Ground loop

[daddy]

I recently upgraded my stereo system in the Tahoe and now I have a ground loop whine. I'm not sure why or how though. I have my power running down the driver's side and my RCA's all running down the passenger's side. I also have the stereo and the amp both grounded to the same point on one of the seat mount posts.

Any ideas as to why?

I know there are isolation filters but I'd rather find and fix the problem.

 

[Spike Strider]

anything power for something else close in the eng compartment or magnetic feild close?

 

[Zembonez]

Antenna.

Try disconnecting it and see of the noise is gone. Different head units are sensitive to this.

 

[Z71 Kris]

yes some pioneers are horrendous...ugg, I hate ground loop noise...do you have a pioneer? DO you have your RCAs ran near you power line?

 

[ScottyBoy]

First you need to narrow down to whether the noise is coming in thru the RCA cables or thru the power wire. An easy way to do this is put the radio on aux or whatever you need to do with no music only engine noise. Now turn it up so the whine is very noticeable. Now unplug the RCA wires from the amp and see if the whine stops. If not then the noise is in the amp or power/ground cables. If the noise does stop then its either coming from the radio or RCA cables. To narrow that down you will need another set of RCA cables. Just pull the radio and swap cables on the rear of the unit and just toss the cables over the seats to get to the amp. If its quiet with those cables then then.your cables or routing of the cables is your problem.

 

[Z71 Kris]

First you need to narrow down to whether the noise is coming in thru the RCA cables or thru the power wire. An easy way to do this is put the radio on aux or whatever you need to do with no music only engine noise. Now turn it up so the whine is very noticeable. Now unplug the RCA wires from the amp and see if the whine stops. If not then the noise is in the amp or power/ground cables. If the noise does stop then its either coming from the radio or RCA cables. To narrow that down you will need another set of RCA cables. Just pull the radio and swap cables on the rear of the unit and just toss the cables over the seats to get to the amp. If its quiet with those cables then then.your cables or routing of the cables is your problem.

well said

 

[PenguinLTZ]

First you need to narrow down to whether the noise is coming in thru the RCA cables or thru the power wire. An easy way to do this is put the radio on aux or whatever you need to do with no music only engine noise. Now turn it up so the whine is very noticeable. Now unplug the RCA wires from the amp and see if the whine stops. If not then the noise is in the amp or power/ground cables. If the noise does stop then its either coming from the radio or RCA cables. To narrow that down you will need another set of RCA cables. Just pull the radio and swap cables on the rear of the unit and just toss the cables over the seats to get to the amp. If its quiet with those cables then then.your cables or routing of the cables is your problem.

This. You will narrow it down, Tobias.

What head unit are you running just out of curiousity?

I have never heard that stuff about Pioneer, the one in ours is clean, even with the 2 amplifiers running.

 

[Alljackedup408]

First you need to narrow down to whether the noise is coming in thru the RCA cables or thru the power wire. An easy way to do this is put the radio on aux or whatever you need to do with no music only engine noise. Now turn it up so the whine is very noticeable. Now unplug the RCA wires from the amp and see if the whine stops. If not then the noise is in the amp or power/ground cables. If the noise does stop then its either coming from the radio or RCA cables. To narrow that down you will need another set of RCA cables. Just pull the radio and swap cables on the rear of the unit and just toss the cables over the seats to get to the amp. If its quiet with those cables then then.your cables or routing of the cables is your problem.

This. You will narrow it down, Tobias.

What head unit are you running just out of curiousity?

I have never heard that stuff about Pioneer, the one in ours is clean, even with the 2 amplifiers running.

Every pioneer ive owned... 0 problems like this.


Good little write up scott.

Hes got a JVC if I remember correctly.

 

[daddy]

I am running a JVC KD-AVX77

Brian, until you get your truck, I don't wanna hear your lip.

 

[Mixedbreed]

First you need to narrow down to whether the noise is coming in thru the RCA cables or thru the power wire. An easy way to do this is put the radio on aux or whatever you need to do with no music only engine noise. Now turn it up so the whine is very noticeable. Now unplug the RCA wires from the amp and see if the whine stops. If not then the noise is in the amp or power/ground cables. If the noise does stop then its either coming from the radio or RCA cables. To narrow that down you will need another set of RCA cables. Just pull the radio and swap cables on the rear of the unit and just toss the cables over the seats to get to the amp. If its quiet with those cables then then.your cables or routing of the cables is your problem.

i had tears as i read this masterpiece!!!

also you can get a iPod and connect it to the amp at the amp, see if it is there, then pull the deck and connect it there, see if it’s there. if it disappears at the amp and the deck, check the deck. if it disappears at the amp but not the deck it is your cable or the routing. I would say cable because the body is a conductor so you can’t get away from the forces of induced noise as well as the books say (you can to a point but think about it, the body is metal and connected, so how can you separate the signal and power???) but this is the most irritating issue to deal with in a system!!


good luck T