Tired of chasing "the ghost"...

[mpunklil 0]

It's been a while since I have posted on here...busy busy busy.

Anyways, I'm not a new kid on the block when it comes to car audio...I was an installer for over 6 years and play with it as much as I can now. I am requesting some insight from somebody with good experience in chasing down engine noise, because I'm at whits end!!

Setup:

2004 Audi S4

Factory deck, using the common ground preout on it (hard wired into rca's)

Alpine PXE-H650 processor

3 Sony XM2252HX amps (1 front, 1 rear, 1 sub)

Image Dynamics CX62 components front/rear

2 Polk DB12 (circa 1999, running free air in rear deck)

SO,

I think I have isolated it down to a bad capacitor in the power supply on the factory head unit:

1. When rca's (just L and R, no other rcas are connected) are disconnected from head unit to processor, noise goes away

2. Ran new power wire to head unit, straight from battery, noise still present

3. Ran new ground to trusted ground location, noise still present

4. Ran tracer grounds to everything, including processor, amps, and head unit, noise still present

5. Disconnected antennas, noise still present

6. Seperate ground to processor, noise still present

7. RCA noise suppressors (grounded or not), noise still present

8. 12V noise suppressor on the power/ground, noise still present

9. New RCA's ran down the middle of the car, noise still present

No matter what I do, I cant ditch the ghost. It's not very loud, you cant hear it with music on...but you can hear it in musical pauses or changes in songs. I dont have a spare head unit to try and trouble shoot with anymore. Only other thing I can think of is that my alternator could have some weak diodes. I dont want to start throwing money around for a new oem radio just to have the same problem. I could go buy an aftermarket, install it real quick, see if it goes away, then return it...but I would rather not unless I have to, and that still wouldnt answer my issue with it being an OEM radio problem. Could it be the fact that my signal is common ground coming out of the radio?

Thanks in advance for reading all this crap, I'm just getting desperate. Please leave all comments aside suggesting that I run my RCA's on a different side or if I ran my power with my RCA's...Thanks!

[Mtopper 23]

just random question, but have you tried bypassing the processor? i've heard people having issues with noise from alpine and rockford processors

[pmureika 31]

To long of ground wires on the power amps I hear can cause whine.

[CHRIS 323 12]

It's been a while since I have posted on here...busy busy busy.

Anyways, I'm not a new kid on the block when it comes to car audio...I was an installer for over 6 years and play with it as much as I can now. I am requesting some insight from somebody with good experience in chasing down engine noise, because I'm at whits end!!

Setup:

2004 Audi S4

Factory deck, using the common ground preout on it (hard wired into rca's)

Alpine PXE-H650 processor

3 Sony XM2252HX amps (1 front, 1 rear, 1 sub)

Image Dynamics CX62 components front/rear

2 Polk DB12 (circa 1999, running free air in rear deck)

SO,

I think I have isolated it down to a bad capacitor in the power supply on the factory head unit:

1. When rca's (just L and R, no other rcas are connected) are disconnected from head unit to processor, noise goes away

2. Ran new power wire to head unit, straight from battery, noise still present

3. Ran new ground to trusted ground location, noise still present

4. Ran tracer grounds to everything, including processor, amps, and head unit, noise still present

5. Disconnected antennas, noise still present

6. Seperate ground to processor, noise still present

7. RCA noise suppressors (grounded or not), noise still present

8. 12V noise suppressor on the power/ground, noise still present

9. New RCA's ran down the middle of the car, noise still present

No matter what I do, I cant ditch the ghost. It's not very loud, you cant hear it with music on...but you can hear it in musical pauses or changes in songs. I dont have a spare head unit to try and trouble shoot with anymore. Only other thing I can think of is that my alternator could have some weak diodes. I dont want to start throwing money around for a new oem radio just to have the same problem. I could go buy an aftermarket, install it real quick, see if it goes away, then return it...but I would rather not unless I have to, and that still wouldnt answer my issue with it being an OEM radio problem. Could it be the fact that my signal is common ground coming out of the radio?

Thanks in advance for reading all this crap, I'm just getting desperate. Please leave all comments aside suggesting that I run my RCA's on a different side or if I ran my power with my RCA's...Thanks!

do you have any audiocontrol equipment

[pmureika 31]

It's been a while since I have posted on here...busy busy busy.

Anyways, I'm not a new kid on the block when it comes to car audio...I was an installer for over 6 years and play with it as much as I can now. I am requesting some insight from somebody with good experience in chasing down engine noise, because I'm at whits end!!

