alternator whine

[jfirios]

anyone install a higher end stereo and experience the altinator whine through their speakers? I am pulling my hair out to try and see what the problem might be coming from. When I was first installing the radio and was just running crap speakers through the new HU. Sounded clear no whine. Flash forward and I have the 1000 watt amp and a pre amp eq and getting all kinds of whine. Dont know if the ground might be causing it or what the other issues might be. Just want to know if anyone else has this issue.

[DMCMW Dave]

anyone install a higher end stereo and experience the altinator whine through their speakers? I am pulling my hair out to try and see what the problem might be coming from. When I was first installing the radio and was just running crap speakers through the new HU. Sounded clear no whine. Flash forward and I have the 1000 watt amp and a pre amp eq and getting all kinds of whine. Dont know if the ground might be causing it or what the other issues might be. Just want to know if anyone else has this issue.

Better shielded cables between the head and amp. Yoiu may also need to add an alternator whine filter to the head unit.

[82DMC12]

What is your ground and power source like? You need to get distribution blocks right off the battery for both power and ground and have all pieces of equipment running off them. No ground loops.

[Bitsyncmaster]

1000 watts is going to add a 75 to 100 amp peak load on your car's 12 volt system. You defiantly don't want to share any wiring used for the cars system. Wire your power and ground directly to the battery.

[jfirios]

that is what some other people are saying to do. Give the amp and HU as clean of a 12 v as you can. I am going to set up a new relay system to allow for clean power to go to the HU. The power for the amp goes directly from the battery to a high end cap, then to the amp. Grounds filter back from the amp back to the cap then to the frame of the car. As far as the ground loops someone also said I have some of those, but I am not entirely sure what those are.

[jawn101]

As far as the ground loops someone also said I have some of those, but I am not entirely sure what those are.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_loop_%28electricity%29

http://siber-sonic.com/electronics/GLoopwhatis.html

http://www.epanorama.net/documents/groundloop/index.html

Basically there is more than one path to ground and they are at different potentials, which is introducing noise.

[dmc6960]

Grounds filter back from the amp back to the cap then to the frame of the car.

If you grounding your amp on the same lead your grounding your CAP to, you may want to separate those. Still bring them both back to the battery but on separate lines.

[82DMC12]

Get two distribution blocks like these:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_17750_Stinger-SHD21.html

Run a big wire, like 4 gauge off your negative terminal to the block. You can mount the block in your battery compartment. Run your 8 gauge or whatever from the block to each piece of audio gear.

Do the same with another block to all your +12's. Don't forget fuses.

Don't run your RCA's right next to the power wires. Run them along the other side of the center console/tunnel.

If you follow these rules you shouldn't have any noise if you have quality equipment. I don't have any issues with mine.

Andy

[Spittybug]

Has anyone asked themselves why anyone needs 1000W amp in a Delorean? Unless you have the wish to turn the entire fiberglass tub into a reverberating bucket or have external speakers to help old Goldie get elected, what the hell do you need 1000W for? My Alpine is an MRP-M350 which puts out a very clean 200W. My kidneys shake loose any stones when I turn that thing up and drive the JL subwoofer mounted in the cubby. And my lights don't dim.

[Elvis]

1000w pmpo :-p

[jawn101]

1000w pmpo :-p

Nice :) I remember the Craig was rated at 15W. I wonder if that was PMPO or RMS? Not like it matters, lol

[jfirios]

well, i have a competition system in there., the 1000 watt powers 15 speakers, 4 tweeters in the windshield, 4 2 in mids in the dash, 2 6 in in the foot wells, 2 6in in the rear deck along with two tweeters and a 10in sub behind the drivers seat. It sounds like a lot but it is all combined with the right eq with volume controls and sub volume controls both on the amp and remotely, it creats incredible separation for the sound. add in all the sound proofing I did in the interior, there is no rattle anywhere in the tub and even at high volumes, you can barely hear it outside of the car but the inside sounds like you are center stage at a concert. Minus the alternator whine :)

For the ground wires, I didn't think you were to bring anything back to the battery. I have it grounded back to the frame of the car. I connected the 4 gage ground wire from the cap back into the engine compartment and grounded it to the frame of the car right by the panel where the charcoal filter is housed.I think i am going to definitely separate all the radio power from the main harness first using a relay to go from the key switch wire so that clean power goes to the radio and eq. have a separate power right from the battery to the memory wire for the HU. Then start cleaning up all the grounds. Basically have the stereo system completely independent of any other system in the car.
The RCA cables are a high end monster cable that are shielded already.

