I cropped my ground cables from the amp and sub to about 1.75 ft long and regrounded them to the metal trunk flooring beneath the carpet(toward the back, left side). I thought that would solve my annoying static and alternator whine (when car shifts) but I was wrong.

What else can I do to eliminate the noise??

Thickness of the ground cables are decent, 12 gauge I believe.

Thanks!
Ange

 

Hi, here are a few suggestions if you haven't already tried it out:

1) sand off, first with a 30-100 grit piece of sandpaper, then witha finer piece, the surface where the ground wire connects to so there isn't any more paint left in that area.

2) Hm, it's really general, but you could probably check to see all of your connections...do you use gold terminals? though they're not necessary, it really makes an install look nice, plus it'll ensure good connectivity.

3) go to elitecaraudio.com. Search. Post. There are great people there

 

I would use the same size cable for positive and negative power leads to amp. Also, do you have any speakers amplified with the headunit? If so try disconnecting the amp and listen to the noise. Is it still there? If so the noise is entering through the HU, not the amp. Do you have any other components between the HU and amps?

 

12 gauge??? hmm....
i usually go 8 gauge minimum... keep
the grounds short, and sand the area you plan
to screw the ground into

i like to use self tap screws and screw the ground down
to a fresh new point, but a lot of ppl like to take existing
bolts like the shock tower, etc...
i've noticed a lot of resistance and engine noise when grounded to
the shock tower

 

Matthel, Matthel I love you!! Can I move in with you?

 

im not matthel man

 

Another suggestion.

If you really wanted to, you could buy a gold ground terminal...it's usually in a an L shape, will accept a variety of AWG wires, and bolts down to a flat surface.

I don't have any noise in my system..it was a first-time self install for me. Maybe I was lucky? or maybe it's that 4AWG wire that I used for the power and ground...hehe.

 

Thanks everyone for their input

I'll try to sand the paint off at the ground point tonight. Though I'm skeptical as that being the end-all-solution.

Turd: I checked all the connections on the amp and sub. They're fine. Some have gold plated connectors, while others (like my ground) are regular connectors.

Jmax: None of the speakers are powered by the HU. What do you mean by components bet. Amp and HU?

Evil Yak: I'll take a few pictures later and post so u can see my existing setup. What's 'shock tower'?

FYI: There is NO static/interference from the speakers when the engine is shut off.

Does anyone think it could be the RCA connection behind the headunit that's picking up the interference? That's a PITA for me to get to

 

is this a new noise that has developed? or has it always been there? usually its better to have a larger gauge wire than the positive if possible. using multipe grounds for each amp is also a good idea. i have two grounds for each of my amps.other good ideas.. ground your battery to the firewall and radiator support, udgrade your alternator ground wire. another possible cause, are your rca's and power wires running up the same side of the car? they shouldn't. thats another possible cause. good luck

 

AHhAhHAh.. dunnoy but it sounds funny HAhHAhAH..

i used a 0awg cable to ground my battery in the trunk, i drilled a new hole in there sanded down the paint n stuff. but i still get engine whine.. u can try adding more grownd strapps to the engine... i heard that helps.. and i also heard that u shuld try to not share grounds. drill a new hole everytime u wanna ground something. whcih ever is the shortest route.

 

But I have heard from other people that know what they're talking about to use the same ground point (not the same cable but just where its bolted to the frame) for your amps/caps...This way there is less area for interference to enter the system. Mine sounds fine so I don't need to change anything, just wondering what the concensous (sp?) is on this.

PJ

 

One ground point to eliminate ground loop. I meant do you have an EQ, crossover, or anything else that gets The RCA from HU before it goes to the amps? And the point about adding a substantial ground cable from engine to chassis is good. The plastic motor mounts don't conduct too well.

 

well... the shock tower is the top of the rear suspension
where you bolt the RSTB to...
anyway another solution that i just thought of is to
turn down the gains on the amp... i did that on my car
when i was tuning it and all the engine noise is gone
most people have their gains up too high anyway

 

Too high? That's as ridiculous as too loud and too much power! You can't amplify noise unless it is there to amplify.

 

The ground cables are prolly 8 or 10 gauge... I'm no expert at this but hopefully with you guys' help, I can uncover the bug.

Here was my ground point before:


Here's what I did last night... sanded down the area.
Sorry for the blur.


KCTYPHOON: The noise I have now did not exist when I had my first system (Alpine components w/ built-in x-overs, no sub, no rear speakers and Sony Amp). The static/alternator whine started when I swapped out my old system with this new setup.

JMAX: I have 2 sets of components with external x-overs (front and rear), no EQ other than the built-in version on the HU. I think the additional ground from engine to chassis is a viable idea. Could you share add'l insight as to how I would go about doing that?

Evil Yak: I'll check on the gains just to be sure it's within reasonable setting.

AnGe

 

well... one issue i see with your stereo
already is the fact that you're using
Rockford Fosgates... those amps love engine
noise... i have the 800a4 in my car and OMG
no matter what i do there is freakin noise...

btw, what kind of RCA's do you have and how
are you running them? that makes a big difference
as well... run the RCA's as far away from the power
cable as possible


jmax-the lower the gain is, the less susceptible
the amp is to recieving engine noise from the RCA's
because the amp is less sensitive

anyway, good luck ange the pix look pretty good

 

Two things to try:

1. Run a ground cable from the HU to the amp ground.

if that doesn't work:

2. Buy a ground-loop eliminator RCA cable to use between the HU
and the crossover or amp. You may need two sets depending
upon your setup. This is a cable with an isolation transformer
in the middle of it.

 

I have one set of Monster RCA's and another generic brand (but same thickness and gold plated as well). Looks like I'll need some help stripping my interior to move apart the power and RCA cables.

