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Car Forum / Acura Cars / November 2004Clicking Noise From Radio
Hi All: Just started getting a weired repeated clicking noise from the radio. It is kind of low in volume and constant. As long as I have the radio turned on, the clicking noise occurs. If I turn the volume of the radio all the way down (but leave the radio on), it is still there. turning up the volume DOESN'T increase the volume of the clicking, so it is not like I have a torn speaker that is distorting. When I say clicking, it sounds like about 6 or so clicks per second. Any suggestions anyone has would be great. I got a 90 Legend Sedan with a whole bunch o' miles on it - probably about 160K Thanks in advance. > When I say clicking, it sounds like about 6 or so clicks per second. > Any suggestions anyone has would be great. > > I got a 90 Legend Sedan with a whole bunch o' miles on it - probably > about 160K Do you have aftermarket wires, distributor cap or rotor installed?  SignatureTeGGeR? The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ Thanks for the response. No after market parts at all, as far as I know. the only thing I did was change the positive battery clip where it slides onto the battery terminal (or whatever you call that post thing). One thing that MIGHT be related (I posted this in another thread) was that I have been having problems starting as well. I turn the key and just a single "click" from under the hood, and then nothing. I have no idea if they might be related. Okay, one more thing that might be part of the puzzle. My Brake warning light on the dashboard has been coming on when I go UP hills (and occasionally when going down hills)or when I make a sudden stop. I THINK it is because I have TOO MUCH brake fluid in the reservoir. My dad, in one of his alll too frequent moments of insight, thought it was best to fill the resivoir ALL THE WAY UP TO THE CAP! So tomorrow I will try to see if taking out some of the brake fluid works or not. But I tell you this just in case it seems like I might be having a complete electrical system meltdown or not. thanks again! Is the clicking sound coming from the radio or the speakers? Do you have the bose sound system? If so, the bose speakers and amps in the doors and rear deck can make all kinds of weird noise when they go bad. You can send it back to bose for $75 (each). > Hi All: > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Thanks in advance. The clicking sound is coming from the speakers. It is more like an eleictrical hum, almost like the sound of power lines when you are real close to them, but it definitely has "pulses" to it, sort of like clicking. It appears when I put the key in and turn to on or accessories or start. If I turn on the lights, it makes it worse, adding a bunch of "static" to the radio. However, turning on the high beams makes it less noisy that the low beams, although still noisier than not having any lights on. One thing that really makes it worse is if I use the electric window openers. If I have the windows all the way up, and then push the lever UP (even though they can'g go any further up), then there is a whole mess of white noise. By the way: I had the door speaker on the drivers side go bad a few years back and couldn't live with the distortion, so I just removed it. Of course, you can't just go down to Kragen or Pep Boys and pick up any old speaker. But I don't think that just removing the one speaker would cause the problems, since that was like two years ago, and this problem just started. Thanks again, Mark You Wrote: "Is the clicking sound coming from the radio or the speakers? Do you have the bose sound system? If so, the bose speakers and amps in the doors and rear deck can make all kinds of weird noise when they go bad. You can send it back to bose for $75 (each)." > Hi All: > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Thanks in advance. Hey Mark Now that I read both your post (this one and the starter problem - didn't realize it was you until just now) I am wondering if you don't have a lose or dirty ground strap somewhere as it could cause both problems. Perhaps the main strap to the engine is bad and the current that would normally go through that wire is now finding some other path. This path is longer, so the voltage drop going to your start motor is larger too -- that would explain the 'click' staring you are seeing (other post). It could also affect other systems in your car, like your radio. For instance, the ignition system draws a different amount of current depending on where the distributor is - it generates spark/no spark, so current/no current. Current going through a wire causes a voltage drop across that wire (remember ohms law?). Since the current changes periodically, this drop changes at the same rate. Normally this is not a problem because it goes to a beefy dedicated ground strap to directly back to the source. Since that wire is now really finding a different path (possibly the supply leg of your radio or dash), the voltage across your radio is changing and it shows up as modulation in your speakers. Try hooking one of your starter cable (the negative only!) from the negative of the battery directly to a beefy piece of metal on the engine. Don't do anything with your positive, because you will do some involuntary welding. :) Start the car and see if it is gone. I am curious to see if this helps as it might fix both your problems. Remco > The clicking sound is coming from the speakers. It is more like an > eleictrical hum, almost like the sound of power lines when you are real [quoted text clipped - 55 lines] > > > > Thanks in advance. Hi again, Remco: thanks much for the tip. Let me make sure I Understand the following statement: "Try hooking one of your starter cable (the negative only!) from the negative of the battery directly to a beefy piece of metal on the engine. Don't do anything with your positive, because you will do some involuntary welding. :) start the car and see if it is gone." Okay, so I should leave both the Negative cable on the negative battery post, and the positive terminal on the positive post. Then using a jumper cable (for example) I should hook one end to the NEGATIVE battery terminal and another end to the engine block. PLEASE let me know if that is right or not. And while I am at it, I have another problem. The Brake Light (meaning the red dashboard brake warning light) comes on at weired times. It just started a few days ago when going UP a steep hill. Then it came on when I made a sudden stop, and when I started going down a steep hill. Then it would come on when travelling flat and steady, stay on while the Anti Lock light would come on, then go off while the Anti Lock light stayed on until I turned off the engine. Do you think this might be related at all to the possible ground problem? Or do you think I should start a different thread about this? Or is it time for a new car? Thanks again, Mark Hi Mark > Okay, so I should leave both the Negative cable on the negative battery > post, and the positive terminal on the positive post. Then using a jumper > cable (for example) I should hook one end to the NEGATIVE battery terminal > and another end to the engine block. Basically we're trying to make a solid connection between the battery negative and the engine (with is tied to ground). A jumper cable is just a very convenient way to try this, because the wire is beefy and it has healthy grabbing clips. Don't tie the positive side of the jumper cable to anything -- just leave them dangle on both ends. This is of course just a method of seeing if the problem goes away of changes -- you will still need to find the bad ground connection if this works. > And while I am at it, I have another problem. The Brake Light (meaning the > red dashboard brake warning light) comes on at weired times. It just [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Or do you think I should start a different thread about this? Or is it > time for a new car? It might all be connected (no pun intended) to having a bad ground connection somewhere. Besides messing with your radio, it could very well do things to other subsystems as well. Electrical problems like this can be a challence to find. Let me know how you make out. Remco Hey again Mark I just reread my orginial post ans see what may have been confusing: with "starter cable" I meant "jumper cable" -- I made it clearer second post, but apologize for the confusion of the first post. We're just trying to see if solidifying the ground to the engine will fix your problem -- a _jumper_ cable is a very convenient and quick way to try that. The older I get the less junior moments I experience :) Regards, Remco > Hi again, Remco: > [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > > Mark > Hi again, Remco: > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > PLEASE let me know if that is right or not. That's exactly right. (A bracket for the power steering, air conditioner compressor or alternator is a convenient connection on the block if any of them are mounted high enough.) Depending on the way the battery ground is connected, if the clicking is still there, try removing the jumper cable from the engine block and connecting it to the chassis. It can be hard to find a good place to make that contact - usually the hood latch is one of the few pieces of bare metal connected to the chassis under the hood. I also agree with the others that the host of odd electrical problems makes me think of the ground between the engine and the chassis. If you see little sparks when you make either connection, or when you rub the end of the jumper cable against either the engine block or the chassis, you can bet that's the problem (or at least *a* problem). Sometimes the ground is done at the battery negative cable - there will be a large battery cable going to the block and a smaller one going to the chassis, usually under a screw. My son's '94 Integra has a bare braided wire from around the top of the radiator to one of the nuts that hold the valve cover. Other cars will have a wire (also usually bare and braided) near the bottom of the engine. Mike Thanks Mike, I will try to check that out later today. Mark If the brake light comes on for more than about 15 seconds while driving, it will set off a code in the ABS system, causing the system to disable and the Anti-Lock light to light. You may be low on brake fluid (perhaps meaning a leak, or perhaps you need brake pads). Could also be a problem with the switch in the fluid reservoir cap or the parking brake switch. By the way, I didn't see whether you mentioned if your car has the Bose sound system or not. The LS trim level should.... and by this time they are usually starting to fail. Which could be causing the noises you were talking about (even with the radio turned all the way down). > And while I am at it, I have another problem. The Brake Light (meaning the > red dashboard brake warning light) comes on at weired times. It just [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > light would come on, then go off while the Anti Lock light stayed on until > I turned off the engine. Hi there, Jafir: Thanks for the note. "If the brake light comes on for more than about 15 seconds while driving, it will set off a code in the ABS system, causing the system to disable and the Anti-Lock light to light." Thansk for the clear up. Yeah, the ABS light comes on ONLY after the brake warning light has been of for a while, so I think you are correct about this. "You may be low on brake fluid (perhaps meaning a leak, or perhaps you need brake pads). Could also be a problem with the switch in the fluid reservoir cap or the parking brake switch." I am pretty sure I was way OVERFILLED on brake fluid!!! I had too much in there to begin with, and when I first saw the brake warning light, I added fluid all the way up to the cap, simply because it was too difficult to see the minimum and maximum levels on the side of the brake fluid resivoir, so I thought, "Fill it to the rim!" Anyway, I couldn't find a switch in the resovoir cap, but I will continue to look for it. If I do find that switch, can I just disconnect it and if I don't have the problem with the brake warning light, will that tell me that the problem is with the switch? "By the way, I didn't see whether you mentioned if your car has the Bose sound system or not. The LS trim level should.... and by this time they are usually starting to fail. Which could be causing the noises you were talking about (even with the radio turned all the way down)." Yeah, it is the Bose system. I already had one speaker go bad on me, and when I went down to my local generic auto parts store to find a replacement speaker, they just started to laugh at me. Also, I have never been able to the the CD player (in the trunk) to work...
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