i am connecting my basslink today. I started by lifting the door sils, and running the power down the driver side, and the rca;'s and remote power switch down the passenger side.
I then plugged the rcas's into my head unit, and spliced the remote power cables together. Again, nothing is connected to the sub or the battery, just the headunit.
Here's the strange part...

i turn on the car, just the power, the engine is not running.
And i hear a loud high pitched squeal...almost like a cross between an exhaust leak and the mirror motor. It lasts about 5 sec. and then goes away..... until i start the engine..

when i start the engine the sound is persistant....

once again, nothing is plugged in...except the rca's and the remote power wire.

I can think of only two possibilites...
1) i somehow crushed or squeezed some wiring under the door sills... and something is shorting...
2) because the rca's are not plugged into a grounded source, they hum...


??????????


I know it is not an exhaust leak.
Does anyone have any ideas?

much appreciated.!!!
BUDLoNG

I would think its the fuel pump leaking noise into the lines you ran. If you turn the key to the 'ON' position with nothing else on at all you'll hear the pump run for a few seconds (sounds like its coming from the backseat, since thats where it is ;))

Just a note I ran my audio signals down the center under the carpet. Yes its harder, but its a hair over 3 feet shorter distance with nearly no constant sources of interference. Plus it might allow the easy use of a 1/4-din EQ, Crossover, etc if its stuffed into the center console pocket.

I've found that there is plenty of places to pick up noise though, I'm just putting a possible source out there for your situation.

I've ran into my fair share and have since spent a bundle of money isolating everything. Ham radio (Icom IC-2800H), 3 LCD screens, A/V multiplexers, PS2, Xbox, sony headunit with XM, changer, and a sony aux input controller. Right now the ham radio does pick up noise from the DC/AC inverter, but I think its related to the position between the inverter and the antenna (less than 12 inches apart). I'm betting if I spent money on an ProSine inverter that issue would go away too.

i dont think its interference, because i can hear it from outside of the car, when nothing is plugged in...?

it sounds like i flipped a relay or something, and some tiny little motor is now engaged in the back.....like a power antenna motor.


im pretty clueless.

I think it would be possible to hear the fuel pump from outside the car.

Are you turning the key to just 'accessory' (no check engine light, engine not running) or are you turning it all the way to 'on' (check engine light, heater fan can be turned on, etc).

The fuel pump could not be it if you're just going into the accessory, in fact there isn't much that it could be in accessory.

Do you have any types of extras, like a big capacitor, crossovers, low pass filters, etc in the lines to your amp?

Also if you could ditch the noise, how does the basslink sound? I have not had the chance to hear one yet, or talk to anyone that had one. I'm thinking about one myself.

someone suggested it was the fuel pump relay... which is totally feasible. Im going to bring her in for a check up on sat.

it only sounds when i turn the key to "on" [past accessory]


i dont have anything else plugged in except my gauges, turbo timer, and deck [no crossovers, etc]


basslink sounds dope!! i cant hear the sound when the radio is on, but i want this problem solved, not ignored.:)

BUDLoNG

Originally posted by BUDLoNG
someone suggested it was the fuel pump relay... which is totally feasible. Im going to bring her in for a check up on sat.

it only sounds when i turn the key to "on" [past accessory]


i dont have anything else plugged in except my gauges, turbo timer, and deck [no crossovers, etc]


basslink sounds dope!! i cant hear the sound when the radio is on, but i want this problem solved, not ignored.:)

BUDLoNG

If its only when the key is in the "on" position I'm 96% sure its the fuel pump. I had my fiancee turn the key a few times and my WRX makes the same noise, inside and out. I also used the "Inductive Tracer" hound unit (from a fox/hound set (http://www.mcmelectronics.com/Home/level_5.jhtml?PRODID=42583&SKUID=41827) normally used for finding one wire in a bunch or behind a panel) and held it near the back/bottom of the back seat and the thing went NUTS with a whine for about 4 seconds when the key was turned to "on" and a nearly constant with the engine running.