[jfirios]

The cap I am using is designed to have the ground from the amp come back to it. Power comes in from the battery past a fuse, into the cap, then out of the cap to the amp. Then ground from out of the amp to the cap, out of the cap to the frame of the car.
http://www.soundstreamonlinestore.com/products/Soundstream-SC%252d8F-8-Farad-Power-Capacitor.html

[82DMC12]

Like I said, if you want to eliminate noise you need distribution blocks wired up just like I wrote above. Not to the frame. They need a common ground point (battery). You are introducing ground loops. I'm not an electrical engineer but I spent a lot of time getting advice before building my stereo and the blocks are the way to go. You also won't hack up any original wiring that way.

[jfirios]

I will definitely look into the distro blocks. That might do the trick. and again, I was told by other stereo installers that you never go back to the battery for your ground.

[82DMC12]

I will definitely look into the distro blocks. That might do the trick. and again, I was told by other stereo installers that you never go back to the battery for your ground.

Ok I guess I'm not sure why they would say that but if you don't want to ground to the battery you could use a dist block and ground the whole gang with a single 4 gauge wire to the frame. The key is everything tied together at ONE ground. I've been grounded right to the battery for years.

[jawn101]

Ron/Mods - there is some good information in here, can someone correct the spelling of the thread title so it might get found in searches some day?

[jfirios]

bump :)

[jfirios]

This weekend I am going to tear it all back apart and do the rewire, giving the stereo its own dedicated power and ground. Having all the stereo grounds go to the same point will help with the noise issue or so people keep saying. Wish me luck. :)

[82DMC12]

:thumbup::beer:

[jfirios]

ohh it will be a hot one in southern California so beer will totally be on tap. Might make the stereo sound better, HA

[jfirios]

Rewired the stereo. Ground down the point on the frame a bit more to get rid of the power coat and allow for full contact with the metal. Ran a new ground break out line from the same point the amp and cap is on to the stereo. Did the same for the power. Have the key switch to a relay which then sends direct power from the battery to the positive break out. Which powers the radio, xm module and pre amp eq. cleaned up all the wiring and poof 99% of the noise is gone. I can barely hear it every so often but that could just be my tinnitus. Now I just have to figure out what is causing the battery to drain. Have some power loss when the car is off. Some is an understatement. Lost 1/4 of a full battery over night just sitting in the garage.
Any ideas on how to track that power drain down?

[82DMC12]

You could set your multimeter to dc amps. Remove your positive battery cable from the battery. Insert your multimeter in line between the battery terminal and the positive battery cable. Make sure the key is out of the ignition and get in the car then close the doors. I usually do this by moving the passenger seat all the way forward and getting between the battery compartment and the seat.

Now see what your meter is saying. It should be less than 0.02 amps. If it is more than that start pulling fuses one at a time and see what happens.

Be sure to check your wiring to the stereo this way too.

Andy

[jawn101]

Are you sure your head unit/amp are deactivating when the key is off? If they are run right to the battery they could still be pulling power.

Also if you are running the stock (and unmodified) power door lock module that is a common source of battery drain, though not at the rate you're seeing.

[jfirios]

the new HU system is run through a relay. So as soon as the key is turned on the relay is engaged and power goes from the battery to the HU block. when the key is off the relay is disengaged and there should be no power going through it. I have the original door locks on my car too, the passenger one is starting to go too.
I will check out the draw and see what my meeter says.

[DMCMW Dave]

I just fixed a really nasty alternator whine by installing a new alternator. So that can be a cause as well.

[jfirios]

something keeps telling me that the cause of my power drain is the Capacitor. It is a new design which i am not so sure about where there is no signal wire to it. it just feeds power from the battery through itself to the amp. I think it is pulling amps even when the car is off. Doing a test now, have just the main car wires attached to the battery. So far no drain on they system. Today while away at work I will have my accessories attached as well then re test the voltage. That would rule out any of my added on LED lights and relays. Then test just the stereo with out the cap attached. I keep thinking it is that cap that is causing the problem. The Amp has a signal wire that turns the unit on and off when the radio is activated, so I don't see how the amp can be drawing a charge. Will know this week.