100w AC Outlet Problem (2010 1.8 Vibe)

[SSV3NOM316]

Hey all,New to this forum and Im really glad I found it.Having this weird problem with my '10 Vibe.I used to always plug in my iPhone charger into the AC outlet in the car while listening to music with no problems.However recently I plug it in and before I even start playing the music this there is this noise cominig through the speakers. I noticed the charger doesn't even have to be connected into the charging port of the phone, as long as the aux cable is connected and the USB cable is touching the body of the phone this weird noise comes through the speakers. I'm using the OEM apple charger and cable. Any ideas of what could have happened? Is this a grounding issue?Shortly after I discovered this I noticed the left speakers stopped working but I confirmed it was the headphone jack on iPhone and not the car alas my Xm radio and cd player work fine.

[KITT222]

Sounds more like a phone problem. Does one of your friends have an AUX in their car? Plug it into theirs and see if it still happens. By the way Target, Best Buy (Futureshop?), Walgreens etc... sell 12v cigarette lighter USB plugs, so you don't always need to be running your 110v outlet.

[SSV3NOM316]

Well I tried my friends iPhone and iPhone charger and a differnt aux cable with the same result. That's what makes me believe it's the car. I used the 100w outlet cause it was more coveinent for me and I always had problems with the car chargers..Ah this is really bugging me! Haha.

[KITT222]

... weird. Maybe something it up with the AUX port. If you still have the warranty I'd take it a dealer to have them take a look at it.

[SSV3NOM316]

My bumper to bumper warranty is expired unfortunately. Only have my power train warranty left.Anyone have any other ideas? The aux port works fine the phone or iPod is not plugged into the 100w outlet. I guess I'll try a car charger to see if it definitely is the outlet and not some kind of electrical problem..

[djkeev]

Install a blue tooth capable radio that allows you to stream music wirelessly?? It works WONDERFULLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!As far as the noise, it could be any number of things. Is the outlet burned or damaged? The on off switch is defective or the inverter unit could be bad. Connections could be loose or damaged as well. I'm not 100% certain of your year but the older units had the inverter under the front seat. If something got shoved under the seat it could dislodge a connector.Dave

[SSV3NOM316]

Well the outlet still charges my phone normally. And has worked normally up to this point. The outlet on my model is right next to the regular car 12v jack. Right under the shifter.There is also a protective lid, that I kept closed when I didn't use the outlet. The on/off switch for the outlet seems to be working normally.. it lights up when on and light turns off when its off. Lol. Any diagnostic tests I could do?I guess I could bring to the dealership for them just to look at it, I just don't want to if they'll charge . <--- poor college kid.

[djkeev]

Sorry, I can't be of any more help. I have the Factory service manuals for the 07 Vibe and I just looked for a trouble shooting chart for the AC /DC outlet. The only help they give is for non operation. Nothing about noises at all.I'd try a non apple charger and see what happens. I use an Apple charger all of the time and never an issue but who knows? Different years, different characteristics??Eliminate the variables and proceed from there. You might inquire at a dealership if there are any technical bulletins about this that they are aware of. Maybe even go to Toyota and tell them your problem. Vibe = (more or less) Matrix.Dave

[SSV3NOM316]

Thanks a lot for the help!Will try using different chargers and the other things you've suggested djkeev.I hate when little things like this happen. Just bugs the crap out of me. Just received my new headphone jack for my iPhone 4. Thank god this thing comes with instructions, because I basically have to take the entire phone apart haha. (The left headphones/speakers in car don't work, ever since this whole power inverter incident). I wonder if its just a coincidence or did the outlet in my vibe screw up the headphone jack some how..

