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Okay, I've finished installing the huge heavy amp.
I now must find out why I have an alternator whine. Here's my comments and questions.
1: The amp is mounted to the rear deck, but a layer of rubber tape separates it from the bare sheetmetal. So it can't be that.
2: I'm not using RCA cables, I'm just running the speaker wires from the HU to the amp, then back to the factory plug for the speakers (I've bypassed the factory amp with the Crutchfield amp bypass kit) Both the wires going TO the amp and coming FROM the amp are routed on one side of the
car
3: I bought a Fosgate amp hook-up kit from Best Buy. Hooked directly to battery (60 amp fuse in-line). It and the amp turn on wire (from the HU) run on the other side of the car away from the speaker wires.
4: Ground wire from amp is 8 guage and mounted on deck (sanded to bare shiny metal to ground too) But ground wire is probably 3 feet long.
SO.....whew
What do you think could be causing the noise? How does a noise filter work? Does it connect to the power wire? Do you guys think that'll do the trick?
Thanks gang!!!
Nate
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Joined: May 2002
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this is off topic, but your amp isnt upside down , is it? that'd be bad, mmmkaaaay.
same exact situation as i have. maybe the deck isnt the best place to ground? anyone know?
also try not to have TOO much extra wire, a little bit more than you need is good, but a lot of extra wire bunched up should just be trimmed out
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Joined: Jul 2000
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Yeah it's upside down....I know that's bad.
there's got to be a way to rid of the whine noise...
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Joined: Mar 2001
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make sure your power wire doesn't cross any rca or speaker wires. If it does wrap electrical tape there.
It is a good idea to have power wire run down the opposite side of any other wires.
Also wrap electrical tape for the first 2 feet on all the conections of all the wires.
1998 SE ATX Dual exhaust Body conversion Nakamichi CD-40z HU Sound by Crystal Mobile Powered by a/d/s M860 AMP My Ride
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 111
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Actually running the power wire near speakers shouldn't matter all that much. Just make sure to keep it away from the preamp wires and use a good quality shielded preamp cable. Using cheap ones is just asking for noise. Also try to keep the ground cable for the amplifier as short as possible. 12-18" is about the maximum length you want to use. A good way to test for a good ground is to use a multimeter. Put the red and black probe on your battery with the car off and measure the dc voltage at the battery making sure that the power wire is tightly attached to the batter terminal. Then go to the back of the car and do the same with your power wire checking various grounding points. The grounding point with the greatest potential difference is probably your safest bet for combating noise. It is usually locate near or on a seatbelt bolt since those are connected to the thickest portion of the subframe. One more not that was stated already. Amplifiers are not meant to be mounted upside down. I have seen it done before, but hot air rises and it is being forced right back on to the heatsink. Good luck with your install, i hope i have been of some assistance.
Cheers
rimmie
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Joined: Aug 2001
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Acually i didn't finish reading your post...you are using a factory headunit, correct? What brand amplifier are you using? Running high level (speaker level) directly into the amplifier for signal is always asking for problems. The manufacturers usually cut corners and put in cheap line output converters in them. In addition they do not like "high power" factory headunits. If your factory ford radio has the amplfier behind the glove box, this maybe too much power for the line output converter to handle. I know the factory radio sucks, but the premium sound systems have more power then most cars come equipped with. Try going to a local audio shop and picking up a quality, external line output converter and this may fix your problem. That and a good ground as i mentioned in my above post should fix your problem.
Cheers
rimmie
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Joined: Jul 2000
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Nope the amp is byspassed
It's a Sony CDX-CA400 HU 40w/channel max
The amp is a Jensen KA5 5 channel, with 50 watt/channel and 125 to the sub...
I'm using speaker wires no RCA cables....
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Joined: Aug 2001
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That is probably even worse then. You don't have RCA's on the Sony deck? If you do, i would highly suggest that you run a set of shielded RCA's from the headunit to your amp and check to see if the noise goes away. If would definitely recommend doing it this way if at all possible. I've installed many Jensen amplfiers at Best Buy and have never had problems with noise, so it's definitely not the amplifier that is the problem. Good luck!
Cheers
rimmie
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Joined: May 2002
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your running into your amp high input? If thats correct, definetly change to patch cables.make sure to run your juice cable on one side of the car and you patch cables on the other side.
tattooed plumber
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Joined: Jul 2000
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No....
the HU only has 2 outs on the rear and two in's the outs are for the rear left and right.THere are not front inputs our otherwise I definately would have gone with RCA cables........
Converting lines to RCA is a pain in itself, and I suspect that all the hours I would spend doing all this would have no effect on sound quality...
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