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Where / How to Earth?

Old Apr 15, 2002 | 11:57 PM
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in the process of installing a nice system. Ive laid all the wiring down (took most of interior out!) and I thought id hook up the speakers in the front just to get an idea what its going to sound like... BUT got Horrible interference.. constant buzzing, clicking when you turn the lights on etc.. this was all before starting the engine! got much worse after that.

Ive run the wires on seperate sides of the car and used the same guage cable for earth as power, AMP rack is going in boot so I need to earth it in there somewhere. Where is the best place to earth the system?

any help appriciated..

Leon
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Old Apr 16, 2002 | 04:24 AM
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Direct to the minus terminal on the battery m8! Then put a mother of a cable on the body to minus terminal to provide another drain.

Then do the engine to clean it up further:
http://www.lumine.net/subaru/legacyb...earthing2.html

That should help! Good luck.
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Old Apr 16, 2002 | 07:00 PM
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In my last install I didnt run a big fat earth cable down the car to my amps I just earthed on the metal ie a seat belt post in the back. Then ran this cable into a distribution block and out to the amps..

...supose I could get a few meters of earth cable but im sure its not normally done like that? Doesnt the earth cable need to be kept as short as possible?

Im going past a car stereo shop in a few days so il ask them to show me what to do, no dought they will be glad to sell me some expensive cable!

il take a look at that link u sent aswell.

cheers.

Leon
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Old Apr 17, 2002 | 08:47 AM
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I'm gonna have to disagree with anton on this one *gasp*

I'd aim to earth using as short an earth lead as possible and use the car's body to carry the current. It's a bit wider than any cable you can install

Do upgrade the cable from your battery negative to the car's body!
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Old Apr 17, 2002 | 09:25 AM
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One of the best things you can do is make sure that your head unit is connected to the same earthing point as the rest of the system. More often than not, the ground-loop problems (the reason why you're getting buzzing 'n stuff for the uninitiated) is because the head unit's got its own earth connection.

By making sure all your stereo equipment's on the same positive and negative supply point, you can reasonably assume that any new noises you get are due to interference/suppression
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Old Apr 17, 2002 | 01:12 PM
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Just my thruppence, apologies for the thread hijack but it's related.

I suspect there's an earth problem with my amp/sub setup. Since it went in, if I drive anywhere without the stereo on I get an electric shock when I get out of the car! Not a huge shock but enough to be a pain in the ****. I'm getting no interference/buzzing however, the sound is fine.

I've wondered whether it may be a faulty amp, but I'm not sure where there should/shouldn't be a current. Which points do I need to check for a current at?

Failing that, anyone got any other ideas?

Cheers

Whip
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Old Apr 17, 2002 | 02:11 PM
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From: Surrey Somewhere, From 341 bhp '99 STI V to '98 Merc CLK & '00 Peugeot 306 XSI to '01 E46 M3 :)
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Whip,

The electric shock thing so I was told yesterday is when you slide out of the seat you 'charge' yourself with static, if close the door with your window avoiding the bodywork then you dont get electrocuted!, I get the electricity thing all the time lol
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Old Apr 17, 2002 | 02:19 PM
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That puts my mind at rest a little, cheers m8!

Whip
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Old Apr 17, 2002 | 06:25 PM
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<doffs hat> I defer to Nick </replaces hat>

<spits dummy> but it did work on my car (although the amp is under a seat)

Now where's that pesky placcy bit...
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Old Apr 17, 2002 | 08:08 PM
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I recon that the electric shock is down to bad earth... as my earth is basically not an earth at the moment. Since I laid all the wires in and hooked up the power lead I get a Huge shcok when I get out, im scared to touch the car! happens when I touch any part of the bodywork or reach back into the car to get keys out of ignition!

il let you know if this goes away when its properly earthed

Leon
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Old Apr 18, 2002 | 09:48 AM
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Oh well in that case Bugger!

Can anyone tell me across which terminals to check on the amp then? Could it be that it's allowing a current through to the bodywork via the earth, and it shouldn't be (or something like that)?

So should I maybe check for a current at the earth terminal against where it meets the bodywork, with the amp off? I get shocks mostly when I've not had the head unit/amp switched on for a journey.

Cheers

Whip
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