Alternator Whine?

[Reeves360]

I have a Pioneer AVH-4200DVD installed in my 09 Yaris. It works pretty good except for a few minor OS usability issues I personally have with it.

I've been running a 30GB iPod Video attached to my unit for about 6 months now and haven't had many problems (all have been on the iPod end). I'm using the Pioneer cable to connect my iPod Video to the stereo. It connects to the USB port on the unit and to the 1/8" headphone input. I've had no extra noise or static when using my set up this way.

I also have a 1TB Seagate Ulta Slim external HDD that I can hook up in my glove box if I want to unplug my iPod, I'm pretty pumped up on this bad boy and it works great but also gets it's power from the units USB port.

I finally got around to wiring my factory AUX cable up to the RCA inputs on my Pioneer unit so that I could stream music and listen to podcasts via the head phone jack on my phone.

The issue is I get really bad ground noise ONLY when listening to my Sprint EVO while it's charging from the stock cigarette lighter. If I unplug the power cord it stops making the bad ground static and sounds great!

I have the system hooked up like this: EVO > 1/8" Head phone cord > Factory AUX input spliced to RCA > into back of the stereo RCA input. Phone is plugged into the factory cigarette lighter with a USB power adapter.

I can't remember where I pulled power for the Pioneer unit but I think it's from the factory location since I used a factory to Pioneer wiring harness.

Any suggestions would be great!

As far as I understand if I ran a better ground from a different location (the battery) to the stereo that would fix my issue. Seems like I shouldn't have to do this. Also I don't remember having this issue when using the factory stereo and AUX input with my phone but am not 100% sure on that one.

[CTScott]

Get a better quality charger. Poor quality chargers have little or no noise filtering.

[_S7V7N_]

I had the same issue the other day when i used a charger, it was one them cheap ones off Amazon, i have a sprint Samsung Intercept. i'll just be sure to charge the hell out my phone next time and only run Pandora till the battery's half full. Mine played for a good hour without draining the battery too bad. Lemme know if the expensive ones work better.

[Reeves360]

Get a better quality charger. Poor quality chargers have little or no noise filtering.

It is a crap $1.50 USB adapter charger from Monoprice. Maybe I can find a good deal on a Micro USB one like the Motorola ones where the cord is attached. Hopefully that will charge at 1amp instead of 500mah and get rid of my noise issue.

Thanks for the great suggestion hopefully this will be a cheap and easy fix!

SWEET!

[Reeves360]

If it says "High Quality" in the name but is $2.94 is that "quality" enough?

Haha

Standard High Quality Micro USB 12/24V Rapid Travel Car Charger Adaptor for BLACKBERRY Bold 9700 (Smart I/C Chip technology prevents your cell phone and battery from overcharging)

Link (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037JW1IK?ie=UTF8&tag=wiresecustor-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0037JW1IK)

[Reeves360]

I bought an iLuv adapter because it outputs 5V DC @ 1.2A.

Ultra fast charging!

[Reeves360]

Get a better quality charger. Poor quality chargers have little or no noise filtering.

I bought the iLuv car charger and still have the same exact issue.

Any suggestions?

[CTScott]

It may still be the same issue. More current doesn't necessarily mean better quality/noise filtration. A couple of things you can try:

1. Use a fully shielded audio cable from the phone to the HU.

2. Eliminate potential ground loops by grounding the charger at the radio's ground.

[Reeves360]

Would you suggest either of these cables?

Hosa Cable (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001JYLV54/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=wiresecustor-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B001JYLV54&adid=1GG5Y6PTNF1APSWF6NC8)

Belkin Cable (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001F1Y6TY/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=wiresecustor-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B001F1Y6TY&adid=0490FM23DJ1922XK9HWQ)

Also last weekend I added a good ground to the cigarette lighter plug that goes to a bolt under the emergency brake into the body of the car.

It sounds like CTScott is saying to try to ground the stereo and the cigarette lighter to the same point or ground might help my issue.

Maybe this is irrelevant information but I looked in the Yaris manual and it states that the stereo is on the same circuit as the interior lighting and the cigarette lighting is on a different circuit. Not sure if that helps out at all.

Also I noticed that when my phone is not charging and while listening to music everything sounds great but when I plug in the power cord to the phone it almost completely cuts off the left channel and volume seems to go up on the right channel.

If I use the fader on my stereo to only use the left channel while the phone is plugged in I have to turn the stereo to max volume to barely hear the audio coming out of the left speakers

Suggestions please.

Thanks for the help all!

:burnrubber:

[CTScott]

Would you suggest either of these cables?

Hosa Cable (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001JYLV54/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=wiresecustor-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B001JYLV54&adid=1GG5Y6PTNF1APSWF6NC8)

Belkin Cable (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001F1Y6TY/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=wiresecustor-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B001F1Y6TY&adid=0490FM23DJ1922XK9HWQ)

Also last weekend I added a good ground to the cigarette lighter plug that goes to a bolt under the emergency brake into the body of the car.

It sounds like CTScott is saying to try to ground the stereo and the cigarette lighter to the same point or ground might help my issue.

Maybe this is irrelevant information but I looked in the Yaris manual and it states that the stereo is on the same circuit as the interior lighting and the cigarette lighting is on a different circuit. Not sure if that helps out at all.

Also I noticed that when my phone is not charging and while listening to music everything sounds great but when I plug in the power cord to the phone it almost completely cuts off the left channel and volume seems to go up on the right channel.

If I use the fader on my stereo to only use the left channel while the phone is plugged in I have to turn the stereo to max volume to barely hear the audio coming out of the left speakers

Suggestions please.

Thanks for the help all!

:burnrubber:

Have you by any chance tried plugging it into an amplified device other than your car stereo while charging it? Or, for that matter try plugging headphones into it while it is charging.

[jedwards]

I'm having this problem too...probably every Yaris has this problem...

I don't think that anything plugged into the cigarette lighter should be able to cause a problem. I bet that noise from the cigarette lighter causes noise in the power signal to everything else in the car, and that the stock stereo amp has a poor noise suppressor...

FYI alternator whine is a different sound: http://www.termpro.com/articles/noise.html