Feedback When Using Aux Car Radio

[hondaguy520]

One big thing I use my moto droid for is pandora or last.fm in my car and use a radio with an auxiliary input. But i started to get a lot of feedback and the feedback would get louder as i accelerated...i started trying to figure it out by changing wires turning wires..and came accross its when i have my droid pluged in charging and pluged into the radio..so im assuming the car electricity is going through the phone and into the aux output.. is there anything i can do to prevent this because i want a clean sound and the feedback is extremely annoying...any tips will be greatly appriciated. Should i try a different car charger? i use a usb-microusb then plug it into a usb-car adapter. thanks!!!!

 

[MNTNBKR]

Are you handy with automotive electronics at all? What you're experiencing is called a ground loop. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_loop_(electricity)

The root of the problem is that your car stereo and your cigarette lighter grounds are at a different voltage potential. If you're handy, you can connect the two grounds and likely eliminate the problem.

 

[hondaguy520]

Are you handy with automotive electronics at all? What you're experiencing is called a ground loop. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_loop_(electricity)

The root of the problem is that your car stereo and your cigarette lighter grounds are at a different voltage potential. If you're handy, you can connect the two grounds and likely eliminate the problem.

i dont really KNOW about auto electonics but i can follow directions and diagrams....but basically just connect the two grounds directly together? and then ground them? or just connect them? i think when we hooked up my radio we .. actually my dumb friend ... connected the ground wire to another black wired that he "said" was the ground..but i say we should have attached it to something metal

 

[lphong]

Could I use my Droid Eris to play in my aux radio, too?? My itouch or ipod is usually what I am using it for. Thanks for the info.

 

[hondaguy520]

Could I use my Droid Eris to play in my aux radio, too?? My itouch or ipod is usually what I am using it for. Thanks for the info.

as long as it has an aux output of course you can

 

[richiecahh]

My car audio gets the oscillating whine whenever I'm listening to AM and I plug in the droid charger. You don't have to have the aux input in use. I bonded the power outlet ground to the radio chassis and the problem disappeared. More support for the ground loop theory.

 

[MNTNBKR]

Are you handy with automotive electronics at all? What you're experiencing is called a ground loop. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_loop_(electricity)

The root of the problem is that your car stereo and your cigarette lighter grounds are at a different voltage potential. If you're handy, you can connect the two grounds and likely eliminate the problem.

i dont really KNOW about auto electonics but i can follow directions and diagrams....but basically just connect the two grounds directly together? and then ground them? or just connect them? i think when we hooked up my radio we .. actually my dumb friend ... connected the ground wire to another black wired that he "said" was the ground..but i say we should have attached it to something metal

Yeah, that black wire that you tapped into could very well be the cause of your ground loop. It probably is a ground, but depending on what other accessories are attached to that ground it can and will cause fluctuations in the negative potential of that wire.

So, long story short, move your stereo ground wire to something metal. If that alone doesn't fix the problem, then add a pigtail wire from the ground on your cigarette lighter to the same metal piece that you have your stereo grounded to.

I LOVE mobile electronics. Good luck!

If you're going to do this work yourself, be very careful not to accidentally connect your cigarette lighter power wire to ground. It would most likely just blow a fuse, but it's possible that it could do more damage than that.

 

[hondaguy520]

Are you handy with automotive electronics at all? What you're experiencing is called a ground loop. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_loop_(electricity)

The root of the problem is that your car stereo and your cigarette lighter grounds are at a different voltage potential. If you're handy, you can connect the two grounds and likely eliminate the problem.

i dont really KNOW about auto electonics but i can follow directions and diagrams....but basically just connect the two grounds directly together? and then ground them? or just connect them? i think when we hooked up my radio we .. actually my dumb friend ... connected the ground wire to another black wired that he "said" was the ground..but i say we should have attached it to something metal

Yeah, that black wire that you tapped into could very well be the cause of your ground loop. It probably is a ground, but depending on what other accessories are attached to that ground it can and will cause fluctuations in the negative potential of that wire.

