Thread: Car Computer Install: Noise In The System

just remember that ground loop isolators and direct-to-battery grounding are not always the only options. you can also try grounding to different points in the car, or, if everything is grounded to multiple points, connect everything to a single point. or connect a length of wire from the outer portion of the rca cable to the ground cable.


unwanted noise in a sound system is usually the result of what is called a difference in ground potential-- which basically means that some devices have a easier path back to the battery then other devices. the entire idea is to get everything onto the same ground potential, which usually will correct the issue.


there are tons of different solutions to ground loops and unwanted noise, so if you happen to have a particularly annoying one, i suggest searching sites like realmofexcursion.com, or diymobileaudio.com, or the12volt.com. all those sites specifically cater to car audio systems, and will have tons of info on ground loops and the previous solutions that people have used to correct them.

Or simply do it by standards like AES48. That should guarantee no noise not only from ground loops but from external interferences (neon lights, RFI, etc..) as well. Long story short... balanced lines with shield grounded to chassis at both ends of twisted pair cables.

Did you try doing the big 3 upgrade? Maybe your chassis was not grounded properly to the battery?

hey guys,

i couldnt contain myself on this post i really couldn't..this is a nissan altima. not some S**tty demestic pile. the grounds in the car are fine, slappy didnt ground it to the chassis like said,
he used a factory bolt >i.e. seat belt or spare tire nut. 101 of grounding in a car. dont uses factory anything. i will even scan the beginners guide from the MECP book about this..

second .the paint was not scraped down to metal.(from what was shown)

and then ground loop iso's!!!! really? come on.

this really twist my nipples

only because, how can someone who doesnt know much about cars, teach other people how to do things in there cars.
this is the blind leading the blind man.
you sir are the reason people have a bad taste in there mouth about real installers.

I am sorry for the rant! but come on ...

Originally Posted by Zerohour2100

i couldnt contain myself on this post i really couldn't..this is a nissan altima. not some S**tty demestic pile.

reality check-- nearly all mass produced vehicles in the last 20 years, regardless of the make, are spot welded. and spot welds are not always consistent in their mating of the two panels. this is the issue at hand. i don't care if it's a vw, mercedes, mitsubishi or chevy, they all do that the same way, so that argument lacks substance.

Originally Posted by Zerohour2100

the grounds in the car are fine, slappy didnt ground it to the chassis like said,
he used a factory bolt >i.e. seat belt or spare tire nut. 101 of grounding in a car. dont uses factory anything. i will even scan the beginners guide from the MECP book about this..

second .the paint was not scraped down to metal.(from what was shown)

99% if the time, all the extra stuff like sanding the paint off, and using a non-factory ground point is not needed. i know of plenty of trouble-free sound system installs that used a factory bolt, and never sanded anything. but once you have a issue with a ground loop, these are some of the first things to check.

Originally Posted by Zerohour2100

only because, how can someone who doesnt know much about cars, teach other people how to do things in there cars.
this is the blind leading the blind man.

4 years ago, i knew how to click a mouse, and open my email. now i use a carpc every day, and have modded my car electrically in ways i barely imagined 4 years ago.
everything is a learning process. i think sean knows more then he shows in this series..(remember, this is part of a introduction to carpc series, not a advanced tech doument)

Originally Posted by Zerohour2100

you sir are the reason people have a bad taste in there mouth about real installers.

I am sorry for the rant! but come on ...

and you leave a bad taste in my mouth. he never claims to be a real installer, that he knows all of it, or has all the answers. and any intelligent person will do the same. it is impossible to know it all. this forum is based on a hobby-ist activity, and as such, some of the installs are crude, or not up to what a 'pro' shop would do. the video series is meant to be a starting guide to new members on what it takes to install a carpc. if you don't like the series, you should make your own 'correct' version. i think they did a great job covering all the different aspects of the build, and showing the different ways of doing things. is it the way i do things? no. but i don't want to make a video.

Originally Posted by protias

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Good example of troubleshooting. Sometimes things just don't go the way you plan them and you have to recover with some intelligent afterthought.

Wanted to see if someone could tell me why it would it would a be a bad idea to run a ground wire from the battery to the trunk (like the video showed.)
You don't hear about doing that often. I heard it a few times but not as often as I thought you should.

Granted I am a noob to car audio installs (the right way) LOL. As a noob it makes common sense to me to run a seperate ground to eliminate all the grounding problems that can come up. I have not done it but always thought about doing it that way.


Besides overkill, not necessary if done right etc. Is there any other major concern for running a seperate ground?
I know there is also a possibility that a new ground loop can come up or still be there but it seems like 99% of the time it should fix it.

Any ideas?

Thanks