High pitched whine - engine running

[Giles]

So i got my new pioneer AVH-3200BT installed. All is well until i start the engine. Then there's a high pitched whine through the speakers which increases with engine revs.....any one know a quick fix/cause?

Thnaks,
Giles.

[JimmyBurnWorld]

You using the amp? Take it it's a petrol car? Basically the high pitched whine is ignition noise. If you're using the OEM amp, then your connection to the amplifier is creating a ground loop. Did you use a 'harness adaptor' to connect to it?

Edit: 850R, Diesel of course!

[Giles]

You using the amp? Take it it's a petrol car? Basically the high pitched whine is ignition noise. If you're using the OEM amp, then your connection to the amplifier is creating a ground loop. Did you use a 'harness adaptor' to connect to it?

Edit: 850R, Diesel of course!

I have bought a harness....says something about not needing some speakers as I have also bought these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200484953400&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

http://www.amazon.co.uk/STEREO-RADIO-ADAPTOR-WIRING-VOLVO/dp/B004KNAKTE/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301074354&sr=8-1-fkmr0

I have connected them together. There is no whine when engine not running tho?

[nobananas]

I have bought a harness....says something about not needing some speakers as I have also bought these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200484953400&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

http://www.amazon.co.uk/STEREO-RADIO-ADAPTOR-WIRING-VOLVO/dp/B004KNAKTE/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301074354&sr=8-1-fkmr0

I have connected them together. There is no whine when engine not running tho?

Some sort of suppression problem, the whine it's picking up is probably the alternator.

[Giles]

Some sort of suppression problem, the whine it's picking up is probably the alternator.

Got this off the seller:

"Giles, the alternator whine is definitely a grounding issue with the HU. The first step is too make sure the new HU is very well grounded to the car. The second thing is to try the alternative wiring schematic if you have not already done so. Hope this is helpful. Best regards, Brian"

So, do i just run a cable (size?) from the HU to a bolt on the body somewhere?

[Giles]

OK - just hooked up an ad hoc earthing lead from bolt on wing and touched it on the stereo....the noise/whine just got worse? 10 times worse?

[kee1173]

Check your earth, also the earth on the amp ie if you have bolted it to painted metal or dirty, sand back to bare metal, you will also get this if you run speaker cable and rca cables next to power cables, these should be seperate... done many a amp big speaker system and had this a few times and was either of the above....

[Giles]

Check your earth, also the earth on the amp ie if you have bolted it to painted metal or dirty, sand back to bare metal, you will also get this if you run speaker cable and rca cables next to power cables, these should be seperate... done many a amp big speaker system and had this a few times and was either of the above....

The RCA cables are next to live cables......but then they are wired to the same loom

Which is my earth? i.e. do i have a main one somewhere? And it didn't do it with the factory unit so sounds like an RCA issue......

[kee1173]

Is this the factory amp? try seperating the RCA cables this is normally the problem when you have live next to sound ( rca/ speaker)... not sure where the earth is on the volvo as never looked, but when i did my systems i used to put in my own earths etc but after having whining probs in the past, i have always run sound and live seperate...

[Giles]

Is this the factory amp? try seperating the RCA cables this is normally the problem when you have live next to sound ( rca/ speaker)... not sure where the earth is on the volvo as never looked, but when i did my systems i used to put in my own earths etc but after having whining probs in the past, i have always run sound and live seperate...

Yeah factory amp with a mock-up connector. The 6-pin goes to amp, has a live and ground on (which cut into the main loom) then 4 RCA cables are connected to the 6-pin.....

And it has a shield built-in (?) which i seperated and made no difference

[kee1173]

To be honest mate, not to sure on that, as never looked at mine....as i say i always did mine from scratch, as in Head unit to amp in boot or under seat, then ran power down one side of car and rca, speaker the other.... but if this factory fit then it is prob a bad earth or suppressor. But most whining like this is either earths, or power cables near rca/speaker cable....

[Giles]

To be honest mate, not to sure on that, as never looked at mine....as i say i always did mine from scratch, as in Head unit to amp in boot or under seat, then ran power down one side of car and rca, speaker the other.... but if this factory fit then it is prob a bad earth or suppressor. But most whining like this is either earths, or power cables near rca/speaker cable....

quick update: just disconnected aeriel in and the whine was almost (99%) eliminated completely. Plug it back in and it comes back......does that show any more clues?

