autocom engine noise

[McCloud]

Bought a 2004 RT and had the dealer install my autocom along with a cig lighter for my cell phone. Lots of noise from the engine when the power to cell is plugged in the cig lighter. They were unable to eliminate the noise, so I don't use the power source for the phone. Now I have the same problem with XM even though I installed a noise suppressor between the autocom and the xm radio. The xm is powered by the cig lighter as well. Any suggestions to eliminate the engine noise?

[WestTX RT]

I posted a similar question a while back on this thread. I got lots of good responses. You didn't mention if you're using a ground loop isolator and where the dealer mounted your unit. I plan on moving mine to the stereo box as others have suggested to try and cut down on some of the static.

[McCloud]

don't know what a ground loop isolater is, but will find out. Orginally it was mounted in the rear, but has since been moved to the top of the airbox.

[WestTX RT]

Sorry, ground loop isolator (GLI), you get ground loop inteference when multiple devices are powered by the bike and this cleans it up. I looked on the Autocom America website to get you a part number, but they've changed up the site, and I couldn't find it. We'll get an answer quickly here though.

[timmr]

I suggest you contact Sean Daly. He makes filters and cables, and can fix your problem.

[WestTX RT]

Oops, good point.

 

http://www.accessoryworkshop.com/index.html

 

Here's Sean's website.

[Nickjc]

Yes try this...

 

Search the internet for ferrite cores...or look for a compnay Palomar Engineers....they have them....

 

Somewhere in you power lines to the devices...or better yet the power feed to the power source plug in....(BTW where di they termiante it for the pwoer feed)take the cables and wrap the cables in throught the ferrite cores...this will act as a suppressor...

 

OR, go to rad shack and look for the clip on type that clip right over the cable(s)....

 

As an example....I was getting HUGE amounts of interference to my television sets from my HAM station...some ferrite cores on the cable and power feeds cured the problem 1-2-3...

 

This should cure the noise you are getting....further as two differing devices are experiencing nouse from the same pwoer source, you should look to see where the actual plug terminates to for power...

 

YMMV

[McCloud]

thanks

[McCloud]

thanks, sent him an email, can't get through to his listed phone number

[Tom B]

 

 

Bob and Tony

 

Your Autocom systems are designed for use on bikes and should not suffer any interference if installed properly, so the chances are that if you are hearing some interference it is either being picked up and introduced by something else, like your music system, or your installation is sub standard in some way.

 

FIRST unplug EVERYTHING (phone, music, radar, GPS, bike to bike etc from the main control box) and then try the intercom on its own and it should be PERFECT.

 

If you are using a portable music system (on its own internal batteries) you can use the standard music lead that was supplied in the base kit. Try it and it should be perfect. If not let me know.

 

If you are bike powering a portable music system then you most often require a special music lead that has built in ISOLATION. See http://www.autocomamerica.com/docs/products_details.cfm?productID=62

 

This is because our intercom systems and standard music lead requires what is called a common earth so that bike electrical noise is suppressed, but when you connect a music device the music earth is then connected to our intercom earth via the standard music lead, which is OK if the music device is portable, but if the music device is bike powered then it shares the same earth (relative to bike power) as the intercom. Unfortunately most music devices do not like their outputs connected to earth hence the reason why an isolation music lead is used to decouple DC thus removing any ground loops.

 

If you are using our recommended isolation lead and everything is plugged in properly, and you have not placed leads against or too close to the bikes HT parts, then you should have stunning performance without any interference. Of course IF you have a music device which is prone to picking up electrical interference this is beyond our control and our only advice can be try another portable music system.

 

Also check that your earth connections are good. They may look good but they need to be electrically good. As a good earth on a bike is relative to the bikes battery earth you cannot get a better earth than directly to the bikes battery earth. TRY it and your problems may just go straight away.

 

We hope this helps but if not please email enquiries@autocom.co.uk

 

Of course we refer to Autocom recommended music leads that we have designed for the job and cannot assure you if you use non approved leads.

 

Regards

 

AutocomTom

 

Autocom UK TECH SUPPORT

[Firepole]

Dayum...$55 for the cord...ouch. That's pretty steep. I have the best model you make and have been experiencing some buzzing, but to drop another $55 plus shipping.....that stings a little. I may have to try a few other things first..or tell my wife I sold it and let the intercom part go.

[Tom B]

$55 for which cord? I assume you have an Autocom Pro-7 and you say you have some buzzing?

 

Please explain buzzing?

 

Is it a tick, tick, tick sort of sound that is relative to engine RPM if so this could be HT related interference, which would normally be associated with an audio lead being positioned too close to HT leads/coils etc, if so try moving the audio leads away from the HT noise.

