Stearmandriver

So, as stated elsewhere, I just got my 99 boxster, and there is this whiring sound that is oviously related to the ignition. The car has an aftermarket Kenwood head unit and an eq that doesn't appear to even be hooked up. In the front trunk is an aftermarket amp that is not bolted to the chassis. It makes the noise even when the radio is turned off, so I removed the amp and the noise went away.
So my question is, what was causing the whiring noise and how can I avoid it later?

Thanks in advance,
David

Macster

Sorry, but I've got nothing to offer. Car sound systems are a mystery to me.

My 02 Boxster's AM radio signal reception is poor and all I've managed to do is to improve it for a few months by removing the passenger side a-pillar cover and unbolting some electronic looking gizmo from the metal a-pillar -- gizmo held in place by small self-tapping screw -- then bolting the gizmo back in place. This makes for a better electrical (ground) connection for a while and reception is improved but after a while it goes downhill again.

I just adapt by not using the radio. I seldom if ever use the CD player in either car.

If an aftermarket system has been installed... Oh boy. I'm sure it can be sorted out but it is going to take someone smarter and with more experience than I.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Erik@GBox

I think that this has to do with how the amp/radio is shielded. You might be able to resolve this by shielding the spark plug wires, but I have heard of this happening in the past.

I hope that this helps at least a little.

Erik Johnson

Stearmandriver

I'm gonna try a different amp. the pedigree of the one in it is questionable.

TheDarkYak

It's been a while since I've had a "system" installed in one of my cars, but maybe I can help. I once had a 5.0 Mustang(hanging my head in shame...) and experienced a "whining" that would get louder the faster I went. It was a ground loop, caused by where I had grounded the power amp. My memory of it isn't too good, but it seems like I had grounded the amp to the same point as the head unit. I attached the ground to the chassis of the car instead, and the noise quit. Maybe it was the opposite... God, getting old sucks! Maybe it is all of the concussions I've... What was I saying? Anyhow, you might try redoing the ground wire of the amp to see if that makes a difference before spending any money on new equipment. Of course if the amp sucks as well, that could be the culprit in itself. Good luck, and hope you have better luck getting rid of strange noises than I!

Divot

+1 on the ground.

Is this only on AM? If so, good luck.

budmanv24

As stated above that is a grounding issue most commonly experienced when using a separate amplifier. I would start by grounding the head unit directly to the metal support of the dash. Typically the stock h/u grounds are way too long and cause a voltage drop, resulting in a differential between the two components thus resulting in the noise you are experiencing.

Stearmandriver

budman- I like your analysis. I'll give that a shot. The install was a hack job anyway, so this will give me a chance to make it right. Thanks.

Stearmandriver

Sooooo... I tried a Kenwood amp (to go with the Kenwood head unit) and presto.... the whiring sound went away. I guess when you have a pedigree car, you should have pedigree components. At least it gave me a chance to learn more about my car and tidy things up. Thanks everyone for the help

David

Erik@GBox

Glad to hear that you were able to get this taken care of.

Erik Johnson