Kryptek49 Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 I've just put a new stereo in my Zed (Kenwood DMX-7017DABS), but there's a constant buzzing/static noise coming from the speakers whenever the radio is on. It doesn't matter what source I use, it's always there. Muting the stereo has no effect. Has anyone else come accross this and solved it? I've done my best to google but can't find any solutions. The wiring harness has been modded so it doesn't use the RCA cables already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryptek49 Posted March 25, 2019 Author Share Posted March 25, 2019 Anyone got any clues? I'm going to try pull it all out again tonight and relocate all the grounding wires to the same place and see if that helps. Any input prior to that would be really useful. Fortunately you can't hear it over the exhaust, but I'd really like it sorted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 I googled and found this https://www.crutchfield.com/S-cd0dQUT2YDM/learn/learningcenter/car/noise_suppressors_installation_guide.html am not an expert unfortunately but might have something in the link that helps? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryptek49 Posted March 25, 2019 Author Share Posted March 25, 2019 Thanks Coldel, that seems to be a pretty indepth guide which covers my exact issue. I'll try each solution tonight and hopefully one will do the trick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryptek49 Posted March 26, 2019 Author Share Posted March 26, 2019 Unfortunately I've still had no luck with this - I'll put the things I've tried below, does anyone have any idea what else I can try? Suggestions per the above Crutchfield article: Is your receiver securely grounded? - Yes, I am using the frame as suggested in CS2000's head unit wiring guide. Antenna noise - The noise is there regardless of source or if the antenna is unplugged Radiated noise - I have removed the head unit from the dash as far as possible, and there is no change to the sound. Engine noise - The noise is there regardless of engine being on or off The article then starts talking about amplifiers. My car has the BOSE amp, and I have maxed out the old head units volume prior to removing it as suggested. The wiring harness has also already been modified per Buster's mod. So the RCA cables removed and wire into a regular 8 pin ISO plug. I have also removed all the plastics in the boot to access the amp, and have tried to disconnect it from the bodywork as much as possible. Again there was no change in sound. So at this point I have no idea what to do! Should I remove the old amp completely, and run a new amp with new wires? One thing I did notice was that in this post: https://www.350z-uk.com/topic/55445-wiring-in-a-new-hu-this-guide-may-help/ on the 3rd picture it was shows there should be a ground wire coming from the smallest plug on the harness, which you connect to your grounding point. In my harness there is no wire. I manually added a wire and but this had no effect. Finally, I have not yet connected my steering wheel controls, but would assume that this should have no effect on residual sound from the unit? Any thoughts anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 Generally I find buzzing is a grounding issue but am no expert as I say! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryptek49 Posted March 26, 2019 Author Share Posted March 26, 2019 2 minutes ago, coldel said: Generally I find buzzing is a grounding issue but am no expert as I say! Not sure if buzzing is the right word, it's like a constant fuzzy white noise from the speakers, does that sound similar to you? I haven't yet checked the resistance with a multimeter so I'll check this tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben–350Z Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 Do you get any "actual" sound at all? i.e. is what should be playing there under the buzzing? Could be that the loom has been badly modified, and there's not actually a connection to the amp's inputs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryptek49 Posted March 27, 2019 Author Share Posted March 27, 2019 56 minutes ago, Ben–350Z said: Do you get any "actual" sound at all? i.e. is what should be playing there under the buzzing? Yes, everything seems to be working correctly, perfect radio signal, amp is powering on, speakers playing clear sound etc. I might just order a new loom and hope for the best, they're about £45 though which seems quite expensive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryptek49 Posted March 28, 2019 Author Share Posted March 28, 2019 Okay another day of trying to sort this and still no luck. I've bought an entirely new wiring harness, split the RCA cables per Buster's mod, and I'm in the exact same position as before. The sound was still there before modding the harness, just quieter, as expected. The sound is coming from all of the speakers. Interestingly if I mess about with the fader/balance, this has no effect on the sound. It continually blasts from all the speakers regardless of which one is getting actual sound. Anyone got any more ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryptek49 Posted March 29, 2019 Author Share Posted March 29, 2019 Based on a few similar articles it appears that the difference in power between the new head unit & the BOSE amp is the issue. 