Radio?

[Katxoxo]

I had this issue with my 2003 DSB but never said anything as it was a minimal issue. HOWEVER, my lovely 2005 Red Bird has the same issue! So -- now I feel like I need to speak up as I know it is not just me.

I searched older threads -- and while there seem to be some radio issues reported with our Birds, I don't see this one.

I mostly listen to AM radio - (ever since 9/11 -- I don't listen to music anymore in the car - just 1010wins) and the radio seems to change bass/treble all on its own and without warning, provocation or any reason to it.

Reception is fine. Just all of a sudden the treble/bass changes. I am not accidentally touching any steering wheel controls (that would change the volume, band or channel) -- this is clearly a 'tone' issue and happens with both cars.


Anyone else?




Also - the 2005 has a "SAT" button. Did the 2005's come with Satellite radio? The owner's manual talks about a kit to purchase from Ford -- but it does not go into any detail.

[NotU]

Re: Radio?

Mine does that also, and the volume will go louder and quieter.
I had a Pontiac before this 'bird that did the same thing.
Now my F150 and my wife's Buick are just fine on am.
I was wondering if it has something to do with the antenna?
My Tbird and the Pontiac antennas are in the windshield.
Randy

[007Cruiser]

Re: Radio?

Volume can be set to increase and decrease with speed. Your's may have that feature activated.

[Katxoxo]

Re: Radio?

It is not a volume issue on mine -- and happens idling. It is a bass/treble sort of change.

[Southern]

Re: Radio?

Bass/treble could mean speakers cutting in and out. It would help if you checked it on CD and FM.

[MerlotBlue]

Re: Radio?

In all honesty I've never heard of this happening and I've since replaced the radios in both T-Birds......... but if you read up on it in a service manual there are a lot of button combinations with the stock radio that activate different features.

I wonder if some-how you haven't activated something without even being aware you were doing it at the time.

[pinkilee]

Re: Radio?

I was thinking you had the volume control thingy on also...That thing gave me a headache, updownupdownupdown hate to tell you what it reminded me of YIKES!

Annnndddd....I was curious, why did 9/11 stop you from listening to music in your car? There's nothing finer than driving with the top down blaring your favorite beats. I've blown all my speakers (even the sub I added), not once but TWICE!!

Nice to meet you.....

[Katxoxo]

Re: Radio?

Bass/treble could mean speakers cutting in and out. It would help if you checked it on CD and FM.

You know, I should try the CDs -- as I have not yet used them in the car. As far as FM - it doesn't seem to happen with FM radio -- but I know that my listening to FM is generally short bursts (per my commentary about news radio above).

I will drive it around for the next few weeks with FM -- and trying to listen to CDs to see if it happens there as well.

Annnndddd....I was curious, why did 9/11 stop you from listening to music in your car? There's nothing finer than driving with the top down blaring your favorite beats. I've blown all my speakers (even the sub I added), not once but TWICE!!

Ahhh...well, if you were ever stuck in NYC without a way to get out of NYC on that terrible day; when your building was evacuated for fear it was next; when you stood on Avenue of the Americas and watched the tours fall - and with abandoned vans left running in the streets -- you would stand near them to listen to the radio about what could be happening next and what was happening at our Pentagon.......


......I used to be a die-hard radio music/cd listening girl. I would happily drive without a car in the world to the train station every morning; sit on the train listening to my music/headset; take the subway or walk up from Penn Station to my office listening to music; oblivious to the world around me.

Anyway - it was a very scary day. I lost quite a few friends and neighbors. I was stuck in the city with no way home and didn't think I was getting home. The only link to the 'outside' world that day was newsradio -- until I could get home. The habit just stuck with me. When I am traveling out of the area, I certainly do listen to music -- or when in my husband's or son's car -- I listen to music or whatever they are listening to -- but when alone in the car, I keep newsradio on. Just a habit that I have yet to break.....I guess it is my badge of honor maybe? Dunno. I just do it. :(

[bronzebird]

Re: Radio?

I had this issue with my 2003 DSB but never said anything as it was a minimal issue. HOWEVER, my lovely 2005 Red Bird has the same issue! So -- now I feel like I need to speak up as I know it is not just me.

I searched older threads -- and while there seem to be some radio issues reported with our Birds, I don't see this one.

I mostly listen to AM radio - (ever since 9/11 -- I don't listen to music anymore in the car - just 1010wins) and the radio seems to change bass/treble all on its own and without warning, provocation or any reason to it.

Reception is fine. Just all of a sudden the treble/bass changes. I am not accidentally touching any steering wheel controls (that would change the volume, band or channel) -- this is clearly a 'tone' issue and happens with both cars.


Anyone else?




Also - the 2005 has a "SAT" button. Did the 2005's come with Satellite radio? The owner's manual talks about a kit to purchase from Ford -- but it does not go into any detail.

Kathleen:

There are three settings for listening..... Top down, Driver Only and Passenger. The top down setting compresses the signal somewhat and could be causing your problem. Check to see what setting you are using and change it to driver only.

The SAT unit is sold separately and plugs into the '05 radio.

Bronzebird

[Ray]

Re: Radio?

Bless you, Kathleen. Unfortunately, it seems far too many have forgotten what happened on that awful day.

Back to topic, I hope you figure out the radio problem. My AM quit working after I installed a homelink/self-dimming/compass/temp mirror. I had to get satellite radio for my talk radio/news fix. Even before I got the new mirror, my AM didn't work very well. I could only get local AM, and that was always very staticy.

[pinkilee]

Re: Radio?

Thank you for telling us what you went thru that day, my eyes teared up reading your story.

On the West Coast we felt the pain, cried over the horror and watched the tv. Yet to actually live through that day...my heart goes out to you.

And Ray, it's not that I had 'forgotten' what happened that day, who could? I was just wondering why no music and how it correlated with 9/11.

Makes perfect sense.....

[Ray]

Re: Radio?

And Ray, it's not that I had 'forgotten' what happened that day, who could? I was just wondering why no music and how it correlated with 9/11.

Makes perfect sense.....

I wasn't referring to you at all, Pinki! Sorry if you thought that.

[NotU]

Re: Radio?

I didn't know there were different settings for the radio. I'll have to check that out next spring. (it's put away until the salt is cleaned up).
The am volume and tone will vary, and that's with the cruise control on so it's not a slow down/speed up or top down/up type of thing. And, it only happens with am. fm and cd's are just fine.

The only time I listen to am is when the Twins are on and I'm in the car.
I sure wish they would broadcast the games on an fm station.

Randy

[pinkilee]

Re: Radio?

I wasn't referring to you at all, Pinki! Sorry if you thought that.

I just thought people collectively. No worries.



p.s. Thanks for caring enough to say this...much appreciated!

[Southern]

Re: Radio?

I didn't know there were different settings for the radio. I'll have to check that out next spring. (it's put away until the salt is cleaned up).
The am volume and tone will vary, and that's with the cruise control on so it's not a slow down/speed up or top down/up type of thing. And, it only happens with am. fm and cd's are just fine.

The only time I listen to am is when the Twins are on and I'm in the car.
I sure wish they would broadcast the games on an fm station.

Randy

Probably a product of a poor antenna design. AM Is bad enough with the Whip antennas that protrude high above the roofline, but these built in the glass antennas are naturally limiting.
They are Dipole antennas and work reasonably well from directly in front or to the rear.
But when the signal is coming in from the side, multi-path distortion is very high.
There is also the fact that once FM became the 900 pound gorilla, the radio manufacturers just threw in a basic AM section and didn't even try to build a quality AM radio.