Ignition whine over stereo when using mp3 player; bad sparkplug wires?
 

I'm using a cheap retractable 3.5mm patch cord to connect my mp3 player to the AUX jack under the center console, and I can hear a slight ignition whine over the speakers. The sound is much more pronounced when I use another cheap retractable USB cable to charge my mp3 player from the power jack while playing music at the same time. Obviously the immediate cause of the problem is the cables I'm using aren't shielded, but is there any chance the sound I'm hearing reflects a problem with the ignition system? I've heard that the stock sparkplug wires don't last more than 30,000 miles; do they have lower than normal impedance to make the spark hotter? That would certainly make them wear out faster than normal, and also cause the noise I'm hearing.

Thoughts?

A good solution is to replace the cable from the AUX socket to your stereo with a shielded one.
A decent workaround is to increase the volume on your MP3 player as loud as it will go, to increase the signal-to-noise ratio.
Not going to comment about wires inside the engine bay :)

three words:
ground loop isolator

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&safe=ac...bb30ecf4f91972

you can buy one for a 3.5mm jack.

I used to get this too, but only when listening to certain AM stations.

Thought it was REALLY cool because it's a really neat accompaniment that changes pitch with engine speed!

Just tell people that as the rotors revolve they disrupt the space-time manifold and that's what they're hearing. :cwm27:

the ground loop isolator is the way to go, the noise you are hearing actually occurs in many cars with aux ports. I am a toyota tech and we actually have a tsb for the same issue. Toyota has us install isolators under warranty.

Yeah, that's it! I'll tell people the sound is relativistic frame-dragging caused by the rotors spinning so fast. :cool:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frame_dragging

In other news, that ground loop isolator looks like a good idea. I'm surprised they didn't build that into the stereo, actually.

from what i understand the whine comes from the fact that the two places the electronic components are grounded are not the same and the distance between the two causes it to pick up the whine. that is why it only whines when the mp3 player is plugged in. don't quote me on that though ;)