 

Or is it a whining sound which could be related to noisy power lines such as alternator? If so please ensure that your negative power lead is connected directly to the bikes battery negative post, for the best possible earth. Or try moving your positive power feed, you can test this by temporarily powering directly across the bikes battery, if this cures the noise problem then you must have been using a bad/noisy power feed and so you need to find another which is cleaner or clean the one you have with noise suppressors.

 

Or is it another type of sound that may be induced by earth loops, this is sometimes caused when you bike power both your Autocom system AND other audio accessories such as on-bike stereo, bike powered GPS/Radar etc, if so then this buzzing would go away when you unplug the offending lead/device and to fix this sort of problem you would require a special isolated lead?

 

Can you please let me know what you have plugged in, such as portable or on-bike music, phone, GPS, radar, bike to bike etc? And which leads you have, are they all genuine Autocom parts and can you tell me their part numbers?

 

Regards

 

AutocomTom

[EffBee]

Gregg, I think you miss the point. It is the expandability of Autocom's system that is one of its greatest advantages. And that gives you the creative freedom to customize your system at a cost of ONLY those parts you need for your particular application. If the ground loop isolation were built into every port, you'd pay that $55 (for each of two ports) in the initial product price. But what if you only wanted to use a battery-powered music source and a cell phone? You don't need isolation for either, so you would have been forced to pay for something you don't need.

 

Imagine your motorcycle was ONLY available with every single option pre-installed and added to the price. You'd feel that you didn't get good value if you were paying for things you'd never use.

 

We're among the very top Autocom dealers in the country and we go through the features and expandability of the system with every customer. They understand and appreciate how well designed the system is from both an engineering and components perspective, as well as from an affordability perspective. That value, along with great performance, are why customers come back and thank us, as well as send their friends to us ---- to get their communication/audio needs assessed and to have a system configured specifically to meet those needs, without unnecessary cost.

[Firepole]

I understand the product being superior...that's why I bought it.

Here is my system set up.

Direct +/- wires from battery to tankbag with a terminal strip in place.

Off the terminal strip I have leads for Valentine One, Sat. Radio and a lighter plug for a cell phone. I have my GPS lead running separate and it stays on the bike, the bag comes off with a quick disconnect.

 

The intercom between myself and my wife is noise free, but when I plug in the Sat. Radio, that's when I get low level buzzing.

 

Any suggestions?

[EffBee]

I understand the product being superior...that's why I bought it.

Here is my system set up.

Direct +/- wires from battery to tankbag with a terminal strip in place.

Off the terminal strip I have leads for Valentine One, Sat. Radio and a lighter plug for a cell phone. I have my GPS lead running separate and it stays on the bike, the bag comes off with a quick disconnect.

 

The intercom between myself and my wife is noise free, but when I plug in the Sat. Radio, that's when I get low level buzzing.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Gregg, lemmesee if I've got this straight. Your tank bag is wired directly to the battery. There's a fused (I assume it's fused) power strip in there from which you're taking power for your V1, XM and cellphone charger. The Autocom is powered how? From a switched lead on the positive (I hope) and straight to the battery on the negative (right?)

 

OK. It's clear that both the Autocom and your accessories are sharing a common ground, i.e. the bike's electrical ground. Therefore, as Tom has explained, this can cause a ground loop which causes interference unless you isolate the accessories.

 

To isolate the V-1 and/or the XM, each will require an isolated lead. This is Autocom part number 64, aka ML-PI. As for the cell phone, I assume it's not connected to the Autocom, just sitting in the tank bag charging. If that's the case (and it sound like it is since you don't mention the cell causing any noise), it shouldn't be an issue, just try and keep it and its charger separated from the V1 and XM.

 

Having that many components in a small space like a tank bag, can be a recipe for interference, what with all the wires and such. I know. I have the same setup and it took me a week or two to debug it, but it's worked perfectly. Placement of components is critical. Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if we could actually SEE the electrical fields surrounding such components so we could position them such that they wouldn't interfere with each other.

 

In any case, the Part 64's should solve your problems. If you have any other issues, please feel free to give me a call at the dealership (909) 629-2132 Tues-Sat. I love how my Autocom works and I enjoy helping people get theirs to work as well.

[DGuy]

I had alternator whine and ignition ticking noises in my Autocom UNTIL I installed a RadioShack Noise Filter.

 

No more noise. Please note: this does not fix ground loop problems!

 

Good luck.

[KMG_365]

I've got both the power filter (to the fuse block) and the ground loop interrupters to most of the gadgets, but I've still got a very small source of "whine" (maybe it's my checkbook! ). I think it is exacerbated by the super high sensitivity of the earplug monitors that Al sells (and I wouldn't trade them for the world), and it is tolerable for me (the music drowns it out easily), but my 2003 also has the shielded (RT-P) coil (and spark plug wires) and Les is complaining more than me, so maybe I need to run a new ground to the battery post instead of using the radio wiring harness' ground.

