I have my Rio Car feedning into the AUX input on my Clarion HU via the front speaker out cables.

This morning i noticed that i was getting some very disturbing whine from my speakers on ly when i switched to AUX (using the Rio). When i switched to other sources i did not have this problem.

However, and this is where it gets interesting...if i leave the Clarion on AUX and REMOVE the Rio from the sled the whine does not go away, but instead varies in both speed (with engine RPM) and intesity (from soft to screaching).

Now...i wonder how this could happen if there is no conduit for the power in the cage to reach the RCA's if the Rio is not installed.

I'm thinking that perhaps the RCA connecting the cage to the Clarion are bad...or that there is a short somewhere in the connector on the cage where the hot wire may be frayed and it is somehow touching the RCA outs.

So that begs the question...when the Rio is set up in ths manner is current flowing to the cage connector even though the Rio has been removed?

Lots of question/issues/possibilities and i would be eager to hear all your thoughts!

oh..and to make matters worse...eventually the whine went away with the Rio both in and out of the sled and Clarion set to AUX.

textbook case!!!

thanks,

Ed

This is not the only time you've posted about ground loop noise, ed.

It's very promising to note that you still get the problem even with the empeg removed. It means it's a wiring or electrical issue with your car, or your Clarion headunit, and it's got nothing to do with the empeg.

To answer your specific question: Unless there is a wiring fault somewhere in the installation, or the wires on the back of the sled have come loose and are touching each other, then there should be no voltage going to the empeg sled if the empeg is removed.

Tony....it has been a quest equalled only to that of finding the grail!

The FAQ is dead on as the problem comes and goes when the car (a miata which gets jarred when hitting a rock!) goes over any bumps in the road.

in fact i am sending it to Stu to have the internal ground checked out for after all these years maybe they have come loose as well

for now it is VERY odd that even without the player in the sled...so..like suggested...a wire must have come loose in the connector on the sled

Ed, I'd be willing to send you a spare harness (Shonky-made) for your sled for testing purposes if you send it back when you're done. PM me if you're interested.

John,

That is very very kind of you!

Actually, as the Miata has very limited space behind the dash i took off all of the wires on the sled connector except for the ground, hot wire, and the RCA's. I plan on taking it out to check to see if they are secure or not.

Also, i used a patch cord to connect the sled rca's to the clarion rca's. I am going to get m/m barrel connectors so i can hook the two up without the patch cord and see if it makes a difference.

If i may...can i take you up on your offer if all else fails???

Ed

Sure, the offer stands. Also note that the Shonky harnesses do not have any tuner connections, just power, serial, and RCAs. It may be small enough to still fit.

ahhh..yes..the key word is CRAMMED!

i have 2 HU's running and as i slide them both in more times than not i have to do a lot of tweaking with all the cables to make it all fit right!