Front speakers only hum - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Jamescall85 · 02-20-2024, 08:06 PM

Hello for some background I am very new to not only Camaro ownership, but to participate in forums as well. I finally just got validated and I’ve used this forum before to answer quite a few questions I’ve had since buying my 2011 2LT. I’m hoping that someone sees this and may have some sort of input or any idea on either what may have happened or how to fix it.
As any of the Boston acoustic premium car owners may know they’re not the greatest so I opted to add in a sub to just give a little nothing too crazy kicker 10 max 300 W RMS 150 I believe right around there. The amp I used was a Jensen 600 W two channel. I went with the add an amp T harness from a very reputable company that I also found out about through this forum. I do not believe the harness has anything to do with my problem, but when I did go hook it up in the amp, I was adding was only for the subwoofer, and the gain all the controllers were through an app from Jensen the manufacturer of the amp. After hooking it up, it didn’t really sound right and front speakers were getting no music just a hum. I disconnected everything, including the X3 T harness. now my front speakers do not play music they only hum if the radio was off, they don’t but as soon as you use the direction open the door any kind of chime is triggered they begin to hum again. Fading has no bearing on the noise it doesn’t get louder it doesn’t stop.
I thought maybe I screwed up the factory amp somehow so I ordered another one from eBay matching serial number and everything even spoke with dealer to make sure because a lot of them look alike but have different numbers. And still same issue same speakers, same everything. The only thing that changes the volume of the hum is if the lights are off it’s a little quieter if the keys out of the ignition and the radios is on it’s almost so quiet u can’t hear. But if the car is on, it’s very much noticeable. Not change volume or pitch with acceleration. And again, during all of this, no music and the fader does not change the volume or the pitch or anything just hum and no music the rear speakers still work they sound exactly like they should they sound fine. It’s only the front but the door speakers, the tweeters in the center channel none of them work, as far as I can, only tell they’re coming out of the door speakers may or may not be coming out of the center channel. I honestly can’t tell and as of now everything is back to stock the harness is taken out X3 is plugged directly into the BA amp. I even took out the power wires in the grounds for the amp. I was going to add and still same issue. I’m wondering if anyone else has ever heard of this or dealt with or have any ideas on what it might . how to narrow some things down without cutting into any harnesses thank you in advance for any help.

AlisoBob · 02-20-2024, 09:08 PM

Maybe they "Hum"...... because they don't know the words?

Jamescall85 · 02-20-2024, 10:23 PM

I also noticed when I unplug the x2 harness from the amp the rear speakers still get signal from the sound it seems like a low input signal but from where??
From what I understand x1 is power ground etc. x2 is the out out of the amplified signal and x3 is input of what needs to be amplified. So if x2 is unplugged how is there any sound comming from anywhere. Also while x2 is unplugged there is no noise comming from front which I would think is completely normal because there shouldn’t be.

Leo72793 · 02-21-2024, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamescall85

Hello for some background I am very new to not only Camaro ownership, but to participate in forums as well. I finally just got validated and I’ve used this forum before to answer quite a few questions I’ve had since buying my 2011 2LT. I’m hoping that someone sees this and may have some sort of input or any idea on either what may have happened or how to fix it.

As any of the Boston acoustic premium car owners may know they’re not the greatest so I opted to add in a sub to just give a little nothing too crazy kicker 10 max 300 W RMS 150 I believe right around there. The amp I used was a Jensen 600 W two channel. I went with the add an amp T harness from a very reputable company that I also found out about through this forum. I do not believe the harness has anything to do with my problem, but when I did go hook it up in the amp, I was adding was only for the subwoofer, and the gain all the controllers were through an app from Jensen the manufacturer of the amp.

After hooking it up, it didn’t really sound right and front speakers were getting no music just a hum. I disconnected everything, including the X3 T harness. now my front speakers do not play music they only hum if the radio was off, they don’t but as soon as you use the direction open the door any kind of chime is triggered they begin to hum again. Fading has no bearing on the noise it doesn’t get louder it doesn’t stop.

I thought maybe I screwed up the factory amp somehow so I ordered another one from eBay matching serial number and everything even spoke with dealer to make sure because a lot of them look alike but have different numbers. And still same issue same speakers, same everything. The only thing that changes the volume of the hum is if the lights are off it’s a little quieter if the keys out of the ignition and the radios is on it’s almost so quiet u can’t hear. But if the car is on, it’s very much noticeable.

