Noise while playing, gone when paused

[walwalka]

So I have this noise coming through my speakers, its for sure engine noise as it changed tone when the fans come on and go off.

It didn't have noise until I moved my turn on relays power and ground to the back battery. It used to be powered from the ground and 12v constant behind my deck, but it's still turned on by the remote output on the radio.

The noise comes through when the deck is at volume 1 and playing. If its paused there is no noise, not sure if that helps.

What should I try first?

Sorry if this in the wrong section.

[reedal]

Is that with cd's or radio or iPod/phone via USB or aux? If it's an auxillary cord then it could just be that. Or your new ground isn't as good.

[walwalka]

Is that with cd's or radio or iPod/phone via USB or aux? If it's an auxillary cord then it could just be that. Or your new ground isn't as good.

Any source I try does it, I'm thinking that too. But I think it is behind the deck because I soldered all the connections back there. I'm going to snip the ground and redo the connection there as well.

I forgot I did that.

[DubNDodge]

Doesn't sound like alternator whine. As mine is on as long as the radio is turned on (amps are on). Granted mine is an RCA issue. Sounds like it could be a deck issue since you can control the noise with the knob. Whereas mine is the same loudness no matter what.

[walwalka]

Well I pulled the radio and plugged my phone straight into the rca and didn't have any noise what so ever.

So I brought my deck inside and hooked it up.... Guess what? No fucking noise.

So I'm going to re-terminate the wiring harness and not hook the VM-1 up to the remote out like I had it. I'm really hoping that fixes it.

[SIDE SHOW]

try plug your phone into the deck end of the rca's.... see if you have noise...... could be a pinched or dicky rca

[walwalka]

try plug your phone into the deck end of the rca's.... see if you have noise...... could be a pinched or dicky rca

That's exactly what I did, no noise was heard.

[walwalka]

I think there ended up being two causes to the noise, but they both didn't present themselves at first.

I have determined that there is noise in the tweeters when the RCA's are unplugged from the deck but plugged into the amp.

The deck makes some strange noise as well and I'm not 100% what is going on there yet.

[Soccerballzs]

You guys up north keep the noise up there!! We have no noise in the Capital. Check your grounds. Any wires or rca near power wires?

[never knows best]

Alternator Whine

To me, alternator whine is the most annoying form of noise. For those of you who are lucky enough never to have been exposed to alternator whine, it sounds like a miniature siren that rises in pitch with the speed of the engine. Alternator whine is almost always caused by a ground loop. The following steps will aid you in locating and correcting a ground loop problem.

1. Verify that all levels are set properly. (Click here for related article.)
   
2. With the system turned off, unplug the RCA inputs to the amplifier.
   
3. Start the vehicle and turn the system on. If the noise is gone go to step 8. If the noise is still present, it is coming from the amp or the speaker wiring. Continue.
   
4. Turn the system off and disconnect the speaker harness.
   
5. Start the engine and verify that no noise is present. In a few rare instances, I have actually heard speakers reproduce noise without being connected to an amplifier. This noise was being induced by power cables that were very close to the speaker wire. If you do have this type of noise, reroute the appropriate speaker lead and go to step 3.
   
6. With the speaker harness still disconnected, check to make sure there are no shorts between the speaker leads and the chassis of the vehicle. A shorted negative speaker lead will create a ground loop by establishing a second audio ground reference point. If you do have a short, trace the wire out and repair it then go to step 3.
   
7. With the RCA inputs and speaker harness still disconnected from the amplifier, use your VOM to measure from the shield of the RCA jacks on the amp to the chassis of the vehicle. This reading should not be a direct short (100 ohms or more is acceptable.) If this reading does indicate a direct short, you might have a defective amp and should contact the manufacturer for verification.(Note that there are a few "inexpensive" amps or boosters on the market that have their audio ground and electrical ground commoned internally. For units of this type, the information in this article will be of very little value.)
   
8. If youve made it here, you know that the amplifier and speaker wiring are okay.
   
9. Connect the accessories in front of the amp (crossovers, equalizers, etc.) one at a time and check for alternator whine. When each device is tested, there should be nothing plugged into the input of that device. In this way, we will work toward the source unit piece by piece. Be sure to turn the system power off before connecting or disconnecting any cables or accessories.
   
10. Repeat step 9 until all accessories have been tested.
    
11. If a particular accessory is causing noise, try disconnecting its power ground wire. Go to step 9.
    
12. Now its time to connect the source unit. Do that now and test for noise.
    
13. If noise is present, try unplugging the antenna. If the noise goes away, you will need to use an antenna isolator. This little gismo opens the shield wire of the coax to eliminate the ground loop caused by the ground at the antenna.
    
14. If you still have noise, try connecting the source units ground wire in another location, preferably as close to the source unit as possible.
    
15. Does the noise vary in amplitude when you adjust the volume control? If it does, the problem is probably power line related and not a ground loop. If this is the case, run the source units B+ (yellow) wire directly to the positive terminal of the battery. If this doesnt do the trick, you will probably have to use a power line filter on the source units B+ (Yel) and Ignition (Red) wires.
    

Ignition Noise

Ignition noise is another type of noise that is quite annoying. It usually sounds like a popping or buzzing sound whenever the engine is running. The best cure is to remove the motor but since we cant do that, we will have to rely on some other form of remedy. Follow the steps below to eliminate or reduce ignition noise.

1. Make sure you are using resistor type spark plugs and resistor type plug wires.
   
2. Determine where the noise is coming from. If the noise is a popping sound that occurs 2 or 3 times a second, you probably have a loose or bad plug wire. First, make sure that all plug wires are seated properly. If this doesnt do the trick, you may have a bad plug wire. Usually this occurs due to a pinhole in the insulation of the wire. Whenever the plug wire is energized, an arc jumps through the pinhole to the chassis of the vehicle. Replace with silicone resistor plug wires.
   
3. If the noise is a buzzing sound, the problem is usually associated with the points, distributor, or coil. Try replacing the condenser on both the coil and points. Make sure all plug wires are seated properly in the distributor cap. Additionally, you might try adding a 2200uF cap from the positive terminal on the coil to chassis ground.
   
4. Dont use the fuse block in the vehicle to derive power for the source unit. Run the Constant Hot B+ (memory) wire directly to the batterys positive terminal.
   
5. If you still have noise, it could be occurring because of induction. Try pulling the source unit out of the dash and check for noise. If the noise is eliminated, try rerouting any wiring harnesses that are close to the deck. If this is not possible, try using self adhesive metal shielding. This might just do the trick.