So, long story short, move your stereo ground wire to something metal. If that alone doesn't fix the problem, then add a pigtail wire from the ground on your cigarette lighter to the same metal piece that you have your stereo grounded to.

I LOVE mobile electronics. Good luck!

If you're going to do this work yourself, be very careful not to accidentally connect your cigarette lighter power wire to ground. It would most likely just blow a fuse, but it's possible that it could do more damage than that.

awesome ... thanks...since you LOVE MOBLE electronics..which i do to but dont know this tech stuff...ill hit ya up if i need any

 

[MNTNBKR]

i dont really KNOW about auto electonics but i can follow directions and diagrams....but basically just connect the two grounds directly together? and then ground them? or just connect them? i think when we hooked up my radio we .. actually my dumb friend ... connected the ground wire to another black wired that he "said" was the ground..but i say we should have attached it to something metal

Yeah, that black wire that you tapped into could very well be the cause of your ground loop. It probably is a ground, but depending on what other accessories are attached to that ground it can and will cause fluctuations in the negative potential of that wire.

So, long story short, move your stereo ground wire to something metal. If that alone doesn't fix the problem, then add a pigtail wire from the ground on your cigarette lighter to the same metal piece that you have your stereo grounded to.

I LOVE mobile electronics. Good luck!

If you're going to do this work yourself, be very careful not to accidentally connect your cigarette lighter power wire to ground. It would most likely just blow a fuse, but it's possible that it could do more damage than that.

awesome ... thanks...since you LOVE MOBLE electronics..which i do to but dont know this tech stuff...ill hit ya up if i need any

You're more than welcome to PM me any time.:icon_ banana:

 

[jasonb]

Definitely a ground loop.

 

[marcfogel]

One big thing I use my moto droid for is pandora or last.fm in my car and use a radio with an auxiliary input. But i started to get a lot of feedback and the feedback would get louder as i accelerated...i started trying to figure it out by changing wires turning wires..and came accross its when i have my droid pluged in charging and pluged into the radio..so im assuming the car electricity is going through the phone and into the aux output.. is there anything i can do to prevent this because i want a clean sound and the feedback is extremely annoying...any tips will be greatly appriciated. Should i try a different car charger? i use a usb-microusb then plug it into a usb-car adapter. thanks!!!!

Crutchfield sells a filter for this. You would plug your cable into the filter and the cable from the filter into the aux port. 24.00. Works great.

 

[nickfro]

A device like the one described above solved the problem in my Prius with my iPod...I'm quite certain based on the OP's description that it will work for OP as well...

 

[hondaguy520]

One big thing I use my moto droid for is pandora or last.fm in my car and use a radio with an auxiliary input. But i started to get a lot of feedback and the feedback would get louder as i accelerated...i started trying to figure it out by changing wires turning wires..and came accross its when i have my droid pluged in charging and pluged into the radio..so im assuming the car electricity is going through the phone and into the aux output.. is there anything i can do to prevent this because i want a clean sound and the feedback is extremely annoying...any tips will be greatly appriciated. Should i try a different car charger? i use a usb-microusb then plug it into a usb-car adapter. thanks!!!!

Crutchfield sells a filter for this. You would plug your cable into the filter and the cable from the filter into the aux port. 24.00. Works great.

A device like the one described above solved the problem in my Prius with my iPod...I'm quite certain based on the OP's description that it will work for OP as well...

thanks ill try that ...because i dont feel like pulling out the radio to re ground everything...to lazy!!!

 

[BurntSushi]

thanks ill try that ...because i dont feel like pulling out the radio to re ground everything...to lazy!!!

Did you have any luck?

 

[hondaguy520]

thanks ill try that ...because i dont feel like pulling out the radio to re ground everything...to lazy!!!

Did you have any luck?

yea i bought the filter from amazon.com for about 18$ with shipping i believe, and it worked perfect, no more "whine" sound when i accelerate, and no more feedback