I have this crazy probelm. I have an 04 tl with navi. Here is what is going on. When hit the handsfree button (like i'm going to make a call) and i'm driving around, i can hear this loud whining sound. Its almost the same as in old radios that were not installed right and you could hear "alternator whining". Its the same sound, and it gets louder and softer when I press on the accelerator. I can do it when the car is parked or driving (you can hear it at any volume above about 22.

I talked to the dealer and we looked at a couple other 04s. They did the same thing. The tech's solution was to "not put the volume above 22!" I made him test some 05s with me, and none of them have the same problem. He said that because the all the 04's that we tested had the same problem, there was nothing that he was going to do.

Does someone know how to stop the whining (so that I can stop whining!) I figure that if they fixed it in the 05, they KNOW what the problem is! Thanks for your help.

 

Is it only when the phone is in use/dialing ? If so then where is the phone located when you use the BT ? Some phones will put out a lot of electrical noise when you use them. I had an old (non-BT) Nokia that simply could not be used in my old car any time the radio was on since there was so much hum. It was a lot better when I got the TL so I think the TL's radio is somewhat more immune. I now have a SE T610 which works great with the BT and is very quiet as far as hum. I keep it in the cup holders between the seats. While parked, try moving the phone around to see if that makes any difference.

BTW 22 is way high ! I normally only need around 5 to 10 (windows/roof closed)for the phone otherwise I get blasted when the other party talks.

 

I had the same problem and moved the phone as Adobeman suggested and the noise went away. My SE phone had the problem, my new Razor doesn't so it might be the particular type phone you are using. Try moving it around first then get a new phone if that doesn't work and see if another phone helps as it did with my hum problem.

 

I don't get the whine on my 04 with navi. It sounds like you're describing alternator noise. Maybe the cars that whine don't have as clean a ground connection as those that don't. I do, however, get a little bit of that GSM chatter that my Treo 650 tends to induce into any nearby audio system. It's very subtle, though, and only happens before the call actually connects.

I find I need to set the volume anywhere from 8 to 30 during handsfree, depending on the loudness of the call. Just like on a landline, some people's phones are very quiet. My in-laws' phone is so darn quiet and muffled that it's hard to hear them, even when we talk to them on our landline phone.

 

Wow thanks for all the replies! I love this forum. I am sure that it is not the phone or the proximity of the phone. My car will do it even if the phone is connected to the car. The whine is like what bluenoise is saying....it's alternator whine.

22 has never seemed high on my car...i run the volume from about 8 to 32. i'll try another phone just to see though, maybe there is something weird going on.