Ground Q/A sticky

question, is it ok to ground 3 amps (all 8 gauge all 2 feet long)to a distrabution block and ground it with 4 gauge also at 2 feet?i have 2 kickers 250.2 and a 350.2 and last but not least a sony mono amp at 800 wattts.

Yes this is fine to do. I will leave out the particulars on grounding for now. If you have specific questions or problems that arise post them up and they will be answered. Once we have compiled the info for the main grounding topic, go through your system again and address the issues that may be specific to your installation.

Hi guys. I recently had my system professionally installed. Cosmetically they did a great job. Unfortunately, i have an awful alternator whine.  I have only had the system running for 1 wk yet i cant stand to listen to it because of the noise!!! aaaaaaggggggggghhhhh!

Anyway, i did a few tests. im fairly certain (please speak up if im off base) that the ground loop is entering via the HU ground which is grounded up front through the original factory ground.  Im assuming this is through the wiring harness?? anyway ive isolated it to the HU ground because......

 1. I replaced the head unit (sony cdx c910) with new eclipse cd8443.  ground loop persists

 2. I patched my ipod into the eclipse via the AUX input.  same ground loop.

 3. i disconnected the eclipse rca output and directly patched my ipod into my line driver. The line driver normally takes the output of the HU via 18 inch RCA cable and converts it to balanced XLR outputs whihc is routed to the back into xover, amps, etc. After patching in my ipod (headphone out) , Viola! the alternator whine disappeared.

Am i correct in believing the HU ground is the cause of the ground loop.  The remainder of the system is grounded in the back (3 amps, xover, etc).  I know install rule 101 says to ground all compnents to a SINGLE spot.  I am assuming that this includes the HU. Nevertheless, i am extremely disappointed in my installer.   1000$ install and i have alternator whine??? 

So, i rescheduled to have the installer go back and run a ground cable from the HU to the back where the ground distribution block is located. 

So what do ya'll think??    I am well aware that car audio is frought with noise but i feel they should at least ground the system properly .  Did they follow standard install technique and i am being too demanding???   Is my HU ground the reason for the loop? Thank you for your input.

Btw, car = 1997 civic

hi rob! thanks for your help.!

yes, i have bypassed the line driver and the whine persisted.  also, the gains on the line driver and amplifiers are minimized.  i bypassed the line driver by plugging rca's directly from HU into xover. 

i could use the HU's xover and bypass the line driver and tube xover and patch an rca cable directly from the HU to amp, but havent pursued once noise disappeared swapping eclipse source for ipod soucre. i know the ipod is not part of the car's electrical circuit obviously, but the line driver, xover, and amps are connected to the electrical system; so am i wrong in assuming that they are not the source of the loop. since i 'removed' the HU from the signal chain, isnt this the culprit???

no, the installer did not check ground resistance.

This is just my opinion so don't take it for gospel, running a ground wire all the way to the back is impractiacal. The only thing that makes any sense here is that all grounds should be at the same potential, zero volts.

Yes, the factory wiring is rarely in any kind of shape to supply clean power to the HU, this is common.  Ground the HU to the body right about where the HU is, if you have to run a ground directly to the firewall or floor, that's fine. Also, bring 12 + directly from the battery, fused as always.

A muting plug is simply an RCA plug with the two conductors shorted together. Anyone can do this with a pig tail, by splicing the wiring with a crimp. Soldering the pins together is better.

Just remember: DO NOT CONNECT THE MUTING PLUGS TO THE OUTPUT!!! 

The only purpose of the muting plug is to zero the input signal at the line level INPUTS......It will short the output stages of the HU or whatever else, since it is indeed a shorted plug.

Ok Rob......here is where im at.........

i followed your suggestion and bypassed the line driver and crossover.   i used RCAs directly out of HU to the front stage amp and DEAD SILENCE ...well except for the music!  I then bypassed the line driver only (RCAs HU to xover)(xover XLRs to front stage amp) and whine+noise floor returns!

taking this information into account with previous knowledge that iPod source --> line driver --> xlr --> xover --> xlr --> front stage amp also = dead silence.................is there a "loop" between the xover and HU?  if one or the other is taken out of the signal chain, all is well. if both present = unlistenable.

another tidbit,  the HU rear outputs --> rca --> ads 250mx --> rear fill has never had whine+noisefloor

i didnt perform the install, but it is a very safe bet all amps and xover are grounded same spot in trunk through distribution ground block (same should go for power dist block).

So..........any new suggestions???  thanks for everyone's input!!  this noise issue is killing me!!!

jason 

Processors are usually a breeding ground for noise for the most part. Try as well bypassing the crossovers. Head ----> line driver ----> amps. What happens? With a Eclipse like you have that line driver is probably not even necessary (unless I am missing something). I would be looking very carefully at that crossover myself.

well..........i could scrap the xover.  if i could solve the problem without getting rid of it would be preferred method.  Simply because it matches the amp perfectly (cosmetically) and the glowing tubes are sweet.   and b/c without the xover the whole balanced xlr system (read = unique) braggin rights are lost. its like tearing the personality out of the install. however, the most important thing is clean sound obviously.  so  why do you think the xover doesnt add any noise or whine when the ipod is the source and the HU is bypassed???  it doesnt make any sense to me that this is occuring.

regarding the line driver, it does make a huge difference. the eclipse advertises 8V but occurs at high volumes. the line driver goes between 10 - 16 volts depending on the gains (i set them low) AND they convert the signal from RCA to XLR. and they add 'tube warmth' characteristics to the sound.

Ok, great, I am reading 1ohm through the cable at the amps. So, all is good.

  Thanks for the info.

Hey guy's,

     One question, Does grounding the rca cables help to removed atl. noise?

racer427 wrote:

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Hey guy's,
    One question, Does grounding the rca cables help to removed atl. noise?

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forbidden wrote:

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Do you have a meter? A single ground point for your amps is going to be a good thing. Using a factory bolt hole might not be such a hot idea though. Don't worry about your ground wire being too long, it is more important that it is the right guage for the length as compared to keeping it short.

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Yup, both points have been measued.... .2 and .3 Paint has been scrapped off around the holes as well. Power to the amps is via 8 ga...and so is the grounds.

Just to make sure, what's the best way to measure ground resistance? I measured it back to the neg post on the battery...using 8 ga power wire as a "long lead" persay. Then connected the ground lead to the 8 ga wire, and then the pos lead to the point on the chasis. (where the amps are grounded now) and got .2 and .3 ohm respectively. Was this the correct way to measure? Do we also have to take in consideration the resistance of the long power wire I used back to the battery? (to the neg post)

Did you make sure that the ground wire was disconnected from the amplifier? I would usually disconnect it from the amp and meter how you did. Yes you should also meter the length of extension cable used and subtract it from what the measurement is.

Just along the same lines as this whole grounding thing, the one tech today did a brand new Chev DIesel and the factory ground was showing a resistance of 66 ohms. How nice is that. Nothing like making our job easier.

Just an update...the source for all the noise was the old school coustic xm-3 crossover. Just on a hunch, I enabled the high pass filter on the front RCAs on my HU...and hooked them directly up the amp for the highs...

crystal clear....no noise WHATSOEVER....alternator whine...GONE...hum....GONE...

Whew!! 

Thanks Rob, that makes sense. I have my amp grounded to a bolt hole under my rear seat(not a seat bolt, smaller bolt (1 of 10) holding a bracket to the body, and everything seems to be working fine. I sanded all the paint off of the metal that the ring terminal touches, is this setup ok? I'm going to be adding another amp and I plan to ground them both to this same point,  but not if it could cause problems.

Thanks for the info!

Poormanq45 wrote:

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Ok guys. I've read enough of this grounding crap. Taking a wire from whatever you want to ground and attaching it to the frame(Bare metal) is not a real ground.

To completely ground your system, you should hook up a ground wire from the part and connect it to the negative terminal on the battery. This will give you a complete/Proper ground.

It is a common mis-conception that the ground and negative wires are different. This is not true. They are one and the same.

BTW, I am an electrician. The ground and negative on a 110~130V house lead to the same place. It is just because of the Electrical Code that these two wires are kept separate until they reach the breaker/fuse box.

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The frame is connected to the negative terminal on the battery and therefore if you ground something to the frame it will be grounded (if it wasn't a ground then the amp would not turn on, or if the resistance between battery and alternator ground and the frame is to high then the amp wouldn't turn on either). Now the frame is not always the ideal ground like said above. If you are installing an amp in any GM vehicle you should probobly run a ground wire directly to the battery (or at least use a DMM to see what the resistance is to make sure that it isn't above 5 or 6 ohms).

I don't know if anyone added this yet, , i don't have time to read all the posts.  But iv kinda done some ground testing.

What i have noticed on 75% or more occasions is that when an amplifier is grounded just enough for it to work, , but still not properly, , you will get constant static shocks when exiting your vehicle.

You get this when you don't scrape away paint, but the ground is just enough from the screw itself , or when its rusted.

So if your getting zapped often, ,time to clean your grounds.

First off-
I've been reading on the board for a couple of months doing research on my car alarm install and have found a lot of great information. I just haven't had a solid free weekend to do the install (Clifford Matrix RS2 - bought over a year and a half ago - just getting around to installing it, lol). I've searched regarding this problem but haven't found anything that exactly matches my issue.

My problem:
I have a 2001 Maxima GLE (viewable on my homepage). I recently bought a 20G iPod for it. I also bought the dock and installed it in the ashtray and ran a cable (line out to male RCA) from it to an FM Modulator. The FM Modulator sucked since it got static and the .mp3 sounded like crap.

To fix this, I bought the Soundgate AUXNISS ( https://www.discountcarstereo.com/detail.aspx?ID=610 ) that plugs into the back of my Bose HU. The cable from the iPod dock plugs into the Soundgate box and the .mp3 now sound like I was playing a CD. At the same time, I installed the PAC AOEM-NIS2 so I could add an additional amp and sub in the trunk. That works fine and the sub sounds awesome.

However, I have a horrible alternator whine/engine noise ONLY when playing the iPod.  This is only when the engine is running. The Soundgate box does not have any grounding wires nor does the iPod/dock. Is there a way to ground either? The Soundgate box is powered via the Alpine amp in the trunk. Should I try to power the Soundgate box a different way? The amp seems to be grounded ok, though I may move it to a different location. I've had quite a bit of discuss on my Maxima board but we aren't installers and can't think of the reason. One guy suggestion ground loop isolators, but from I've read on here, those only seem to band-aid a problem rather than isolating and fixing it.

Any help/info would be greatly appriciated.

Thanks,
Eric
www.maxima.org/forums
"GaMax97GLE"

Eric,
It appears that the Soundgate AUXNISS https://www.discountcarstereo.com/detail.aspx?ID=610  has a ground and a 12V+ wire.
1. Leave everything as is and power the iPod from it's own power supply --note the results
2. If you hear no noise after the above, then try powering the iPod from a different location in the car
3. if #1 fails, then try grounding the AUXNISS to another location (Soundgate does not recommend grounding this unit to the ground wire on the radio harness).

Good luck

Quiet!

goldrodeo wrote:

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Eric,
It appears that the Soundgate AUXNISS https://www.discountcarstereo.com/detail.aspx?ID=610  has a ground and a 12V+ wire.
1. Leave everything as is and power the iPod from it's own power supply --note the results
2. If you hear no noise after the above, then try powering the iPod from a different location in the car
3. if #1 fails, then try grounding the AUXNISS to another location (Soundgate does not recommend grounding this unit to the ground wire on the radio harness).

Good luck

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There is one red and one yellow wire from the AUXNISS that (per the supplied instrustions) are supposed to be connected to +12V, which I thought was odd. So one of these wires should be a ground wire? The only other wires from the AUXNISS are part of a harness that plugs into the changer port on the back of the head unit. I'll look over everything again.

Thanks.

gAmAX2K1gle wrote:

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goldrodeo wrote:

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Eric,
It appears that the Soundgate AUXNISS https://www.discountcarstereo.com/detail.aspx?ID=610  has a ground and a 12V+ wire.
1. Leave everything as is and power the iPod from it's own power supply --note the results
2. If you hear no noise after the above, then try powering the iPod from a different location in the car
3. if #1 fails, then try grounding the AUXNISS to another location (Soundgate does not recommend grounding this unit to the ground wire on the radio harness).

Good luck

---

There is one red and one yellow wire from the AUXNISS that (per the supplied instrustions) are supposed to be connected to +12V, which I thought was odd. So one of these wires should be a ground wire? The only other wires from the AUXNISS are part of a harness that plugs into the changer port on the back of the head unit. I'll look over everything again.

Thanks.

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Well, I just got an email back from tech support @ Soundgate and both the yellow and red wires are power wires. One is constant power, one is switched on power. The gound is in the 12-pin harness that goes to the HU, so they share a common ground.

Anyone know how to isolate the ground wire in the 12-pin changer harness? (2001 Nissan Maxima GLE w/ Bose)

Rule of thumb : Keep grounds less than or equal to 3 feet. No need to say more !

My momma always said that there was exceptions to every rule - lol

In this case it is called resistance on the ground return. It equates to this. You eat a sub and then someone sews your buttcheeks shut, get the drift? Electricity is an algebra equation, what you do to one side you must do to the other. It is not about the size of the metal used in the chassis of the vehicle, it still must be connected to the ground of the battery. It is about the resistance through the chassis, it's crappy weld joints, glued together unibody panels, tack welded seatbelt bolts (and similar) that all add up to a high ground return resistance.

The proper way to ground a system is to ensure that the ground return resistance is as low as possible, best to be below 1/2 ohm. If the return cannot be made to co-operate by means of threats, thrown tools or all adequate and proper grounding procedures (known as the BIG 3), then it is best to run the ground direct to the battery.

hey whats going on.   i just installed a Cd player and amp in my truck.  ive had everything hooked up for a week.  there wasnt the first problem.  tonight on the way home my amp stopped working.  i checked the fuse, it was fine, even put a new one in.  i checked all the cables, nothing is lose or disconnected, i even pulled my cd played to make sure the blue remote wire wasnt disconnected. 

after all this i noticed that when i start my truck, the amp turns on for a second then turns back off, i checked the ground and when i touch it to the ground it comes on but goes back off, so im not sure what it could be. a side note:  the amp wasnt hot, no wire terminals werent burned or melted. soo i dont know.  any help will be appreciated.

[QUOTE
BTW, I am an electrician. The ground and negative on a 110~130V house lead to the same place. It is just because of the Electrical Code that these two wires are kept separate until they reach the breaker/fuse box.
[/QUOTE]

I hate to tell you but a house has a nuetral not a Negative wire. the Nuetral is a return path for AC current which carries a low voltage return to the panel. If the circuit is shorted it will carry the full current back to the breaker and tripp it. The ground wire can be on the same nuetral bar but to have a isolated circuit it must be bonded and seperate from the nuetral. The first means of service has to be bonded. The code requires this to keep from burning your house down or killing somone.

Triple Amp Grounding?

I am about to add a third amp to my system but I can't locate it close to the other two.  Is it alright to ground the amp using 2 to 3 feet of grounding cable so that I can connect it to the same grounding point as the other two amps? 

I'm in the high pitch alternator whine boat as well.

Pioneer Deh-p4600

Planet Audio 400x4

Roadmaster 6x9 (2); 5 1/4(2) 1' Dome Tweeters(2)

Now, I know that's cheap stuff, but I did it to prove a point, that it ain't gotta be expensive to sound good. I use to have a Pioneer deh-1500 for an HU. I also had A Boss Riot series 850 watt monoblock amp pushin two Pyramid Power Pro 12" subs. I currently do not have that amp, or those subs in my truck. Ever since I installed my new HU, I have had a whine issue that is horrendous. I didn't change the way any wires were run, with the exception of running the 2nd pair of rca lines to the Planet. All grounds die at same point, so what's the deal??

No do not use the noise filters as they do not solve the problem. Have a closer look at the rca cables and make sure they are not pinched, grounding out or straining on the input terminals of the amp or output terminals on the cd player. Is this sound coming from the sub? or from other speakers. Not quite enough info to go on here dude, something is missing.

Thack79 - try to ground your amplifiers all in the same spot if possible. If not then multiple spots may be necessary and sometimes if the ground plane is good enough there will be no noise. There are a lot of factors that determine noise, not just one.

No the line does not "have to be shorter than 18 inches". Find a good clean metal dash support or factory bolt to attach it to.

If you change any part of a system, the amp, the cd or the vehicle, you are no longer comparing on the same level playing field, thus what may have been a silent and noise free install in the old car might turn out to be the nightmare from the depths of hell in the new car. Noise problems can be vehicle related or product related. Pioneer uses a piss poor method of isolating the ground plane in the cd player. Once you have done a coule of thousand of these cd player installs, you will no doubt have found circumstances to support this. At the same time it can also be related to the amplifier, I have seen many a bad amplifier that also caused a nosie problem.

Make some muting plugs - take an rca cable (the el cheapo type) and cut the end off of it, leving the end end and about 4" of wire. Strip the center and outer shield and wire them together, this shorts the input of the amp and now provides a muted signal. If the amp still has noise with these muting plugs installed (in as many channels as you operate it with normally), then you have an amp issue. If there is no noise, start looking at the head unit and cabling. (my bet - the cd player).

Still trying to get rid of this damn ground noise. Couple questions?

I have ground noise coming from my amped speakers but not my factory speakers. So is this safe to say my deck is ok? (pioneer deck)

I have run rcas on separate sides, ground on bare metal for my deck, relay, and both amps and even added an extra ground to the battery (running out of ideas) Something i am mising or i need to test?

Help please

94 gmc truck, put pioneer avic n1 and directed extreme 1500x and 4600x upgraded the 4/6 speakers.  I have a nasty alt noise. checked the resistance between deck ground and amp ground it  is 1.1 ohm. i ran the power wire down the passanger side and the rca and speaker leads down the driver side. to try to eliminate the noise i have ran new rcas over the seats, grounded the sheild on the rcas ran a ground and power lead from the battery to the deck and a ground wire from the deck to the amp distribution ground.  i finally made some plugs like everybody was talking about and no noise.

just to make sure i did the plugs right.  attach the two wires in the rca cable together(shield and center?) and hook them to the amp inputs....right?   so that would tell me the pioneer deck has a problem?  If i had another one i would try and switch it out.

please let me know as soon as possible thanks

the amps are grounded to underneath the rear seat.  i checked the resistance between the amp ground and the battery ground and it  is .8 ohms and the resistance between the deck ground and the battery ground is .8 ohm also the resistance between the battery negative post and the chassis is also .8 ohm.  Do you think i should run a new ground between the engine and the chassis

what i did for now is just use the inputs out of the deck to the speakers and of course no noise. just so i could get the guy on his way for the weekend and get him back next week.  The rca cables are out of the equation cause i tried new ones draped over the seat.  that too would eliminate the routing of wires. ground checks out. So with that being said you would think it is the deck or amp?

No i didnt have another deck in stock i could test it with.  Next week i guess.    Pioneer is really that bad ?  You think it is the deck?

why are you running your ground wire out to the engine bay.  Should be no problem in that car to run ground inside car...if you want to though you will have to drill your own hole and put a grommet in if you are running a large ground wire through.  where did you hook your power wire to?

Thanks forbidden, Apparently the deck wasnt grounded properly so after a while i guess it did something to the deck. After using another deck the ground noise was COMPLETELY gone. Thanks!!

new problem when I turn on my fm modulator I get a lot of feed back through the interior speakers and when I turn on my interior neons I get feedback that makes it sound like I blew a speaker on when the car is started though...

clubfed11, you either have a bad fuse (known to happen) or a bad ground on the amp.

I've had the AVIC N1, 2 of them, and now the newer AVH-P6600DVD and all three systems have had a higher than normal noise issues in various installations.  Im not sure if this is just my problem or a pioneer thing.

Real quick, I remember the old school +12v "noise supressors" and how crappy they worked. But could someone shed information on some of the newer inline line level rca filters and what you sacrifice for using them? Also a brand recomendation. As you read bellow, I may take the easy way out if the disadvantages are nominal. I have ONE huge install with wires going everywhere.

I'm going to try to start to explain my system and how it all hooks up, so I'll give it my best shot and reply with more info ad this story unfolds. But in a quick nutshell its got 5 different a/v output devices PLUS a mini-itx computer running Windows XP) and ALOT of equipment normally not used in a car install, lots of DC-DC regulating power supplys that regulate the +11-+14 volt car power for the extermly stable +12v a computer motherboard/hard drives require, add-on battery banks to let the PC survive engine starts/cranks, +12v, +5volt, +3volt PC devices, USB cables all over, RF recievers for computer controllers/keyboards, this all integrated with the p6600DVD with its pioneer av-ip busDVD Changer, tv tuner, and remote a/v switchbox to take all the above plus a xbox, PS2, Direct TV/In motion Satellite, and allow it to feed into the 6600DVD's 1 a/v input(YES ONE, A/V INPUT) as well as output the video to 5 monitors and 1 true VGA monitor with touchscreen. All audio feeds feed into the 6600DVD which feeds into a memphis audio 4band (7volt preouts) into 5 diffrent memphis audio amps NOT grounded in the same area. To make it even more of  apain in the ass, there are 3 Optima batteries all in diffrent areas (had to fit them where I could) all grounded at diffrent frame locations. So you can see I am going to need some help. I'm not trying to take the easy way out, but I've got well over 15 devices grounded at various points to dc-dc convertors and old style frame welds.

