stereo shop can't fix whine from engine

[porkcrackers]

I have the engine whine running through my speakers after an install of amp deck, and speakers. The stereo shop has tested things on three separate times..for the day. They say, they can't find the problem. I did find out they ran the power and rca's on the same side of the car (lames), even after knowing I was extremely meticulous with the setup I wanted. They claim they have run a separate line of rca's from the deck through the middle of the car (away from the power cable) and still get the same noise. I wasn't watching them do this..what I was told only. I know a large majority of noise is from not running separate lines. These guys are supposed to be the best shop in town..and the car has already been with them for 5 different days of fixing everything from reverse faders, to replacing the center dash for scratching it. They are now being impatient with me and border line rude, stating they have lost too much money on my car because of the time they have had to invest in it. What should I do at this point? (oh, I think they have some fine print clause on the invoice stating they are not responsible for engine noise)

I have gone so far as to take the car into Mazda to check the factory wiring (at the stereo shops suggestion of bad factory grounds)--everything checked out. All the equipment I had installed was previously in my Mazda 626 without any probs.

Any pro installers out there (1st mp3) have suggestions?

 

[G_MAN75]

Yeah me too

I've also installed a after market system; amps new deck, speakers, etc.
I previously had the system in my other car.
I too get the annoying engine noise..

Anybody know something we don't know.
THANKS

 

[Jeph]

I hate shops...

I went to circuit city to have them install my 4 channel amp, and they blew my deck.
It smoked and sparked and guess what, it wouldn't turn back on. So i made them give me an aftermarket one
Anyways, i won't go to a shop for anything anymore.
If you have ANY RCA's or speaker wire running by your power wire, you definitely have to move that to the other side.
I'm sorta curious how they ran it through the middle of the car? It seems like it'd be a really really big pain in the ass, when they can easily run it on the passenger side. I'd never run wires through the middle of our car.

 

[Jeph]

Oh and we need a few more details than "you just have engine noise"
What were you trying to do, what did the shop do, amps, speakers, subs what?
Give us some details and we can help you out a lot faster

 

[porkcrackers]

No, they temporarily disconnected the installed rca's, ran test rca through the middle of the car (on top of the carpet) to get it away from the power..or so they say. It is annoying, especially when the car is cold cuz of the higher rpm's.

 

[porkcrackers]

Install was, Infinity Kappa speaker drop in, in all four doors, 4 ch MTX Thunder amp, Panasonic 4-volt cd HU, Monster distrib block (for future add ons), 4 gau power cable, white wolf fosgate rca's, dynamat extreme in all four doors. Amp and distrib block installed under passenger seat. Speakers are brand new, amp and deck were in my old car for about 2 yrs without any problems (or noise)-pulled out and put into P5.

 

[1sty]

I have the engine whine running through my speakers after an install of amp deck, and speakers. The stereo shop has tested things on three separate times..for the day. They say, they can't find the problem. I did find out they ran the power and rca's on the same side of the car (lames), even after knowing I was extremely meticulous with the setup I wanted. They claim they have run a separate line of rca's from the deck through the middle of the car (away from the power cable) and still get the same noise. I wasn't watching them do this..what I was told only. I know a large majority of noise is from not running separate lines. These guys are supposed to be the best shop in town..and the car has already been with them for 5 different days of fixing everything from reverse faders, to replacing the center dash for scratching it. They are now being impatient with me and border line rude, stating they have lost too much money on my car because of the time they have had to invest in it. What should I do at this point? (oh, I think they have some fine print clause on the invoice stating they are not responsible for engine noise)

I have gone so far as to take the car into Mazda to check the factory wiring (at the stereo shops suggestion of bad factory grounds)--everything checked out. All the equipment I had installed was previously in my Mazda 626 without any probs.

Any pro installers out there (1st mp3) have suggestions?

At this point I would demand my money back for the install so you can pay someone more qualified to trouble shoot the system.

Where, in the car, was the amp installed?

THe quick thing to do is to use a muting plug into the amps RCA inuts. A muting plug is simply an RCA with the tip and sleave shorted out. IF you put those in all the inputs of the amp and still have power then it is the power or grund wires bringing the noise in. Otherwise its the RCAs or atleast the signal through them.

 

[boostisgood]

Its a grounding issue dood. plain and simple. Its either piss poor grounds in the engine, or the amp and, or deck are gropunded poorly.

 

[1sty]

NOt definitly Boost, however if everything is in proper condition and the RCAs run away from the power then that is the most likely cuase.

Here are some things that have cuased noice in my cars:
1. Primary battery moved to the back of the car
2. RCA with broken ground wire
3. Power wire run with RCAs
4. Fuse had grease on it not allowing a good connection
5. Bad amplifier

 

[G_MAN75]

Muted plug

1st MP3 in NH


Can you give me a more detailed instruction on how to make this plug. Also you said "if you still have power" should it say if you still have engine noise no??

Thanks
Tony

 

[1sty]

Your right, sorry about that.
If there is still noise with the muting plugs inplace then it is coming in on the power or ground wires or the amp is bad.

A muting plug simply has the tips wire and sleaves wire shorted.
Go buy the cheapest RCAs you can find, shortest too. Then you can cut the RCA ends off with about 2-3 inches of cable then strip the cable and twist the tips wire and the sleeves wires together and you have yourself a muting plug.

 

[G_MAN75]

perfect

Thanks 1st MP3 in NH

 

[1sty]

stay online I have some pics of muting plugs coming in a few minutes!

 

[1sty]

There ya go, made them in about 3 minutes, want to buy them?
Only 19.99 + shipping (rofl)

These were just the standard POS ones that come with VCRs ect.
I wouldn't use anything good as quality is irrelavent for these.

 

[chuyler1]

Another point to check is their grounding point of the head unit. If they used the stock ground which is part of the wiring harness, that can almost always cause problems. Most aftermarket headunits come with a fork crimped to the end of the ground so you can choose your own ground point. However, I have seen inexperienced installers clip the fork and connect it to the wiring harness.

 

[1sty]

I have yet to ever have a source of noise be the stock ground for the head unit.

 

[chuyler1]

Both of my Fords had noise problems from the factory ground and my 83 Chrysler had such a bad ground the HU wouldn't even turn on...I had not choice but to ground it elsewhere.

It also depends on the unit...my Pioneer was far worse than any of my Clarions.

 

[porkcrackers]

Thanks for all the help guys. I am going to try the muting plugs, thanks 1st mp3. As far as demanding a refund. I had 4 speakers, four doors of dynamat, amp,deck installed. Do I demand money back for the amp and deck only you think?

And what about the clause they have in the fine print about not being responsible for noise..will that hold up on their end? They have made no mention of this clause, I just noticed it recently.

 

[1sty]

The system being noise free is a given in the verbal contract of proffesional installation. Especialy in this situation.Either something is malfunctioning or somehting is installed wrong. THese cars are not noise prone at all. Th eonly odd ball situation I ever heard of was someones factory ground at the battery was shot to hell and once replaced the noise was gone. A simple impedance test of the factory ground wires from the ground points to the batteries negative terminal will tell you if they are to blaim. Also check the impedance of the amplifiers ground back to the battery and make sure that is under an ohm.

 

[TStar]

hey, one of my mates had the same problem..
he almost gave up finding the problem when he met some audiophiliac guy from frankfurt who told him, that those problems (whistlin/whining engine sound in the speakers) might result from (a)poor grounding or (b)"too much" grounding... it seems that this can result if too many devices are grounded..pls don't ask me details since i'm a TOTAL audionoob but maybe you could use it as a starting idea?