Alternator whine

anvil · 01-07-2006, 12:10 PM

I am getting alternator and DRL whine.

WHen I have the drl on I get a noise, but when I turn them to full on or even high beams, the noise goes away. This is with the engine off.

When I start the car I get alternator whine

When using a separate power source I do not get any noise at all.

Any advice?

Thanks!

HondaSales · 01-07-2006, 12:41 PM

Through your speakers im assuming? Is your audio system completely stock or did you install a head unit or amp or something?

anvil · 01-07-2006, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hondasales

Through your speakers im assuming? Is your audio system completely stock or did you install a head unit or amp or something?

I installed an amp.

I have verified it is not interference through the air, but through the wires themself.

My dad said a capacitor would clean the noise, is that true?

Running off a second battery with the car on and engine running and it sounds very good and noise free.

HondaSales · 01-07-2006, 03:46 PM

Make sure your ground is clean and right down to the metal. Where did you ground it? Did you drill a hole? Also did you run your rcas on the opposite side of the car as the power wire? Also how long is your ground wire? i dont think a capacitor will help it actually

anvil · 01-07-2006, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hondasales

Make sure your ground is clean and right down to the metal. Where did you ground it? Did you drill a hole? Also did you run your rcas on the opposite side of the car as the power wire? Also how long is your ground wire? i dont think a capacitor will help it actually

The ground wire is a foot long.

Yes they are run at opposite sides.

I am currently using the driver side bolt under the trunk floor right behind the back seat.

It is a clean connection, I get 0 - .1 ohm resistance.

I am not only getting alternator noise, but also daytime running light noise.

I heard it is because the drl use a switch that turns on and off rapidly instead of a resistance and that the buzzing is from that.

I get the buzzing when the car is in the on position and the car is OFF.

I get the alternator noise with the car on, and the drl noise (obviously).

When I use an alternate power source I do not get either noise.

Thanks to whoever can help.

HondaSales · 01-07-2006, 06:30 PM

try an rca noise filter. it could very well be the daytime running light switch that sucks have you tried with the car off and the healights on?

anvil · 01-07-2006, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anvil

I am not only getting alternator noise, but also daytime running light noise.

I heard it is because the drl use a switch that turns on and off rapidly instead of a resistance and that the buzzing is from that.

I get the buzzing when the car is in the on position and the car is OFF.

....

anvil · 01-08-2006, 11:32 PM

I fixed it.

I grounded the rcas to the case of the HU.

I found this out by accident after an insane amount of wiring configurations.

I had moved the rcas up near the back of the HU figuring it was picking up noise between the HU and under the center console.

Well after doing this the drain wire in the rcas was touching the case of the HU and it was perfect, then I moved it and it went to crap.

I then attached the drain wire to a screw on top of the HU and its all crystal clear now, not any amount of hum or whine.

Stupid stock HU lol I wasted a day and a half on this thing.

jonthomas242 · 01-10-2006, 07:59 PM

Forgive my ignorance, drain wire? I tapped into the rear speakers, I can hear the noise when my backseats are down (when carrying certain items) using an inline RCA adapter with regular Memphis Audio RCA's. I know enough to have checked for the previous items, the only difference being that my ground is 3 ft. and it is grounded (brushed paint) with the same ground that several other wires are grounded on. The intermittent pattern hasn't been noticed yet because I don't always travel with my seats down. Thanks.

anvil · 01-11-2006, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonthomas242

Forgive my ignorance, drain wire?

It is a wire separate from the regular rca grounds in the center.

It is attached to both rca grounds so that the separate grounds for each channel and the drain wire are all attached, so when you ground one, you really ground all 3.

jonthomas242 · 01-12-2006, 07:52 PM

Can I run a remote wire from the HU and ground it directly to the amp? 4g ground wire should be plenty for this application, this weekend I will try different locations.

HondaSales · 01-13-2006, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonthomas242

Can I run a remote wire from the HU and ground it directly to the amp? 4g ground wire should be plenty for this application, this weekend I will try different locations.

Ok...Im confused

anvil · 01-13-2006, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonthomas242

Can I run a remote wire from the HU and ground it directly to the amp? 4g ground wire should be plenty for this application, this weekend I will try different locations.

What???

You ground the amp to the chassis not to the HU.

I grounded the RCAs to the metal case of the stock HU, not the amp!!

jonthomas242 · 01-14-2006, 01:29 AM

I am sorry for my wording, I used 4 gauge wire to ground my 600 watt amp and my RCA's do not have a drain wire with them.

