odd speaker sound

timeless2 · Mar 15, 2006

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 · Mar 15, 2006

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 · Mar 15, 2006

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 · Mar 15, 2006

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 · Mar 15, 2006

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 · Mar 15, 2006

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 · Mar 15, 2006

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

timeless2 · Mar 16, 2006

urban96 said:
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.

tomustang said:
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.

Dan_Soprano said:
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.

Crzyhrse said:
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.

DTNODYA said:
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.

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

Nope, not Nextel.

DocG · Mar 16, 2006

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 · Mar 16, 2006

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 · Mar 16, 2006

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 · Mar 16, 2006

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

could be messages beamed down to you from outerspace

DropTopPony · Mar 16, 2006

View attachment 483565

Dorsai · Mar 16, 2006

odd speaker sound

timeless2

Vi Veri Veni Versum Vicus Vici

urban96

bubb rubb says:"woo woooooo"

tomustang

Psychotic Member

Dan_Soprano

Crzyhrse

Active Member

DTNODYA

Member

fluffyrunnells

New Member

timeless2

Vi Veri Veni Versum Vicus Vici

DocG

5th graders > me. They're not bant

sgarlic

DropTopPony

Noob Slayer

urban96

bubb rubb says:"woo woooooo"

DropTopPony

Noob Slayer

Dorsai

New Member

Similar threads

odd speaker sound

Vi Veri Veni Versum Vicus Vici

bubb rubb says:"woo woooooo"

Psychotic Member

Active Member

Member

New Member

Vi Veri Veni Versum Vicus Vici

5th graders > me. They're not bant

Noob Slayer

bubb rubb says:"woo woooooo"

Noob Slayer

New Member

Similar threads

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency