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Worst whine Ever in 40 years


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kenwood_nut 
Stock Boy - Posts: 227
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Joined: April 10, 2009
Location: Washington, United States
Posted: February 26, 2016 at 8:47 AM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote kenwood_nut
Hey friends, I'm back! Haven't been very active lately because I got a new car back in August and took the stereo out of my last car but never installed more than just the deck and speakers into the newer car, a 2001 Honda Civic (from the original owner, with only 54,000 original miles on it!).
Yesterday, I finally found time to install the same equalizer (Clarion EQS746) and 4-channel amp (Boston GT-40) into the Civic that I installed in the 1991 Prizm. I had the same head unit also (Kenwood KDC-355U) in the Prizm. I haven't installed the tweeters and bass blockers into the Civic yet. Ran out of time.
Anyway, in spite of installing every stereo and alarm in every car I've ever owned since the mid 70's (over 40 years!), all of a sudden I have MAJOR WHINE from my system! I'd call it alternator whine, but not sure it's from the alternator. All I know is it's the absolute worst I've EVER had from ANY stereo! I'm serious, I've had Spark-O-Matic decks and Kraco equalizers hooked to Jensen speakers that sounded better than THIS does now! LOL!
So, everything was clear, with no whine at all, up until yesterday when I put the equalizer and amp in. Now I get the loudest whine I've ever heard from ANY vehicle! Funny thing is, I've connected everything exactly the same way I had connected it in the last car, but had no whine at all in that car.
Here's the simple (I know, kinda cheesy, but I wasn't looking for IASCA quality, just decent sound) installation technique I used:
1. Head unit installed 2 years ago still connected to factory radio wiring, including power and ground.
2. Equalizer power and ground shared with head unit connections.
3. Amp laying on carpeted floor under passenger seat, not touching metal. I zip-tied it to seat brackets instead of bolting it down.)
4. Amp power 4 gauge power cable runs directly to battery through thick factory rubber grommet (only one I could get to).
5. Amp grounded to seat bracket bolt.
Nothing out of the ordinary here. What kills me is that everything is hooked up the same way as the last car, yet I had no whine in that one.
So, does anyone think it could be that my amp power cable is too close to a factory wire harness? Would disconnecting deck and eq from stock wires and wiring power and ground directly to battery eliminate the whine?
I'm not ready to do any Big 3 stuff just yet, only because it's only one amp with gains set pretty low. Once I get the sub amp and subs in, THEN I'll consider the Big 3.
Oddly enough, I've had 1,300 watts of power from 3 amps in a Nissan Sentra with 6 speakers and a pair of 12's that had NO WHINE!
Thanks for any advice or opinion. OH, everything is crystal clear and sounds perfect with the KEY OFF. Like it should with car running!
NOTE: I checked a LOT of forum topics on this but couldn't really find the answer I needed.
kenwood_nut 
Stock Boy - Posts: 227
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Joined: April 10, 2009
Location: Washington, United States
Posted: February 26, 2016 at 9:06 AM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote kenwood_nut
Nothing special or fancy, but this is what I ended up with yesterday. Wasn't happy with having to mount the equalizer where it is (way too high on dash), but I had no real choices. Like I said, it sounds perfect when the engine is NOT running.
Worst whine Ever in 40 years -- posted image.Worst whine Ever in 40 years -- posted image.[/IMG]
FINAL NOTE: As in my last car, I'm running the RCA cables to the EQ under the inside of the console along the lower side, not up far. And the amp power wire runs along the door lower panel up through the firewall just above the carpet.
geepherder 
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Joined: October 27, 2003
Posted: February 26, 2016 at 12:12 PM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote geepherder
kenwood_nut wrote:
5. Amp grounded to seat bracket bolt.
This would be where I would start. Try regrounding the amp. Read through the grounding sticky. Post back if this doesn't resolve your issue.
My ex once told me I have a perfect face for radio.
kenwood_nut 
Stock Boy - Posts: 227
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Joined: April 10, 2009
Location: Washington, United States
Posted: February 26, 2016 at 5:59 PM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote kenwood_nut
5hanks! I'll try that first and let ya know! Grabbed some 8 gauge black wire from storage today.
i am an idiot 
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Posted: February 26, 2016 at 7:50 PM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote i am an idiot
Kenwood now puts a fuse in the shield of the RCA jack just as Pioneer has done for years. When this fuse blows the engine noise is horrible. Use an ohm meter and check the resistance between the outer part of the rca jack to the case of the radio. Disconnect all RCA cables from the radio before testing. Let me know what the meter tells you.
kenwood_nut 
Stock Boy - Posts: 227
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Joined: April 10, 2009
Location: Washington, United States
Posted: February 27, 2016 at 7:46 AM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote kenwood_nut
i am an idiot wrote:
Kenwood now puts a fuse in the shield of the RCA jack just as Pioneer has done for years. When this fuse blows the engine noise is horrible. Use an ohm meter and check the resistance between the outer part of the rca jack to the case of the radio. Disconnect all RCA cables from the radio before testing. Let me know what the meter tells you.