The power 0/1 from the front battery was all run driver side meeting in the center (right behind the rear seat on enclosure box at a 10 farad cap/power distribution center where 2 more 0/1 +12volt also meet from each 0/1 routed from the left and right rear corners of the expeditions rear area behind the body panels, each rear battery is 0/1 grounded by 6" length and welded to the body right in each corner to the box support beams making up the "structure box" of the suv rear. All 7 pairs of RCA's between output devices and the a/v controller and 1 additional return a/v from the 6600dvd to the a/v controllerand the 6600DVD's a/v input box are run from the rear door passenger side cutting into the center of the truck under carpet and feed up into the 6600DVD which is actually been glassed into the center console between the front seats (the VGA touch screen is glassed into the the cut and enlarged standard 1.5 din opening supplied for stock radio in the expedition). Then via a single 1meter RCA from the 600DVD to EQ also glassed into the center console, and then 3 pairs of RCA's back directly down the center  at the beginning of the rear of the suv bed, 1 pair feeds into the memphis mojo amp and a 1meter from the pass though of mojo1 to mojo2. The other 2 rca's run up the passenger side behind the plastic body where they are split into 2 pairs of rca's for input into 2 amps running the highs, 2 pairs of rca's for input into 2 amps running mids, 2 pairs of rca's for input into 2 amps running midbass (4 doors all with tweets, 6.5 mids, and 8" solobarics for midbass). I wont really talk about the USB hard drives (+12v and +5v), PC USB XM radio (+5v), PC USB GPS(+5v), RF wireless Mouse type remote control (controlls apps as well as mouse) and the DC-DC regulation power subsytem until I get further into this (by the way, originally the PC feed directly into the amps via a external DSP with NO noise, but for better system control and utilization of all the Pioneer gear/Game machine/Satellite TV I needed to break this feed method and send everything to the A/V controller and then to the 6600DV HU as a composite RCA+Video connection. BTW , ALL interconnects are Stinger Dream Series Interconnects.

Well thats enough for now. What was that original question, ohh ya, due the inline low level rca noside filters work or not, and if any are better than others, which are they? Any suggestions on where to start, I guess it must be with the plugs, also my eq has a dual input, nothing is hooked to input #2. When I push input 2 the noise is decreased by 70% but still present, when input#1 its there. Only with car on. Ohh ya, the truck also has a 250amp ohio altenator hooked with dual 0 guage to the first battery, and NO isolater is used, all wired postitve to positve to positve (really all bat positives goto the +12 rail of the cap/distribution rail).

so some real world experiences would be greatly apperciated. Like I said, I know the questions about this device and that device are going to start, as I get on my knees and beg for help and sanity.

Thanks

SepticDeath 

larkster wrote:

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Help please

94 gmc truck, put pioneer avic n1 and directed extreme 1500x and 4600x upgraded the 4/6 speakers.  I have a nasty alt noise. checked the resistance between deck ground and amp ground it  is 1.1 ohm. i ran the power wire down the passanger side and the rca and speaker leads down the driver side. to try to eliminate the noise i have ran new rcas over the seats, grounded the sheild on the rcas ran a ground and power lead from the battery to the deck and a ground wire from the deck to the amp distribution ground.  i finally made some plugs like everybody was talking about and no noise.

just to make sure i did the plugs right.  attach the two wires in the rca cable together(shield and center?) and hook them to the amp inputs....right?   so that would tell me the pioneer deck has a problem?  If i had another one i would try and switch it out.

please let me know as soon as possible thanks

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trying to narrow down the problems with the install of my new alpine cda-9835. will a possible poor ground not be letting my infinity amp from getting a strong signal and there for not push much power at all ? power is very low compared to how it was before the install. all amp lights are on and remote switches are all ran.

Okay my question may or may not be related to a ground issue, but that's why I'm on here asking. My problem is when my system turns on. Weather I am turning my key to accessory, on, or when the system goes on after I actually start the car, once the amp turns on I get a big thud out of my subs only. It is a single hit, really quick, but really hard hitting. Does this sound like a ground problem?

My question may or may not be related to a ground issue, but that's why I'm on here asking. My problem is when my system turns on. Weather I am turning my key to accessory, on, or when the system goes on after I actually start the car, once the amp turns on I get a big thud out of my subs only. It is a single hit, really quick, but really hard hitting. Does this sound like a ground problem?

the remote is hooked up to my deck. i'm assuming by head unit you are talking about my deck. the deck works fine. my question was whether or not if i re-ground all the points on my car, would it make a difference? and possibly, where are all the ground points located. i would like to maximize power usage to the best of my ability.

With this much curent draw, you are going to need 0 guage wire if not larger for all power and ground wire runs. Upgrade all ground wires commonly known as the BIG 3 to 0 gauge to start things off. You are going to be in the market for a HO alternator, so get looking for the largest you can find right away.

Hey Rob,

I just baught a Pioneer 8600 and put it in and without the engine even on I get a bad noise through the speakers almost like the fan noise in the back of the HU. When I got my first 8600 I sent it back thinking it was bad. but noe the new one does the same thing. I know you said they put crap filters on them but is there anything you can suggest?

Thanks in advance

Jason

I'm having a problem with my LOC, i was getting a bit of static type noise through the speakers. I checked the manual and it said when this happens to hook up a ground wire to the chasis of the car. So I did that and now you can hear engine noise through the speakers, it is much worse! It happens even if I just hook it onto another wire that is a ground.

Is this what a ground loop isolator is for???

they are adjustable, they only output 2 volts at max and are at about 3/4 setting. The static seems to come and go now, sometimes at no volume I can hear it and sometimes I cant...

it's comming from all of the speakers, they are all aftermarket. Boston Acoustics FX93 and Phoenix gold tantrum 5.25"

Let me try that again...

Okay, here goes.  I don't think it is a ground problem, but maybe: 

I have a noise problem with a new HU.  Equipment involved:

2003 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3.5L
Alpine CDA-9833 head unit (New component)
Blaupunkt PA2150 2x150w
Blaupunkt PA275 2x75w
CDT Audio CL-61 6.5” component set
Infinity Kappa 100.1se 10” sub

Currently I haven’t even connected the HU to the PA275 and sub.  That amp and sub are wired up but there are no patch cables running from the HU to that amp. 

The noise is not something I have run into before.  It occurs only when the engine is running and sounds like a “popping” or “ticking” ignition sound, but the “ticking” does not increase frequency or pitch as the engine RPMs increase.  It doesn’t sound like alternator whine.  It sounds like ignition noise, but I would have expected that to vary with engine speed. 

Anyway.  It does not get louder as the head unit’s volume is turned up.  My amp gains are all the way down.  The noise is there whether listening to the radio or CD.  The power and signal wires are run separately.  All accessorires are turned off (heat, A/C, etc…)

The odd thing I didn’t expect is that the noise occurs only on the RCA outputs.  The rear speakers are running directly off the HU and there is no noise.  I connected a LOC to the front speaker outputs and ran that into the amp and there is no noise.  Is there an obvious (but not to me) reason that there is noise on the RCA outputs, but not the speaker outputs?

I have tried:

Muting plugs on the amp – No noise  (This essnetally rules out the amp, x-overs, & speakers; correct?)
Disconnecting the RCAs at the back of the head unit – No noise
Connect rear speaker outputs – No noise
Connect Line Output Converter to front speaker outputs and run to amp – No noise
Pulling the head unit out of the dash opening – Noise continues
Remove antenna connection – Noise continues
Different RCA cables run out front of dash and over seats – Noise continues
Jumpered ground wire to amps ground dist block – Noise continues
Rerouted power wire to power dist block – Noise continues

Noise occurs on front and rear RCA outputs. 
If I turn the fader all the way to the rear, there is still noise coming through the front speakers (no music though)
The only time the noise is gone is when the head unit mutes itself (volume at zero, disc paused, etc…)

So any ideas?  I could use a couple.  Is there an internal problem with the HU?  I’ve grounded it to the same block as the amps, and the amps produce no noise.  The power wire has a factory installed choke coil integrated with the fuse holder.

The unit was purchased from Crutchfield and since I am past my 30 day free return period, I’m pretty much stuck with this unit.  I’ll call their tech support (which has been good in the past), but I’ll take all the help I can get.

As you would expect, I am a bit demoralized.  I’m no pro installer, but I’ve done this enough times that I never give doing the install a second thought.  I’ve dealt with ignition noise and alt whine before, but this is different and I’m rapidly running out of ideas.

I'm solving DEH-860MP alternator noise problem dropping 10db more.

By connecting RCA ground to main ground.

But it still there which I never have before with my old KEH-8650,

Though now it's much acceptable.

They say 33000uF or 47000uF capacitors might help in Taiwan's forum.

I will try if I can get them.

Hi finally I drop more by going battery power through a big filter coil which was sold in DIY store.

And drop a little by paralle a 50000uF capacitor.

So RCA grounding drop 90%, power filter drop 8%, capacitor drop 1% & I have ~1% WN.

I might leave this unit along & wait for my CDA-9855 which was shipped yesterday.

Dang it.  It's related to the PA2150 amp.

For the hell of it, I ran the HU into the PA275 and hooked up a spare full range speaker - no noise.  I had planned on shifting the front speakers to the PA275 eventually; so this just gave the incentive to do it sooner rather than later.  Everything is wired up in the front through the PA275 now and it sounds great.

Now I have to find out what is going on with the other amp.  Why no noise except when connected to the HU; a ground problem on the amp's RCA inputs? 

I'll see what I can find out.

As always, excellent forum, has been quite a resource for me (and many others alike).

From the factory ground I've run the HU, an Equalizer, car alarm, and a door switch (to operate door locks separately from the alarm).

I have no alternator whine, but I was curious if this would affect any operation of these devices, now or in the future?

I was thinking of avoiding this setup and running a direct line from the engine bloc just to make sure nothing happens in the future - is this overkill?

Thanks in advance.

Sorry for the delay guys, I have been super busy here at the shop lately.

mtxblau - if you have no noise issues right now, then unless you change, add or have a component electrical failure in the future, you should be fine.

RedKatanaX9 - no issues running the remote on with the rca's.

- bypass the eq entirely as it is more than likely the source of the noise. It is also manipulating a higher output signal from the eclipse. Run new rca's direct from the cd player to each amp and retest again.

I have a noise, a terrible, terrible noise. Its present as a loud hum with the key turned forward, but the car not running. Start the car, and its louder, and increases with RPMs. Wiring is ran as follows:

rca cables/remote turn on lead/ one set of component speaker wires on the drivers side

power cable under the car, through the frame, comes up on passenger side

one set of component wires on passenger side

ground to d block, grounded with seat bolt, scraped clean of all paint, securely fastened,tested with DMM

Equipment:

Pioneer 860MP

Elemental Designs 9.4

Resonant Engineering RE series components

Scosche RCA cables

When I unplug the rcas, the noise stops. Looking for suggestions on what to try, in order of what is most likely to solve the problem.

RedKatanaX9 wrote:

---

So after compling my notes I decided that it had to be the EQ. All the connections to it and from seemed clean but then I thought the factory +12 V constant wires was just too thin to power both HU and EQ. So I ran a fused 12 Gauge power wire directly from the battery to the HU and EQ, and voila, noise was gone!!!

So all along the EQ wasn't getting enough juice, and perhaps was straining for power and somehow picked up alternator whine. Also gone was a slight high pitch humming even when the enging was not running. Thanks for all your help.

---

It's not a matter of enough juice.  The factory power wire is probably picking up interference from adjacent wires, like something going to the ECM.

Sorry for the first miss post (didn't like the cut and paste from Word).  Let me try this again.

I have a noise problem I cannot eliminate in a new system I installed in my 2000 Accord.  The noise is there only with the engine running.  I would not describe the noise as a whine, it is at a lower frequency but it DOES vary some with the engine speed.  When I unplug the RCAs fom the amp the noise persists.  I tried re-grounding the HU from the factory harness to the firewall ground as well as linking this ground to the amp ground via the third wire on my RCAs with no luck.  I am assuming I am getting power noise through the amp or the HU, not sure what I should try next.

Components:  HU - Eclipse CD5444, Amp - MTX Thunder 5400 5-channel, Speakers - Focal 165A front, 690CA rear, RCAs - Phoenix Gold

Install:  RCA's run passenger side, speakers in stock locations with one speaker wire running forward down each side of the car.  Power is 4ga run down the driver's side, amp ground is in the trunk on sheet metal attached to firm structure.  (I tested this with very little resistence between the bare metal and the negative battery terminal)  HU is grounded to the firewall, power is through the stock harness.

Appreciate any advise, the system sounds great when the car is not running.

I am unavailable right now to look into your questions. I am more than a little inundated with activity here at the shop. Once I have a chance to breathe again, I'll see if I can get to you questions.

arrrgh! the infamous alternator whining noise. i've been bitten. so before i go pulling everything apart, i'd like to see what the pros have to say:

i've just installed a new everything and i'm biamplifying the tweeters of a 2-component system, so they use the HU's amp while the mids get their juice from a separate JL Audio amp. so coming out of the HU I go straight to the X-over and into the tweeter. only the driver side tweeter whines from what I can tell. so does this mean the X-Over is introducing noise or is the the GND of my HU jacked?

the front L and R X-Over do not have symmetrical install locations. the driver's side X-Over had to go under the carpet of the driver's seat. the passenger's went under the glove compartment. is there anyway i can protect the X-Over from noise? shield it or whatever.  power is nowhere near this area by the way.

so I just measured the resistance between the battery and the HU GND, here are my findings:

a) positive battery terminal disconnected, ignition off: 0.3ohms
b) positive battery terminal connected, ignition off: 1.5ohms
c) positive battery terminal connected, ignition on: 12+ohms
d) positive battery terminal connected, ignition on engine started: 13+ohms
reving the egnine dropped the resistance by a tenth or two. letting the engine idle eventually brought the resistance down to around 5+ohms.

why does the resistance go up when the terminal is connected, or the ignition is on? does this behaviour explain alternator whine? the whine can only be heard when the engine is running, and would consistently fluctuate with the RPMs regardless of the resistance measured (between 5-13ohms).

so do i have a GND loop? or is noise coming in at say my X-Over?

blueeyedlion wrote:

---

so I just measured the resistance between the battery and the HU GND, here are my findings:

a) positive battery terminal disconnected, ignition off: 0.3ohms
b) positive battery terminal connected, ignition off: 1.5ohms
c) positive battery terminal connected, ignition on: 12+ohms
d) positive battery terminal connected, ignition on engine started: 13+ohms
reving the egnine dropped the resistance by a tenth or two. letting the engine idle eventually brought the resistance down to around 5+ohms.

why does the resistance go up when the terminal is connected, or the ignition is on? does this behaviour explain alternator whine? the whine can only be heard when the engine is running, and would consistently fluctuate with the RPMs regardless of the resistance measured (between 5-13ohms).

so do i have a GND loop? or is noise coming in at say my X-Over?

