Question for NTX5467

[GSMAG]

My father has a '98 Park Ave. The radio has interference on AM, a whine or static that increases with engine speed. The Buick dealer told him there was a bulletin out on this problem but refuses to help him out. The car is obviously out of warranty, but he would like it fixed. Can you verify the existance of the bulletin for this problem and suggest recourse? Thanks!

[BigFella]

It sounds like a ground wire problem...although if it's just on the AM side I wonder if it's internal to the Radio? I'd like to see the bulletin too!

[Guest John Chapman]

The dealer refuses to help?

I think I'd start looking for another dealer. Doesn't solve the radio problem, but no point in giving business to an establishment that doesn't understand customer service and repeat business.

JMC

[NTX5467]

I concur with John. A change of service department might be appropriate.

The only reason I could perceive that a dealership would refuse that work would be if they just don't have anyone capable of doing it or don't want to get a stall tied up for days on end chasing something that will generate little real profit--or a really big labor bill for the customer and generate "comebacks" in the future. Several possible orientations there, but it would be hard to judge that situation remotely.

Many times, it's hard to track these things. From the description, it sounds like what might be an "alternator whine" as it's related to engine speed. Some times, an extra capacitor might be inserted somewhere to decrease it. I'll check the bulletins to see what I can find, but don't recall seeing anything about that lately. When we did the 2001 service bulletin updates on our parts database, all we get now are year model 2000 and up in the service bulletin database, so tracking it might be not so easy. Perhaps if they claim there is a bulletin, they can pull if off of the GM Tech Assistance computer?

It could well be some ground problem or the loss of some electronic shielding for some reason. If you can hear it more with the hood up, it can be a shielding issue. Could also be several other things on modern vehicles too.

I'll see what I can find out, though.

Enjoy!

NTX5467

[GSMAG]

Good news! Dad went to a place and they fixed it for $50. They put some sort of noise surpressor in. It beat the agggravation of the dealer. Thanks for your input on this one, guys.

[Guest]

Glad to hear that it has been taken care of. Only thing I found was the heater core "noise" related to a particular type of heat hose/pipe situation that was covered in here about 6 months ago.

Sometimes, the dealer techs who religiously follow the GM supplied "trouble trees" might not find things that someone with a little bit of operational knowledge of things could go right to. Other times, those diagnostic procedures are priceless.

In the '80s and prior, we usually kept some of the capacitors for alternator whine problems. Sometimes they worked and sometimes it was marginal. There was also a trouble shooting guide in the Delco Radio book that dealt with reception problems and electrical noises coming through the speakers. But that was then, bigtime. If you go back into the later '60s, you could find parts books that had various radio circuit parts in the GM parts book, and the Delco Radio book had them all. In the '50s, it appears the dealer techs would do their own radio repairs instead of sending them in to the Regional Service Center or taking the whole car over there. Quite a bit different than current times where everything is "exchange only", typically.

There were also some part nubmers for various things that were not in the GM parts books too. That was back when you could get upgrade speaker kits to replace the production speakers from Delco Radio and GM parts. Even told what size and type of speakers each GM vehicle had too. Quite a bit different than now, but then everything now is usually "the good stuff" to start with.

Glad to hear that everything's taken care of!

Enjoy!

NTX5467

[BigFella]

Those noise suppressors usually address a ground problem...I have one on my 94 Jeep that no matter where you grounded to it had the engine whine. the suppressor acts between the ground and the radio components (radio AND speakers)...they are cheap price wise but knowing how to get one installed right can be a trick if your grounding system is getting alot of "noise". Great news on getting the issue fixed for a fair price!