Rustica

Hello,

I'm a bit ignorant to most of this stuff so forgive me if my questions are lame. I'm putting a new stereo HU in my 1998 ES300. I'm only replacing the HU. The amp and speakers are still the factory stuff.

I read as much on the forums as I could find to help me figure out how to set things up. I think I've made it through all the hurdles (and will post later specifically how I did it) but the last item I'm still having trouble with. I have a humming/buzzing coming through the speakers when I turn on the stereo and use any of the modes (CD, iPod, radio). I've read a couple of other folks with this problem as well and some offered suggestions.

@GoodRevs was helpful with the following three ideas:

1. Put in Ground Loop Isolators
2. Check your grounds
3. Run power cables opposite the RCA's

Obviously item 3 is self explanatory but because I'm not very familiar with cables and their properties items 1 and 2 aren't as self-explanatory. I've included a picture of my setup. My questions are:

1) Do I have the ground loop isolator setup correctly? (I realize I need a second one for the left/right back pre-amp hookup)

2) I added some ferrite cores. Are those needed? Do they do anything in this situation?

3) Was I supposed to just tie the two ground wires together or tie them to something else?

When I hook this setup up it does reduce the humming a lot but there is still a slight hum going on. Any other ideas for how to reduce the hum? Did I hook things up correctly?

Thanks for any help offered.

Rus

Rustica

No takers?

GoodRevs

An aftermarket headunit will likely always have some hum with a factory amp and speakers. The question is how much hum are you willing to accept, and is the sound a hum, buzz or pop, because each is indicative of a different issue. Possible issue's are alternator whine, poor grounds, blow fuse, dieing amp, lack of adequate power plus other's.

A few things:

- Those look like radioshack ground loop isolators. Don't use those, they are designed for home audio systems NOT cars. They will not function properly in a car environment. These are what I and many others have used;

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_5262_PAC-SNI-1.html

- You should be fine grounding the headunits harness to the cars wiring harness.
- Is the headunit a Pioneer; if so did you hook it up with the car battery connected?

Looks like a very clean install, nice job

Rustica

Thanks a million for taking time to answer my questions @GoodRevs.

- I'm not sure I know the difference between a hum or a buzz but I'm thinking its more of a hum. It sounds like I'll just need to live with a low level hum unless I want to replace the amp and speakers, correct?

- Thanks for the feedback on the ground loop isolators. I actually had read from someone that those ones you suggested from Sonic were good so I ordered them. I'm just waiting for them to show up.

- The HU is a Dual and no I had unhooked the battery before I hooked up the stereo.

Thanks again for the help.

GoodRevs

- Hum is typically found with an aftermarket headunit and stock system, buzz is a poor ground or alternator whine, pop can be a dieing speaker or amp. Subjective sounds here but you get the jest of it.

- Pioneers have a little internal fuse called a Pico fuse that blows if you attached the RCA's with the battery hooked up.

Sounds like this install is pretty much wrapped up. Any other issue's post back, good luck.

adreano17

independently ground your RCA to both the chassis of the car and the housing of the HU