I installed my trusty Mk 1 into the 97 Civic of my girlfriend. I used a P.I.E. adapter that provides RCA inputs to connect to the CD-changer input on the factory stereo. Everything worked fine until I started the engine (and no, it's not engine noise, read on!)

The empeg sounds beautiful if the engine is stopped and the lights are on (or the defogger or some other 12V load). If I turn the light off, first a slow periodic buzzing starts, very much like an alarm-clock. Then the overall audio seriously degrades and very loud and awful noises start. The same is true if I start the engine. It's as if the empeg gets unhappy if the 12V voltage gets too high.

I tried a ground-loop-isolator from RadioShack, but it actually made it a lot worse. I read the FAQ and found something about grounded connectors for the Mk1 outputs, but I don't have those (bought it used).

Any help?

Thanks!
Armin