Not change volume or pitch with acceleration. And again, during all of this, no music and the fader does not change the volume or the pitch or anything just hum and no music the rear speakers still work they sound exactly like they should they sound fine. It’s only the front but the door speakers, the tweeters in the center channel none of them work, as far as I can, only tell they’re coming out of the door speakers may or may not be coming out of the center channel. I honestly can’t tell and as of now everything is back to stock the harness is taken out X3 is plugged directly into the BA amp.

I even took out the power wires in the grounds for the amp. I was going to add and still same issue. I’m wondering if anyone else has ever heard of this or dealt with or have any ideas on what it might . how to narrow some things down without cutting into any harnesses thank you in advance for any help.

While i dont know what harness you have (assuming the one that cant be mentioned here by sb thmp (add the u) you should have 4 colors for RCA outputs on the T harness for input to the OEM amp.

They are:

Right front : Gray.
Left front : White.
Right rear : Purple.
Left rear : Green.

Be sure your amplifier is in 4 channel mode. As for it being a jensen i cant tell you much for configuration as models vary. the "hum" you hear is more than likely floor noise. your gain is too high, causing the THD or Total Harmonic Distortion to produce a hum. Gain is an input source matching. At volume 26-28 on your radio should be your MAX as thats where i have discovered it sends a clipping signal at the 1khz mark.

On the amp, turn the gain dial ALL the way down and then at most 1/3rd the way up. This is while the radio volume is set to 28. Be sure you have a VERY solid ground. if its poor, youll get feedback or a possible ground loop from other devices in the car backfeeding noise.

For the speakers not playing in the front, you will loose the center if you dont use the T harness properly. However 99% of the C5 forum deletes it anyway. I dont use it at all. Be sure your amp Channel 1 is speaker LEFT 2 is Speaker RIGHT for your doors if the amplifier is driving them.

IF the amp is for the subwoofer only, the RCA on the T harness should be L and R (GRAY and WHITE) into the amp for signal, then the other end of the connector must return to the OEM amplifier for the stock speakers to function as the oem amplifier drives them.

Jamescall85 · 02-22-2024, 12:04 AM

The t harness and the amp for sub is no longer hooked up. Every thing is back to original. Still has the hum. I brought it to a professional installer today and went over with him every thing I did step by step. They had suggested that somehow probably because the harness is hooked up pre amp some sort of signal or something back fed into head unit and that’s the problem. Pulled the head unit and it’s being bench tested either early this afternoon or tommorrow. It will really be a bummer if that’s what happened because I’ve only heard good things about this harness but it may have damned me. Which turns this whole thing into a much more expensive ordeal. Because it will mean either repairing the H.U. Or replacing. and for a dash kit alone already getting into the hundreds

Leo72793 · 02-22-2024, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamescall85

The t harness and the amp for sub is no longer hooked up. Every thing is back to original. Still has the hum. I brought it to a professional installer today and went over with him every thing I did step by step. They had suggested that somehow probably because the harness is hooked up pre amp some sort of signal or something back fed into head unit and that’s the problem. Pulled the head unit and it’s being bench tested either early this afternoon or tommorrow. It will really be a bummer if that’s what happened because I’ve only heard good things about this harness but it may have damned me. Which turns this whole thing into a much more expensive ordeal. Because it will mean either repairing the H.U. Or replacing. and for a dash kit alone already getting into the hundreds

Stock radio or aftermarket? If aftermarket you do NOT need the t harness

Jamescall85 · 02-22-2024, 11:01 PM

Stock. But now that the harness caused the back feed to the head unit it either needs to be replaced or repaired. Waiting on a quote to repair and time frame. I live in new England and as you know heater controls are all part of the unit. I need to find out if the radio comes out is there a way to put at least the screen and climate controls back on because there isn’t a way to do that I’d have to wait at least 2 months before even thinking about not having defrost and heat. I’m not against going after market it’s just so expensive. For a decent radio and dash kit your already around 600 and that’s a lower end H.U.
IMO most of the dash kits are ugly. The idatalink maestro looks the best as far as the radio placement in kit not recessed like the pac one is. But they don’t tell you it doesn’t work with out the maestro rr. Which is another 170 buck so that dash kit alone is 5 and change doesn’t even include radio.

