annoying engine whine thru amp

[driftin240]

I dont know if anyone else has experienced this but when my amp is on and the engine is running theres a high pitched whine and it gets louder when I hit the gas it sounded kind of cool at first but its just annoying now....any suggestions

[Sygerwulf]

Well there are several things that can cause noise in a car stereo system. If the sound changes pitch with the engine then it is an accessory wire problem.

The best things to do that I would suggest would be to: 1)reground the amp, to the frame of the car if possible. Make sure that the ground is DIRECTLY touching bare metal and isn't near any power source. 2) Invest in shielded RCA cables. These can make a big difference in noise and sound quality, and again make sure they aren't near the power cable/accessory wire. 3) Check you're wiring size. Make sure that it's large enough for your amp *what size amp is it anyway and what size wiring are you using?* 4) Check all your wiring and try to keep it all separated. Sometimes just the acc. and the power wire being next to each other can cause distortion. 5) If all else fails then buy both a ground loop isolator and a noise reduction box. This should completely elliminate all noise from your stereo system.

[maxpower]

Where are you getting power for your amp? try wirring it directly tot he battery. I have this same issue, but i put my stereo project on hold for now...

[creophus]

2) Invest in shielded RCA cables. These can make a big difference in noise and sound quality, and again make sure they aren't near the power cable/accessory wire.

Getting good RCA cables is a must in a situation like this. Also...how may volts does your head unit have running to the RCA pre-outs? The more voltage the less likely you will have this problem. I had this issue in my 200SX and couldn't get it to go away. I moved the RCA cables to a different side of the car than the power cables (This is crucial, just like Sygerwulf says). Then I eventually got a better head unit and the problem is totally gone because it has higher voltage output.

[Sygerwulf]

Hey driftin240, you say you live in Lexington? Lexington where? I live about 20 minutes away from a Lexington.

[Woodmister]

Are your RCAs on the seperate side of the power wires?

[driftin240]

its a 600w amp and im running 4-gauge ground and power...and yes the RCA's are on the other side...i have it grounded to the frame and its connected directly to the battery...i live in lexington, SC where are you at that is 20 mins away?