An idea for removing alternator whine?
10-12-2005, 11:40 AM
#1
An idea for removing alternator whine?
Hey guys, I got some advice from a person on how to remove alternator whine from my stock head unit to the amplifier to the speakers, basically I'm getting noise from my high-low converters to the amplifier input. This person told me that if I added a wire from the outside of the RCA cable to the amplifier housing, as a means of grounding the RCA cable. Now I just need to know what to do...
See where the black line that I drew, is that where I somehow attach a wire and then take that wire and attach it to the housing of tha amp? Also, instead of attaching it to the housing of the amp, is it ok if I plug the wire into the battery ground terminal for the amp? Or is that just for the power wires?
Please help.
See where the black line that I drew, is that where I somehow attach a wire and then take that wire and attach it to the housing of tha amp? Also, instead of attaching it to the housing of the amp, is it ok if I plug the wire into the battery ground terminal for the amp? Or is that just for the power wires?
Please help.
10-12-2005, 04:35 PM
#2
first..before you do anything...try regrounding your amp...you probably have some kind of interference to where you grounded it...or you didnt sand down the spot that you grounded your amp wire too..you need to ground the amp to BARE metal...not painted metal...AFTER you do that...come back and lemme know if it works or hot..you probably just have a bad ground sumwhere..its just a matter of time/trial and error until you know exactly what it is. 
10-12-2005, 06:02 PM
#6
Originally Posted by AscendantMax
i usually don't reply what someone else already said, but i think i caught a case of "2damax-itis" 
i know what you mean...ha..post count went up like 30 in 2 days...lol..ive just been pretty bored...you're not on aim?
10-12-2005, 07:48 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,771
In addition to what everyone else said, I wanted to add that it is NOT common practice to directly ground the outer (shielded) conductor of an RCA cable. This is because this outer conductor is already chasis grounded via any components (head unit, amplifer) it's hooked to. I'm not 100% sure how it all works, but if you directly ground the RCA cables as you suggest and this wire accidentally comes into contact with a power source, it will instantly damage any component (head unit, amplifier) it's hooked up to. So cure your alternator whine the conventional way (as others have suggested) and leave your RCA cables alone.
If anyone else has input on this, feel free to chime in.
Tony
If anyone else has input on this, feel free to chime in.
Tony
10-12-2005, 08:11 PM
#8
Well, I've done everything there was except for the big three. I changed my ground twice, grinded away all the paint, and currently have the ground attacched to the spare wheel well. I also picked up the amp, high low converter, and everything in the air and played the system, and still no luck. All I know is that, when the car is running, but the head unit is turned off, there is no whine, but once I turn on the head unit, it's full blast alternator whine. I am using the maxima stock headunit, non-bose. What can this be? The ground is in the best possible place, as most have recommended, spare wheel well bolted down and all paint sanded away.
10-13-2005, 04:34 AM
#12
I wouldnt put it into the amp gruond, i would do on one end to the chassis of the amp, and do the same on the other end to the body of the radio. I have recommended that for years and it has no ill affects. Sometimes it seems the noise just wont stop. THis usually does.
10-13-2005, 02:59 PM
#13
Originally Posted by mendon99
stupid question, but are you using sheilded RCAs?
I wouldnt put it into the amp gruond, i would do on one end to the chassis of the amp, and do the same on the other end to the body of the radio. I have recommended that for years and it has no ill affects. Sometimes it seems the noise just wont stop. THis usually does.
10-13-2005, 06:48 PM
#14
you take a piece of wire, bend it in an L shape. Insert the short leg of the L to the inside of the outer ring (Female part of the rca), dont allow it to touch the center pole and plug the rca in. THis should be now sandwiched between the outer ring of the rca you just plugged in and the outer ring of the one on the amp. DO the same at the radio. Upon doing this you should have one end sticking up out of each wire. Attach that to the chasses of the radio and amp. YOUR DONE>
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