Alternator whine thru speakers
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
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From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
Alternator whine thru speakers
Never had this problem before. I put in a new CS144 alternator and all was fine, no noise in stereo. Then one day I started the Vette with the radio on and there it was a whine from the alternator that varies with RPM. I shut the radio off and turned it back on and the noise went away. This happened a few times over a period of a couple of weeks.
Now it is there all the time and I don't know how to stop it, I like listening to tunes when I am driving. I bought an alternator noise filter ( a big capacitor ) from Corvette Central and hooked it up across the pos and neg terminals of the alternator and it did nothing so I removed it.
I cleaned the battery posts and cable connections and still no effect on the whine. It gets worse when the fans come on.
I checked the battery charging and it seems OK 14.2 volts with high beam on so I don't think it is a bad diode. Have had the car for 15 years and never had this problem before now
I am at a loss here and suggestions as to how to fix this is appreciated.
Now it is there all the time and I don't know how to stop it, I like listening to tunes when I am driving. I bought an alternator noise filter ( a big capacitor ) from Corvette Central and hooked it up across the pos and neg terminals of the alternator and it did nothing so I removed it.
I cleaned the battery posts and cable connections and still no effect on the whine. It gets worse when the fans come on.
I checked the battery charging and it seems OK 14.2 volts with high beam on so I don't think it is a bad diode. Have had the car for 15 years and never had this problem before now
I am at a loss here and suggestions as to how to fix this is appreciated.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 6,422
Likes: 591
From: McHenry Illinois
I'm no expert on this so hopefully some one with more ideas will chime in. I was wondering if you get the noise with just AM or FM or CD player? I had an issue with a new Cat awhile back and cured it by running an extra ground to the radio chassis. A new alternator and new radio made no difference.( parts borrowed from another new machine, I dont usually just change parts ***** nilly)
The ORIGINAL and bestest
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 10,009
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From: Toronto Ontario
Toronto Events Coordinator
I had alternator noise that I was able to get rid of by doing 3 things:
-running a seperate wire to chassis ground instead of using the ground in the original radio harness for the radio
-installed a filter on the radio's power wire.
-installed a filter on the antenna lead
I don't know which one individually or what combination did it, but it worked perfectly! I bought the filters at Canadian Tire, they were American International brand:
http://www.americaninternational.net...sp?SubCatID=73
-running a seperate wire to chassis ground instead of using the ground in the original radio harness for the radio
-installed a filter on the radio's power wire.
-installed a filter on the antenna lead
I don't know which one individually or what combination did it, but it worked perfectly! I bought the filters at Canadian Tire, they were American International brand:
http://www.americaninternational.net...sp?SubCatID=73
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,665
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From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
Methinks I will check the amp and radio grounds as it seemed to just start intermittenly and now it is all the time, radio, cd and aux it is there.
Bruce was just at CT and they don't have those filters anymore at least the one I was at didn't. I have the antenna filter
Bruce was just at CT and they don't have those filters anymore at least the one I was at didn't. I have the antenna filter
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Drifting
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,720
Likes: 19
From: Manhattan Beach Ca
I had same problem that went away after new alternator install.
I would definitely check your engine block ground and ground strap to exhaust. If OK and you have the time, switch out a different alternator and see what happens.
Something in the Alt may have failed.
I would definitely check your engine block ground and ground strap to exhaust. If OK and you have the time, switch out a different alternator and see what happens.
Something in the Alt may have failed.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
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From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
I suspect something in the alternator has failed, even though it puts out the correct voltage. I might take it out and have someone test it properly, it is brand new with a 5 year warranty so it shouldn't fail in my 96 Impala. 
Like I said it was fine when I first installed it then it was intermitten now it whines all the time, Hitatchi CS144 alternator too, wonder where exactly in China it is made
Like I said it was fine when I first installed it then it was intermitten now it whines all the time, Hitatchi CS144 alternator too, wonder where exactly in China it is made
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 357
Likes: 8
From: Champaign Urbana IL
I had the whining with my pioneer headunit, but by grounding the rca jacks better, it solved the problem. Here is a tutorial on it http://www.icixsound.com/vb/showthread.php?t=40067. Worked great for me, and it might be your solution as well.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
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From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
I had the whining with my pioneer headunit, but by grounding the rca jacks better, it solved the problem. Here is a tutorial on it http://www.icixsound.com/vb/showthread.php?t=40067. Worked great for me, and it might be your solution as well.
The reason behind this is simple, never had a whining problem before, even when I installed the new CS144 no noise. Then the whine started intermittently and now all the time, sounds like something went bad
5th Gear
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Internal Regulator
Rords are most common for this, but if the internal voltage regulator is acting up you will have a motor noise in your sound. Change the Alt and it will all go away.
PS You can have this noise with a Alt that is working fine and tests ok.
PS You can have this noise with a Alt that is working fine and tests ok.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,665
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From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
I tried the old alternator and it still whines. I have filters on top of filters on this thing and still whines. Nothing has really changed in the Vette to cause this to start.
I am thinking I fried the front end of the radio when the alternator went bad and put max voltage thru the system ( 18-19volts) I might have to buy a new head unit, I liked this one
I am thinking I fried the front end of the radio when the alternator went bad and put max voltage thru the system ( 18-19volts) I might have to buy a new head unit, I liked this one
