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Old 09-09-2008, 11:30 AM   #1
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Pioneer AVIC-F700BT Problem

Guys - I'm hoping someone can help me.

I've installed a Pioneer AVIC-F700BT into my 2000 Boxster S. The unit is powering up fine and working correctly.

It's wired in using the Audi\Porsche adapter as I'm still running the stock speakers from the stock factory 4x40w amplifier for now (and will be for some time yet).

When the car is moving, I'm getting a clicking noise. The faster I go the faster the clicking noise gets. I also get a high pitched whine all the time.

I disconnected the blue wire (turn the factory amp on\off) and the whine goes. Soon as I reconnect - it's there.

Anyone out there got an idea what this is? Thanks in advance.

Paul.

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Old 09-09-2008, 02:22 PM   #2
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You typically see the whining issue when you install an after market amplifier and create a "ground loop" (Google the term to learn more). Go back to your grounds and reground them or if you cut any wires on the amp inspect them. You can use a ground loop eliminator that plugs into RCA inputs on the amp but I'm not sure how it works with the stock amp. I had the issue and moving my grounds helped but didn't eliminate the problem until I installed the ground loop eliminator.

Have you done anything with the stock amp?

-Steve
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Old 09-09-2008, 02:35 PM   #3
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The stock amp has been completely untouched. I removed the Becker, did the mods to the housing and installed the cage for the AVIC.

I bought an audi\porsche ISO adapter from a local store (I was told this would plug in and enable me to use the stock amp) and hooked them together. The HU powers on fine but there is a whine coming from the speakers. When the car is in motion there is a low clicking noise (like it needs a suppressor) which gets worse the faster I go but at standstill is gone.

I disconnected the blue power lead (that turns the amp on) and the whine goes. Plugging it in and the whine is straight there.

Do I need to mod the ground going to the stock amp? Re-ground it to somewhere else in the trunk?

If so - is it still the thick brown wire?

Thanks for the response Steve.

Paul.
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Old 09-09-2008, 05:23 PM   #4
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I have my reservations on the ISO connector. The Avic D3 had 2 connectors, did you also get 2 ISO connectors? Can you return the connector and put the $ towards a better connector? I's also ask the guy that you bought it from about the issues.

When you disconnect the blue wire it turns off the amp and the sound goes away because the amp is off. Now I'm wondering about how the head unit connector (ISO) is grounding the head unit. Yes, the thick brown wire is a ground.

My recommendation is to contact trieullionaire and purchase his connectors should be just a few bucks. He also includes some great instructions that you can pull down from this thread, etc.
Recent Install - DVD Navigation

Trieu might also have some ideas but basically it's a ground loop issue and I'm stumped on the configuration of your ISO connector.

Puzzled...
-Steve
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Old 09-10-2008, 01:16 AM   #5
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The ISO connector did have two connectors. One that plugs into the amplifier (blue\green\yellow block - only the amp wiring is used however) and one which attaches to the speakers (both blocks)

I Have spoken to him about the problem but he's stumped.

I pm'd trieullionaire and I have his connector and instructions already (I bought his kit from ebay) but the F700BT has 1 pre-out which is for a subwoofer only - so I cannot use that harness.

Could I gorund the amplifier by just holding some wire on the chassis of the amp to a ground point somewhere in the car to see if resolves the problem? Do do I have to cut the brown wire to the amp?

Thanks for responding.

Paul.
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Old 09-10-2008, 03:45 AM   #6
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I'm hoping that an electronics expert will also chime in on this thread...

I would try what you're suggesting if there is a way to push in a wire into the fat connector or the amp pin that connects to the ground. another way you can try this is to use one of those jumper clamps that allow you to connect a new wire to an existing wire. It's a plastic clamp that wraps around the main wire that allows you to conncet a new wire. Make sense? Connecting to the physical amp housing would not do it, I think.

The last set of details makes a lot of sense - I'm hoping True has the answer for you...

-Steve
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Old 09-10-2008, 04:13 AM   #7
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I know what you mean re: the plastic clamp. I have one spare as it happens so I could try that. Effectively the brown wire is still connected to the amp as normal but it'll be a Y shape with another earth lead coming out of it running somewhere to ground.

Will try this as soon as I get home tonight! It's 10 past 1 here and I'm still at work fretting about my head unit lol.

Paul.
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Old 09-10-2008, 10:02 AM   #8
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You can also try this - install a ground loop eliminator on the Sub Pre Amp outs from the head unit. You can pick one up at Radio Shack - not sure if they are in the UK.

-Steve
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Old 09-10-2008, 02:30 PM   #9
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Even if they are not being used? Which they are not.

