Engine Whine / Noise with PhatBox

[nathanbeach2]

Hi:

I drive a 2003 VW Jetta that was pre-wired for the trunk CD player.  I had no problems installing my PhatBox, a.k.a. "the coolest thing on earth".

Unfortunately, a very slight engine whine is amplified on my speakers as I drive now.  I can only hear it in quiet song passages, but it's enough to be really annoying at times.  The pitch of the whine increases and decreases with the speed of the car.  This does not happen with my regular CD player, so it must be something either related to the CD changer cable or to the PhatBox itself. 

Has anyone else heard anything like this?  I couldn't find anything like it by searching this forum...

Thanks for any help.

N

[S80_UK]

Hi,

Sorry that you could not find this - I think it has been covered at different times.

Try looking at the ground connections to your Phatbox.  Is it grounded just via the cable to the head unit, or is there a separate ground.  This can often help (but it can also make it worse).  In bad cases, it is possible to hack into the cable and insert isolating transformers in the audio lines (sometimes used for after-market CD changers).  I did this when I put a VW Phatbox in my Volvo and it worked very well, completely removing alternator and injector noise from the audio.  Note that if you break the ground in the cable by inserting transformers then you must also provide a seperate ground at the Phatbox end.

[nathanbeach2]

I just realized the default search parameter is "in the last week", so I wasn't getting all the results.  I found some old stuff related to this problem -- but thanks for your response!

Nathan Beach



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http://www.nathanbeach.com/

[masterblaster]

Just in case you didnt find the solution, usually this alternator whine happens when the phatbox case is touching the metal f your car. Make sure you have the phatbox installed on carpet or a rubber mat, etc. and this almost always eliminates the noise.

[indianajones]

Known issue with VW.

Here is the solution:

http://www.passatworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=225338

Don;t worry about the line filter, just buy a ground loop isolator from Radio Shack and the connectors/cables from VW.

[beckfield]

Known issue with VW.

Here is the solution:

http://www.passatworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=225338

Don;t worry about the line filter, just buy a ground loop isolator from Radio Shack and the connectors/cables from VW.

I also have a 2003 Jetta with PB, and experienced the same whine.  My solution was to get a piece of thin, adhesive-backed cork from the local craft store.  I cut pieces of cork to fit the mounting brackets that attach to the PB, and then got nylon bolts/nuts to attach the brackets to the PB.  Now the box is completely isolated from the metal of the car, and the whine is gone.  Total cost, about $4, if I remember correctly.  I had the cork lying around from another project.

Hope it helps.