Radio & Switchbacks
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 81
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From: roxbury, n j
Radio & Switchbacks So i just got to ride around with my new switchbacks and EL12 flasher for the turn signals. I didn't replace the second flasher with an electronic flasher. So i got to driving and noticed that the radio is just static on all stations!
Anyone run into this problem? I'm thinking its a bad ground from the radio but not at all sure. I have the stock single CD player (non bose system).
Anyone run into this problem? I'm thinking its a bad ground from the radio but not at all sure. I have the stock single CD player (non bose system).
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
From: roxbury, n j
well i agree its a seperate circuit but i was thinking of there being excessive noise on the ground end.
Its weird it happened right after i put in the leds/flasher. tonight i'll try the radio again with the flasher disconnected to see.
Its weird it happened right after i put in the leds/flasher. tonight i'll try the radio again with the flasher disconnected to see.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
From: roxbury, n j
Got to toy around to force the failure.
With the ebrake up, car running:
When my lights are off and i'm not using my turn signals, the radio works fine and the ST is lit up on the stock CD player display.
When my lights are ON, ST disapears and the radio plays noise.
With my lights OFF, i actuate the turn signal in either direction, when the Green Arrow is present, the ST goes away. When the Green Arrow goes away (blinking) the radio comes back.
With the ebrake down wheter the headlights are on or off (DRLs active) the radio emits noise all the time.
Anyone run into this or have an idea?
With the ebrake up, car running:
When my lights are off and i'm not using my turn signals, the radio works fine and the ST is lit up on the stock CD player display.
When my lights are ON, ST disapears and the radio plays noise.
With my lights OFF, i actuate the turn signal in either direction, when the Green Arrow is present, the ST goes away. When the Green Arrow goes away (blinking) the radio comes back.
With the ebrake down wheter the headlights are on or off (DRLs active) the radio emits noise all the time.
Anyone run into this or have an idea?
Last edited by vintageagain; Oct 21, 2008 at 06:11 PM.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,329
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Have you checked the antenna and its cable and ground? If you were having a problem related to power or head unit ground, it would affect all music sources not just the radio. So it's possible the tuner is the problem but I would suspect the antenna first.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 81
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From: roxbury, n j
i pulled the head unit and checked the antenna and connector for good connection. Its fine. I couldn't find an immediate ground point from the connector. I did probe the connector to ground and case to ground and got continuity. Do you know where the radio ground junction to chassis is?
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,329
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From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
The antenna is grounded at its base - behind the spare tire. The radio doesn't have (or need) a separate chassis ground. It grounds through the black wire in the harness to the ground stud under the left side of the dash behind the kick panel. If that ground was bad, you wouldn't get anything from the head unit (including lights or display).
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Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
From: roxbury, n j
When i don't have my DRLs or Turn signal on the radio works perfectly so i don't think its the antenna ground.
For you guys that have the switchbacks - Did you disable the DRLs? Do you have a factory radio?
For you guys that have the switchbacks - Did you disable the DRLs? Do you have a factory radio?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
From: roxbury, n j
I hate to say i'm relieved someone else has the problem for a while i was pulling my hair thinking how am i the only one!!
I hope to have a solution after xmas. I'm going to hook up my car to some scopes and design a filter to clean up the power and ground lines coming off the bulbs.
I hope to have a solution after xmas. I'm going to hook up my car to some scopes and design a filter to clean up the power and ground lines coming off the bulbs.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
From: roxbury, n j
update: hooked the leds up to a scope to check out the noise level. There is a considerable amount of noise emitted by these because of the switching ics in the center of the tower, I was able to reduce the noise by more than half but still can't get some stations. need some fine tuning but seem to be on the right track.