I just spent 4 or 5 hours today installing a dvd player and monitor in my car. The dvd player is in the trunk along with my sub, its amp and an amp for the 4 speakers in the car. Both amps are pyramid, the dvd player is Blaupunkt and my head unit is also blaupunkt. The power wire is routed down the driver side while the 4 rca cables (3 from unit, one to head unit), one composite video cable, one remote sensor cable, and two speakers wires for the front speakers are running down the passenger side. The amps and dvd are all connected to a capacitor and they are all grounded to the same spot. THe way I have it set up is the dvd players power and ground are connected to the power and groud terminals for one amp since the supplied power and ground for the dvd player werent long enough to reach the common connector. That amp and the other amp are then connected to the capacitor (both for power, one for ground) then the ground of the capacitor and the other amp are connected to the ground post for the power antenna. Is the alternator whine being caused by the number of signals wires on one side or is it because I have the dvd and amp connectedto ground while the other amp is connected to the capacitor ground which then goes to the sameground as everythign else? I didnt have this problem until I added the second amp and dvd player today. There was no whine with just the one amp for my sub. Also, I tested the video screen and it has some lines across the display. I assume this is also caused by the grounding problem that is producing the alternator whine. Do you have any insight as to where my problem lies?
Thanks
brockley

__________________
89 300E Pearl Grey Metallic
7 Spoke 16" staggered wheels (SLK)
215/55/16 Hankook Ventus HRII H405 tires
Euro Headlights
Smoked Corners
Smoked red/clear tail lights

1987 300e Black Metallic (mom's car)
8 hole 15" wheels (C Class)
Clear Corners
Red/Smoked tail lights

I have checked the grounds and everything looks fine. I have had the sub and amp in the car for 6 months now and never noticed the whine (probably because only the low tones were being reproduced. Since last night, I have removed the amp for the interior speakers and hooked them back up to the outputs of the head unit and the whine is gone when playing cds and listening to the radio but when I play a dvd, the lines are still on the screen and the alternator whine is still there in the dvd audio. This is hooked up to the same ground and power as the sub's amp. I have removed the 2 rca cables from my door sills that carried the 4 audio channels to theamp since the amp is now gone. So now as far as cabling, I have:
RCA to amp form head unit
RCA from DVD to head unit
RCA Video from DVD to glove compartment
Remote sensor cable from DVD center console
Left and right rear speaker wires from head unit.

I am guessing this is a problem with interference rather than alternator whine because the LCD screen is wired in to the same circuit as the head unit and grounded the same as well (used wires from factory harness that were connected to radio), and I still have video interference. The only thing I have not tried is pulling out the videoa nd rca form the dvd and just running them outside the car to the trunk to see if thats where the interference is or if it is somewhere else.
Thanks.

__________________
89 300E Pearl Grey Metallic
7 Spoke 16" staggered wheels (SLK)
215/55/16 Hankook Ventus HRII H405 tires
Euro Headlights
Smoked Corners
Smoked red/clear tail lights

1987 300e Black Metallic (mom's car)
8 hole 15" wheels (C Class)
Clear Corners
Red/Smoked tail lights

Are you grounding the radio and the amps to a common point? Also, try a noise filter on the power lines for the radio..... and I would also do the dvd and amps. Depending upon the quality of power, sound, and video cables you're running, having them seperated isn't always the answer. I've got power, audio, video, and 2-way UHF & VHF radio remote-head cables all running together due to lack of space and there's the minutest alternator whine in the stereo. I filtered all power leads and ran all grounds to one common point. This was in my truck.

The radio and screen are grounded to the factory radio ground while all the amps and dvd are grounded at the power antenna ground. I will get some noise filters and try that.
thanks
brockley

__________________
89 300E Pearl Grey Metallic
7 Spoke 16" staggered wheels (SLK)
215/55/16 Hankook Ventus HRII H405 tires
Euro Headlights
Smoked Corners
Smoked red/clear tail lights

1987 300e Black Metallic (mom's car)
8 hole 15" wheels (C Class)
Clear Corners
Red/Smoked tail lights

The antenna power lead can definitely get noisy. Try the filters before ripping everything apart. BTW, obviously make sure the filters are rated for the power you'll need on each line.

