earthing an amplifier in legacy wagon

[Guest]

Got this mean sound set up in my wagon but it is now suffering a common fault known as alternator whine. I had trouble finding an earthing point so used a seat bolt but upon research i need to find a better earthing point. Any idea on where is the best place to earth my amp?

[rex-leggy]

pasangers rear strut tower

[jstben]

Also a good idea to remove some paint if the holes alittle dodgy. Not much, just enough for the connector to get the best contact, as some paint can be thick and stubbon. Good quality cables and keeping them separated from the power and earth should also help. I found that different EQ settings can have a affect on sound quality so try them out. Hope that helps some ;D

[Guest vf20/21bg5]

Earth str8 to the battery or i think you can also buy noise interferance suppressors if it continues http://www.britishspeed.com/forum/showthread.php?557-Eliminating-HID-radio-noise

[boon]

Do you have a Pioneer headunit? Before you dive into changing other stuff...

[Scoobydoo]

 boon said:

Do you have a Pioneer headunit? Before you dive into changing other stuff...

I see where you're going with this...

But yeah seat bolt points are usually fine, I've used them in the past, just have the lug between the seat rail / bracket and the body, not on top of it. Have any paint sanded back as well. And make sure the RCA cables carrying the signal, are not too close to the power wire. Being seperated by the carpet alone isn't good enough (ie power cables below carpet, RCA cables above carpet but still on top of each other), it can still attract interference.

[nickch]

 boon said:

Do you have a Pioneer headunit? Before you dive into changing other stuff...

Yes, with pioneer headunits, there is a fuse between the RCA inputs that shorts out very easily. If you're not careful (un)plugging RCAs..

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-do-yourself/19933-advice-all-you-people-pioneer-hu-problem-alt-whine.html

If you've dismissed that as a possible cause:

1. Run separate power feed for your headunit. (this is often under-rated... even if you wont notice any difference.. its good security).

2. Make sure power cables and RCA cables don't run parallel in close proximity.. if they have to cross.. make sure they are at right angles.

3. A bit overkill.. but I always made a point to do this: ground your headunit at the same point you ground your amps.. use decent gauge cable if you have to run it to the back of the car (i used 8ga).. just ensures ground levels at your headunit and amp are equal..

[boon]

Equal grounds for headunit and amps is pretty debatable, as is the proximity of power/signal cables. I've done more installs than you can shake a stick at and I've never had induced noise from close cables. The only time I've seen anything close was when my friend had coiled RCAs sitting on top of his fuel pump.

Seperate power feed is a good idea but rarely the cause of noise.

It's almost always a ground thing - broken ground/shield in an RCA, burnt ground track on headunit or amp RCA, or bad fusible link in a Pioneer headunit.

[nickch]

yup.. i was going to suggest that..

having close proximity is not an issue as long as your signal cables have decent shielding..

[Guest]

Running all JVC equipment and Raptor cables etc. Will get to moving ground cable soon have my arm in a cast at the mo

[calibre]

Also try lowering the gain settings on the amp, I had similar problem in my wagon, went away after dialing the gains back, as this is like a sensitivity setting for the amp, also can become more sensitive to unwanted noise. Worth a try before anything drastic anyway.