.

I would still check the 3 (RCAs, amp HU)

 

[widgit117 10+ year member]

Thanks Ultimate I will try that. As to TurdFergurson2: The RCAs are wired from the back of the HU to the amp. There is no connection for the former speakers. They were replaced. I run a Infinity Kappa and tweeter for both front doors and Pioneer somethings for the rear doors. Unplugging the RCAs should not cause the fuse to blow. All you are doing is terminating the signal. The same would happen if there was nothing plugged in at all. I will try the RCA grounding.

 

[nineball 10+ year member]

Unplugging the RCAs should not cause the fuse to blow. All you are doing is terminating the signal. The same would happen if there was nothing plugged in at all.

read the links posted. pioner are known for having the pico fuse blow which causes alt whine.

 

[TurdFergueson2 5,000+ posts]

Thanks Ultimate I will try that. As to TurdFergurson2: The RCAs are wired from the back of the HU to the amp. There is no connection for the former speakers. They were replaced. I run a Infinity Kappa and tweeter for both front doors and Pioneer somethings for the rear doors. Unplugging the RCAs should not cause the fuse to blow. All you are doing is terminating the signal. The same would happen if there was nothing plugged in at all. I will try the RCA grounding.

Unplugging the RCAs to that Pioneer HU could cause the Pico fuse inside the HU to blow which would give you the whine. I'm just trying to understand how it is that if you unplug the rcas and your speakers are not hooked to the deck how you getting any music through the speakers.