# Humming in sound system...



## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

Hi guys,
I have a Spec V with the 9 speaker system. I know that you aren't supposed to mess with it really, but who cares! I replaced the head unit and added a JL 8 to the existing 8. It may not be a lot, but it's loud enough for me, . Any ways, I put in after market Kenwood 6 1/2s in the back dash and left the front 4 speakers hooked up. The whole thing has a hum though and plays the sound of the engine when I give it gas through all the speakers. Now, I'm no expert on sound systems at all, but do you think this is the ground? What do I have to do to stop this hum and feed back? Should I move the ground to the trunk or something? Please help me!! Thanks,
Fletch


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## cranium (Oct 8, 2002)

your ground is your culprit. reground to a better ground and if that doesn't word you may have to get a "ground loop isolator".


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## 98 nizmo200sx se (Apr 10, 2003)

be careful switching from oem sub to aftermarket sub might burn up your factory amp make sure you check the ohms on the factory sub make sure they match factory subs are known to have weird ohmage


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

cranium said:


> *your ground is your culprit. reground to a better ground and if that doesn't word you may have to get a "ground loop isolator". *


What is a ground loop isolator? Where would I get it and how much would it cost? Thanks for all your help!


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## Guest (Jun 2, 2003)

You are getting "alternator whine". You may need some additional power filtering for the new amp. The new amp may be more sensitive than the existing amp in this respect...


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

bgriffey said:


> *You are getting "alternator whine". You may need some additional power filtering for the new amp. The new amp may be more sensitive than the existing amp in this respect... *


Ok, let me explain a little better. I have an aftermarket amp but it's just powering my JL 8W0. The whine is coming through the regular speakers which are still hooked up to the factory amp. There isn't a whine coming from my sub, just from the speakers that are still powered by the factory amp. Sorry I wasn't very clear! Thanks!


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

98 nizmo200sx se said:


> *be careful switching from oem sub to aftermarket sub might burn up your factory amp make sure you check the ohms on the factory sub make sure they match factory subs are known to have weird ohmage *


Thanks, if I ever get that damn box open I'll check it, . Later,
Fletch


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

Here's another question that maybe some of you can answer for me. For some reason, my illumination is all messed up also. I have everything hooked up right, I think, but during the day my aftermarket head unit is illuminated brighter and when I turn on my headlights it dims. Isn't it supposed to be the other way? It's set to auto dim by the way. Also, my dash illumination is connected to the head unit and my gauges work but won't light up at all either when the lights are off or on. I don't know what's going on and it's probably something stupid but thanks for enlightening me, . Later,
Fletch


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## Guest (Jun 9, 2003)

be carefull not to mess the sub up but not matchin or even pumping ENOUGH power into it and honestly i would of stuck with the rockford setup kenwoods are good but their really delicate


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

Yoshimitsu said:


> *be carefull not to mess the sub up but not matchin or even pumping ENOUGH power into it and honestly i would of stuck with the rockford setup kenwoods are good but their really delicate *


Well, the Kenwood's I have are pretty upper class speakers, plus I have them bassblocked so they aren't really pushing too much power. Another thing is that the "rockford" setup isn't really Rockford at all. The only thing in the system that is Rockford is the amp. All the speakers are clarion. Thanks for the advice though! Later,
Fletch


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## wolf (Jun 23, 2003)

alright i may stumble through a little.... in most nissans you have to ground the radio itself. i'm not sure about the newer cars, but that is what i had to do in my 96. to test this take a peice of wire strip both ends hold one end to the metal on the radio the other hold it to one of the door jam bolts. if the noise changes thats your problem. unplug the rca's on the amp to see if that is the problem.


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## droppinbottom (Jun 30, 2003)

wolf is correct about the grounds in nissans look at the factory wire harness and look at the radios harness see if there is a connect on the factory that matches up with the ground off the radio. the part wolf didnt mention is that in the 96 model if you use the iso din mounts like the factory radio then there is no need to ground because the metal bracket works the same way as having a ground wire. also check your local audio store for a noise filter.


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

Thanks guys. Another question I had is whether anybody had directions on how to put the typical radio harness (2 side pieces with 2 holes in each one and the front cover) back in. I lost the directions and I must be looking at it wrong or something because I can't figure it out. Thanks again! Later,
FLetch


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## wolf (Jun 23, 2003)

droppinbottom,
funny you sould mention that bracket.... when i first installed my head unit got no power at all until i plugged in the antenna ( which became the ground) then i got all kinds of noise everything from alt. to loop noise even some music, but it sounded like bad am radio. the way that i solved the problem was a peice of 12ga to chassis ground and 4ga from battery to chassis ground. did you have the same problem?


fletchspecv,
i don't follow. are you talking about the harness for the radio to the wiring harness, or the car to the aftermarket harness?


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

wolf said:


> *fletchspecv,
> i don't follow. are you talking about the harness for the radio to the wiring harness, or the car to the aftermarket harness? *


The harness for the actual aftermarket radio to be installed into the dash, not the wiring harness. Later,
Fletch


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## droppinbottom (Jun 30, 2003)

wolf
i didnt have any other problems with my head unit. just about no radios will work without the antenna wire pluged in. i did have an alternator upgrade done and my alternator wire is 4ga and my lines are 4ga to the spare battery in the trunk with 4ga grounds on both batteries


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