Gen1 Radio noise/issues on WOT

[Lexciting]

Having strange issues with my Alpine radio shutting off/reseting iteself doing WOT and a whine sound that increases with the RPMS . Even with the radio off I still get a little feedback sometimes like a low whine as a open it up. The radio will come on then off again immediately also. I have a optima red top that I had to charge, could it be a battery problem (Sears tested and said the cells were good)? Radio stays on for about a minute, then either resets or shuts completely down sometimes with static feedback. I also had a Roe Racing exhaust installed too and wondering if some wires were crossed possibly. Where would be a good place to look.

Thanks in advanced.

 

[dave6666]

There are many that say the Optima is a POS battery. You might consider replacing it on just that principle.

You did not state what your Alpine system is. Stock? Also, what year is your car?

Would hate to think that your exhaust installers hooked wiring up to the tail pipes!

But seriously, depending once again on exactly the exhaust work that was done, there is wiring in proximity to the exhaust, but would take a major screw up to damage it. Hot exhaust pipes and car wiring usually have a good margin of separation.

 

[Lexciting]

1994 RT/10

It is an aftermarket Alpine, older model 6" screen CD player. Right now the radio will not remain on when I hit the PWR button, but when I WOT, the noise whine gets louder with RPMs. I checked the grounds with the battery cable, but was wondering if having to recharge the Optima red top battery could cause it. Maybe I need to take the side sills off to see what is going on?

 

[dave6666]

Possibly they roasted some wiring in there if they did some welding. Just not much in the way of wires anywhere around the exhaust though.

 

[mjorgensen Woodhouse]

How old are the plug wires? They could be leaking enough RF to disrupt power in a high tech system other that the factory one for a Gen 1. You might try a sheilded wire and maybe even one of those "import" style grounding systems to fix it.

 

[Lexciting]

Don't know how old the plug are, I would assume the original. The thing is the radio (IVA-C800) will stay on for about 1-2 minutes when I first start the car. Then the radio will either just lose power all together or reset and shut down, then when I hit the PWR button; it will come on for a sec then lose all power. Is it possible for it to be the battery? It is strange that the radio completely loses power and will only stay on for a sec then go out immediately with no power.

 

[dave6666]

Was the timing on this radio problem coincidental with any other changes to the car? Like maybe you did XYZ, then started the car after concluding XYZ, and the radio problem was immediate?

 

[Lexciting]

Dave - Yes, I had a couple of things: Roe Exhaust installed, had to recharge the viper's Optima Red Top battery (tested good by Sears) and had Head Gaskets changed out. The Exhaust is louder than normal but as I WOT it, I occasionally hear feedback from speakers regardless if radio is on.

 

[dave6666]

The exhaust work would be last on the list of suspect things.

The battery could be a problem, and as suggested before, many think you should immediately use them for target practice when it is discovered you own one. A good battery can still be bad as the test they use these days is not quite like the copper bar load testers of days gone. Try running the power wire for the radio from like a spare battery sitting in the pass side floorboard. If problem goes away, then problem is not the radio. You will need to do this test with the WOT portion too, so maybe a passenger to steady the battery.

The head gaskets would have of course required removing the heads and therefore the plugs, and therefore the plug wires. Make sure the plug wires are not crossed anywhere, like weaving.