Guys I have a 2002 TJ exec, I have just installed an amp, front splits and 6x9 rears. Since the install I am getting spark and alternator interference. Has anyone else had this problem if so whats the cure?:rant:

i think you are supose to install a capasitor and/or a thing that goes on the dizzy, im not 100% sure. only about 10% sure.

Are your RCA cables touching or close to any of your power cables?
Check your grounds too.

I had a similar problem and couldnt figure out what the RCA cable was too close to, but it was something at the back of the centre console. I re-routed the RCAs from the driver's side to the centre and that fixed the problem.

Thanks for the advice will pull the console out tomorrow and have a look.

you won't fix it in a hurry dude... check the last few pages in the forum and you'll see MANY posts on this topic. You can also expect to be reprimanded by tim for not using the search. He may have given up by now though.

I have the same problem. I pretty much guarantee your RCA's won't make a lick o' difference even if you put in billion dollar ones. As long as they're decent quality ones, they're not going to induce what you're hearing. A power filter most likely won't do squat. A capacitor in the sense of a car audio cap is not even related to that kind of noise. A capacitor in a cap and choke array is similar to a crossover, and is typically what makes up the noise filter that you'll spend 40 bucks on and won't do anything. You can try a group loop filter, but it won't do anything either. You can try grounding your head unit more firmly, or madly scratching paint off your amp grounds. You can even go 000 guage for all your earths and run more earths from the engine bay. All these things aren't bad ideas... except the power filter and the ground loop isolator. If you have the time and money, your ears will thank you now, and make you pay later on with deafness.

No, you have a magna. This means you have many 12v lines and CPU type devices in the vacinity of your head unit, and where you will typically have your crossovers. The only way that I'm aware to get around this is to have above average equipment in your car, and with a lot of luck, you might get it down to a level you can deal with.

I know I'm being cynical, but it is unbelievably frustrating to spend time and money trying to fix it, and nothing works. Don't waste your money. Troubleshoot and find out what's REALLY causing it, then save up and replace that.

In my case, it's the head unit I'm pretty certain.

Here's a simple test for you... plug an ipod or discman into your amp directly, avoiding the head unit altogether. Play something. Turn your car on. Do you hear a squeal? If so, it's probably your crossovers, or earths, or RCA's, and likely in that order. If you DON'T hear anything except nice clear music, then merry christmas, consider buying a new head unit.

I would LOVE for someone to prove me wrong on this. And not theoretically too. I understand the theory, I have measured the potential earth differences, and identified the lovely AC current that I can hear oh so clearly in my splits. I've isolated my crossovers and moved my RCA's and bought better ones. I've tried filters and pulled my head unit out and moved it around the car, even in the back of the wagon. Not a smidgen of difference in the noise.

No, I think that a few years ago when I had no money I should have had more money and bought a DECENT head unit. But I didn't, so I didn't. Next year maybe. In the mean time, I'm going to try using the high level outputs of my head unit to go into the amp with, instead of my 2v pre-out. That is, when I feel like pulling my console apart AGAIN to put in another 20 dollars.

I'm getting married in 17 days. It's NOT my highest priority right now.

Good luck though, and sorry for my bitterness! I'm not really that bitter... just haven't had the best day.

Hmm Phillbert, have you tried rca's running directly into home audio from your car's headunit?
That will ascertain if it's the headunit directly, then of course it could still be grounds, rca tracks, or possibly interference behind the headunit.

Besides searching for 'whine' have a read through the attached doc

Whine is a big annoyance I know, but the only way is a big process of elimination unfortunately.
Plug another source into the amp, into the rca's at the headunit end.
and then vice versa... by plugging the headunit into separate amps/speakers and the amp rca's into diff amps/speakers.

Remember: Anything with common ground systems (eg 12v ground car environments) ANY electrical circuit attached to the car can produce ground loop. Lights, air con, altenator, indicators, radio, amps etc etc...

Good luck

Peace

Tim

(congrats Phillbert!)

Well after much checking and experimenting I have found the cause. With the headdeck out I was able to move the RCAs around and found that whenever they wre near the metal plates towards the rear of the space the interference started. My solution move them as close to the front and fix them clear of the metal and all interference stopped. :bowrofl:

The metal plates are the ones that are visible to the back of the console at head deck height.

Thanks for everyones help.

I had speaker whine also, turns out the speaker amp wasn't grounded properly. But i have had RCA's cause this as well.
There are many causes that people need to be aware of:
- Poor quality RCA
- Poor grounding (hu and/or amps)
- RCA too close to power cable (though this hasn't caused me any trouble, must be with poor quality RCA's)
- poor quality power/ground cables
- RCA too close to grounded metal.

Though alot of the RCA problems are caused by poor cables.

hey ive got the same problem with ignition interference but only when the radio is on... cd's are perfectly clear.

could something be interfering with my ariel ie. powercable rca's etc. if so does anyone now where about the aerial cable runs through the car so i can move possible interference.

If this isnt working im thinking buying a new ariel does any one think this would help...?

hey ive got the same problem with ignition interference but only when the radio is on... cd's are perfectly clear.

could something be interfering with my ariel ie. powercable rca's etc. if so does anyone now where about the aerial cable runs through the car so i can move possible interference.

If this isnt working im thinking buying a new ariel does any one think this would help...?
Stupid question but are you sure the aerial is plugged into the back properly? I know they can seem plugged in, but sometimes you have to give it a mighty push to get it in properly.

yea im pretty sure its plugged in properly ill take apart the dash on the weekend and double check thou... however the radio is fine when the engine is off interference only occurs when the engine is on so i assume the radio would be fuzzy all the time if it just needed better plugging in...
thank n e wayz ill just have to try different things and see what works