AM radio on car

[Dan Bundy]

The AM radio on my wife's Hyundai Santa Fe works fine with the engine off, but has terrible ignition noise when it's running. Wouldn't care, normally, but I'm attending a certain special golf tournament in East Georgia in a couple of weeks (stealth gloat) and they have an information channel on the AM side that might be helpful as we look for parking, etc.

Is there something I can get at Autozone or similar that will filter the noise and that someone who's not very auto mechanically inclined (or that my b-i-l, who is) can install? Or something else that might work? Thanks. DB

[John Hart]

Yup Dan. There are noise suppression devices for a couple of bucks that you can install quite easily. In my younger days, I installed car stereos for a living, and the choice was a noise suppressor or new fancy schmancy spark plug wires.....sometimes both. You just install the suppressor in-line with the power wire of the radio.

[Larry Klaaren]

What he said. I had that in a service vehicle once after I installed a two-way radio. The noise suppressor worked great. I think the guy who installed the radio called it an ignition filter, but that might have been his own term.

Or, buy her a Lexus.

Larry

[Jerry Clark]

Also you may want to check the antenna-- sometimes that will cause ign noise in the radio. :cool:

[Ken Garlock]

Yet another guess;) . You need to check that the metal chassis of the radio is properly grounded to the frame of the car. I have the same problem on my wife's LeSabre after the mechanic replaced the 'puter up under the dash. If was months after the repair that I found the ignition noise, but since we don't listen to AM, I never pursued a fix.:(

My approach would be to check that all the connectors are tight and that all the mounting screws/bolts are tight before going after the ignition suppressors. If the radio mounting, and power connection is tight, then get the suppressors.

[Joe Pelonio]

A lot of people don't listen to AM much and because the signal travels in a straight line there can be a lot of interference caused by large trees and mountains. Where I live no matter what you add to it or how good your antenna there's going to be some noise on AM. There is a big difference though, between our various cars. The worst is the '72 El Camino with the antenna in the windshield and old fashioned breaker point ignition.

[Kevin Herber]

Dan - Your message sounded like this has been going on all along. If it worked fine and then suddenly started I would check to see if the antennae is screwed tight to its mounting. The car wash I go to unscrews mine each time I go through. Sometimes I have to tighten it a bit after they are finished.

-- Kevin

[Robert Mickley]

If the noise is getting in through the power lead it can be filtered.

If its getting in through the antenna, well you up the creek so to speak. Once upon a time I owned my very own handy dandy CB Radio repair shop. (don't laugh it was a living) Ran into this problem quite often. lots of radios have poor filtration in the receiver circuit.

Before you buy an in line noise suppressor unplug the antenna and see if the noise goes away. If it does its coming in through the antenna. if id doesn't' its either getting in through the power lead or you could have a bad chassis ground.

[Dan Bundy]

Thanks fellows! DB

[Jim O'Dell]

Yup Dan. There are noise suppression devices for a couple of bucks that you can install quite easily. In my younger days, I installed car stereos for a living, and the choice was a noise suppressor or new fancy schmancy spark plug wires.....sometimes both. You just install the suppressor in-line with the power wire of the radio.

You, too, huh John?? I installed for about 3 years. If the vehicle is under warranty, I'd let the dealership take care of the noise. On the newer computer controlled vehicles, noise suppressors are not as likley to help as on the older cars. I remember the late 70 and early 80's Ford pickups if an amplifier was added to the radio, there was horrible engine noise. The only way to get rid of it was to pull the dash top, find the 10 or 12 guage ignition wire that was looped up over the radio cavity, cut and reroute it down under the carpet. Noise suppressors would not help. There are also antenna noise suppressors, but they work spradically to take care of noise. If this is noise was not there until recently, something has changed that is causing it. Again on the computer controlled cars we have these days, that interference could create other problems. Jim.

[Tim Morton]

You, too, huh John?? I installed for about 3 years. If the vehicle is under warranty, I'd let the dealership take care of the noise. On the newer computer controlled vehicles, noise suppressors are not as likley to help as on the older cars. I remember the late 70 and early 80's Ford pickups if an amplifier was added to the radio, there was horrible engine noise. The only way to get rid of it was to pull the dash top, find the 10 or 12 guage ignition wire that was looped up over the radio cavity, cut and reroute it down under the carpet. Noise suppressors would not help. There are also antenna noise suppressors, but they work spradically to take care of noise. If this is noise was not there until recently, something has changed that is causing it. Again on the computer controlled cars we have these days, that interference could create other problems. Jim.


add me to the list of past installers...in fact currently I am rebit by the bug and am putting a pretty nice stereo in my Tundra:D
My suggestion to you (if the noise suppressor doesn't work) would be to check the wire that is in the trunk that runs TOO the antenna...sometimes you can redo the connection and scrape away some paint and primer under there and get a better ground of the antenna.