Engine Noise and Static - I've tried everything!!!

[Big Man on Campus]

Here's the deal, I have an engine whine in all speakers and when I put my AC
on high I get a buzz and static sound. I've tried everything I can think of
and all I have been able to achieve is a decrease in the level of the
whine/buzz.

I have the RCA's running down the opposite side of the car, I installed a
ground loop isolator, re-grounded the battery to the frame, regrounded amps
to the seatbelt bolt.

I need help it's so frustrating, because I know I'm forgetting to check
something, let me know what you guys think...

Here are my system specs:

Vehicle:
2000 Dodge Durango SLT

System:
Deck - Alpine CVA-1003
Front - Polk Momo MM6 Components
Rear - Polk Momo MM6 Components
Subs - 4 Infinity Kappa 12"
Amps - 4 Coustic 161Se for highs and 2 JBL 1200.1 for subs
Power Supply - 4 Optima Yellow Tops and upgraded alternator

[Sanitarium]

I'm gonna repost a portion of one of my earlier posts...
Maybe youre picking it up through the RCA cables??? Even though you
have routed the RCAs away from the power cables, still there are other
circuits that could be generating EMI/RFI type noise to be picked up
through the RCAs.

?????

Garrett

I used to compete in IASCA events in the early 90s.

I have used cheap RCAs before and was not impressed. I was picking up
alternator whine through mine. The amplitude of th ewhine would
increase wen I would turn on the headlights and AC. I would run the rca
cable within a foot
of my amps and the whine was there. Move the cable farther away and the
noise would diminish slightly.

Switched to mid grade phoenix gold RCA cables (about $35 for a 3 meter
length) and the whine vanished completely, regardless of where I ran the
RCAs. I'm probably one of the few on this board who wouldnt recommend
the real cheap RCA cables. However, Its very possible that with your
car and system layout it wont matter. For me, it made a difference, but
that was over a decade ago. Back then if i entered an event with that
much alternator whine, it probably would have cost me a good 25 points
on my scores. Currently I use Monster 201XLN. I havent experimented
with the cheaper cables of today though...

Big Man on Campus wrote:
>
> Here's the deal, I have an engine whine in all speakers and when I put my AC
> on high I get a buzz and static sound. I've tried everything I can think of
> and all I have been able to achieve is a decrease in the level of the
> whine/buzz.
>
> I have the RCA's running down the opposite side of the car, I installed a
> ground loop isolator, re-grounded the battery to the frame, regrounded amps
> to the seatbelt bolt.
>
> I need help it's so frustrating, because I know I'm forgetting to check
> something, let me know what you guys think...
>
> Here are my system specs:
>
> Vehicle:
> 2000 Dodge Durango SLT
>
> System:
> Deck - Alpine CVA-1003
> Front - Polk Momo MM6 Components
> Rear - Polk Momo MM6 Components
> Subs - 4 Infinity Kappa 12"
> Amps - 4 Coustic 161Se for highs and 2 JBL 1200.1 for subs
> Power Supply - 4 Optima Yellow Tops and upgraded alternator

[Soundfreak03]

>I have the RCA's running down the opposite side of the car, I installed a
>ground loop isolator, re-grounded the battery to the frame, regrounded amps
>to the seatbelt bolt.

Ground loop isolators are a bandaid at best, and part of the problem at worst.
I would first take that out and then try and find a solution.
Seatbelts are typcically not a good place to ground. Move your amp grounds
elsewhere, make sure the paint is scraped away, and remember self tapping
screws DO NOT make a good solid connection; nuts and bolts are your friends.
Recheck the HU ground. Even if it is solid does not mean it is a good grounding
point. Extend it if you have too and get it directly to chassis.
RCAs is very likely the LEAST of any problems you have. Wanna check them?
Unplug them. BTW; you already have them so whatever but $160 for RCAs is about
$150 too much.

Les

[Hamilton Audio]

what about running an experiment...you sound like you have a massive ground
loop here. try (temporarily) running the head unit ground to the same point
as the amplifiers. you may find the noise disappaears.

Just fixed a botched install from another shop...ex cab chevy truck (like
you don't see many of those in the shop!) amp screwed to floor under pass.
bucket seat.

the truck has /massive/ turn on/off thump, and you could actually hear the
cd player tracking to the next song in the sub....the previous installer
tried EVERYTHING and no luck. I simply unscrewed the amp from the floor and
it was PERFECT.

the screws grounded the chassis of the amp to the truck on a different plane
than the rest of the system causing the loop. De-couple the amp (rmv
screws) and all was well. Fabbing a simple carpeted panel for the amp not
only kept it off the floor, but isolated it from the chassis....

