I just installed an "older" aftermarket headunit in my bro's cobalt, I dont know the model number but its one with an external "brain" that has to be placed under the seat and its a flip out james bond screen style. The only thing is at low volume on radio and on Aux in theirs a static sound, it'll only go away if you turn the radio up to about half volume+ or completely off, but at low volume that static is driving him nuts (I understand)

I've installed a lot of aftermarket headunits and never had this happen...is the stereo fucked?

Anyone know what would be causing this? His stock headunit didn't do it.

 

Mine does this from time to time. Is it only on radio?

 

You need a better ground. Add one.

 

Nah it does it on radio AND aux in

you may have something there, I'll have to try that

 

Generally stock grounding isnt enough when you get into the more feature packed radios. I have 3 grounds (including stock) on my Pioneer double din. Stock one only had some static

 

So we went out slid the radio out and where the black wire comes out of the aftermarket harness I tried attaching another wire to that and running to a ground source and it didn't make it stop... am I supposed to attach a ground strap directly to one of the bolts of the headunit? I've never had to do this before so I'm a little lost lol

 

So just threw the old radio back in for now and the car wont start!!! the security lights on and the CEL is on when turned to start position, its a 2006 SS S/C, I hooked the Bat charger up and it made a weak crank sound but wouldn't start...

the lights and locks still work though, think the battery is dead?

 

Maybe the radio is locked out.

 

some headunits need the chassis to be grounded. I think the pioneers were one.

 

do the interior lights and dash lights work?

 

My DD sucks. I wish the previous would have left it alone. The radio works when it wants. If I get in a low spot, it cuts out. On AUX or cd it is fine.

 

Battery died(sort of I guess, lights and stuff still worked)... must have killed it somewhere, charged it for like 10 mins and it sluggishly fired up... oops haha, well when it's not your car you get paranoid

Umm now as for the deck, its got a hole in the very back of it, doesn't look like a mounting hole but it is threaded and shows a picture of a screw with a max depth... could that be where it has to be grounded?

 

Sounds like it to me. I need to look and see if mine has one.

 

I just found a grounding point on the external brain that I hadn't seen before, I grounded it to the Seat bolt and it's STILL hissing... FFS I want to throw this thing off a cliff...

 

Sounds like mine

 

lol its a JVC VD7200U or something like that..

 

i hate the external brain systems. that model number isnt pulling up anything. you need a good clean ground to the frame; bare metal.

 

I have a stock pioneer speaker system in my balt with 2 JL W3V3 subs, Alpine head unit and 800 watt Kenwood Amp. It's been awesome up until about a year ago. Sometimes, I'll have the music turned all the way down whether it's the radio or my Ipod plugged into aux and I hear this weird static coming from my 2 back speakers. It's actually pretty loud and every now and then it will gradually get louder and then stop all of a sudden. Any suggestions?