[kee1173]

But if running a new earth cable from the head unit, you can get earth cable anywhere ( halfrauds etc) then just bolt it to a non painted metal behind where the unit sits ( obviously make sure enough room and length on cable to get HU back in, but most cable would do it, similar size to the power etc on the head unit....

[Giles]

But if running a new earth cable from the head unit, you can get earth cable anywhere ( halfrauds etc) then just bolt it to a non painted metal behind where the unit sits ( obviously make sure enough room and length on cable to get HU back in, but most cable would do it, similar size to the power etc on the head unit....

I noticed when i revved, the interior lights get brighter......is this normal or signs of a dodgy alternator and hey presto, earthing issue?

This site is good:

http://www.mp3car.com/car-audio/101977-bloomin-alternator-whine.html

[kee1173]

quick update: just disconnected aeriel in and the whine was almost (99%) eliminated completely. Plug it back in and it comes back......does that show any more clues?

Earthing mate, ........check if it whines on radio only ( might be aerial) see if it whines on cd etc if does just run the earth from the HU to non painted metal surface, but sounds like earthing from the HU....

[Giles]

Earthing mate, ........check if it whines on radio only ( might be aerial) see if it whines on cd etc if does just run the earth from the HU to non painted metal surface, but sounds like earthing from the HU....

It doesn't whine on any channel (radio, cd, dvd, SD card) when engine not running. It whines on every channel as above when engine running.

[Giles]

Earthing mate, ........check if it whines on radio only ( might be aerial) see if it whines on cd etc if does just run the earth from the HU to non painted metal surface, but sounds like earthing from the HU....

which is the earth? black lead?

[kee1173]

Thats got to be the earth from the head unit....The pioneer units i had in the past used to run a seperate earth to the car body..... i used to connect to a bit of metal trim behind where the HU goes, preferably something with a bolt and no paint...

[Giles]

Thats got to be the earth from the head unit....The pioneer units i had in the past used to run a seperate earth to the car body..... i used to connect to a bit of metal trim behind where the HU goes, preferably something with a bolt and no paint...

OK will try again, but intially, when i touched a wire from HU to wing bolt, it got 10 times worse......the lead i am trying with is about 8m long so have the option to experiment......it is household earth wire

[kee1173]

Try this link mate hopefully this works....http://www.retrevo.com/support/Pioneer-AVH-P3200BT-Car-Videos-manual/id/23628ag417/t/2/

[kee1173]

its the earth out of the back of the HU, you need to connect elsewhere... they are normally labelled on the cable...

[kee1173]

Bloody hell it works gettin g good at this link thing ....LOL

[Giles]

its the earth out of the back of the HU, you need to connect elsewhere... they are normally labelled on the cable...

I have the manual.......i have just tried again.....wire to case/HU to un-painted bolt....noise gets worse.....

I will RTFM but i am sure there are no hints on earthing....apologies if they exist, i shall dig it out now

[Giles]

http://forum.realmofexcursion.com/head-units-processors-car-audio-electronics/66027-pioneer-alternator-whine-not-blown-pico-fuse.html

[Giles]

Could be the RCA's....but i can't re-route them....... :(

[kee1173]

if all original bar the head unit, and it was ok with the old head unit in, i would say its down to the new head unit and its an earth of some sort, did the new HU loom just plug into the Loom from the car or did you have to modify it...if you had to modify/ cut into it then check the wiring especially the earth wire, see if something is touching..and maybe move the earth from the head unit that wired into the old loom and earth this onto bare metal seperate.... mind you have had to change alternator suppressors in the past....its got to be some thing simple and what you say all points to the earth....

[Ed.]

If you can't find the source of your alternator whine, or can no longer be bothered to, try http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/raptor-nf125-noise-supressor.html

A purist would regard this as a bodge rather than a fix though.

Ed

[Rnash2002]

Ok i have the same wire and whine noise,think i gave you the link Giles.
Ok was out today and managed to get shot of the noise.
Right i took the black wire(earth) and put it together with the other 2 wires(green and white),on the back of my radio i had a thread and nut in the middle i undone the nut and wraped these wires around the thread then done the nut back up,now if you dont have this i would say get a cable and strap to a good eath point on the car and put to the 3 wires.
Now the red you have on the harness needs to go to your blue auto attena wire comming from your headunit.
This all worked well for me and you cant really here the noise anymore.
Let me know if this works for you.