Stereo Question - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

tim m · 07-08-2003, 09:57 PM

My C-D player quit working in my unit, I went and bought a new Alpine deck. Awhile after I installed it I started to get an itermittent buzz in the speakers. Everyone told me it was a grounding problem, so I rewired everything through doors to the unit I drill and tapped the fram for my ground straps and everything would work fine for a while. Then it would always come back. Now it is worse then ever, but it only does it while the engine is running. Does anyone have any ideas waht I should do next. Could it be my amp, speakers?

Dean23 · 07-08-2003, 10:14 PM

is it possible the alt is going the rectifier in an alt will cause a humm through the radio sometimes

ckenwright · 07-08-2003, 10:17 PM

First of all, the sound you hear is your alternator whine coming through your speakers. This is usually fixed by putting a larger ground or affixing the ground on the head unit you already have better. Usually the better stereos have what you call a floating ground and grounding the negative speaker wires will destroy your head unit. If it does not have a floating ground you can ground the negative speaker wires and that may fix the problem. Before you do this make sure. Don't take a chance. I recommend you take the negative wire from the radio and ground it straight to the interior frame. From there make sure that all your grounds including the battery and cab are good.

ckenwright · 07-08-2003, 10:18 PM

You could also buy a little filter and hook it up in front of your stereo on the positive and negative lead.

wnc mountain · 07-08-2003, 10:18 PM

Check the groung from the battery to the frame. Check the ground on the amp, if I where to guess that would be my first. Also check the block to frame grounding strap. Also is you amp powered directly from the battery, should be with a fuse? Have you upgraded your altanater(sp)?

wnc mountain · 07-08-2003, 10:21 PM

do not ground speaker wires on am alpine head or from an amp. You will cause damage to the system, most units these days should not be wired that way.

Green72GMC · 07-08-2003, 11:08 PM

My friends Bronco did the same exact thing, he said it part of his coil going out, it would make the noise when running, it was funny because it would whine more high pitched and louder the faster he went.

miket · 07-09-2003, 12:47 AM

You didn't say if you were running an external amp...if you are the RCA's need to stay away from any other wiring in the car...if you are using the amp in the head unit then I would agree with what has already been said.

tim m · 07-09-2003, 08:05 AM

I am running an external amp. I havedone all the grounding. I drilled and tapped my frame for the ground straps. Ran seperate wires for each unit, but I did ty them all in to a single point.

Wreck · 07-09-2003, 08:08 AM

you can buy a inline noise filter that will cure your prob..(fits between your outputs on the head unit and the inputs of an amp) they are not that expesive..I have had to do that with a couple vehicles.

miket · 07-09-2003, 11:32 AM

Tim,

I just finished installing my system in my 94 caprice and am running two amps in the trunk...I use high end phoenix gold RCA connect cables from the head unit all the way to the trunk. from my experience doing this in 2-3 cars, if the RCA patch cables (even the good ones) get installed or are routed anywhere near other wires (especially power), then the low current signal thats passed through the RCA's will be suspect to interference. I made a valiant attempt during this last install to keep them away and routed seperately from everything else and it worked great.

NSANE68!!! · 07-09-2003, 11:55 AM

Yep POWER on one side of the cab, and patch cords, speaker wire ect., on the other.

07-08-2003, 09:57 PM	#1
tim m Registered User Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Gilbert Az Posts: 286	Stereo Question My C-D player quit working in my unit, I went and bought a new Alpine deck. Awhile after I installed it I started to get an itermittent buzz in the speakers. Everyone told me it was a grounding problem, so I rewired everything through doors to the unit I drill and tapped the fram for my ground straps and everything would work fine for a while. Then it would always come back. Now it is worse then ever, but it only does it while the engine is running. Does anyone have any ideas waht I should do next. Could it be my amp, speakers? __________________ 1970 k10 1971 C10 Gilbert Az

07-08-2003, 10:14 PM	#2
Dean23 68cst_ss490 Join Date: May 2001 Location: edmonton,canada Posts: 1,363	is it possible the alt is going the rectifier in an alt will cause a humm through the radio sometimes __________________ Dean edmonton,canada a winter wonderland 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche LT cold air intake, performance exhaust, Comp cams cam, jba shorty ceramic headers. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3090973