Next on my list if I were you would be using a seperate set of signal wires run from the head unit to the amp without actually installing the wires (you know just kinda drape them over the seat). If that doesn't work, move your basslink further toward the back/drivers side, the noise wasn't nearly as bad in those locations. (you can see about where the pump is by lifting the trunk mat out and right behind the backseat there is an oval shaped "hatch")

If you do installs or plan to do alot more the fox/hound is worth the $75 to be able to track down noise "point and click" style.

Edit: I think a basslink would be the perfect way to add the bass I want. I don't want to loosen fillings, I just want a nice good thump you can feel. And the basslink is a nice tight little package. I just may have to track down a place around here that sells them and see if I can't fit one into my budget :) thanks

im not sure what u used that fox hound thing for...? just to pinpoint the problem? That sounds EXACTLY like my wrx wagon..! [although i used my ears to pinpoint the location...

(i pulled the door sills out and ran the rca's and power cables down them. i think this is what caused it for me,...
i also grounded the amp to the center mount behind the seats.

did u find a solution?
what caused it for u?


i would love to fix this myself and avoid the 1hr drive to the dealer.




i got my basslink from ebay... 215 shipped.... and im stoked, it sounds much bigger than it is!

i would recommend getting one.:)
BUDLoNG

I used just the "hound", its like a convert/amplifier for interference (roughly). You put that metal probe sticking out the top near what you want to hear.

Its really meant to pick up a tone generated by the "fox"; you'd plug the fox into a wire you wanted to trace and wave the "hound" over the wall like a stud finder and when you hear the fox's tone you've found the wire you connected the fox to. Makes tracing wires in walls, or behind telephone punch boxes much easier. Its a real common tool for alarm installers, cable installers, telephone installers, etc.

But the inductive amplifier "hound" is good for finding noise from electric motors, noisy power supplies, etc. Speaking of, remember the noise I was talking about from my inverter before? The hound could hear the inverter (when loaded with about 300 watts of equip) from about 2 feet away. Guess whats going to get replaced asap? :)

Best things to remedy the problem would be A: try moving the basslink to different locations in the trunk to see if it helps clear it up. B: reroute the wiring down the center under the carpet (worked great for me for my CD Changer) and/or C: maybe try a low pass filter, they aren't normally expensive just get a set that matches the frequency curve of the basslink and install the filter as close to the head unit as possible (in the hopes that it will block the higher pitched interference from making it into your head unit).

Also while being a stretch and not knowing exactly what effect it would have on the quality of a subwoofer signal try a ferrite core snapped around your signals at both the sub and the head. They are like the big masses of plastic on most game console controller cords, on the X-box there is one on both ends of the controller wire and the PS2 has one about 6 inches from the connector. You can get them at radio shack most of the time for about 2 bucks and they just snap around the wire held in place by a plastic casing. I've used them quite often to get rid of noise on the digital signal lines I've got in the car, work fairly well there, but like I said I never tried nor do I have any reference as to what it would do to a subwoofer signal.

i got this noise before i even put the basslink in my car....
right after i put the cables in the door sills, i started the car... the power for the amp wasnt even plugged into the battery... only the remote turn on wire for the bass link and the rca's.

so i had to be somewhere between pulling apart the door sills, and laying down the wires.


i did take the center console (around ebrake) off as well, but i decided to run the wires down the sills instead... toi me its a just cleaner.


so it really has nothing to do with the sub...
and everything to do with the head unit, two wires, and the door sills. maybe something got jiggled loose...
its late... i need to rethink this after some sleep
i appreciate the help!
BUDLoNG

Dang its cold outside!! I pulled my backseat and passenger door sills off to take a look under there again. The power lines for the fuel pump go down the passenger side. I'm now 100% sure thats where your noise is coming from (the fuel pump and its power feeds). Try to get your signal wires as far away from the wrapped up bundle thats already under the door sills.

but do u think that just having extra wires running down the side would somehow screw up the fuel pump???
it sounds like the motor is always on now (for the fuel pump). Im not sure exactly how the fuel system works, but i assume the fuel pump turns on and off, its never on all the time...

man, didnt think i would run into these kinds of problems installing an amp..

i guess u live and learn! :D

BUDLoNG