Engine Whine and Group Loop Fixes

[CrEaTrE]

Ground loops and engine whine cause common problems such as a high-pitched whine that varies with engine RPM's, various thumps while changing tracks, turn on/off thumps, etc.

There are various protective measures to take in order to decrease the likelihood of experiencing engine whine and ground loops.

1. Shielded RCA's

A good pair of shielded RCA's may be the easiest way to avoid engine noise. Don't use patch cables or other el-cheap-o RCA's that are unshielded. I'm not saying you need to invest a small fortune in RCA cables, just make sure they are shielded.

2. Proper head unit ground

This is perhaps the most common source of engine noise. Many times factory head unit grounds are poor. Relocating the ground wire or adding to the existing one will help reduce or eliminate ground loops.

4. Proper amplifier ground

If none of the above have worked, check the ground for the amplifier. Make sure it is grounded to the frame, battery, or other substantial metal surface. Make sure the metal is good 'ol fashioned detroit iron. Many cars use metallic alloys or composites that aren't very conductive. Avoid those at all costs.

5. Wire routing

Some claim this next fix is BS, and others swear by their grave that it works. But run your RCA's and power wires at least 18" apart. I route my RCA's on one side of the car, and power on the other. Couldn't hurt.

6. Grounding the RCA's on the head unit

Many have had problems with Pioneer head units because of a poor internal RCA ground. To remedy this, simply wrap wire around the RCA's and screw the wire down to the head unit's chassis like so:



Source: >>>Engine whine and ground loop fixes... take two - Car Audio Forum - CarAudio.com

[ponchonutty]

You know, in the past 10 years we've never really had much issues with engine noise in any of our installs. If we do, it is almost always due to poor ignition/plug wires or something with the car's battery or charging system.

[Remax Realtor]

Where is everyone grounding their head unit on a neon? I have mine on the black wire from the harness. Im looking for a better location.

[CrEaTrE]

Quote: Originally Posted by Remax Realtor

Where is everyone grounding their head unit on a neon? I have mine on the black wire from the harness. Im looking for a better location.

I have yet to actually install a headunit in the SRT4 so far, however the stock ground should be okay for most applications. You could always try a E-brake ground, or anything nearby that is direct on the chassis. I'm sure a couple regulars will post up where they normally ground though, those are just some general suggestions.

[wannasupra]

re pin the harness and use a factory ground. so it can be plugged in and un plugged easier. oh, and you can use multiple empty pins in the harness for a ground if you like. i've found in the past that when i had rpm whine, the gain was turned up too high on the amp. about 30% gain was more than enough sound in my old setup. i had alternator whine at about 60% gain, i dropped it to 30% (still loud as shit) and i had no issues after that. well, besides getting my shit stolen.

[CrEaTrE]

Quote: Originally Posted by wannasupra

re pin the harness and use a factory ground. so it can be plugged in and un plugged easier. oh, and you can use multiple empty pins in the harness for a ground if you like. i've found in the past that when i had rpm whine, the gain was turned up too high on the amp. about 30% gain was more than enough sound in my old setup. i had alternator whine at about 60% gain, i dropped it to 30% (still loud as shit) and i had no issues after that. well, besides getting my shit stolen.

Gain should be set via Tuning Tutorials. Most likely you had the gain set incorrectly, however this is not the case for everyone. I've had a setup where almost full gain was needed in order to be tuned correctly for what I wanted. All you are doing when you turn the gain down is weakening the whine, but I assure you it was probably still there.

[Rhunter]

I hafta disagree with Number 1. The best RCA cable is whatever brand and price gives you no noise. I've used fairly expensive cable and cheaper cable, and I could not hear a difference. More importantly, if you can hear a difference, then that difference can be measured. In other words, if you change nothing else than the RCA's and you hear a difference, you should be able to see that difference on a RTA or other measuring device.

Also, I've ran signal wire with power wire and not had noise. I've also ran them seperate and had noise. I always look for other reasons for noise 1st. Like you listed bad grounds.

The only head unit I've had problems with are the Eclipse units!!! Always had some type of wierd noise with em. You can't give me on of there head units.