2 options to fix this would be fit a new amp, or to run new speaker wires directly from the HU and bypass the amp completely. Any thoughts on which is the better option? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben–350Z Posted March 29, 2019 Share Posted March 29, 2019 Hmm... Do you have either another head unit you can try, or a different car to try that unit in? At this point, it doesn't seem like it's the link between the two that's a problem. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryptek49 Posted March 29, 2019 Author Share Posted March 29, 2019 Yep, I'll pull the Sony unit out of my girlfriends car later and see if this has any effect. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryptek49 Posted March 29, 2019 Author Share Posted March 29, 2019 Just installed a Sony XAV-AX1000, and while the hissing is slightly quieter than my Kenwood it is definitely still there, again regardless of source, fader/balance etc. This is frustrating! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryptek49 Posted March 29, 2019 Author Share Posted March 29, 2019 I've given up - sticking in an aftermarket amp tomorrow + rerunning all of the speaker cables, hope this does the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryptek49 Posted April 1, 2019 Author Share Posted April 1, 2019 Well, after spending my entire weekend running new speaker wire & wiring in the amp, the noise is still there! Because I've replaced almost everything in the system, this only leaves a couple of options for the cause: 1 - Some kind of electrical intereference 2 - Dodgy head unit 3 - Bad wires going to the head unit, such as a dirty live cable, or bad ground. 2 & 3 are fairly easy to test, so I'll see if I can finally get this sorted today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 Good luck, you are nothing if not persistent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben–350Z Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 Does it change if the engine is running or not? _Maybe_ alternator? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryptek49 Posted April 2, 2019 Author Share Posted April 2, 2019 29 minutes ago, Ben–350Z said: Does it change if the engine is running or not? _Maybe_ alternator? Nope, when I test it I'm normally just on accessory power, so engine not running. The hissing doesn't change if the engine is on either, just a bit harder to hear over the exhaust 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 Looking forwards to seeing the outcome of this, bonkers that it is still doing it. Have you replaced all the wiring yet?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryptek49 Posted April 2, 2019 Author Share Posted April 2, 2019 3 minutes ago, coldel said: Looking forwards to seeing the outcome of this, bonkers that it is still doing it. Have you replaced all the wiring yet?! Pretty much, I've run all new 16gauge speaker wires to the 4 speakers, which was a huge PITA as you have to drill holes in the connectors to wire the cables through the front door grommets, and theres no space to work with (also my left mirror doesn't tilt anymore so I need to work out what I did wrong there). I've run 4gauge wire from the battery to the amp, and grounded it using 4gauge to a bare metal ground. There's really not alot left for me to replace, that's pretty much the entire sound system! Only thing I haven't done is replaced the wiring going directly to the head unit (Live, Ground etc., not the RCA's), so I'm going to try run the live & ground wires from the amp connections which I know are perfect to see if the noise is still there. And if the noise is then gone, I'll know I've just completely wasted my time with an unnecessary amp install! All good fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 Its going to be the bestist stereo system on any zed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryptek49 Posted April 2, 2019 Author Share Posted April 2, 2019 Success! (sort of...) The cause was the gain on the Sub. I didnt realise that the front and rear had a seperate gain adjustment, so when testing after installing the new amp the hissing was still coming from the front due to the high gain. After lowering it down to the min there is now no noise at all! On to the sort of... I was testing the speakers, and slowly turned up the sound until it was at max volume, then 'pop' followed by an electrical burning smell... Pretty sure I've just blown all of the speakers in my car Now when I play any music its just the speakers making a single popping noise every 2 seconds, and that's all I get... I only bought a cheap amp off FB to keep me going for a while, I'm glad all the wiring is done at least! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryptek49 Posted April 2, 2019 Author Share Posted April 2, 2019 Oh wait no, just checked my battery voltage and its 7 volts... Looks like I can add a new one to my shopping list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Umster Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 I'm actually happy to hear this is all sorted. If you ever sell your car, make sure you link this thread in your post! Respect your determination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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