Radio Problem / Noises through speakers

[yukc]

I have an 07 Yukon. Circuit City installed a roof mount DVD unit with a wired FM modulator from week one and I installed an IPAC module for my ipod when it was a few months old.

I have had no problems since purchase in January. Now I am getting a humming/static noise, through the speakers occasionally. I haven't been able to isolate it. It happens when the radio is on, mostly when the engine is running, not always. But it doesn't always happen. Once it started doing it when I plugged in a cell phone charger, once when I used the turn signals and sometimes when I start the Yukon.

Once I turned the engine off then back on and it went away for a while.

Do you think the radio is going bad? Cause it doesn't happen all the time. If a power wire was picking up engine noice it would be consistent right?

Any help appreciated. I am almost waiting for it to happen all the time before I take it to the dealer. That way they don't say, "we didn't notice a problem!!"

 

[zipperman19]

There could be a few things causing this. The first thing I can think of is the FM modulator. Does the static only happen on AM/FM radio or do you get it while listen to a CD as well? That could be a big help isolating the problem.

In case you unfamiliar with a modulator, I'll tell you a bit about it. To install the modulator, first the antenna must be unplugged from the back of the radio. Then the antenna is plugged into the modulator box, then the modulator plugs into the back of the radio. When you turn the DVD player on, the modulator disconnects the outside antenna from the radio and broadcasts whatever the DVD player is outputting on the selected channel.

A few things I can think of off the top of my head that could be wrong. The connections on the modulator could be loose. There could be a grounding problem in the car somewhere, (in the radio, modulator, DVD player, altenator, anywhere) but I don't think thats the problem. The modulator is most likely placed in a bad area where there is a lot of electrical/static interferance around it. Or it could just be a cheap or defective unit. Hope the helps. If the car has the static while listening to a CD also, then the problem is most likely a ground issue.

Hope that makes sense! Let me know if that was confusing because I typed it quickly.

 

[yukc]

They installed a switch for the modulator so I can turn it on and off. I noticed if I am listening to the radio the signal is cleaner when I switch it off. No noise will come from the DVD if the switch is not turned back on.

Anyways, my point is, I turned the switch on and off when I heard the noise and nothing happened. The modulator is right behind the radio. I was thinking of removing a componet at a time until it stops. But I never know when it will happen to really test the results. I will check ground wires like you said. Maybe the wire is loose and it is floating around causing it to be so inconsistent.

 

[zipperman19]

You should always leave off unless you're watching a DVD. It will cause lots of extra interference. If the antenna wire was free floating, you would not be able to pick up any radio stations, it would be all static. Most likely its a loose connection to the radio or modulator. Or it could just be a cheap modulator. Before you take the dash apart and go looking for loose wires and grounds, I suggest you isolate the problem as much as possible. Does the static happen on CDs? If it does than the problem most likely isnt the modulator. Also test the DVD player and find out if you get static while the modulator is on and a DVD is playing.

 

[yukc]

It happened again and I have more details. The static and engine noise was coming through the speakers when my daughter was watching the DVD. Infact it started ever since I turned on the vehicle that afternoon. I turned off the DVD and fm transmitter. No change. I turned off the radio and it stopped.

Here is the weird part. I then used my blinkers to get over and the buzz/engine noise came through the speakers and stopped a few seconds after I turned off the blinkers. I tested the blinkers many times and every time, the noise came through the speakers when using my blinkers. Still, the radio is off.

I pulled over, tried turning the car engine on and off to reset it. Did not work. I turned the radio power button on and off 2 or 3 times and on the third time when turning the radio off it made a weird sound when turning it off. Electrical type sound. Then the static/engine noise was gone for the rest of the day.

Radio problem?