[Lorax]

I have replaced my front factory speakers with component MB Quarts.

I used the factory wiring by installing the crossovers near the fuse box junctions.

Now I am gettting a faint but distinct high whine synonomous with the engine revs. I know this is a problem that occurs with stereo installs.

What is the likely explanation, given the only thing changed from stock are the speakers?

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Lorax
'01 SS EX-Navi
Leather Interior, Wings West Kit and lots of other mods.

 

[hgani]

That's a hard one to diagnose, you would need to undo what you did, connect and test one component at a time.

-Harry

 

[Lorax]

Do you think one of the new speakers or crossovers is faulty? The new speakers are the only change to the stock stereo.

I have a possible explanation, but I don't know if it is reasonable. Could it be that the new speakers are more sensitive and picking up noise that the stock speakers don't reproduce?

If the noise is developed in the wiring downstream of the head unit, would it be worthwhile to run new (and better speaker wire rather than using the stock wire?

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Lorax
'01 SS EX-Navi
Leather Interior, Wings West Kit and lots of other mods.

 

[hgani]

Yes, it is possible that the noise was already there before you replace the speakers. With so many possibilities on how the noise enters the system, it's best to install the component one by one.
For example: connect just the left crossover and the woofer, turn on the stereo and listen. If the noise is there, replace the crossover with the other one and test again. If the noise is still there, than you know it's not the crossover. Temporarily run a new wires from the headunit and check again, if it's still there, than the noise enters the system thru the headunit. That would be very hard to diagnose because you have several wires going into the headunit.

-Harry

 

[Lorax]

I figured it out!

The noise was being picked up by the crossover. I had attached it to the bottom of the evaporator under the glove box. I think it was too close to the blower motor. If I moved it away from the area, the noise went away. It also went away when I turned of the A/C.

I think this makes sense because the blower draws a lot of current which means it puts off a relatively strong field. At the same time, the coils in the crossover are more sensitive than just the wire runs. I'm a little surprised the crossover isn't shielded (or better shielded).

Something to remember for future installs anyway.

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Lorax
'01 SS EX-Navi
Leather Interior, Wings West Kit and lots of other mods.

 

[hgani]

Glad to hear you found the problem, noise in the stereo system can be a pain to diagnose. I myself have just figured the ground loop hum that's my Clarion powered subwoofer produced, moving the ground wire from factory grounding point to the headunit ground wire stopped the hum completely.

-Harry

 

[Lorax]

Fortunately, the problem was quickly isolated because only only one thing had changed in the system - the speakers. If I had installed an entire new system, I wouldn't have known where to start.

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Lorax
'01 SS EX-Navi
Leather Interior, Wings West Kit and lots of other mods.