Wierd Noise Through Speakers

[GTS4dood]

I just installed an amp into my little bro's car and when the ignition is on ACC it works fine but when the car is ON there is a wierd interferance noise that constantly comes from the speakers. What is this?

[nathn_r33]

Where did you run the wires for the amp?

[raz0r$harP.UK]

Sounds like 'alternator whine.' Happens usually when you're grounding points are inadequate, or your power and speaker cables are running too close to each other.

[Style32]

razor$harp is spot on, try moving your rca cables away from the power one

[Mr Italy!]

I have the exact same problem... ive moved the rca's away from the power etc and nothing seems to fix it.

[Al]

There are a few issues that may cause this, the most common have already been mentioned.

Others:

- Old graphic EQ's

- Cheap head units

- Faulty Amps (Dry soldier joints)

- Multiple devices with various ground points, causing an earth loop.

- Noisy Alternator

- And a few others

Good Luck!

[Medium Dave]

The easiest way to pick up noise is to run your power lead too close to your ignition components, check this, and your earth points, rca near power. If this does not fix it you may need to fork out for a suppsessor from jaycar or wherever

[GTS4dood]

thanks for the replies guys. i'll try running the power cable away from RCA's first as i ran them together. then if that doesnt work then i spose its trial and error.

[Crimpage]

When grounding your amps, make sure the ground wire actually touches metal... So sand off any paint in that little section around the bolt you are grounding it with...

Also, my skyline did not come with ... something i cant think of the name now... a little box thing that bolts to the altenator and helps to stop altenator whine... If someone can think of the name, please post it... But I had to pull one of a VK Commodore which fixed up a similar problem for me...

- Crimpage.

[grk200]

its definately the rca's too close to the power im a car sterio installer/supplier

[LiQuid IcE]

its not always the rca's too close to the power...

speshly in R33's where the batteries in the back so they dont run together at all...

mines doing the same thing...tried everything... gonna re-earth it tomorrow if not ill have to invest in one of those box thingies talked about above

[Al]

its not always the rca's too close to the power...

speshly in R33's where the batteries in the back so they dont run together at all...

mines doing the same thing...tried everything... gonna re-earth it tomorrow if not ill have to invest in one of those box thingies talked about above

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is probably unlikely; but a while ago i had the same problem in my previous car. Tried everything, including those power noise filters and that rca noise filters (which where BS as the rca filters removed the noise but also the bass), as well as everything mentioned above. A little while later i bought a competion amp, at a great price, to power my sub. I had a decent genuine Rockford Fosgate pushing a Rockford 12", but this "new" amp was much more powerful. The moment i removed the Rockford amp, the noise disappeared. So there could also be something minor wrong with an amp, such as a "dry joint". Try swapping amps or by-passing them to test out you system.

[LiQuid IcE]

It is probably unlikely; but a while ago i had the same problem in my previous car.  Tried everything, including those power noise filters and that rca noise filters (which where BS as the rca filters removed the noise but also the bass), as well as everything mentioned above.  A little while later i bought a competion amp, at a great price, to power my sub.  I had a decent genuine Rockford Fosgate pushing a Rockford 12", but this "new" amp was much more powerful.  The moment i removed the Rockford amp, the noise disappeared.  So there could also be something minor wrong with an amp, such as a "dry joint".  Try swapping amps or by-passing them to test out you system.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yeh i got the same problem at the moment.

replaced rca's

earthed it straight to the battery

got a noise filter thing (which didnt do anything at all)

i cant think of anything else other than it being sumthing rong with the amp

[Adelaideprosound]

As suggested above main culprit can be the noise supressor on the alternator which is non existent.

RCA's to close together these days they are well shielded so this is the most unlikely possibility.

Could be the earth.

But it can also be the earth tracks on the Headunit which are blown due to inadequate earthing of the amplifier. If the earth is not adequate the amplifier will try to find a ground closest to itself and this is normally the tiny earth shield or outer core of the RCA cable which can only handle about 2 amps of return current. This blows the tiny tracks in the headunit so the noise is induced in the form of engine noise.

George