Hope some of you experts can help me with this problem. I have a 2k2 with the bose system. Recently I upgraded with an Alpine 5 channel amp, Polk front and rear speakers, and 10" Alpine sub. Made a HUGE difference and really sounds great. My problem is that I have some engine whine when accelerating from a stop. This occurs with the radio on or off. I have Monster cable for my power and I tapped into the factory harness just before the bose amp. I have disconneceted both the regular and sub Bose Amps. Additionally I ran separate wire from the tweeters to the Polk supplied crossovers and left the mid/bass through the factory harness. I believe the system is well grounded. The whine does not occur if I rev the engine in park...only when driving. At highway speed it is for all practical purposes non existant. What would be the best way to trouble shoot this? With the stereo on moderately loud it is not a problem but when I am driving clients around with the stereo off it is quite embarrassing and annoying. Thanks in advance for any help on the subject.

Jeff

 

Are you sure you have a good REMOTE connection to the AMP, it sounds as if you AMP is constantly on. If so, this is possible of your symptoms. Also as far as the Wining noise do you have the RCA or Speaker cables any where near the power cables? You could also have a ground loop problem.

 

Hi. The amp is on when ever the ignition is on and the speaker wire for my tweeter is running along the same path as the power cord although they do not touch. How would I check for a "ground loop" problem? Thanks for the help.

Jeff

 

if the sound is only coming through the tweeter then that's your problem. if it is overall, I would say it is your power wire..have you tried running it straight to the battery? Bose amps are probably isolated on the input stage to get rid of the noise..the noise dont change in pitch with rev? only when idle in park? And that is on and off too right? radio wise?

 

sorry....reread your post..now i'd have to say it is power wire and remote combination..you have it connected to the ignition i assume and this is why..it is probably getting ac interference.i'd say the power wire is doing the same..bose probably works off the ignition but their amps are probably "choked" internally to prevent ac noise.
Are you running a stock head unit too? Bose radio?

 

Yes I have the Bose head unit. I will try using a location other than the ignition for the remote power. I also read somewhere that the gound for the bose HU is the antenna. If this is the case I will re-ground to the chasis. Thanks.

Jeff

 

Slickonetoo, I know you are trying to help however you did not read what he wrote, or maybe I am reading it wrong.

What I believe he is saying is that whenever the car is on the amp turns on, this means that he does not have a good remote connection. You need to get the remote connection from the stereo. Meaning that only when the stereo is turned on then the amp comes on. As for running your tweeters near your power, very bad idea. Since tweeters are make to produce high frequencies and you also have a high frequency whine coming from your alternator, the tweeter will pick it up. What you can do is, like you said, run seperate paths, also if you can get twisted speaker wires. Let me know if you need more info. Also some head units do use the antenna as a ground.

 

yes dohcser you are right I did misread it the first time why I posted the 2nd one...still, it could be both but the remote coming off the ignition is a bad idea and "tapping" into the old power for the bose amps is too a bad idea as it is probably linked to ignition switch also I honestly don't know how the bose head is..it may indeed have a remote for their amps but not likely if so, sorry as I admit, didn't know..just basing it on typical situations...I would still go straight to battery with power and find another source for the remote.."usually" the remote won't cause the whine as it is only used to turn on the amp but it is possible I assume..still find another source to at least rule out either option..I wouldn't recommend "tapping" into the factory head unit for the remote either..

......Now that I think about it, I am "assuming" that it is still a factory head unit right? or did you replace that as well? If it is factory head, what are you doing for gain settings?

 

geeze......I need to quit scrolling through the thread..I see now that you DO still have factory head sorry...could possibly be in the gains as well..how do you have the amp hooked up? does it use "speaker level inputs" or rca's?
Still, I would change the remote and send the power straight to the battery first, but you might not be getting the levels set on the amp right either...not likely "the" case but may be part of it also..

 

I am dealing with this right now, and I know what the problem is...

There is a computer box mounted directly behind the Ashtray. It is a small box that is mounted to the frame piece that spans the opening behind the radio and AC Controls.

This box emits a tremendous (Did I say TREMENDOUS) amount of interference. You have to figure out a way to keep your wires as far away from this box, AND the white plastic AC Chamber that spans the back of the Stereo/AC Control Cubby hole (viewed when the radio and AC controls are removed).

I can't tell you how difficult it has been to elliminate this noise. I had to run an extension RCA cable away from this mess AND use a noise filter in-line on my RCA cables.

I have read and tried just about everything, and I am very confident that it is the two culprits above that cause the problems. I am looking now for some sort of insulation that I can line the cavity with to keep this interference away from my cables.

The whine will drive you nuts, but my recommdations above will eliminate almost all of the noise until a better solution is found or recommended. -Good Luck