[j42.snyder]

Just for fun, you could try plugging in a power bar that has good noise suppression built in, and then plug your charger into that. If it makes a difference, then maybe there's a bad component in your inverter (assuming it has a filtering circuit of some kind).I don't think a lot of these inverters provide the "cleanest" A/C power going - not a true sine wave like household power - but typically usable for small devices. There are probably some filtering capacitors built in that help to "smooth" the output somewhat - but maybe part of that circuit has been damaged somehow.I have a really cheap inverter I bought for another car that will make noise like you say if connected to the radio that way. Using the built-in converter in the Vibe hasn't generated any unusual noises yet - so I assumed it was a better quality unit.If the power bar trick doesn't work, I'd still be suspect of the inverter, as you say it works properly when the inverter's (AC outlet) not turned on. If I get a chance, I'll see if anything's mentioned in the factory service manuals about this - but I don't recall anything from breezing through there before.Best of luck,JohnP.S. - I doubt the Vibe messed up your headphone jack. Hopefully you'll know soon...

[ParknVibe]

Concerning your noise and the Iphone Charger. If your AC transformer (power supply) plug is not polarized, turn the plug around in the AC socket. This may reduce or eliminate any hum that you could be hearing in your speakers. However, you did not describe the type of noise you are hearing.This worked for me using a AC/DC transformer on a land line phone I wired to eliminate the battery supplied power. I had a hum in the phone's speaker and eliminated it by just turning the plug around.

[joatmon]

welcome to genvibeWhat year Vibe do you have?from the swapping of phones and chargers, it sounds like the inverter is putting out more noise than it used to. guessing it could be a problem with the inverter, or perhaps a grounding issue. Sometimes stuff just goes bad, but often it is the result of something. Can you correlate the onset of the problem to any other seemingly unrelated event in the Vibe, such as a service or repair, or perhaps something like having something work up under the driver's seat?

[vibenvy]

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »What year Vibe do you have?Quote, originally posted by Topic Title »100w AC Outlet Problem (2010 1.8 Vibe)Quote, originally posted by SSV3NOM316 »Having this weird problem with my '10 Vibe.

[SSV3NOM316]

Thanks for all the responses guys.So I found the problem!I couldn't believe it.I was just sitting in the driveway and fiddling with the AC outlet. After no luck with that just began to fiddle around with the auxiliary cable (3.5mm audio cable), and noticed that when the cable touched certain parts of the dashboard or touched the steering wheel the hum through the speakers (whilst charging the iPhone through the AV inverter) started. When I suspended the cable in the air, not touching any part of the car, except the seat, the humming stopped. I couldn't believe it. Its actually supposed to be a decent quality cable (one of those Griffin cables that comes with one of those iphone charging kits that I got a while back for my iTouch.)So I'm assuming its just a "bad" cable.. and I need to get a new one. I guess its the shielding on the cable thats causing the hum when its plugged in? Any particularly good aux cables out there that aren't too pricey?Again, thanks for all the help guys. Still can't believe I found a site like this for my beloved vibe. I RARELY ever see another Vibe on the road here in NY. Only Matrixs... haha.*After I resolved this problem, I did however notice another problem with my speakers, but going to start a new thread for that.

[djkeev]

Glad you found it but I thought you said you tried a different charger and cables previously??"I tried my friends iPhone and iPhone charger and a differnt aux cable"IF you are having troubles you can't go cheap, that's what you've got in your hands right now. You're going have to go to a monster cable or similar high quality unit.http://www.amazon.com/Monster-...p_e_3Given my choice, I'd go with something like this and use a USB cigarette charger. You only use the multi port on the bottom of the iPod / Phone, pull music out and charge it at the same time. Just one wire to connect to the unit and you've got it all.I've had a similar set up for years utilizing rear stereo inputs rather than the 3.5 mm plug, I used a similar cable with RCA plugs.This cable and quality ones like it are not cheap but they work and they work well. You know that saying "you get what you pay for"? It's often very true!http://www.amazon.com/PIONEER-...QQFZCDave

[star_deceiver]

I use this one: http://www.belkin.com/IWCatPro...76571 As installed... It runs under the dash up along the drivers side to the windshield where it plugs into the satelite radio. I've used it for various mp3 players as well as an iPad and there've been no problems.

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