Setup:

2004 Audi S4

Factory deck, using the common ground preout on it (hard wired into rca's)

Alpine PXE-H650 processor

3 Sony XM2252HX amps (1 front, 1 rear, 1 sub)

Image Dynamics CX62 components front/rear

2 Polk DB12 (circa 1999, running free air in rear deck)

SO,

I think I have isolated it down to a bad capacitor in the power supply on the factory head unit:

1. When rca's (just L and R, no other rcas are connected) are disconnected from head unit to processor, noise goes away

2. Ran new power wire to head unit, straight from battery, noise still present

3. Ran new ground to trusted ground location, noise still present

4. Ran tracer grounds to everything, including processor, amps, and head unit, noise still present

5. Disconnected antennas, noise still present

6. Seperate ground to processor, noise still present

7. RCA noise suppressors (grounded or not), noise still present

8. 12V noise suppressor on the power/ground, noise still present

9. New RCA's ran down the middle of the car, noise still present

No matter what I do, I cant ditch the ghost. It's not very loud, you cant hear it with music on...but you can hear it in musical pauses or changes in songs. I dont have a spare head unit to try and trouble shoot with anymore. Only other thing I can think of is that my alternator could have some weak diodes. I dont want to start throwing money around for a new oem radio just to have the same problem. I could go buy an aftermarket, install it real quick, see if it goes away, then return it...but I would rather not unless I have to, and that still wouldnt answer my issue with it being an OEM radio problem. Could it be the fact that my signal is common ground coming out of the radio?

Thanks in advance for reading all this crap, I'm just getting desperate. Please leave all comments aside suggesting that I run my RCA's on a different side or if I ran my power with my RCA's...Thanks!

do you have any audiocontrol equipment

No I dont.

[CHRIS 323 12]

It's been a while since I have posted on here...busy busy busy.

Anyways, I'm not a new kid on the block when it comes to car audio...I was an installer for over 6 years and play with it as much as I can now. I am requesting some insight from somebody with good experience in chasing down engine noise, because I'm at whits end!!

Setup:

2004 Audi S4

Factory deck, using the common ground preout on it (hard wired into rca's)

Alpine PXE-H650 processor

3 Sony XM2252HX amps (1 front, 1 rear, 1 sub)

Image Dynamics CX62 components front/rear

2 Polk DB12 (circa 1999, running free air in rear deck)

SO,

I think I have isolated it down to a bad capacitor in the power supply on the factory head unit:

1. When rca's (just L and R, no other rcas are connected) are disconnected from head unit to processor, noise goes away

2. Ran new power wire to head unit, straight from battery, noise still present

3. Ran new ground to trusted ground location, noise still present

4. Ran tracer grounds to everything, including processor, amps, and head unit, noise still present

5. Disconnected antennas, noise still present

6. Seperate ground to processor, noise still present

7. RCA noise suppressors (grounded or not), noise still present

8. 12V noise suppressor on the power/ground, noise still present

9. New RCA's ran down the middle of the car, noise still present

No matter what I do, I cant ditch the ghost. It's not very loud, you cant hear it with music on...but you can hear it in musical pauses or changes in songs. I dont have a spare head unit to try and trouble shoot with anymore. Only other thing I can think of is that my alternator could have some weak diodes. I dont want to start throwing money around for a new oem radio just to have the same problem. I could go buy an aftermarket, install it real quick, see if it goes away, then return it...but I would rather not unless I have to, and that still wouldnt answer my issue with it being an OEM radio problem. Could it be the fact that my signal is common ground coming out of the radio?

Thanks in advance for reading all this crap, I'm just getting desperate. Please leave all comments aside suggesting that I run my RCA's on a different side or if I ran my power with my RCA's...Thanks!

do you have any audiocontrol equipment

No I dont.

im having the same problem but only when my audiocontrol dqxs is connected and when i disconnect the dqxs it goes away i did all those steps you did and nothing worked for me i didn't have this problem before i order a new audiocontrol dqxs lets see if the processor is to blame

[nem 2,019]

You got me excited, until I read no ghost!

[Skullz 8]

If you have an ipod or something similar with phone plug to rca adapter and see if the signal is still clean or your still getting noise.

[Impious 1,476]

[mpunklil 0]

just random question, but have you tried bypassing the processor? i've heard people having issues with noise from alpine and rockford processors

Yes, noise still there

[Quentin Jarrell 671]

Reasonable deduction would say to try a different source. However I would first hook up only one side of your patchcord to the headunit. Common grounding at the headunit may be causing the ground loop

I would also wiggle your sparkplug wires while someone listens to the system. I once had a customer with slight engine noise caused by a bad aftermarket sparkplug wire.

[mpunklil 0]

To long of ground wires on the power amps I hear can cause whine.