So you mean unplug from back of EQ input, but leave plugged into deck? I'll try that.
Also found a few tricks online, like to take unplug the RCA's from the equalizer and go straight to the amp. If noise is gone, the problem is the equalizer ground. If it's still there, the problem is most likely the head unit or its ground.
Crutchfield's tech people suggest to unplug the RCA's from the amp inputs and plug ONE side (red or white, either one) from Left to Right inputs of one channel. If the whine goes away, reconnect cables at amp and unplug them from head unit. If you still hear the noise, your cables are most likely picking up the noise somewhere.
I'm going to try every possible step suggested or found at reputable sites until I find the problem and correct it. But until then, I just don't get to jam while I'm driving, only when I'm parked. UGH! (Pretty busy today, but might get time this evening).
I'll let you all know what (if anything) I find. Like I said, this is the exact system I removed from my last car, which had no whine at all. That's the baffling part!
kenwood_nut 
Stock Boy - Posts: 227
Stock Boy spacespace
Joined: April 10, 2009
Location: Washington, United States
Posted: February 27, 2016 at 8:09 AM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote kenwood_nut
Funny thing? I've been reading in other so-called "forums" (nowhere near as helpful as the12volt!) that you can ground all your amps, deck and more to one big bolt. LMAO! Obviously these people have never read or studied the MECP Certification Manual OR the IASCA Competition Manual, both of which clearly state over and over again to NEVER ground more than one thing to one ground point! You should always ground each item to a separate ground (did I not remember this when I grounded my heat unit AND equalizer to the factory radio ground? LOL!). I'm talking more like amps, capacitors, or other stuff. I learned this 20+ years ago, and therefore never ground more than one thing to a bolt or screw. Ever!
PS... NO, I am NOT a member of ANY other car audio and electronics group. Not me! I'm no traitor! THE12VOLT is my sole forum! And all-time favorite! I only find other group's forum posts in google searches.
This is a ghetto system I installed in my 76 Dodge Dart in 1995. Wasn't trying to win any install awards, but did ground each amp plus a cooling fan to separate grounds: see those yellow connectors on the side. (This was after I cut the seat brackets out and formed a sheet of MDF to mount behind seat for a pair of free-air Pioneer 12'). I know, I probably should have grounded a bit further apart, but it worked. I've gotten more professional at it over the years. :)
Worst whine Ever in 40 years -- posted image.
i am an idiot 
Platinum - Posts: 13,666
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Joined: September 21, 2006
Location: Louisiana, United States
Posted: February 27, 2016 at 8:03 PM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote i am an idiot
Unplug all RCA cables from the radio. Check the resistance between the shield of the RCA jack of the radio, to the chassis of the radio.
kenwood_nut 
Stock Boy - Posts: 227
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Joined: April 10, 2009
Location: Washington, United States
Posted: February 29, 2016 at 10:45 AM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote kenwood_nut
Latest updates:
I removed the cheap 8q flimsy wire I was grounding the amp with and regrounded it with a better quality 8g cable, but to the same seat bolt. NO CHANGE in whine.
So then I disconnected the grounds for the head unit and equalizer from the factory stereo black ground wire and grounded them to a solid metal bracket behind the dash. STILL same bad whine when engine running.
Next, I'm going to test the RCA cables. They're high quality ones I bought a few years ago when I was running 3 amps, and they seem decent. Never had whine in the other cars.
I might try a Ground Loop Isolator, only because I happen to have one in my car audio "junk box" that I know is good.
Then I'm going to try grounding the RCA cables as I hear is a good idea.
I'll let you all know if I ever get rid of this whine and how I did it. Until that happens, I just can't listen to music when I'm driving, only when I'm parked with the engine off. UGH!!!
DYohn 
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Moderator spaceThis member has made a donation to the12volt.com. Click here for more info.spaceThis member has been recognized as an authority in Electrical Theory. Click here for more info.spaceThis member has been recognized as an authority in Mobile Audio and Video. Click here for more info.spacespace
Joined: April 22, 2003
Location: Arizona, United States
Posted: February 29, 2016 at 11:04 AM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote DYohn
I suggest you try the advice in the previous post.
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