Ipod Interference (Whining)

[MattRoberts123]

Originally Posted by mwrbunny

I'm getting a faint whine through my Ipod that varies with engine speed......didn't find much discussion when I searched threads, except for a suggestion that it was probably from the alternator.

I can't handle being in the truck with my stereo and wife whining at the same time, and attempts to fix the wife have failed.

Any suggestions for the Ipod? (I don't hear the interference on AM or FM..)

Depends what type of stereo/iPod connection you are using. It is called a ground loop and can be either real hard or real easy to fix.. tell us how you have installed everything and I will try to help solve the problem.

[blockrockin]

yup its a ground loop... yeah let us know what else you have hooked up... you will probably have to reground some things... can be real anoying but can be fixed..

[mwrbunny]

All I've got is the stock navigation unit with a USA-Spec IPod Interface.
Truck is a 2006. I didn't notice any whining for the first 6 months....seems like it just started.

[MattRoberts123]

Originally Posted by mwrbunny

All I've got is the stock navigation unit with a USA-Spec IPod Interface.
Truck is a 2006. I didn't notice any whining for the first 6 months....seems like it just started.

I had the same problem when I had the Pac Audio iPod interface... my problem was mainly noticed when I would be playing the XM part of the factory stereo... it would humm real bad... going in tune with the alternator. What I did to prevent this was install a switch between the power of the iPod unit and the vehicle...

This would allow me to flip the switch when I wanted to use the iPod, thus causign the CD changer to be able to be selected, which was what the iPod sound came through... then if I didn't want to listen to the ipod, I would just flip the switch again, disabling the ipod interface, as well as removing the cd changer selection from the head unit. This fixed my problem and may work for you as well.

Hope this helps... Basically, you probably have several ground wires going to several different places, and the only solution to fix this would be to have all the grounds go to the same place, but sometimes with a factory stereo, that can be very hard to accomplish!

[mdoyle]

I don't think this is usually alternator related, it's more likely due to the HV in the ignition system from a partial failure. You'll see the same effect if you ever run non-shielded spark plug cables, and it's the same reason Corvettes used metal shielding boxes over their alternators (no metal body panels to shield RF).

The alternator is putting A/C through a diode trio into D/C, then a rectifier so you'd need a pretty messed up component to cause radio interference in that circuit.

[mwrbunny]

hmmmmmmmmm........(with a blank stare)
I guess what you're suggesting is that I have a partial failure in my ignition system, and thats causing the whine.

....I wouldn't even know where to begin to solve that issue.......

apparantly, this isn't a common issue with the Ipod interface, and there isn't an equally common "fix" which is what I was looking for. Thanks for the replies, and I'll just see what pans out. Maybe next time it's at the dealer I'll have the ignition checked out just for sh##s and giggles...

[mdoyle]

I just re-read my reply and noticed I said "alternators" when I should have said "distributors" in the Corvette shielding example.

Spark plug wiring is usually shielded, noise suppressive but if you've got a cracked wire, coil, or bad plug then you'll notice an increase in noise on audio equipment.

In some cases you can pick it up outside the vehicle on the AM spectrum using a radio. If you have a long wire connecting the device to an audio input, that will sometimes act as an antenna.

One quick and dirty way to check for damaged ignition components is to observe the motor running in low light or darkness. Look around the spark plug boots and ignition coil(s) for any arcing. If you see a spark jumping then you've likely found the source of your interference.