---

Is it OK to use the ground on a capacitor (1F) as the comman ground point for everything else, or does the cap need to be isolated?

It'd be easiest to use the B+ and ground on the cap as the distro block.  I'm sure the B+ is fine that way, not so sure about the ground.

Yes it is fine to use the cap as a distro block.

I have still been extremely busy here at the shop guys, again, sorry for not getting back to questions sooner.

Read the grounding sticky and it will tell you how to ground this battery. Find the resistance on the return line first, that will tell you what you need to do next.

Question:

i have 3 amps, 3caps, 4gauge, 2x8gauge

so i would need 6 places to gound them.......can i gound them together, how far apart from each of them....., can i use the distribution block...?

hi guys, i've just recently upgraded my stereo myself and have run into problems and now i'm stumped.  here's my situation:

• 1998 chevy extended cab pickup
• kenwood excelon kdc-x859
• sony mobile es 6.5 comps
• polk momo 4x6 plates
• ppi 5440 amp
• two diamond audio d310d4 subs
• soundstream vga800.2 amp
• petras blt1 balanced line driver
• two monster audio 1 farrad capacitors
• optima red top battery (under hood)
• 140 amp circuit breaker
• phoenix gold fused distribution block
• phoenix gold nonfused distribution block
• monster cable xln pro two channel and four channel rca cables
• eight 40mm x 40mm x 20mm fans silconed to the top of the soundstream
• one stdp to turn everything on            

when i turn on my stereo i get a little tump through just my comps and when i turn the stereo off i get it through my subs.  i might be getting it from the comps but i can't hear it because the subs are louder.  i've tried running a set of spare set of rca cables over my seats, with the head unit out of the dash, to the balanced line driver, with no luck.  i haven't ran them to the soundstream amp directly because of the balanced input.  i didn't know if i could or not.  i forgot to mention that i've got four guage power wire running from the optima to the fused distribution block and then only to the soundstream.  from the distribution block to the ppi, i am running eight guage wire.  i've ran a four gauge ground wire from the soundstream directly to the optima under my hood.  the ground wires for the ppi, line driver, both capacitors (that are wired in line with the soundstream), all the fans, and the relay are all ran to the nonfused distribution block and then from there with a four guage wire to the floor.  i drilled my own hole to bolt to and sanded away the paint.  i've also got everything mounted on plexiglass on my back wall behind the rear seat.  i have read about grounding the rca cables but didn't really understand them enough to try it.  any and all help would be greatly appreciated.  thank you

borked wrote:

---

I don't really have a whinning noise, or maybe I just can't hear it over all the other noises.

Anyways, I've been troubleshooting the noises in my civic for a few days now. I have come to the conclusion that noise is coming through my headunit/or the wiring of. Because If I disconnect the rca cables from my head unit no noise.

The noise i'm having is this, it pops and it cuts out whenever I use my lights or turn signals. My subwoofer will thump when i use my turn signal and my components will cut out for a millisecond not long but enough to notice.

Being out of ideas, and going off of varios things i've read on the internet and my misunderstanding of them. I think I read something about grounding the rca connectors. Well I couldn't really find a how to on that, so I figured id just grab a basic like 22 gauge wire strip it and insert it into the preout on my head unit and shove my subwoofer rca cables in there after it. Then I took the other bare end of that wire and just touched it the bare metal on my HU and it worked, no more noise interruption(thumping when I use lights/blinkers) I havent tried this method with my components, because im using LOCs for those since my kenwood hu only has 1 preout.

Question: Is this okay to do? I dont really notice anything wrong now, whats a better way to do what im doing? Also How will I fix the issue with my components? Do I just ground rca connectors on my LOCs to the chassis as well? and what the heck caused this whole thing? I had my head unit installed at best buy, did they not ground the HU right?

I'd just like to thank everyone on these forums and on the12volt, the knowledge and information found on this site and forums, are unlike any other place. I appreciate this thread especially! Thanks everyone!

---

Did you use the Civic'c grounding wire at the back of the HU ? If so, change the grounding point to somewhere else. You can measure absolute grounding points on the vehicle with a DMM in relation to the battery ground. A good DMM will show resistance to ground if there's poor grounding locations.

nat765 wrote:

---

hi guys, i've just recently upgraded my stereo myself and have run into problems and now i'm stumped.  here's my situation:

• 1998 chevy extended cab pickup
• kenwood excelon kdc-x859
• sony mobile es 6.5 comps
• polk momo 4x6 plates
• ppi 5440 amp
• two diamond audio d310d4 subs
• soundstream vga800.2 amp
• petras blt1 balanced line driver
• two monster audio 1 farrad capacitors
• optima red top battery (under hood)
• 140 amp circuit breaker
• phoenix gold fused distribution block
• phoenix gold nonfused distribution block
• monster cable xln pro two channel and four channel rca cables
• eight 40mm x 40mm x 20mm fans silconed to the top of the soundstream
• one stdp to turn everything on            

when i turn on my stereo i get a little tump through just my comps and when i turn the stereo off i get it through my subs.  i might be getting it from the comps but i can't hear it because the subs are louder.  i've tried running a set of spare set of rca cables over my seats, with the head unit out of the dash, to the balanced line driver, with no luck.  i haven't ran them to the soundstream amp directly because of the balanced input.  i didn't know if i could or not.  i forgot to mention that i've got four guage power wire running from the optima to the fused distribution block and then only to the soundstream.  from the distribution block to the ppi, i am running eight guage wire.  i've ran a four gauge ground wire from the soundstream directly to the optima under my hood.  the ground wires for the ppi, line driver, both capacitors (that are wired in line with the soundstream), all the fans, and the relay are all ran to the nonfused distribution block and then from there with a four guage wire to the floor.  i drilled my own hole to bolt to and sanded away the paint.  i've also got everything mounted on plexiglass on my back wall behind the rear seat.  i have read about grounding the rca cables but didn't really understand them enough to try it.  any and all help would be greatly appreciated.  thank you

---

Turn on thump can vary from a slight pop to a mind shattering, teeth rattling BOOM! This thump is caused by the audio circuitry stabilizing when power is applied. Most amplifiers and source units have muting circuitry that lasts a couple of seconds to allow these fluctuations to subside before passing a signal. However, if the amplifier un-mutes before the source unit or any other accessory, you better watch out. Here are some things to try if you have turn on thump.

• Verify that the amp has a good audio ground reference. Read note below:
• Don't install the system so the amplifiers can be switched on when the source unit is turned off.
• If you still have thump, add a turn on delay module in line with the remote turn on wire to the amp.

Note: In order for the amps to function properly, the audio ground must be referenced to chassis ground at the source unit. If it is not, the amplifier could oscillate. To check for a good ground reference, take a volt-ohm meter (VOM) and measure the resistance between the chassis of the radio and the shield of the RCA line level outputs of the radio. This reading should indicate a direct short. If this is not the case, grounding the shield of the RCA line level outputs to the chassis of the radio will probably be necessary.

Here's another post that might help you: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=52033&KW=termpro

sorry i posted a comment to somebody in august because after i joined the dates changed ignore what i just said

Poormanq45 wrote:

---

I just don't think the frame of a vehicle conducts electricity well enough.

