form3hide

Hey guys,

I recently put in the HON98-AUX box so that I could use my ipod with my stock stereo. It's making a faint humming noise, so I'm assuming I didn't ground it properly.

So my question is, where is the proper location to ground the wire? And how should I actually go about doing it?

or could it be something different?

WhiteRabbit

first test I would do would be at the RCA connectors that you plugged in your phono-RCA converter into.

there should be maybe 1 mm of the jacket exposed. just enough to twistwrap some wire to, then you can hold the other side to one or two places on the frame of the car to see if that kills the noise.

if it does, feel free to leave it like that, or explore other grounding/floating options involved with the RCA signal lines, such as an RCA signal isolator.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

if that doesnt work, throw that box away and get something better. no offence to honda, but they have no clue how a stereo is supposed to be hooked up.

WhiteRabbit

what makes you say that?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

well for starters they could make the power and ground wires bigger for their harness, and use a better stereo ground. then they could actually put in something better than paper speakers (yes, mine warped in less than a year to where i could see parts of the speaker cone dented in). i'm sure their tweeter setup could be improved too. bottom line, you listen to a stock civic radio and it sounds like my small alarm clock at home. then you go into pretty much any other stock car like jetta, lexus, even nissan sentra! and it sounds much better, usually due to either higher powered internal amp or better speakers/install. i could not believe how bad it sounded. i thought buying a new car would have a better sounding system than my 87 jetta, boy was i wrong. it sounded worse somehow (oh yea no dash speakers i guess). i cant complain now because it sounds awesome after i got done with it, but boy they need to improve it a little to at least be on par with other cars. its not just me either. most of my friends with civics say the radio is terrible.

WhiteRabbit

the power and ground wires as as big as they need to be without damaging the vehicle. perfectly functional! many VERY high end speakers have paper cones. The last civic stock radio I heard was in a 2004 hybrid, and actually staged. was very impressive compared to comparably priced cars. Not to mention the $20,000 range of what youd find for a rental.

I think your evidence is a bit misguided as far as the ability to connect it with a sub par stereo.

as far as claiming it sounds like **** and not being alone in thinking so, Id say most other people would also say that rear speakers are important, like heavy subbass, blah, blah, blah. that suggests that the "others" dont really know what good sound is! regardless, I dont think either of us can argue that as a reason honda didnt get the stereo right, as theres nothing I can say to prove my claim any more than yours.
But I'd like to hear an explanation of how having larger power and ground will affect radio performance positively? And while you are at it, I'd like to hear why the ground they chose will cause ground loops when its the only device in the signal chain. (hint: it can't).

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

okay i guess i'm talking about once you upgrade the deck to a hi power 18wrms+ deck the power/ground wires should be bigger. i dont really care since when you think about it, all stock stereos (with the exception of a few that have aftermarket stuff like mazda mp3) are substandard compared to decks you can buy. i guess im just picky about audio. i would prolly replace any factory system with new stuff anyway. do you know why the stock stuff is always way behind technology wise? is it just cheaper to use old stuff?

landonab

i notice when my ipod is plugged directly into my 05 ex se aux input and the ipod is charging, it makes a humming noise. more of a high pitch that increases as the engine is revved. only does it when it is plugged in. don't know if it is the cheap aux cable from radio shack or just the stereo its' self.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

well its getting feedback from the power moving through to charge it. you shouldnt leave it charging all the time either, it will eventually ruin the battery or shorten its life.

Cypher

iTrader: (2)

well if you think about it most people out there who buy cars dont plan on upgrading their stereo systems. The stock wiring is perfectly fine for the stock radio. Of course Honda is not going to put a huge gauge wiring in there for the stock stereo. When you change anything from stock it is up to you to decide if you need larger wires, not Honda. I know some people who actually dont ever use the radio at all, no joke.

WhiteRabbit

really, the extra power doesnt do anything minus the volume increase. And sometimes, the extra volume hurts the bottom end when its at full tilt. So it could be argued that an aftermarket radio actually HURTS sound!

no, Honda engineers really did things right when it came to the stock radio. Has nothing to do with being picky.

XxSoVeReiGNxX

iTrader: (10)

chassis always makes for the best ground


could it be RFI (radio frequency interference) or EFI (electromagnetic interference)?
you remember the noise that would come from nearby tv/radio/speakers when you were about to get a call on your cellphone? that's interference, just like your humming.

on vehicles- sparkplugs, ignition coils, alternators, and other highvoltage producing components, cause EFI.


sounds like the aux boxes arent able to cancel out the interference. Try relocating it (if you can) farther away from the engine and radio.
shielding the box & wires with rubber might help out. Tinfoil also works but you need to be really careful.

WhiteRabbit

guess where the stock radio is grounded to?

Ill give everyone a hint. it starts with "c", and rhymes with "molasses"

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

chalasis?