I can get one however.

Paul.
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Old 09-10-2008, 06:07 PM   #10
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Hmmm I didn't know that so if the sub RCA connectors aren't being used it may not make a difference with the ground loop eliminator.
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Old 09-11-2008, 04:27 AM   #11
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Steve - thank you for trying to assist.

I still haven't had any joy and on top of that the iPod connector doesn't appear to work (I bought the interface cable for it too) either.

I'm close to just taking it out, getting a new housing (do you know anywhere I can get one? I have the black leather option in the car) and going back to stock.

I plugged the Becker back in and it was fine - no whine. It's kinda doing my head in and the guys over here who sold me the lead are about as useful as a chocolate fireguard.

:-(

Paul.
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Old 09-11-2008, 05:14 AM   #12
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So sorry that it isn't working.

One last thing that I would try is to reroute the ground from the Avic to another source instead of the thick brown wire on the harness. If I understand ground loop issues correctly, which I'm not fully sure that I do, the amp and the head unit are sharing the ground and that needs to be seperate. Try running the Avic ground to another source. Simply connect a new wire and run that to anything metal - try a few different places. This lets the amp keep the original ground source which actually ends up connected to the frame behind the drivers headlight (pull back the carpet and you'll see).

-Steve
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Old 09-11-2008, 05:21 AM   #13
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Steve,

I'll try that. Do you mean to literally cut the earth to the HU and then clip a bit of wire to the cut pin and ground it to the chassis? I can do that no problem.

I have another alternative - I'm thinking of swapping the HU to a Kenwood DNX5220BT of maybe even the Pioneer F900BT (the 900 has 3 pre outs as opposed to the 1 on the 700, so does the Kenwood unit) and then running in a new aftermarket amp in the boot. Would using RCA cables and re running power to a new amp help?

I know this would require rewring plus crossovers put in - I'd rather avoid having to do this if poss though.

Again though, thanks for trying to help me with this. It's really appreciated over here. :-)

Paul.
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Old 09-11-2008, 06:59 AM   #14
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I like the idea of swapping the current head unit with another head unit that has more amp preouts. My avic D3 had several preouts and when I put in the ground loop eliminator on one of them (only needed one) it solved my whining issue so I'm hoping that it will work for you.

Interestingly when I did all of my wiring I had the car off and didn't notice my ground loop issue until I was ready to go for a drive. My whine was noticeable at low volumes when when I cranked it up you couldn't notice. Because I already had a new amp installed I simply put the ground loop eliminator on one of the preamp outputs just before the amp since that was the easiest location.

I was able to move my amp ground wire around to different locations and the problem went away but it eventually came back in a few days. It was all solved when I installed the ground loop eliminator.

Good luck and no problem on helping out.

I also have an issue with the amp giving out a pop sound when I leave the head unit on and pull the key out. I've since figured out that if I turn off the head unit before pulling out the key it doesn't happen. It's because True's instructions have the head unit wired to be always on and my amp is powering down when I pull the key out. If I power it down before turning off the car it's ok. I think if I switched back the power lead wiring to not always be on when the ignition is on I wouldn't have this issue. Some people thought that my amp was too powerful (2000 watts on 4 channels)

Good luck.

-Steve
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Old 09-11-2008, 12:22 PM   #15
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Steve,

My Dad and I cut the main earth to the head unit tonight and ran a seperate wire from the connector to a new earth. Funny thing happened when we grounded it. The wire sparked! It seems to be getting a back feed from somewhere and I've no idea where.
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Old 09-11-2008, 01:16 PM   #16
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What do you mean by main earth?
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Old 09-11-2008, 01:18 PM   #17
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is main earth = ground?

Anyone else out there an electronics expert? Is your ground wire a power source?
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Old 09-11-2008, 01:41 PM   #18
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Sorry Steve - main earth = ground the thick brown wire in themain HU connector.

Paul.
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Old 09-11-2008, 02:49 PM   #19
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Paul dont forget to do the update for your F Series.

I have the Avic-F90BT. The boot up may be a little slow but the F Series is awesome!
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Old 09-11-2008, 03:20 PM   #20
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Trigem2K,
Does your avic F series have only one pre amp output? Do you have any ideas for Paul?

Paul,
So I'm thinking that your connector isn't correct. Is the Avic Ground wire in the right position that matches up with the brown ground? I'm wondering if you've got a hot switched wire connected to the ground and when you touched it to the frame, it's sparking. Try an volt/ohm meter and check the volts on the head unit. Touch the + to the meter and negative to a metal source.

I'm surprised that the other guys on the forum have no ideas on this issue but you've definately got a ground issue.

-Steve

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