Hi all,

When its below -15C and i turn my car on with the stereo/radio or XM radio on, theres a very high pitch noise coming from the speakers. The noise does not increase or decrease with the volume control. It is even there and most apparent when the volume is at 1, so i cant hear music, but i hear the high pitch.

The noise fades away as the car gets warmer.

Any help with this? Very annoying especially when you just woke up.

Thanks!
MM

 

I get the same noise when it's cold out only mine goes with the revs. When it's warm out or car warms up it's gone. I've been driving my Spec b since it's been snowing what seems to be every day so I haven't cared to figure it out yet.

 

I've got a similar problem on mine, will be trying to tackle it soon.

One way to help troubleshoot this one is to see if it does it while the engine is not running. If you still have the static in the speakers while the engine is off I've read it could be the amp.

If it only does it while it's running, like mine, and it alters with revs it could be a bad ground somewhere.

I've got some NO-OX-ID and I ordered some new factory ground bolts, they seem like they're a tinned brass, since I had changed a bunch of them for steel bolts that don't conduct as well.

If it works, I'm planning on making a DIY showing where all the exterior grounding points are and how to clean them up. Rust on those threads or between the bolt and the wiring harness point adds resistance to the circuit, which can lead to the static noise in the speaker.

 

I have the same sound on my end also. Only happens when its really cold as OP stated. I just wait for my car to warm up and then turn on the radio. Sound is not present when radio is turned off obviously. lol

 

Noise occurs even if engine is off.. Also good to note that my system is 100% stock.

Does the temperature affect the grounding? If so then i could see it as potential solution. Otherwise i wonder if the speakers are not made for this weather...

Food for thoughts

Thanks,
MM

 

If there's a static noise when the engine is on or off it could be the stock amp in the passenger kick panel.

Dunno really though, isn't really a good way to diagnose that one that I know of without expensive test equipment (Oscilloscope) to see where the static is coming from.

With a scope you could check the audio lines on the input to the amp and see if there is noise on them going into the amplifier and then you could check the audio wires going to the speakers to see if there is static on the output.

If there were no noise on the input and there is noise on the output then the amp is to blame or a speaker is picking up a lot of noise somewhere, maybe going bad.

There may be a way to diagnose it without a scope though.

- If you turn up the volume does the volume of the noise increase?

-- If it does I'd think its the headunit, the amplifier does not adjust the volume it only amplifies what it receives and drives the speakers.

-- If it does not I'd think its the amplifier or a speaker and the audio going into the amp is probably clean.

- Do the speaker test..

-- Turn Ignition switch to ACC (I)
-- Depress & Hold preset 1, preset 3 and power on the headunit
-- Radio should tune to 97.9Mhz
-- Diag is displayed on the headunit
-- Vol Up/Down, Seek +/-, and radio remote switch for Channel +/- are the buttons that should work in this mode
-- If it doesn't enter this mode turn the key to off and try again.

- Press CH +/- or Seek +/- to check each speaker
-- Driver's Door & Left tweeter
-- Front center speaker
-- Front Passenger & Right tweeter
-- Right rear speaker
-- Subwoofer
-- Left rear speaker
-- All speakers

If there's no sound from one it could be an open in a wire or a bad speaker.

I think the idea here would be to see if your noise is coming from only one speaker or all of the speakers.

-- I'd think the speaker is bad if only one is making noise, to verify I'd unplug it and see if the noise is gone when the radio is playing, if so I'd replace.

-- If there's still the static noise in all of the speakers, when tested individually, I'd think it's the amp.

Only problem with the test is for someone like me in Hawaii there is no radio station on 97.9Mhz, so I only get noise in my speakers and lots of it. If I was on Kona (big island) it'd work for me though haha.

For this test to really work for me it'd be best for me to find some type of small, low power, FM transmitter that I could transmit a 1khz audio tone on a 97.9Mhz FM signal that way the test would work for me and I'd have a steady 1khz tone in my speakers.

I don't know if the FM transmitter thing would be legal for someone to sell or inexpensive enough to make it practical, maybe I can find something lol.. I work with expensive test equipment all of the time at work that would do it but I can't use it for something personal like that haha, just duno if there is anything inexpensive on the market that can fit that bill.

If you have good reception on a radio station at that freq it'd work for you though.

The noise could also be your battery negative to chassis ground, that one is pretty easy to clean up. Once the car warms up does the noise go away? If so cleaning up that connection may solve the problem, there could be some resistance there. Maybe not, but can't hurt to clean up that ground connection and it's an easy one to do.

 

Just to update, something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Excelvan-Trans.../ref=de_a_smtd

Would do the trick to get this test to work with your radio if there isn't a radio station in your area on 97.9MHz.

Just set the little transmitter to 97.9MHz and play some music from your phone. There's a ton of them on the market, normally I'd say they're junk but in this case it may help if you're in a situation like me where there's no radio station on 97.9MHz to use the factory test for the speakers.

Cheap and it should be effective.

 

Mine started out the same way. The buzzing will only get worse. The stock amp is going bad and needs to repaired or replaced.

 

^check out Carstereohelp.com (they are located near/in Orlando). Had mine repaired for $125, and has worked great since. Your closer than me, so you could just drop it off. It took a day to have fixed.

Mine was producing very low volume even when turned all the way up, no buzzing.