Currently about 1.5-2'. If I reground it, which is POTENTIALLY a better ground (next on my list) to the seatbelt, it will extend all the cables about 6-8"

[mpunklil 0]

It's been a while since I have posted on here...busy busy busy.

Anyways, I'm not a new kid on the block when it comes to car audio...I was an installer for over 6 years and play with it as much as I can now. I am requesting some insight from somebody with good experience in chasing down engine noise, because I'm at whits end!!

Setup:

2004 Audi S4

Factory deck, using the common ground preout on it (hard wired into rca's)

Alpine PXE-H650 processor

3 Sony XM2252HX amps (1 front, 1 rear, 1 sub)

Image Dynamics CX62 components front/rear

2 Polk DB12 (circa 1999, running free air in rear deck)

SO,

I think I have isolated it down to a bad capacitor in the power supply on the factory head unit:

1. When rca's (just L and R, no other rcas are connected) are disconnected from head unit to processor, noise goes away

2. Ran new power wire to head unit, straight from battery, noise still present

3. Ran new ground to trusted ground location, noise still present

4. Ran tracer grounds to everything, including processor, amps, and head unit, noise still present

5. Disconnected antennas, noise still present

6. Seperate ground to processor, noise still present

7. RCA noise suppressors (grounded or not), noise still present

8. 12V noise suppressor on the power/ground, noise still present

9. New RCA's ran down the middle of the car, noise still present

No matter what I do, I cant ditch the ghost. It's not very loud, you cant hear it with music on...but you can hear it in musical pauses or changes in songs. I dont have a spare head unit to try and trouble shoot with anymore. Only other thing I can think of is that my alternator could have some weak diodes. I dont want to start throwing money around for a new oem radio just to have the same problem. I could go buy an aftermarket, install it real quick, see if it goes away, then return it...but I would rather not unless I have to, and that still wouldnt answer my issue with it being an OEM radio problem. Could it be the fact that my signal is common ground coming out of the radio?

Thanks in advance for reading all this crap, I'm just getting desperate. Please leave all comments aside suggesting that I run my RCA's on a different side or if I ran my power with my RCA's...Thanks!

do you have any audiocontrol equipment

No I dont.

im having the same problem but only when my audiocontrol dqxs is connected and when i disconnect the dqxs it goes away i did all those steps you did and nothing worked for me i didn't have this problem before i order a new audiocontrol dqxs lets see if the processor is to blame

I do have an Audiocontrol Epicenter...BUT it has never been hooked up in this vehicle, havent been able to find the remote.

[mpunklil 0]

If you have an ipod or something similar with phone plug to rca adapter and see if the signal is still clean or your still getting noise.

Does it without ipod hooked up. Ipod is a direct audio connect spliced into the Sattelite audio input. Even when disconnected (seperate factory harness) the noise is still there.

[mpunklil 0]

http://www.soundsolu...shooting-guide/

Thank you, you always provide good info. I will run through this checklist tomorrow hopefully

[mpunklil 0]

Reasonable deduction would say to try a different source. However I would first hook up only one side of your patchcord to the headunit. Common grounding at the headunit may be causing the ground loop

I would also wiggle your sparkplug wires while someone listens to the system. I once had a customer with slight engine noise caused by a bad aftermarket sparkplug wire.

I have hooked up one RCA side only as well before, no luck. This car is a coil on plug with resistor plugs.

[CHRIS 323 12]

It's been a while since I have posted on here...busy busy busy.

Anyways, I'm not a new kid on the block when it comes to car audio...I was an installer for over 6 years and play with it as much as I can now. I am requesting some insight from somebody with good experience in chasing down engine noise, because I'm at whits end!!

Setup:

2004 Audi S4

Factory deck, using the common ground preout on it (hard wired into rca's)

Alpine PXE-H650 processor

3 Sony XM2252HX amps (1 front, 1 rear, 1 sub)

Image Dynamics CX62 components front/rear

2 Polk DB12 (circa 1999, running free air in rear deck)

SO,

I think I have isolated it down to a bad capacitor in the power supply on the factory head unit:

1. When rca's (just L and R, no other rcas are connected) are disconnected from head unit to processor, noise goes away

2. Ran new power wire to head unit, straight from battery, noise still present

3. Ran new ground to trusted ground location, noise still present

4. Ran tracer grounds to everything, including processor, amps, and head unit, noise still present

5. Disconnected antennas, noise still present

6. Seperate ground to processor, noise still present

7. RCA noise suppressors (grounded or not), noise still present

8. 12V noise suppressor on the power/ground, noise still present

9. New RCA's ran down the middle of the car, noise still present

No matter what I do, I cant ditch the ghost. It's not very loud, you cant hear it with music on...but you can hear it in musical pauses or changes in songs. I dont have a spare head unit to try and trouble shoot with anymore. Only other thing I can think of is that my alternator could have some weak diodes. I dont want to start throwing money around for a new oem radio just to have the same problem. I could go buy an aftermarket, install it real quick, see if it goes away, then return it...but I would rather not unless I have to, and that still wouldnt answer my issue with it being an OEM radio problem. Could it be the fact that my signal is common ground coming out of the radio?