How can I ground the RCA's to the case of the HU?

anvil · 01-15-2006, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonthomas242

I am sorry for my wording, I used 4 gauge wire to ground my 600 watt amp and my RCA's do not have a drain wire with them.

How can I ground the RCA's to the case of the HU?

First check to see if both of the RCAs ground (outer) connections are connected to one another. They may be, or may not be.

If they are not my advice would be to use taps from the grounds coming out of the HU and attach them to the HU's metal casing.

If they are connected to one another then you only need to run one tap to the metal casing of the HU, choose either ground wire.

I am assuming you are doing what I did and are using the stock HU, and have tapped off it's preamp connections.

jonthomas242 · 01-16-2006, 09:34 PM

I am tapping into the speaker wires from the rear speaker deck. The RCA's are not connected together. I will be unable to work on this until next weekend, so just to verify I need to take negative speaker wires that I tapped my line converter and connect it to the HU. (Sedans do not have the sub option in the HU, I have a sedan)

01-07-2006, 12:10 PM	#1 (permalink)
anvil Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Age: 26 Posts: 75 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Alternator whine I am getting alternator and DRL whine. WHen I have the drl on I get a noise, but when I turn them to full on or even high beams, the noise goes away. This is with the engine off. When I start the car I get alternator whine When using a separate power source I do not get any noise at all. Any advice? Thanks!

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01-07-2006, 12:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
HondaSales Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Fargo, ND Age: 24 Posts: 236 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Through your speakers im assuming? Is your audio system completely stock or did you install a head unit or amp or something?

01-07-2006, 03:46 PM	#4 (permalink)
HondaSales Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Fargo, ND Age: 24 Posts: 236 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Make sure your ground is clean and right down to the metal. Where did you ground it? Did you drill a hole? Also did you run your rcas on the opposite side of the car as the power wire? Also how long is your ground wire? i dont think a capacitor will help it actually

01-07-2006, 06:30 PM	#6 (permalink)
HondaSales Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Fargo, ND Age: 24 Posts: 236 iTrader: 0 / 0%	try an rca noise filter. it could very well be the daytime running light switch that sucks have you tried with the car off and the healights on?

01-08-2006, 11:32 PM	#8 (permalink)
anvil Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Age: 26 Posts: 75 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I fixed it. I grounded the rcas to the case of the HU. I found this out by accident after an insane amount of wiring configurations. I had moved the rcas up near the back of the HU figuring it was picking up noise between the HU and under the center console. Well after doing this the drain wire in the rcas was touching the case of the HU and it was perfect, then I moved it and it went to crap. I then attached the drain wire to a screw on top of the HU and its all crystal clear now, not any amount of hum or whine. Stupid stock HU lol I wasted a day and a half on this thing.

01-10-2006, 07:59 PM	#9 (permalink)
jonthomas242 Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Birmingham, AL Kansas, AL Age: 30 Posts: 42 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Forgive my ignorance, drain wire? I tapped into the rear speakers, I can hear the noise when my backseats are down (when carrying certain items) using an inline RCA adapter with regular Memphis Audio RCA's. I know enough to have checked for the previous items, the only difference being that my ground is 3 ft. and it is grounded (brushed paint) with the same ground that several other wires are grounded on. The intermittent pattern hasn't been noticed yet because I don't always travel with my seats down. Thanks.

01-12-2006, 07:52 PM	#11 (permalink)
jonthomas242 Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Birmingham, AL Kansas, AL Age: 30 Posts: 42 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Can I run a remote wire from the HU and ground it directly to the amp? 4g ground wire should be plenty for this application, this weekend I will try different locations.

01-14-2006, 01:29 AM	#14 (permalink)
jonthomas242 Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Birmingham, AL Kansas, AL Age: 30 Posts: 42 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I am sorry for my wording, I used 4 gauge wire to ground my 600 watt amp and my RCA's do not have a drain wire with them. How can I ground the RCA's to the case of the HU?

01-16-2006, 09:34 PM	#16 (permalink)
jonthomas242 Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Birmingham, AL Kansas, AL Age: 30 Posts: 42 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I am tapping into the speaker wires from the rear speaker deck. The RCA's are not connected together. I will be unable to work on this until next weekend, so just to verify I need to take negative speaker wires that I tapped my line converter and connect it to the HU. (Sedans do not have the sub option in the HU, I have a sedan)