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Engine noise 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=51015
Printed Date: April 27, 2024 at 12:06 PM


Topic: Engine noise problem

Posted By: pimpjuice
Subject: Engine noise problem
Date Posted: February 27, 2005 at 10:36 PM

I have a cadillac seville and I am getting a whining engine noise that gets louder as i press the gas. It started when i installed a new TV Tuner. The thing is though, even when i unhook the RCA's from the tuner, i still get the sound. As soon i unhook them from the head unit, the sound is gone. So i know the problem in generating in the RCA cables. I replaced them with new ones, and installed a ground loop isolater, but the sound istill there. Even when i completely unhook the new tuner, and just leave the cables hooked to the head unit only, it still is there. Any suggestions? Any help would be appreciated.




Replies:

Posted By: sns xpress
Date Posted: February 27, 2005 at 10:43 PM
Are you running amplifiers and if so are the power wire and your rca cables ran down the same side of the car? rca cable should be ran oppossite from power wires.




Posted By: stevdart
Date Posted: February 27, 2005 at 10:56 PM
It is a ground loop at the head unit.  Connect a separate ground wire from the head unit to the car chassis.  Try to correct the problem with the ground loop isolator out of the picture.

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Posted By: maaudio1
Date Posted: February 27, 2005 at 11:31 PM
Yeah sounds like a serious ground problem. Reground the head unit and the tuner. If that doesn't work, hit us back up and let us know.

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2004 Mazda 3s Hatchback
2- MTX 4500 8" subs powered by MTX 251D




Posted By: maaudio1
Date Posted: February 27, 2005 at 11:33 PM

Just thought of something, are you using a RF Modulator for the tuner? If you are thats more than likely your problem. I have seen way too many of those be bad straight out of the box.



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2004 Mazda 3s Hatchback
2- MTX 4500 8" subs powered by MTX 251D




Posted By: pimpjuice
Date Posted: February 28, 2005 at 8:34 AM

No, my power wires aren't even running down the side of the car b/c the battery is under the back seat. I will try to reground the head unit, only the problem doesn't happen if i hook my dvd player direcly into the head unit, nor does it happen on the radio, or on the CD Changer which is also hooked through the head unit. I have already tried regrounding the tuner. I have been told that it may be b/c i have TV antenna hooked up in the rear window. At one time, i ran the rca cables outside of the car, and back into the trunk, and just left them hanging there, and i still heard the noise.





Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: February 28, 2005 at 10:15 AM
Does your HU have a dedicated AUX input or are you using an adapter to create one?  Your noise is being generated in the head unit, probably due to a bad or cheap ground plane on the AUX input inside the HU or due to bad grounding in the adapter if you're using one.  If the HU has a dedicated AUX input and this kind of engine whine persists, there is nothing you can do about it except get your HU repaired.  If you're using an adapter, try running a new ground for it (or adding one) or replace it.

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Posted By: pimpjuice
Date Posted: February 28, 2005 at 10:48 AM
The head unit has an integrated AUX input but it is not damaged because when i hook my DVD player directly into it, the whine is not there. it only happens when i run the long rca cables through the vehicle




Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: February 28, 2005 at 10:54 AM

That only means the problem is being created by the impedence of the long cables.  If the noise changes with the cables location, then it is probably induction from some RF source in the vehicle (since you say you tried differnt cables, so you've ruled out the most likely cause which is damaged cables.)  If it does not matter where the cables are located (which is what I thought you were saying) then it has to be a bad AUX input on your HU.  The noise is being caused by the total length of the cable attached, which is being demonstrated when it stops with shorter cables attached.  I suggest your HU is faulty.   What is it, BTW?



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Posted By: geepherder
Date Posted: February 28, 2005 at 9:41 PM
It sounds to me that your tuner is creating a ground loop.  I'd try another one.

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Posted By: pimpjuice
Date Posted: March 01, 2005 at 10:17 AM
It is an Alpine CVA 1004, i am using the same long cable to hook up to the DVD player though, and when i hook the DVD player directly to the HU, there is no sound, using the same long cables. I could send out the HU but then if that's not the problem, i will be out some money, however much alpine charges because it is no longer under warranty. Maybe it is just a lost cause. Could it be anything else?




Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: March 01, 2005 at 2:55 PM
So if the cables are open, you get noise.  If the cables are plugged into the tuner, you get noise, but if the cables are plugged into the DVD, no noise?  And it's the same cables?  Try grounding the outer ring.

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Posted By: pimpjuice
Date Posted: March 01, 2005 at 3:29 PM
Yes that's the situation. What is the outer ring?




Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: March 01, 2005 at 4:00 PM

The outer ring or shield conductor of the RCA cables.  It sounds to me like your HU has a bad ground plane on the pre-amp output creating a ground loop in the pre-amp signal.  When you plug in the DVD player it grounds the RCA's well enough to overcome this, but the tuner does not. 

Try an experiment: disconnect the RCAs.  Play the system so you hear the noise.  Connect a wire from the outer ring of the RCA plugs to ground.  You can use the ground terminal on one of your amps.  See if the noise stops.  If so, then my guess is right.  If not, then there is something else going beyond my ability to troubleshoot over the internet!



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