Canyuo provide a link or osmething to what kind of filters I should get? I have also tried grounding to the same point as the antenna but the opposite side (after grinding paint off) and te problem is the same. Is there a better place to ground the stuff in the trunk?
thanks
brockley

__________________
89 300E Pearl Grey Metallic
7 Spoke 16" staggered wheels (SLK)
215/55/16 Hankook Ventus HRII H405 tires
Euro Headlights
Smoked Corners
Smoked red/clear tail lights

1987 300e Black Metallic (mom's car)
8 hole 15" wheels (C Class)
Clear Corners
Red/Smoked tail lights

Here's an inline noise filter: http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-4YwPjslQDdZ/ProdView.asp?s=0&cc=01&c=11&g=780&I=003S25A+++ I would place this on your head unit first, but check the max amperage draw of your unit first. I doubt it's more than 25Amps, but you never know. This info would be in the radio manual, or can be found online at the manufacturer's website.

What do you mean place on the head unit first? Where the signals come in or go out?

__________________
89 300E Pearl Grey Metallic
7 Spoke 16" staggered wheels (SLK)
215/55/16 Hankook Ventus HRII H405 tires
Euro Headlights
Smoked Corners
Smoked red/clear tail lights

1987 300e Black Metallic (mom's car)
8 hole 15" wheels (C Class)
Clear Corners
Red/Smoked tail lights

You take the power/hot lead going to the radio that turns on/off with the key...we call this "ignition-switched"......and hook that up to the noise filter. Then, take the power/hot out wire of the noise filter and hook that to your radio. You may have to cut your radio's power wire and use crimp connectors to place the filter between the power source and the radio. Lastly, grond the filter.

No offence meant, but have you ever done any type of radio installs or worked around your car's electrical system? If not, then I strongly suggest having a car radio shop, or someone with the experience, install the filter and/or the rest of your equiptment.

I have done my own custom installs in 3 different cars and have never had an alternator whine problem until I tried to put the dvd player in so forgive me if take offense in your comment. Just because I dont know about noise filters doesnt mean I have no experience, maybe Ive never had to use them so theres no reason why I should know of them.
brockley

__________________
89 300E Pearl Grey Metallic
7 Spoke 16" staggered wheels (SLK)
215/55/16 Hankook Ventus HRII H405 tires
Euro Headlights
Smoked Corners
Smoked red/clear tail lights

1987 300e Black Metallic (mom's car)
8 hole 15" wheels (C Class)
Clear Corners
Red/Smoked tail lights

I also thought the noise was a signal problem and not a power problem or a grond problem at the amps and dvd player as opposed to the head unit.

__________________
89 300E Pearl Grey Metallic
7 Spoke 16" staggered wheels (SLK)
215/55/16 Hankook Ventus HRII H405 tires
Euro Headlights
Smoked Corners
Smoked red/clear tail lights

1987 300e Black Metallic (mom's car)
8 hole 15" wheels (C Class)
Clear Corners
Red/Smoked tail lights

I stand by my comment about inexperienced folks NOT installing their own systems because they can cause harm to themselves and/or their systems or vehicle. The comment wasn't meant derogatorily, sorry. Try the noise filter. If that doesn't work then it may be a problem with your head unit.

It is not with the head unit. I know I do not know all that much about alternator whine but I was under the understanding from reading posts here that it has something to do with not being grounded properly and having a ground loop problem as opposed to there being interference on the power line. How does the alternator whine going through the ams or the video signal from the dvd to the tv have anything to do with the headunit?

__________________
89 300E Pearl Grey Metallic
7 Spoke 16" staggered wheels (SLK)
215/55/16 Hankook Ventus HRII H405 tires
Euro Headlights
Smoked Corners
Smoked red/clear tail lights

1987 300e Black Metallic (mom's car)
8 hole 15" wheels (C Class)
Clear Corners
Red/Smoked tail lights

I reread your first post. I had you and another guy mixed up, sorry. Anyway, first of all, only hook your amps up to the capacitor. Nothing else should be on it. Secondly, ground the DVD to something else, but NOT the power antenna. Actually, I would take the amps off the power antenna ground, too. Finally, yes, you may have too many ground points in the system. Also, if you're grounding to the chassis remember that you might not be getting enough metal. With today's plastic vehicles what you think might be metal might not be.

Where would you suggest I ground other than the power antenna point? Should I run a wire to the ground wire for the head unit? As of now, I just have the sub amp installed. I took the other one out cause I couldnt deal with the whine and the head unit amp sounds fine. Also as far as too many ground points, I only count two, three if I move the dvd player and amps. The head unit or factory ground, the antenna and then wherever my third one is for the amps and dvd.

__________________
89 300E Pearl Grey Metallic
7 Spoke 16" staggered wheels (SLK)
215/55/16 Hankook Ventus HRII H405 tires
Euro Headlights
Smoked Corners
Smoked red/clear tail lights

1987 300e Black Metallic (mom's car)
8 hole 15" wheels (C Class)
Clear Corners
Red/Smoked tail lights