07-08-2003, 10:18 PM	#5
wnc mountain More hobbies than money! Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Raleigh, nc, usa Posts: 655	Check the groung from the battery to the frame. Check the ground on the amp, if I where to guess that would be my first. Also check the block to frame grounding strap. Also is you amp powered directly from the battery, should be with a fuse? Have you upgraded your altanater(sp)? __________________ '70 cst10/swb 350, 3 on the tree, factory buckets. '70 GMC lwb 350/350 ps,pb '72 c-10 lwb 350/350 a/c, ps, pb '72 Blazer project

07-08-2003, 10:21 PM	#6
wnc mountain More hobbies than money! Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Raleigh, nc, usa Posts: 655	do not ground speaker wires on am alpine head or from an amp. You will cause damage to the system, most units these days should not be wired that way. __________________ '70 cst10/swb 350, 3 on the tree, factory buckets. '70 GMC lwb 350/350 ps,pb '72 c-10 lwb 350/350 a/c, ps, pb '72 Blazer project

07-08-2003, 11:08 PM	#7
Green72GMC Registered User Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Deville, Louisiana Posts: 293	My friends Bronco did the same exact thing, he said it part of his coil going out, it would make the noise when running, it was funny because it would whine more high pitched and louder the faster he went. __________________ 1972 GMC SWB, 305 powered 1980 diesel VW pickup, Needs a Heart Transplant 1997 Toyota Taco The Second Amendment is in place incase they ignore the others.

07-08-2003, 10:17 PM	#3
ckenwright Registered User Join Date: May 2003 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 104	First of all, the sound you hear is your alternator whine coming through your speakers. This is usually fixed by putting a larger ground or affixing the ground on the head unit you already have better. Usually the better stereos have what you call a floating ground and grounding the negative speaker wires will destroy your head unit. If it does not have a floating ground you can ground the negative speaker wires and that may fix the problem. Before you do this make sure. Don't take a chance. I recommend you take the negative wire from the radio and ground it straight to the interior frame. From there make sure that all your grounds including the battery and cab are good.

07-09-2003, 12:47 AM	#8
miket Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Seattle WA Posts: 1,466	You didn't say if you were running an external amp...if you are the RCA's need to stay away from any other wiring in the car...if you are using the amp in the head unit then I would agree with what has already been said. __________________ FocuzTech Performance Evergreen Protective Coatings Gatorhyde...the best kept secret in spray in bed lining & protection

07-09-2003, 08:05 AM	#9
tim m Registered User Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Gilbert Az Posts: 286	I am running an external amp. I havedone all the grounding. I drilled and tapped my frame for the ground straps. Ran seperate wires for each unit, but I did ty them all in to a single point. __________________ 1970 k10 1971 C10 Gilbert Az

07-09-2003, 08:08 AM	#10
Wreck Registered User Join Date: May 2003 Location: Paris, TX Posts: 60	you can buy a inline noise filter that will cure your prob..(fits between your outputs on the head unit and the inputs of an amp) they are not that expesive..I have had to do that with a couple vehicles.

07-09-2003, 11:32 AM	#11
miket Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Seattle WA Posts: 1,466	Tim, I just finished installing my system in my 94 caprice and am running two amps in the trunk...I use high end phoenix gold RCA connect cables from the head unit all the way to the trunk. from my experience doing this in 2-3 cars, if the RCA patch cables (even the good ones) get installed or are routed anywhere near other wires (especially power), then the low current signal thats passed through the RCA's will be suspect to interference. I made a valiant attempt during this last install to keep them away and routed seperately from everything else and it worked great. __________________ FocuzTech Performance Evergreen Protective Coatings Gatorhyde...the best kept secret in spray in bed lining & protection

07-09-2003, 11:55 AM	#12
NSANE68!!! SLICER AND DICIER Join Date: May 2001 Location: Quuen Creek Posts: 1,383	Yep POWER on one side of the cab, and patch cords, speaker wire ect., on the other. __________________ 01 Tahoe 22's 2/4 drop and tv's 68 chevy money pit 51 chevy belair 95 Honda 900RR 05 GMC Siearra (company truck)

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