Alternator Whine after installing Aftermarket Stereo [FIXED]

[bmorgan365]

Hey all, I've been lurking here for a while and have had multiple issues with my Suburban and this forum has been really helpful!

I have a 2011 Suburban LT with Bose and Navigation. I got around to replacing the stereo and noticed a terrible alternator whine that wouldn't go away. It would get louder/higher pitched when I accelerated but would be about the same volume regardless of the new radio's volume.
This is the headunit I installed EONON GMA12S-U and it came with a factory harness to work with bose, RSE, camera, etc.
- I had one issue with the harness and that was the backup camera. The connector on the headunit (2 pins) for the reverse camera had the pins in the wrong locations for the factory harness (3 pins), so I had to move them around and the camera has worked fine since.

After I fixed the reverse camera issue, I worked on the whine.
- I tried replacing the RSE module P/N 15886277 as suggested on different forums / threads and it did nothing at all for the whine.
- I was able to eliminate the whine by leaving this module ^ unplugged, but that left me with no rear speakers.
- I tried switching the left/right rear pillar speakers since I only noticed the whine on the passenger side rear speakers and that didn't work. The whine was still on the passenger side after switching.

I was about to replace the factory bose amplifier since other forums had suggested that I fried the amplifier upon connecting the aftermarket radio.
Before I spent the almost $300 on a new amplifier, I wanted to check if the speakers were broken or if the whine persisted with the factory nav headunit. I plugged it in and all the speakers worked fine, they faded rear/front, driver/passenger fine and there was no whine.

I had seen on another forum that suggested the the gain settings on the factory unit could interfere with the built-in amplifier on the new headunit. There weren't any settings for gain, but I noticed a setting for speed compensated volume. I turned it off and reinstalled the new headunit.

NO WHINE! I could fade the speakers driver/passenger, front/rear, and no whine at all. It sounds a lot better with 8 instead of 4 speakers.

Hope this helps!

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Thank you for posting the solution to your issue. Much appreciated. Our collective knowledge base has been increased.

 

[Doubeleive]

Hey all, I've been lurking here for a while and have had multiple issues with my Suburban and this forum has been really helpful!

I have a 2011 Suburban LT with Bose and Navigation. I got around to replacing the stereo and noticed a terrible alternator whine that wouldn't go away. It would get louder/higher pitched when I accelerated but would be about the same volume regardless of the new radio's volume.
This is the headunit I installed EONON GMA12S-U and it came with a factory harness to work with bose, RSE, camera, etc.
- I had one issue with the harness and that was the backup camera. The connector on the headunit (2 pins) for the reverse camera had the pins in the wrong locations for the factory harness (3 pins), so I had to move them around and the camera has worked fine since.

After I fixed the reverse camera issue, I worked on the whine.
- I tried replacing the RSE module P/N 15886277 as suggested on different forums / threads and it did nothing at all for the whine.
- I was able to eliminate the whine by leaving this module ^ unplugged, but that left me with no rear speakers.
- I tried switching the left/right rear pillar speakers since I only noticed the whine on the passenger side rear speakers and that didn't work. The whine was still on the passenger side after switching.

I was about to replace the factory bose amplifier since other forums had suggested that I fried the amplifier upon connecting the aftermarket radio.
Before I spent the almost $300 on a new amplifier, I wanted to check if the speakers were broken or if the whine persisted with the factory nav headunit. I plugged it in and all the speakers worked fine, they faded rear/front, driver/passenger fine and there was no whine.

I had seen on another forum that suggested the the gain settings on the factory unit could interfere with the built-in amplifier on the new headunit. There weren't any settings for gain, but I noticed a setting for speed compensated volume. I turned it off and reinstalled the new headunit.

NO WHINE! I could fade the speakers driver/passenger, front/rear, and no whine at all. It sounds a lot better with 8 instead of 4 speakers.

Hope this helps!

the RSE module would have ZERO to do with which speakers worked, possible the auto volume could have been the problem, but may have simply been a poor ground as well.
unplugging the rse module which operates by monitoring the vehicle ground would lead me to it being even more related to a ground issue.
Historically speaking audio "whine" is almost always ground related, which is why ground loop isolators are a thing.

 

[bmorgan365]

the RSE module would have ZERO to do with which speakers worked, possible the auto volume could have been the problem, but may have simply been a poor ground as well.
unplugging the rse module which operates by monitoring the vehicle ground would lead me to it being even more related to a ground issue.
Historically speaking audio "whine" is almost always ground related, which is why ground loop isolators are a thing.

That makes sense. I did try tightening the ground strap in the engine bay too, but wasn't exhausting all solutions for a ground issue
I just wanted to try all the less involved options I had seen since I wanted to keep the wireless carplay on the new unit and use all the speakers

 

[Doubeleive]

That makes sense. I did try tightening the ground strap in the engine bay too, but wasn't exhausting all solutions for a ground issue
I just wanted to try all the less involved options I had seen since I wanted to keep the wireless carplay on the new unit and use all the speakers

happens a lot when unshielded wiring is used
or when people install a deck and amp and run the speaker wires or rca cables on the same side as the amp power wire it just causes electrical interference.