Over a year and a half ago I decided to purchase a car audio system. All the equipment is listed in my sig. Ever since the install I have been hampered by a medium grade alternator whine. The shop on 3 different occasions and 7 hours later, has come to the conclusion that there is something wrong with my Eclipse amp. They have tried re-grounding and/or moving the ground, relocating the crossovers for the components away from the center console. I went back to the bay in one instance when the center console was apart, and the radio was in the installers hand, and no noise. Once he put it back in the dash, the noise came back. After getting off the phone with Eclipse, and affirming that the amp is covered under the 3 yr. warranty, they find it hard to believe, but would look at my amp once they got it. Also, since my amp is a discontinued model so the shop is not able to give me a loaner while mine gets sorted out by eclipse. It's funny who would have ever thought that I spend this much money to have my stereo sound so LOUD, and also so quiet. So, my question is, have y'all heard of malfunctions within amps that produce alternator whine?

 

i've never heard it, but i'd assume its possible machines have a margin of error when producing items such as these, but that margin is so slim most people have probably never seen this occur.

 

No noise when the headunit was out of the car? That means the amp was on and there was no noise. It's not an amp issue and your installers are idiots. They need to stop grounding the headunit to the strap in the back of the console. They should also run a new power wire for the headunit but that may not be needed. You probably have a ground loop from installing the headunit in the console and allowing it to come in contact with a bad ground. This is an everyday issue in any install bay that does more than 1 install a day.

 

I don't know if you have any around you but I got it done at Custom Sounds. I also was under the assumption at the time of purchase, and also after listening to it, the total system and all of its parts that Eclipse is high grade/quality/performance stuff?

 

Jmax is right.

 

Yes Eclipse is a bit on the higher end. If the noise was non existing when the HU was out, then the problem lies within the installers work like Jmax posted. Although it may be a bad ground they used, it can also be the placement of the filter that boldly states on it to place AWAY from the radio. Most shops around here just throw everything in, take your money, and worry about it another day IF the customer even says anything or comes back.

Definately not sounding like an amp issue.


--Don

 

thanks for everyones help. So my question now is, where do I go from here, since this is their problem and not mine, and the install is "guaranteed" for life. Either I can live with it, or try to tell them the information y'all gave me. I can see that going over real well. Yuh got that from where? The Innnnn-terrrrr-nettttttt? I guess it's live with, or try to go to another shop?

 

i would suggest to them that there might be a bad ground on the headunit side of things, because of the fact that the whine was gone when the headunit was outside of the console.

 

i'm not too sure of how the wiring schematics are on all eclipse units. on mine, the hideaway unit contains a ground and the headunit has no ground. rather...the headunit mounts onto the metal supports and that in itself is a ground (or so i was told my an eclipse tech on the phone).
does his unit have a ground to begin with or is he just attaching it onto the supports that hold up the unit. i also have a whine, but only when i play dvd's. been trying to trace it but it's almost a lost cause.
would running a better ground from those metal supports to the frame of the car do a better job or are those metal supports already considered good ground?

 

If the installer beleives that screwing the headunit into the metal frame is a good ground that is high on the list for most likely causes of your whine. When the posters installers took the headunit out of the car but still had it on they had to have a negative electrical contact. Most likely a wire. I can't beleive any electronics company in 2003 would suggest not using a good ground. I know that alpine specifically states not to use the method you mentioned for this exact reason.

I would definitely get on the phone or email with Eclipse directly if you bought this from an authorized dealer and that who is doing the install. They may need to have a rep drive to the store and inspect some of the installs.

 

It is also possible that the radio was getting its ground throught he antenna wire, and the bracket that screws into the dash is creating a ground loop. One of the ways to begin finding out what the problem is, is to begin disconnecting the signal wires (rca) starting at the amp. If the noise goes away, then the amp is fine. Plug the rca's back into the amp, and disconnect them at the radio. If the noise goes away, then it is not the cables, and would lead you to believe the radio is introducing noise into the system. If the installer is able to hold the radio in his hand, and get the noise out of the system, then he needs to recreate what he is doing with the radio installed. It is also possible that where the IC box (power supply) from the radio is sitting is too close to the RCA's when it is stuffed in the dash. The best thing to do is take noise problems step by step. Good luck, I hope this helps.

 

I was afraid to cause more confusion with the antenna ground loop. But it is a definite possibility.

 

Obviously, the reason I went to a stereo shop and paid them the money is because I have no clue of where to begin on the install. Having said that, all your comments are very much appreciated, but yet are still greek to me. Calling Eclipse is definitely a good idea though. Like I said before, I have lived with it for a year and a half now, and I probably could live with it more. I just believe that spending over $2,000 should get me a system that is perfect. This last time that I was in the shop, the salesman who sold me the equipment walked in, (who has now left the shop) and I told the problem, and he said yea I know, I still can't get the whine out of my car after I put the stereo in. I dont know if that was being honest, or just testifying that it wasn't just my car that has whine, and that it's not out of the ordinary.

 

You should always run the ground on your head unit to the same place you ground your amp(s) and x-over (active). If you are not using the internal amps in the head unit, then a 18 guage wire should suffice. If there is no ground wire on your head unit then I would suggest running a wire from the metal chassis (attach to a screw or something) of the head unit back to the amp ground location. What I ussually do is use speaker wire and use one side for the remote turn on for the amp and the other for the ground.

Ted

 

Check the faq's. Or use the links below. Running a new ground all the way to the trunk is not usually needed and has the possibility of picking up noise in the excessive length of the new ground wire.

http://www.installdr.com/TechDocs/999501.pdf
http://www.installdr.com/TechDocs/999502.pdf