Major Grounding Problem
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=33656
Printed Date: April 28, 2024 at 5:41 AM
Topic: Major Grounding Problem
Posted By: Nuffstylez
Subject: Major Grounding Problem
Date Posted: June 10, 2004 at 6:31 PM
Sup guys. I have a major grounding problem that I have been trying to figure out for almost a year and I tried everything, but nothing works. The car is a 2000 Honda Accord. First off, the head unit is a Pioneer AVH-7500DVD (motorized flip out dvd player). I had the car stripped out and ran all of the wires neatly, Ran the power and remote wire down the left side and ran the 3 sets of RCA's (front, rear, subs) down the middle of the passenger side of the car. Ran the ground from the back of the trunk (stripped all of the paint). The brain of the unit is under the driver seat. Hooked it up to a 4 channel Kicker amp and a 1 channel mono kicker amp. The sub is a solobaric L7. Okay so when I hooked everything up and tried it out I got major feedback with the car running and also with the car off. I tried everything. I tried hooking up the brain and the head unit to the ground in the trunk, that didn't work. When I hooked up the ground from the harness in the front to the 3 sets of RCA's the noise went away some what. So I tried to hook a ground from the trunk to each of the rca's in the back of the radio and the noise went away like 90%. So what could it be? I know the ground is good because I tested it. I am figuring it's a ground loop problem but I don't know what else to do. I probally can live with that little bit of feedback but it gets annoying sometimes. SO GUYS PLEASE HELP ME OUT. THANKS IN ADVANCE.
Replies:
Posted By: Sweekster
Date Posted: June 10, 2004 at 6:54 PM
You should probably check the grounds on your battery and your alternator and make they are secure and clean. Also make sure that they are putting out the proper voltage. ------------- Duane...
If you think you're confused, imagine how you feel. 
Posted By: Nuffstylez
Date Posted: June 10, 2004 at 6:59 PM
I checked those already, the ground on the battery and the alternator is crisp and clean. I forgot to say the power and ground wires are 0 gauge which goes to distribution blocks which then goes to the amps, and the RCA's are Stinger.
Posted By: auex
Date Posted: June 10, 2004 at 7:11 PM
So let me get this straight, the brain of the radio is under the driver's seat and the 0 gauge power wire is running down the driver's side (you said left) sill panel, if so bad idea? Also, what do you mean by hooking the ground to the rcas? And you get the noise no matter what, engine running or not?
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Posted By: Nuffstylez
Date Posted: June 10, 2004 at 7:20 PM
auex]S wrote:
let me get this straight, the brain of the radio is under the driver's seat and the 0 gauge power wire is running down the driver's side (you said left) sill panel, if so bad idea? Also, what do you mean by hooking the ground to the rcas? And you get the noise no matter what, engine running or not?
Oh man, you could be right. I have the power wire under the carpet on the driver side of the car. The brain is also on the driver side but above the carpet. I will try moving it and see what happens. About the rca's I had to run a wire from the ground in the trunk and connect each one (wrap it around the rca's head then connect it to the back of the radio. That's the only way to get most of the noise out. ( 90% ). And yeah I get the noise with the car running and when it's in accessory.
Posted By: forbidden
Date Posted: June 10, 2004 at 8:14 PM
Is this noise the same noise when the car is running as it is when it is not? If it is the same noise it sounds like it is signal induced. Is this noise only on the front speakers or is it front / rear or front / rear and sub? How close to the main power line are any crossovers? How close are any crossovers to any stock computer modules? Have you tried using a cd player with 3 preouts hokked directly into the amps? It sounds like the noise is signal related, but it may also be a poor ground plane in the Pioneer dvd unit or hideway module as well. ------------- Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.
Posted By: Nuffstylez
Date Posted: June 10, 2004 at 8:43 PM
forbidden wrote:
Is this noise the same noise when the car is running as it is when it is not? If it is the same noise it sounds like it is signal induced. Is this noise only on the front speakers or is it front / rear or front / rear and sub? How close to the main power line are any crossovers? How close are any crossovers to any stock computer modules? Have you tried using a cd player with 3 preouts hokked directly into the amps? It sounds like the noise is signal related, but it may also be a poor ground plane in the Pioneer dvd unit or hideway module as well.
Forbidden, it looks like your the man to talk to. I see that you reply to all questions about ground problems. Okay, the sound is kinda the same. Only thing when the car is started it's more high pitched and goes higher with the rpm's. The sound is coming from all of the speakers because it's only when the rca's are plugged in to the amp is when the noise starts. The crossovers are not close to any power lines or any cpu modules. And the rca's are hooked directly to the amps. And I thought the head unit and hideaway modules had poor grounds so I grounded it to a wire going to the ground in the trunk but it made no difference.
Posted By: forbidden
Date Posted: June 10, 2004 at 8:55 PM
I want you to try muting plugs. Take a couple of el-cheapo rca cables and cut the ends off. Wire the center conductor to the outside conductor. Put these "muting plugs" into the amps, do you still have noise? If you do then we have a difference in ground potentials between the amplifiers. Unmount the amplifiers (screws that make contact with the amp also make contact with the metal of the vehicle, thus a ground happens) and place the amps of cardboard or wood temporarily. Does the sound go away. My bet is that it is the ground plain in the Pioneer unit. Try another cd player to see what happens as well. I have to head out for the night, but one of the guys should be able to pick up where I have left off. Good luck.
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Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.
Posted By: Nuffstylez
Date Posted: June 10, 2004 at 9:00 PM
forbidden wrote:
I want you to try muting plugs. Take a couple of el-cheapo rca cables and cut the ends off. Wire the center conductor to the outside conductor. Put these "muting plugs" into the amps, do you still have noise? If you do then we have a difference in ground potentials between the amplifiers. Unmount the amplifiers (screws that make contact with the amp also make contact with the metal of the vehicle, thus a ground happens) and place the amps of cardboard or wood temporarily. Does the sound go away. My bet is that it is the ground plain in the Pioneer unit. Try another cd player to see what happens as well. I have to head out for the night, but one of the guys should be able to pick up where I have left off. Good luck.
Thanks I will try the muting plugs and get back with you tomorrow. Right now I have the amps on wood so I don;t think there is any ground potentials between the amps.
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