Thanks in advance for reading all this crap, I'm just getting desperate. Please leave all comments aside suggesting that I run my RCA's on a different side or if I ran my power with my RCA's...Thanks!

do you have any audiocontrol equipment

No I dont.

im having the same problem but only when my audiocontrol dqxs is connected and when i disconnect the dqxs it goes away i did all those steps you did and nothing worked for me i didn't have this problem before i order a new audiocontrol dqxs lets see if the processor is to blame

I do have an Audiocontrol Epicenter...BUT it has never been hooked up in this vehicle, havent been able to find the remote.

i have it too but my issue is not with the epicenter only with the dqxs which is a digital eq / digital crossover / line driver 3 in 1

[mpunklil 0]

It's been a while since I have posted on here...busy busy busy.

Anyways, I'm not a new kid on the block when it comes to car audio...I was an installer for over 6 years and play with it as much as I can now. I am requesting some insight from somebody with good experience in chasing down engine noise, because I'm at whits end!!

Setup:

2004 Audi S4

Factory deck, using the common ground preout on it (hard wired into rca's)

Alpine PXE-H650 processor

3 Sony XM2252HX amps (1 front, 1 rear, 1 sub)

Image Dynamics CX62 components front/rear

2 Polk DB12 (circa 1999, running free air in rear deck)

SO,

I think I have isolated it down to a bad capacitor in the power supply on the factory head unit:

1. When rca's (just L and R, no other rcas are connected) are disconnected from head unit to processor, noise goes away

2. Ran new power wire to head unit, straight from battery, noise still present

3. Ran new ground to trusted ground location, noise still present

4. Ran tracer grounds to everything, including processor, amps, and head unit, noise still present

5. Disconnected antennas, noise still present

6. Seperate ground to processor, noise still present

7. RCA noise suppressors (grounded or not), noise still present

8. 12V noise suppressor on the power/ground, noise still present

9. New RCA's ran down the middle of the car, noise still present

No matter what I do, I cant ditch the ghost. It's not very loud, you cant hear it with music on...but you can hear it in musical pauses or changes in songs. I dont have a spare head unit to try and trouble shoot with anymore. Only other thing I can think of is that my alternator could have some weak diodes. I dont want to start throwing money around for a new oem radio just to have the same problem. I could go buy an aftermarket, install it real quick, see if it goes away, then return it...but I would rather not unless I have to, and that still wouldnt answer my issue with it being an OEM radio problem. Could it be the fact that my signal is common ground coming out of the radio?

Thanks in advance for reading all this crap, I'm just getting desperate. Please leave all comments aside suggesting that I run my RCA's on a different side or if I ran my power with my RCA's...Thanks!

do you have any audiocontrol equipment

No I dont.

im having the same problem but only when my audiocontrol dqxs is connected and when i disconnect the dqxs it goes away i did all those steps you did and nothing worked for me i didn't have this problem before i order a new audiocontrol dqxs lets see if the processor is to blame

I do have an Audiocontrol Epicenter...BUT it has never been hooked up in this vehicle, havent been able to find the remote.

i have it too but my issue is not with the epicenter only with the dqxs which is a digital eq / digital crossover / line driver 3 in 1

Before my Alpine PXE-H650, I hooked up a JBL GTE22 eq that I picked up off of ebay. The engine noise that that came out of it was astronaumical. I figured it was a bad eq considering it looked a little beat up, and maybe it just didnt like the signal I was giving it. It even made its OWN engine noise sound when I had the stereo on without the car running.

[CHRIS 323 12]

here this link may help you http://www.ofsoundmind.com/OSM2/tech/setup/noisecheck.htm

[mpunklil 0]

here this link may help you http://www.ofsoundmi.../noisecheck.htm

Thanks, thats a good link. Looks like some muting plugs will get me a little further into the trouble shooting. Can't believe I didn't remember to use them...I've been on graveyard shift for 4 months, I'm lost in life lol

[CHRIS 323 12]

here this link may help you http://www.ofsoundmi.../noisecheck.htm

Thanks, thats a good link. Looks like some muting plugs will get me a little further into the trouble shooting. Can't believe I didn't remember to use them...I've been on graveyard shift for 4 months, I'm lost in life lol

no problem bro we here to help out each other