[Tom B]

Jamie

 

Please have a word with your check book, after all he is one of my many mates, and I would like you to please explain to him that he needs to see that beautiful San Diego sun more often and not keep hiding away, otherwise he will get a reputation as being a tight git and not just a tight fit.

 

Still if your check book did not whine then I suppose I would not hear it over here in the UK and then I wouldn’t be able to explain to your check book that when It purchased the BRILLIANT Autocom product, that not only gives you, his boss, mile after mile of STUNNING pleasure, but also lets not forget for Les too! Can you also tell him that he has also purchased ME or at least some of my time and attention and that’s normally not a bad investment, as I am not the kind to just sit back and listen to a check book whine that Les is suffering more than Jamie?

 

Let this be a lesson for ALL check books.

 

Now I must explain that while I am GOOD at my job, you must realise that I can not promise miracles, well perhaps some little ones occasionally, so here goes; You have a very young beautiful black RT which I presume has the on-bike stereo? And it is very good to know that you have the shields fitted over the coils etc. Now I must point out that it is also very useful for me to know that this beast is black, as in the hot San Diego sun it will expand more than a white one, ANYWAY let’s move on;

 

If you UNPLUG one thing at a time from the main Autocom box while listening to that annoying whine, and may I just add with your BRILLIANT AZ AL monitor earplug speakers, WHICH incidentally DO help you to hear ANY imperfections much better from ANY system, and of course this is all the more reason why you made the right choice in choosing the SUPERIOR AUTOCOM SYSTEM because OUR VOX FULLY cuts the microphones off COMPLETELY AND RELIABLY when you are not speaking and we also have by far the very best noise cancelling so even with your monitor earplug speakers you will hear far less undesirable noise than with ANY other brand~?!$£*# Sorry got carried away again; However you should be able to discover which audio lead/device is causing the offending problem, and indeed you will see or at least hear that your BRILLIANT Autocom main unit is not the cause when everything else is unplugged. Indeed it is now clean and pure, as you would wish, even will you tale-tale monitor earplugs (if not you better quickly move that earth to the battery negative where is should be, per the Autocom instructions) OH and by the way please make sure check book is gagged and at least twenty feet away while testing. He can watch but dont let him speak.

 

Now when you share with me this valuable information I can then process to help you find ways of a cure.

 

Incidentally, if you listen to the whine does it reduce about 50% when you speak? If so it is probably coming in on the music line which mutes 50% when you speak. You could try moving the music lead away from HT leads/coils. Also if it is coming in on the music line it will cut when the phone is in use. Does it? Also if you turn the volume of the stereo up and down does it make any increase or decrease to the whine? If it does then it is interference on the on-bike stereo that you need to sort out first. Try the same with the GPS, Phone, bike to bike etc.

 

Hope this helps

 

Autocom Tom

 

PS, I like the sound of San Diego, last time I was there I was not too well so did not see or enjoy it as much as I should have, so I feel an important business trip to the west coast coming on soon and perhaps I could come and see you and sort your whining check book out if I have time, does he like Mexican?

 

PPS

Fernando and anyone else interested; I will be at Indy show 19th to 21st.

[KMG_365]

 

Hi Tom!

 

Loved your post (thanks!) as well as all the helpful information you've contributed over the last year or so!

 

As a disclaimer, Les and I met Tom at the National Rally in Spokane and he is every bit as charming, witty and helpful in person as he is here on the DB. While my checkbook may whine a bit, it is because I have to buy two of everything, but it is SO worth it for the value we've gained from our set-ups in the last two years! You should have heard my poor checkbook whine when I kept buying--and subsequently discarding--numerous other inferior systems before finally stepping up to the SUPERIOR AUTOCOM system!

 

Yes, the BRILLIANT AZ AL earplug monitors are brutally honest and AWESOME at what they do, but they also flush out any imperfections in any sound sources introduced into the SUPERIOR AUTOCOM system. I believe my wiring set-up could be much better and I will start messing with it soon. Like the V-1 (famous for leaky, noisy circuits--fixed by the GLI), the Delphi SkyFi, XM radio is also a source of noise as the character of the whine changes when it's powered up.

 

We're also looking to do an external antenna mod for the GMRS radios to increase the range, and while we've got everything torn up we'll look at some more troubleshooting, re-routing, filtering and shielding. We talked to a guy at a convention here in SD yesterday with a local shop who deals with FM/VHF freq's for the Fire and Police. We're going to re-use the stock mounting hole for the old AM/FM antenna looking to try to increase/maximize the bike-to-bike range.

 

We ABSOLUTELY love the Autocom set-up and the hours and miles of enjoyment we've gotten out of ours are priceless! I remind my checkbook of that fact everytime he whines, and that shuts him up pretty dang quick! BTW, Tom, he just LOVES Mexican food--bring it on!