Thanks again!
Ange

 

cool, let us know how it goes

 

Eliminate the noise and the amps will not be able to amplify the noise. Sorry if you misunderstood my original intent.

 

You could try using one of those filters they sell for removing electrical noise from the power feed cables. The noise you are amplifying sounds like alternator whine. The component I am describing is a special kind of filter which is used to help clean up the power signal feeding the amp. Just a thought . . .

 

The noise could be coming from your headunit. Good headunit ground and good headunit power source helps. Route RCA cables away from possible noise makers. ie. power wires, electrical motors.

 

try regrounding the headunit...i've done mine 2x already (oem harness and 12v acc. outlet) and the whine keeps coming back i'm about to run dedicated 12g from battery to keep the **** workin

 

The static isn't bad, but certainly an annoyance, just like the alternator whine. Regrounding the HU and running the RCA cables thru the cabin is something I plan to do when the weather gets warmer here in the northeast. -Ange

 

First, what kind of rca cables are you running? I used to run cheap rca cables in my max and my old cavalier z24 and had lots of engine whine when the car was on, especially when revving the engine. I switched to moster cables (they were like 35 bucks) and got rid of almost all of the noise (90%). Also, make sure you do not run any power cables with your speaker cables. That doesn't just mean the rca's to the amp, but also anywhere near your stock wiring. Even a power turn on wire running with your rca's will give you engine noise. I believe that stock wiring runs on the drivers/left side of the car. If none of this works, i know where you can get shielded power cable,,,,but its not cheap.......As far as a good ground, it shouldn't matter as much as this. I've used various grounds and never saw a difference,,,,but maybe thats just my case.....

 

I have 2 sets of RCAs, one is Monster, the other is generic (same thickness and gold plated). Anyway, I'll be replacing them with better RCAs and re-run them thru the cabin as far from the power cable as I can.- Ange

 

hey ange when you figure this out lemme know cuz i got the same problem, ive tryied regounding and what not, anyone know of a good spot to ground to?

 

you are sure you are not running any power wires around any speaker lines right?

 

OK, I've read soooo many posts about engine noise that I'm gonna' puke!

I just installed a new system and did extensive checking regarding my engine noise.

In my '01 Max, there are two hot points where noise seems to enter the sound path. The first is the area near the white plastic directly behind and below the radio. The second is the little black box that is mounted on the bottom-most metal cross member directly under where the ashtray is when installed.

If any power wires or RCA's come close to either of these "Hotzones" you WILL get SIGNIFICANT engine noise.

Seems as though the best trick I have found to eliminate this is to ensure that the bare RCA Connections AND power cables/boxes are as far away from these two zones as possible.

That's not easy to do!

Remember, that what we are talking about are the bare connections or joints where two wires are connected. To get rid of the engine noise, I had to move the bare connections away from the Hotzones.

I'm searching for a mat or some sort of barrier that I can lay inside area behind the stereo to shield the backside and bottom of the open areas between the stereo connections and these zones. I'll post if I ever figure something out, but please share if you have any ideas.

Engine noise is a nasty animal to tame, so be patient and try everything.

 

The solution is simple. Do not run your RCA's next to and "power" (12V) lines. Run RCA's down the center of the car away from the 12V that is run along the door sills on both sides (from the factory). Even with well shielded RCA cables you can pick up alternator whine even if they only run next to each other for a few feet.

When I first put my system in my Max I had the amps mounted on a board sitting in the middle of my trunk temporarily and there was no noise. I put them on their final position and got noise. The problem was that the RCA's were running next to the power lines that go to the tailights for maybe 3 feet. I moved them so they run down the center of the trunk and Voila back to silence. I had similar issues in my last car too. Power and RCA's don't mix.

So in short, don't run power and RCAs next to each other.

Stereodude

 

Could using either "twisted pair" vs. RCA or a "floating ground / differential" setup help this minimize the noise issue at all?

 

I do not believe so. The problem isn't that the signal bleeds onto the ground in the cable, so a twisted pair I don't think would stop this.

The Bose system is a differential system perhaps that's what allows it to be noise free despite the long runs of wire around the car. It's hard to say. However I'm not aware of any aftermarket equipment that uses a differential setup.

Stereodude

 

Even running your RCA and power cabe 3ft away from eachother doesn't help when you come to crossing them at input on the amp itself. They have to be crossed at a 45 or a 90 angle. Even if you have the RCA ground loop eliminator. This applies to the constant on the HU as well. They HAVE to be crossed at these angles or you will never get rid of your problem. I have found that grounding to my seatbelt bolt is a better ground than any self tapper or L-strap.

 

Wow...This thread is so old

 

old but I still have to comment...

this...
not this...
the rules of crossing cables are only relevant if you are using terrible unshielded cabling and have a bad ground. I have personally wrapped RCA cables around the main power lead to prove that this is an old rule that is no longer relevant. 90% (made that up but you get the point) of engine noise comes from a bad amp ground, bad head unit ground, or even a bad vehicle ground sometimes. If you have a good ground you can braid your RCA, power and remote turn on if you want.

 

Just to let you know. If you make sure you run your power cable far away from your RCA jacks, it will dramatically reduce EMI (Electro-Magnetic-Interferance).

Also, my buddy's head unit had very very bad EMI (or alternator whine). I grounded the fram of the head unit to the chasis of the car as well. it elimitated it. The ground to the amp needs to be the same gauge the power wire is. So, if' it's 8 gauge red power wire, make sure you have 8 gauge ground wire. If you have 12 gauge or above, take those wires out and use them for jump rope or for something else. I have nothing but 4 gauge (one per amp). It works great for me.

hope this helps.