I've had a few cars with a similar whine come from the radio.  Replacing the
radio fixed it for me.

Jason

On Sun, Apr 3, 2011 at 12:36 PM, neil n <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:

> Sure sounds like the vehicle electrics are the cause or at least part of it
> and that head unit likely ok. But to be sure....
>
> Do you have a car radio you can hook up?
>
> My thought: if something went slightly hinky on head unit (cap where power
> goes in? Final stage amp?), and alt. etc. is supplying less than best
> quality power, this might produce a sudden change.
>
> Neil.
>
> On Fri, Apr 1, 2011 at 5:58 PM, Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> wrote:
>
> > A  few months ago the radio in the van has developed a whine when
> > engine running.
> >
>
>
>
> >
> > Came on all of a sudden, and only on the front speakers which are
> > powered by separate amp and go through crossovers.
> >
> > What I have done:
> >
> > -redid all grounds, signal, and power leads to front speakers,
> > crossovers, and amp - no change
> > -swapped in another amp - no change
> > - tried alternate pair of rca jacked leads from head unit to amp,
> > straight run, not crossing power lines - no change
> > - new antenna and lead to head unit (old one was really bad at head
> > unit) - no change
> > - if i grounded amp directly to battery post instead of body, noise
> > was louder. BTW, the amp ground wires are a short run twisted trio.
> >
> > Recently the noise has become louder and worse.
> >
> > Today I pulled the alternator and:
> >
> > -pulled brush pack and cleaned connections
> > -pulled the noise reducing caps on alternator and cleaned connections
> > -removed the diagnostic plug (TDC sensor lead and plug) from alternator
> > -pulled distributor cap and cleaned, above and below black plastic
> > shield
> > -cleaned up edge of rotor
> > -cleaned all the grounding points (pivot bolt area etc) on alt body
> >
> >
> > these things have improved things, the whine is much quieter.
> >
> > Can anyone suggest anything else?
> >
> > thanks
> >
> > alistair
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
>
> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
>