Electronic Whine in Sound System
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 8
Likes: 2
From: Houston Texas
Electronic Whine in Sound System
Recently got a C6 and absolutely love the car. Only issue I've run into is a slight high pitched electronic whine in the sound system. I think the speakers are stock, but I have a Kenwood nav head unit, JL sub, and Kenwood amp that supplies power to the sub and speakers. When the car is in accessory mode, no whine. When engine is on and head unit turned off, no whine. Engine on and head unit on, there is slight whine. This leads me to believe the car electronics are interfering with the audio system. I don't know a whole lot about car audio, so I could be wrong. Anyone have any experience with this or have any thoughts? If it is electrical interference, what are normal causes of it and how could it be fixed?
The whine is mostly just annoying on start up. Once I start driving and music is playing, its barely noticeable. When I picked it up and drove it 500 miles home I didn't even notice until I stopped for gas. Ultimately I will probably take it to an audio shop and have them take a crack at it while upgrading the speakers, but I wanted to get other people's thoughts first.
The whine is mostly just annoying on start up. Once I start driving and music is playing, its barely noticeable. When I picked it up and drove it 500 miles home I didn't even notice until I stopped for gas. Ultimately I will probably take it to an audio shop and have them take a crack at it while upgrading the speakers, but I wanted to get other people's thoughts first.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 5,427
Likes: 2,309
From: Billings Montana. Out in the wild west
Ground loops and engine whine cause common problems such as a high-pitched whine that varies with engine RPM's, various thumps while changing tracks, turn on/off thumps, etc. While ground loop isolators are tempting to use as a quick fix, It's advised not to use them because they simply cover up the problem instead of solving it. Only use ground loop isolators as a final resort is none of the following fixes work.
There are various protective measures to take in order to decrease the likelihood of experiencing engine whine and ground loops.
There are various protective measures to take in order to decrease the likelihood of experiencing engine whine and ground loops.
- Shielded RCA's
A good pair of shielded RCA's may be the easiest way to avoid engine noise. Don't use patch cables or other el-cheap-o RCA's that are unshielded. I'm not saying you need to invest a small fortune in RCA cables, just make sure they are shielded. - Proper head unit ground
This is perhaps the most common source of engine noise. Many times factory head unit grounds are poor. Relocating the ground wire or adding to the existing one will help reduce or eliminate ground loops. - Proper amplifier ground
If none of the above have worked, check the ground for the amplifier. Make sure it is grounded to the frame, battery, or other substantial metal surface. Make sure the metal is good 'ol fashioned detroit iron. Many cars use metallic alloys or composites that aren't very conductive. Avoid those at all costs. - Wire routing
Some claim this next fix is BS, and others swear by their grave that it works. But run your RCA's and power wires at least 18" apart. I route my RCA's on one side of the car, and power on the other. Couldn't hurt.