02-20-2024, 08:06 PM	#1
Jamescall85 Drives: 2011 Camaro 2LT Join Date: Feb 2024 Location: Mass Posts: 8	Front speakers only hum Hello for some background I am very new to not only Camaro ownership, but to participate in forums as well. I finally just got validated and I’ve used this forum before to answer quite a few questions I’ve had since buying my 2011 2LT. I’m hoping that someone sees this and may have some sort of input or any idea on either what may have happened or how to fix it. As any of the Boston acoustic premium car owners may know they’re not the greatest so I opted to add in a sub to just give a little nothing too crazy kicker 10 max 300 W RMS 150 I believe right around there. The amp I used was a Jensen 600 W two channel. I went with the add an amp T harness from a very reputable company that I also found out about through this forum. I do not believe the harness has anything to do with my problem, but when I did go hook it up in the amp, I was adding was only for the subwoofer, and the gain all the controllers were through an app from Jensen the manufacturer of the amp. After hooking it up, it didn’t really sound right and front speakers were getting no music just a hum. I disconnected everything, including the X3 T harness. now my front speakers do not play music they only hum if the radio was off, they don’t but as soon as you use the direction open the door any kind of chime is triggered they begin to hum again. Fading has no bearing on the noise it doesn’t get louder it doesn’t stop. I thought maybe I screwed up the factory amp somehow so I ordered another one from eBay matching serial number and everything even spoke with dealer to make sure because a lot of them look alike but have different numbers. And still same issue same speakers, same everything. The only thing that changes the volume of the hum is if the lights are off it’s a little quieter if the keys out of the ignition and the radios is on it’s almost so quiet u can’t hear. But if the car is on, it’s very much noticeable. Not change volume or pitch with acceleration. And again, during all of this, no music and the fader does not change the volume or the pitch or anything just hum and no music the rear speakers still work they sound exactly like they should they sound fine. It’s only the front but the door speakers, the tweeters in the center channel none of them work, as far as I can, only tell they’re coming out of the door speakers may or may not be coming out of the center channel. I honestly can’t tell and as of now everything is back to stock the harness is taken out X3 is plugged directly into the BA amp. I even took out the power wires in the grounds for the amp. I was going to add and still same issue. I’m wondering if anyone else has ever heard of this or dealt with or have any ideas on what it might . how to narrow some things down without cutting into any harnesses thank you in advance for any help.

02-20-2024, 09:08 PM	#2
AlisoBob Drives: Camaro 2SS Gen 5 Join Date: Oct 2023 Location: Orange County Ca Posts: 121	Maybe they "Hum"...... because they don't know the words?

02-20-2024, 10:23 PM	#3
Jamescall85 Drives: 2011 Camaro 2LT Join Date: Feb 2024 Location: Mass Posts: 8	I also noticed when I unplug the x2 harness from the amp the rear speakers still get signal from the sound it seems like a low input signal but from where?? From what I understand x1 is power ground etc. x2 is the out out of the amplified signal and x3 is input of what needs to be amplified. So if x2 is unplugged how is there any sound comming from anywhere. Also while x2 is unplugged there is no noise comming from front which I would think is completely normal because there shouldn’t be.

02-22-2024, 12:04 AM	#5
Jamescall85 Drives: 2011 Camaro 2LT Join Date: Feb 2024 Location: Mass Posts: 8	The t harness and the amp for sub is no longer hooked up. Every thing is back to original. Still has the hum. I brought it to a professional installer today and went over with him every thing I did step by step. They had suggested that somehow probably because the harness is hooked up pre amp some sort of signal or something back fed into head unit and that’s the problem. Pulled the head unit and it’s being bench tested either early this afternoon or tommorrow. It will really be a bummer if that’s what happened because I’ve only heard good things about this harness but it may have damned me. Which turns this whole thing into a much more expensive ordeal. Because it will mean either repairing the H.U. Or replacing. and for a dash kit alone already getting into the hundreds

02-22-2024, 11:01 PM	#7
Jamescall85 Drives: 2011 Camaro 2LT Join Date: Feb 2024 Location: Mass Posts: 8	Stock. But now that the harness caused the back feed to the head unit it either needs to be replaced or repaired. Waiting on a quote to repair and time frame. I live in new England and as you know heater controls are all part of the unit. I need to find out if the radio comes out is there a way to put at least the screen and climate controls back on because there isn’t a way to do that I’d have to wait at least 2 months before even thinking about not having defrost and heat. I’m not against going after market it’s just so expensive. For a decent radio and dash kit your already around 600 and that’s a lower end H.U. IMO most of the dash kits are ugly. The idatalink maestro looks the best as far as the radio placement in kit not recessed like the pac one is. But they don’t tell you it doesn’t work with out the maestro rr. Which is another 170 buck so that dash kit alone is 5 and change doesn’t even include radio.