AUDIO PROBLEMS

two questions...

i have a high pitch noise coming from my speakers that goes up and down with the level of my rpms. if i turn my head unit off, it goes away. i have an aftermarket tach that i put in that may be wired in some way that is causing this problem. where should i start looking first?

also, a clicking noise comes through my speakers when i hit switches. any ideas?

My friend you have a common problem called a ground loop. it can enter the system in many ways. (1) rca run next to the power wire. (2) bad rca's. (3) bad ground on amp, head unit, ect... (4) the use of an eq(sometimes eq's can generate a ground loop within themselves). the list goes on and on... check those out and get back with me...

hey thanks for the help, ill check those out.

but what do you mean by an rca running next to the power wire? do you mean like literally just being next to it can cause problems? or am i confused?

yes that is what he means did all this start after you hooked up your tac

Yes make sure your rca's are not running next to your power wire to the amp. As a general run run power wire on one side of the car and rca's on the other side. yes they will be close where they hook up to the amp but that is ok.

i have had this problem for so long im not sure if it started after i hooked up my tach or not.

but the rca's and power wires are definately running right next to each other. i never knew they weren't supposed to. ill try moving things around and see if that fixes it.

thanks again for the help

Start by unhooking the RCA's from the amps input, does the alternator whine remain? If so, then the problem is probably in the amp and /or its power wiring.
If the sound goes away, then plug the wires back in to the amp and disconnect the other end from the back of the head unit. If the sound remains this time then try running the RCA cables from the head to the amp outside the car and see if it is there. This way you can tell if its the RCA cables that are picking up noise or if its the location of the RCA's that are injecting noise into the signal. If its the location, you can reroute the cables problem solved. If the noise goes away when you removed the RCA's from the back of the headunit, then the noise is coming in via the headunit and/or its wiring.
If its the headunit, then try temporarily running a wire from the ground of the head unit to the ground of the amp, if the sound goes away at that time then you should be able to reground the head unit to a better location (some people would even run a ground to the amp's ground permanently but I dont believe this is necessary).

Hope this helps.

i wouldnt start pulling wires that are run to the back if they are run on the same side, normally this doesn't cause the problem. granted with shitty wire it CAN, but more than likely, it wont. of course, strange shit HAS happened lol, and it's always better to split sides with them, but do what Travis suggested, it covers everything.

you more than likely just have a shitty ground somewhere.

another thing to try..wrap a wire around the RCA output on the back of the HU and attach to a ground. I tried all other options on a pioneer and as soon as I did this it was gone.

Originally posted by jdauer02



another thing to try..wrap a wire around the RCA output on the back of the HU and attach to a ground. I tried all other options on a pioneer and as soon as I did this it was gone.

i haven't gotten a chance to fix it yet. but my head unit is a pioneer also, so maybe that will fix my problems, and if not i will try what travis said. thanks