Static coming through auxilary port when using power cord?

[joshritger]

I have an 07 Mazda 3 hatch and when I plug my mp3 player into the auxiliary port and try to use a cigarette lighter power adapter with it I get static (noise) that matches the engine rpm's. As the engine accelerates the static increases and as the engine comes to an idle the static decreases. I am just using a standard headphone jack male to male to plug the mp3 player's audio into the car's auxilary port and a cigarette lighter to usb adapter for power. The cigarette lighter to usb adapter works in other cars without this static/noise. If I unplug the power adapter the noise goes away and my music sounds normal. Has anyone else had this problem? Does anyone know of any fixes for this that do not involve modding the stereo? or is this an issue I should bring up to my dealer?

 

[my3needsaname]

Dealer.
I've gotten static through my AUX jack and it went out all together a few times but that's because I spent $2 on a bad cable from Radioshack, got a new cable (Monster iCable) and it sounded MUCH better and hasn't been staticy or gone out yet like 8 months later.

Haven't ever plugged anything into the cigarette lighter and AUX at the same time though. I might have to try it and see if mine does the same. Now where's that car charger...

 

[BillTheCat]

You just need to install a ground loop isolator. Mazda should have done that at the factory, but I guess they didn't want to spend the $1.29 or so it would cost them to do it in volume.

 

[ucMP3]

You just need to install a ground loop isolator. Mazda should have done that at the factory, but I guess they didn't want to spend the $1.29 or so it would cost them to do it in volume.

This will help greatly. Your cigarette lighter is what is giving you all the static. No proper ground on this attachment. Mazda never does this properly, but it's an easy fix. Good luck!

 

[joshritger]

How does this get installed? Does it just go in between the mp3 player and the auxiliary in jack?

 

[ucMP3]

Yes, it goes inline between the Head-Unit and the aux. cable to counter the engine static.

 

[joshritger]

Thanks for the info, I picked one up and it works great. Now I just have to figure out how to hide the darn thing.

 

[Circle9]

I'm a noob when it comes to electronics, but doesn't the ground loop go behind the headunit?

 

[ucMP3]

I'm a noob when it comes to electronics, but doesn't the ground loop go behind the headunit?

yes.

 

[joshritger]

Since my 07 has the auxiliary input in the center council I just put the ground loop isolator in the council and then used rca cables to headphone jacks to plug from my mp3 player to the auxiliary input in the center council. This worked great, it got rid of all of my static/noise. I bundled all of the extra wire together in the bottom of the council along with the ground loop isolator. It isn't the most professional method, but it works and it didn't require modifying anything.

 

[derspi]

Since my 07 has the auxiliary input in the center council I just put the ground loop isolator in the council and then used rca cables to headphone jacks to plug from my mp3 player to the auxiliary input in the center council. This worked great, it got rid of all of my static/noise. I bundled all of the extra wire together in the bottom of the council along with the ground loop isolator. It isn't the most professional method, but it works and it didn't require modifying anything.

This is exactly what I did except I bundled the wires tightly and as neatly as possible, stuffed them into a small cardboard box I had lying around and hid everything along with the ground loop isolator unit under a felt pad (the kind you use to stick to the bottom of furniture legs so they don't scratch the flooring) that I trimmed to fit.