odd speaker sound

[timeless2]

Yeah, I know......take a hike to the sound shop. Well, I just may if I don't get an answer from you wiseguys.

On the way home, my 2004 GT's Mach 460 decided to pick up this consistent tapping noise, just like the off-beat sound of techno music.

It had the following characteristics:

• it did not follow engine speed
• it was on both FM bands and multiple stations
• it was not on the AM band
• it was not present during CD playback
• it seemed focused on the passenger side, front speaker
• it did follow with volume intensity

It started when I left the parking garage and continued throughout most of the 25 minute drive home. I turned off the car when going down the hill on my street. I let it sit for 3 minutes or so, then restarted the vehicle.

Machine gun noise was gone. What the heck could this have been? I don't want to have this happen again.

 

[urban96]

how long has it been doing that? was there any cell phones in the car? i know my cell phone can mess with speakers sometimes

 

[tomustang]

first rule out if it's the speakers or the stereo, check the fade and balance and see if it's just a specific speaker.

then check the speaker grounds or even the stereo grounds

 

[Dan_Soprano]

my 01 gt did that from time to time. I think it is something in the amp in the head unit. Usually all I would have to do is turn the radio off, then back on and it was gone. I never thought much of it. Could be a relay chattering for one of the amps........

 

[Crzyhrse]

I've had the same thing happen on my radio. But I so rarely have the radio on that I'm not concerned with it. I have'nt listened to my stereo in months. I luv my exhaust.

 

[DTNODYA]

Did you happen to be talking on a cell phone (like someone already mentioned) but more specifically, if so .... was it a Nextel phone? When a Nextel phone rings next to speakers it can sound like a War. That's my psychic guess ...

 

[fluffyrunnells]

if you have a nextel that may be the problem.........ever hold a nextel near speaker on your pc...........scary

 

[timeless2]

how long has it been doing that? was there any cell phones in the car? i know my cell phone can mess with speakers sometimes

This was the first time it has ever happened in this car, or any prior Mustang I've owned with the Mach 460. Mobile phone was in standby mode, not communicating at all.

first rule out if it's the speakers or the stereo, check the fade and balance and see if it's just a specific speaker.

then check the speaker grounds or even the stereo grounds

It's not the speakers, as the sound was not produced during AM or CD playback.
I did not check the fade/balance settings (was driving at the time), but will do that next time.

my 01 gt did that from time to time. I think it is something in the amp in the head unit. Usually all I would have to do is turn the radio off, then back on and it was gone. I never thought much of it. Could be a relay chattering for one of the amps........

I did cycle the radio power off/on a few times and it did not go away. However, after a complete vehicle shutdown (as mentioned) it did go away. Did your '01 GT ever have further problems? I want to nip this in the bud before warranty coverage lapses.

I've had the same thing happen on my radio. But I so rarely have the radio on that I'm not concerned with it. I have'nt listened to my stereo in months. I luv my exhaust.

I know the feeling of listening to exhaust, but I have to catch my favorite FM station on the way out of work to get the scoop on traffic.

Did you happen to be talking on a cell phone (like someone already mentioned) but more specifically, if so .... was it a Nextel phone? When a Nextel phone rings next to speakers it can sound like a War. That's my psychic guess ...

Nope, no mobile phone activity, other than it being turned on at the moment. Not Nextel, either.

if you have a nextel that may be the problem.........ever hold a nextel near speaker on your pc...........scary

Nope, not Nextel.

 

[DocG]

Your antenna nice and tight? Not likely your speakers, wires, or amp if it only does it on FM station. Likely some sort of radio or electrical interference, or possibly your headunit going a little crazy. If it was something interacting with the speaker itself, it would have done it with any signal such as the CD. If your alt was interfering with your amp, it'd get louder with increased rpm's. Maybe the FBI planted a homing device on your car....you got Lojack? Maybe an AWACS was flying overhead....maybe we finally heard an alien communication coming back in response to us sending old Pink Floyd songs out into space.

If its only done it once, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[sgarlic]

I know this sounds unlikely, but I'm going to guess your radio accidentally picked up some sort of interference throughout the whole FM band, and when you shut it off and turned it back on it, it reset the receiver which this time didn't pick it up.. frequency modulation is a strange creature.

 

[DropTopPony]

Mine does it all the time if my Cell Phone is too close to the head unit. You don't have to be using the phone for it to do it. Remember these newer cell's are constantly sending/receiving info updating the internal GPS systems/Browsers and it gets picked up by your radio frequencies. They are extremely powerful. My Nextel is the worst but my other cell does it also.

 

[urban96]

my cingular does it even if im not talking (gprs)




could be messages beamed down to you from outerspace

 

[DropTopPony]

View attachment 483565

 

[Dorsai]