Hamilton Audio
Car Audio, Security and Performance

"Big Man on Campus" > wrote in message
...
> I checked the ground on the radio and it's solid. As for the RCA's they
are
> the High monster cable $160 pair used for comps....I don't think it is a
> problem with the RCA's....any other suggestions?
> "Sanitarium" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I'm gonna repost a portion of one of my earlier posts...
> > Maybe youre picking it up through the RCA cables??? Even though you
> > have routed the RCAs away from the power cables, still there are other
> > circuits that could be generating EMI/RFI type noise to be picked up
> > through the RCAs.
> >
> > ?????
> >
> > Garrett
> >
> > I used to compete in IASCA events in the early 90s.
> >
> > I have used cheap RCAs before and was not impressed. I was picking up
> > alternator whine through mine. The amplitude of th ewhine would
> > increase wen I would turn on the headlights and AC. I would run the rca
> > cable within a foot
> > of my amps and the whine was there. Move the cable farther away and the
> > noise would diminish slightly.
> >
> > Switched to mid grade phoenix gold RCA cables (about $35 for a 3 meter
> > length) and the whine vanished completely, regardless of where I ran the
> > RCAs. I'm probably one of the few on this board who wouldnt recommend
> > the real cheap RCA cables. However, Its very possible that with your
> > car and system layout it wont matter. For me, it made a difference, but
> > that was over a decade ago. Back then if i entered an event with that
> > much alternator whine, it probably would have cost me a good 25 points
> > on my scores. Currently I use Monster 201XLN. I havent experimented
> > with the cheaper cables of today though...
> >
> > Big Man on Campus wrote:
> > >
> > > Here's the deal, I have an engine whine in all speakers and when I put
> my AC
> > > on high I get a buzz and static sound. I've tried everything I can
think
> of
> > > and all I have been able to achieve is a decrease in the level of the
> > > whine/buzz.
> > >
> > > I have the RCA's running down the opposite side of the car, I
installed
> a
> > > ground loop isolator, re-grounded the battery to the frame, regrounded
> amps
> > > to the seatbelt bolt.
> > >
> > > I need help it's so frustrating, because I know I'm forgetting to
check
> > > something, let me know what you guys think...
> > >
> > > Here are my system specs:
> > >
> > > Vehicle:
> > > 2000 Dodge Durango SLT
> > >
> > > System:
> > > Deck - Alpine CVA-1003
> > > Front - Polk Momo MM6 Components
> > > Rear - Polk Momo MM6 Components
> > > Subs - 4 Infinity Kappa 12"
> > > Amps - 4 Coustic 161Se for highs and 2 JBL 1200.1 for subs
> > > Power Supply - 4 Optima Yellow Tops and upgraded alternator
>
>

[Big Man on Campus]

Well, I would agree $160 is too much for the RCA's that's why I bought them
at cost for about $24...That is besides the point though.

I just regrounded everything to the same location directly to the frame
which I must say was not easy....guess what, still the same problem.

Any other ideas? This is really starting to **** me off!!


"Soundfreak03" > wrote in message
...
> >I have the RCA's running down the opposite side of the car, I installed a
> >ground loop isolator, re-grounded the battery to the frame, regrounded
amps
> >to the seatbelt bolt.
>
> Ground loop isolators are a bandaid at best, and part of the problem at
worst.
> I would first take that out and then try and find a solution.
> Seatbelts are typcically not a good place to ground. Move your amp grounds
> elsewhere, make sure the paint is scraped away, and remember self tapping
> screws DO NOT make a good solid connection; nuts and bolts are your
friends.
> Recheck the HU ground. Even if it is solid does not mean it is a good
grounding
> point. Extend it if you have too and get it directly to chassis.
> RCAs is very likely the LEAST of any problems you have. Wanna check them?
> Unplug them. BTW; you already have them so whatever but $160 for RCAs is
about
> $150 too much.
>
> Les

[Gary Brown]

I have often cleared up such a problem by grounding the tailpipe. It's often
supported by non-metal hangers and acts like a big transmitting antenna for
an engine's electrical noises.

Gary
amateur radio operator K4GPB

[Soundfreak03]

>I just regrounded everything to the same location directly to the frame
>which I must say was not easy....guess what, still the same problem.
>
>Any other ideas? This is really starting to **** me off!!

Did you unplug the RCAs from the amp and the from the HU? Did any of the noise
go away? It MIGHT be induced noise in RCAs but not likely, more likely it would
be a ground loop in the audio signal chain. Whereas in car it is typically a
power issue
(Yes they are closely related but you should know what I am getting at)

Les

[Navin]

I need some help. the car is a OPEL Corsa Sail. A 1.6 liter hatchback.

http://www.automandi.com/Content/ne...orsa%20Sail.asp

http://www.reachouthyderabad.com/bu...biznews/gm2.htm

My stereo consists of the following.

1 x blaupunkt car stereo (tape)
2 x blaupunkt 4 channel power amps (8 channels total)
2 pairs of Vifa 2way (front door and rear deck)
1 pairs of Blaupunkt Velocity coax (rear pods)
1 pair of Vifa 6" woofer (rear deck)


the first power amp feeds the front speakers and the rear speakers
(Vifa 2 way). the second power amp feeds 2 Vifa 6" woofers and 2 4"
Blaupunkt Velocity full ranges that are also in the rear. both the amps
are mounted on the rear of the rear seat.

The amps and the head unit are grounded to the chassis albeit the head
unit is the front and the amp in the rear.

the power wires run on the drivers side of the car and the RCA wires
from the headunit run from the passenger side of the car.

I get very pronounced alternator whine. If I use the tapedeck without
the power amps (using only 2 pairs of speakers) the whine is gone. that
is if i use the speaker outs on the tapedeck direct to the speakers (no
amps) the whine is gone. if i use the rca out and if i connect even one
amp (any one amp) and only connect 1 pair of speakers the whine is
back.

I am using reasonably high quality RCA wire.

any solutions


--
Navin
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted via RealCarAudio.com - The checkmate of the caraudio community.
http://www.RealCarAudio.com
Navin's Profile: http://www.realcaraudio.com/forums/member.php?action=getinfo&userid=2169
View this thread: http://www.realcaraudio.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=3386