I ran 2 6 guage wires to the back of my car, one on each side. Whereever I need to ground something, I run a short span of wire from the part to be grounded to the closest 4 guage ground wire. This insures a complete ground.

Also, with my method, you don't have to worry about your conection to the frame corroding.

---

The frame and body of the vehicle conduct very well.  There is much more conductive metal between the frame and the negative terminal of the battery than there is through a 4 guage wire ran from the rear of the vehicle.  This is what I was taught at Mobile Dynamics.

Sorry if this has already been addressed, I've only read the first 4 pages of this thread.

I am experiencing interference (engine whine) with a new pinoeer head unit. 

I previously had my stock jeep head unit hooked up to a pair of 2 channel amps with no problems, it is only after I installed the new head unit that im havng trouble. The only thing that i changed was to add RCA splitters to the RCA cables, and change the power/ground to the new head unit.

I tried grounding the HU to the amps ground, didnt work.

sethsowash, chances are very high that you have a bad head unit. Pioneer heads are notorious for having a piss poor internal ground plane. Try another cd player.

Storm910, the person telling you this is full of BS, he is blaming something that you have done for a problem that he cannot find. Scraping the paint off for the ground would only affect the aftermarket dvd unit, not anything else. I would be more inclined to start looking at how the power / ignition lines were interfaced first. Ensure that there is no backfeeding on anything. Was there a rs/alarm installed or a keyless entry as well? That is far more likely to cause headaches with the install that present the problems you are mentioning.

Remember that a service technician at a stealership has a flowchart to follow to try and solve issues. This flowchart is also there to maximize the time in the bay and the $ associated to it. The technician if taken to task about 12volt electronics and how the aftermarket industry works is not going to know the end of his nose after about 12 seconds. You as a installer have a definite advantage here.......next time though (and every time), ensure that you have a good ground clean of paint....that would have been one thing he could not have come back at you on.

Poormanq45 wrote:

---

Ok guys. I've read enough of this grounding crap. Taking a wire from whatever you want to ground and attaching it to the frame(Bare metal) is not a real ground.

To completely ground your system, you should hook up a ground wire from the part and connect it to the negative terminal on the battery. This will give you a complete/Proper ground.

It is a common mis-conception that the ground and negative wires are different. This is not true. They are one and the same.

BTW, I am an electrician. The ground and negative on a 110~130V house lead to the same place. It is just because of the Electrical Code that these two wires are kept separate until they reach the breaker/fuse box.

---

You're an electrician?  And you think there is a "Negative" wire in a home?  Homes use Alternating Current (AC)  There is no negative or positive.  It's a neutral wire, not a negative wire.  And the neutral and ground wires in a home are completely different than the ground wires in a car.  The ground wire is never a means to return current to ground in terminating a device, it's a safety backup, in case the neutral wire is comprimised do to a ground fault, it allows current an alternative route to ground.  That way if the conductor somehow comes in contact with exposed metal, it won't electricute you if you touch it, instead it will take the easiest path and travel through the ground wire.  This also protects equipment in basically the same way.

Anyways, I just wanted to point out that they are completely different scenarios. 

I'm also having some noise problems with my Clarion DRZ-9255. Currently, the DRZ is wired to the stock connector in the dash and the DC/DC convertor ( separate box for those who are not familiar with this unit ) is wired to the chassis. I've heard rumours saying that it would be best to wire them both directly to the battery. What do u think ? Thanks !

PS : The noise is constant with the RPMs but increases when i switch the volume control from ---- to -96db ( the volume control goes from -96db to +6db )

I am having a problem with static in my speakers.  I just put in new infinity kappa components in all 4 doors and have them hooked up to an infinity amp.  Then I have a Boston acoustic 10 ran to a dif amp.  Im having alot of background noise in the speakers and wondering what I can do to get rid of this. 

hmm alright.. well my amp turn on , on my deck is blue with a white stripe, the blue one is power antenna.. Well i know the deck works fine i was using it in another car about 3-4 months ago. there must be some sort of connection touching or a short.. i dont get it though, i snipped/trimmed/soldeRED / electrical taped all the connections i thought this would be easy as pie, but i guess i was wrong.. but if the deck turns on, wouldnt that mean that the ground is sufficient?

yeahh ill re-check it out when i get home,  ill try changing the ground see if that does anything.. yeah i know my power is on the right side and speaker wiring and RCA's are on the left  .. ill see wat the situation is.. hopefully that is the answer

oh btw

thanks i appreciate it

interesting

well i will fiddle around with it, and see what happens they are new RCA's so i have no idea ...

Hello, I'm new to installing radios & I'm poor so I can't have someone install it for me.

Truck - '92 Ford F-150 premium sound system

Head unit - JVC Km-SX770 45wtx4

I have a couple questions to ask you.

See, I'm installing a JVC head unit into my truck & I was reading the JVC manual & saw it only works with a -12v ignition & battery hookup, & the manual said I needed to get a voltage inverter because my truck has a +12v battery.  Now I heard that I need a 10 watt voltage inverter & I just hook it up to the battery, is this correct?  If so, where can I find one & how do I hook it up?  I heard if hook up the wrong grounds you could burn your truck up.

I also have the premium sound system, so should I buy the harness for the premium, because my head unit has plenty of watts & channels for me. I also want to hookup an amp & sub in the future.

I know all the wire hookups & the like, I just need to fix the problem with my battery & harness basically.

Any feedback is appreciated.  Thanx

Your manual more than likely has a misprint on it. All radios made in the last 20 years and probably more are a - ground and + power / ignition. You will not need a power invertor to hook this up. This should be a new cd player, correct? If so that is one whopper of a typo in the user manual.

kungwaz - You didn't mention anything about the vehicle, but here are some things to check ... Your radio's wiring harness has a ground wire (probably a Black wire). Many installers use the vehicles' factory radio ground when installing the new radio. USUALLY this is fine ... sometimes it isn't. Just check to see where the JVC radio's ground wire is connected. If it is connected to the factory ground wire in the factory radio harness, disconnect it. Move it to a steel, grounded part of the dash structure. Running a ground wire to the rear of the car (or to wherever the amp(s) are grounded) is a waste of time. If grounding the radio to the vehicle chassis  does not solve the problem, try playing with the RCA's next. Strip the insulation off the end near the radio. Get a length of wire and try grounding the RCA's Shield to Chassis Ground. If this does not work, it's time to inspect the amplifier connections. The ground is most important. It should be as short a cable as possible. It should be connected solidly to clean, grounded steel. Then move on to the power connections. This should also be a solid connection. Cable gauge is also important. Are you using appropriate cabling? Next check all connections at the battery. Is the Battery itself in good condition? Are the clamps clean & tight? Are ALL the connections clean & tight? Is the Battery grounded to the Chassis correctly? Is the engine grounded to the Battery & Chassis correctly? Any frayed cables? You may want to consider upgrading the "Charge" cable. This is the cable that comes off the Alternator and goes to the Battery Positive Post. Many cars have a small Charge Wire.

Good Luck!!

Feintfury - your Ford's electrical system is 12v, Neg ground. The JVC radio operates on a Neg Ground system as well. You do not need an inverter ... WOW! As mentioned, what a colossal misprint!

If the Ford Factory Radio Harness in still intact (uncut?), just go get a wiring harness adaptor. The wiring will be very simple that way - in fact, it ought to go color-to-color ... i.e. red-to-red, black-to-black, Green-to-Green, etc.

I've been doing this work for over 20 years & I don't recall ever working on a F-150 that had a factory amp, however, I see something new every week!! LOL!! My suggestion - if it's working correctly now, leave the Ford amp alone - the truck will sound better with it.

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and I'm hoping you can help me.  I just purchased a 2006 Saturn Ion and have installed my previous speakers, amps, and subs but kept the factory HU. The speakers are using the existing factory speaker wire, and the amps have tapped into this using speaker level inputs instead of RCAs (no RCAs on factory deck, no wiring harness exists for this model yet). I'm getting engine noise through my speakers. I've tried using line input converters at the back where my amps are, but I'm still getting the noise. How can I fix this without buying a new deck?

Thanks,

Jason

Thanks for registering on the site. I hope you find the info here useful. There is a boatload of tech info here that is not available to you on the other site at this time. Stay awhile and learn if you like, ask questions, there are no stupid ones that I or others have not heard 1000's of times (OK some of us old guys 10,000 + times).

The issue is definitely going to be with the Pioneer head unit. If you can borrow a friends cd player, give it a try and see if you get noise. Failing that, try temporarily attaching a ground wire to the back center screw mount on the cd player. The other end of the wire I want you to touch to the outer shield of one of the rca outputs on the back of the cd player. If the noise goes away, you need to attach that bare end to the shield of one of the rca cables.

This of course is a band aid solution. The cd player has been damaged and needs service or replacement. If you are open to options on a better cd player, I will recommend the Eclipse line as I have for over 11 years now. Your ears will thank you, especially when you start to hear things in your music that you did not hear before.

That would be a definite NO to your idea as it can lead to dead shorting the rca outputs. Not the best of ideas. What I like to do is strip back a portion of the rca cables outer plastic barrier to expose the outer shield of the rca cable. Then I will wrap a wire onto it, solder in into place and then heatshrink it. This of course works with the molded end type of rca cable. With a removeable end on the rca cable it is as simple as just that, remove the end, solder another wire onto the outer shield wire, attach the end again, ground the new wire.

You certainly can.

I have recently installed all my system, except for the ground, as it is the only part im not sure of. I drive a 1998 Ford Expedition XLT, help would be greatly appreciated, as i miss my...stock music ha.

Hey forbidden! First of all, I need to apologize,  I have what is apparently a similar problem to mmii's, and have been discussing it on a different thread ( when I checked this thread out before posting I guess I didn't go far enough into it) but the other thread is bogged down, and I was wondering if you could help.

My stepdad's system is pretty simple, 4 6x9's, a 12" sub, and a 5 channel kenwood amp. He had a Kenwood KDC-s5009 indash, and I recently tried 'upgrading' him to a KDC9015 I had sitting around.

Here's the thing I can't figure out: With the original indash the system sounded great. With the new one I get this mild high pitched noise with the car off and an obnoxious alternator noise with the car running. I put the old indash back in, no noise. All the wiring is the same, I even tried using the older unit's wiring harness with the newer unit (they are the same harness) and the noise is still there.

The noise doesn't go away if I unplug the antenna, or in I leave the antenna plugged in and unhook the ground wire. It is still there if either the front or rear RCAs (or both) are hooked up. (The system is all run off of the Kenwood 5 channel, no speakers are run off of the indash.

Oh, I forgot, the newer unit also has the kenwood dashtop display unit and compass that go with it, but the noise is still there even with that unplugged. Also, the newer indash has the higher output 4.5v preamps.It is really annoying, because the 9015 looks great and all the features work on it. It is all installed in a '93 Dodge Ramcharger, if that makes a difference.

I have tried the method suggested of grounding the outside of the RCAs, but when I did it actually made the noise louder, both when the truck is running and when its not. ( I grounded the RCAs to the same factory ground strap the indash is grounded to.

This is the name of the other thread:Kenwood indash noise problem?  I apologize if I'm breaking any rules here by posting in two threads simultaneously, I don't use forums that often.

Can you help me? I am extremely frustrated.

While I wait helplessly, I am goind to go out and try running different RCAs from the indash to the amp, to see if it makes any difference.

Hi, I signed up on this site just to talk to you, Rob.

I've been tryin to figure out this problem for about a week, and I'm just stumped.

2006 Chevy colorado

Pioneer DEH...something or another... headunit
Bazooka ELA 300.1 amp
Crunch GTR subs

I had 2 bazooka subs, upgraded to the crunches, then i wired it differently, but wired them right back to the way I normally had them (i'm thinking i wired them at a lower impedence when i changed). Ever since then I had alot of engine noise, and everytime I cut on and off my amp I get a thud. Also, when i cut the volume from 0 to 1 there's a pop.

I tried a few things, a ground loop isolator (which cut out the sound...but also the music), then tried my buddy's 1200w RMS audiobahn amp, and it didn't cut it out either....now he's saying that he has road noise with it back in his car, too...but I'm not sure, he may just be paranoid.

With the engine off, I can hear the noise of the cd spinning, anything electical (blinkers, etc), and even if i tap on the head unit, i can hear it all through the subs.

I've noticed that the traffic in this room has slowed, but I'm hoping that somebody will help me out with my problem.

I just bought a new Audiobahn head unit with 4v preouts (as opposed to my Pioneer's 2v), which should be here in about a week, I'll see if it helps.

Please, anybody, let me know that my money hasn't gone down the drain, and I can recover my system.

I really need some help here. I believe I have a ground problem but cannot figure it out.

First, here's my set up: 2004 jeep wrangler X, alpine cda-9857 cd player w/ I-pod hook up, PPI pcx-2200, PPI pcx-280, JL 12w6v2, diamond audio 3-way hex component set in the front run off of the ppi pcx 280, and a set of diamond audio mid-bass run off of the head unit.

The problem I have is a whining/clicking sound when the car is turned on as well as alternator noise. When you run the stereo with the car off there is almost no noise. Also, when you change from the radio to cd, or cd to ipod, etc... there is a loud thump. The thump also occurs when the volume is turned all the way down, but not when the radio is turned on or off.

So far I have rewired all of the speakers thinking there might be a short in one of them, and re-grounded the headunit and amps. I also changed the location of the cross-overs. I may have wasted a bunch of money, but I replaced all my cables with really good monster rca's and twisted speaker cable. The HU is grounded directly to the firewall and powered directly from the battery. The amps have 4-guage cable both in and out and are grounded at a single point about a foot away.  

Any ideas or suggestions would really help, THANKS!!

flynntech wrote:

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This is just my opinion so don't take it for gospel, running a ground wire all the way to the back is impractiacal. The only thing that makes any sense here is that all grounds should be at the same potential, zero volts.

Yes, the factory wiring is rarely in any kind of shape to supply clean power to the HU, this is common.  Ground the HU to the body right about where the HU is, if you have to run a ground directly to the firewall or floor, that's fine. Also, bring 12 + directly from the battery, fused as always.

A muting plug is simply an RCA plug with the two conductors shorted together. Anyone can do this with a pig tail, by splicing the wiring with a crimp. Soldering the pins together is better.

Just remember: DO NOT CONNECT THE MUTING PLUGS TO THE OUTPUT!!! 

The only purpose of the muting plug is to zero the input signal at the line level INPUTS......It will short the output stages of the HU or whatever else, since it is indeed a shorted plug.

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Thanks for the great advise i am going to try this on my ride i have eng. noise that drives me crazy!!!