Hiss, Static, White Noise coming from Stereo even when Off

ganderso · Post by **ganderso** » Sat Mar 22, 2003 12:41 am

Has anybody else got this problem? I've got a Vibe with the Premium sound package and the 6 Disc changer. If the car is turned on and the stereo is not you can hear a large amount of hiss from the speakers. It does this all the time when the radio is turned off (maybe it even does it when it's turned on). When you shut the car off the loud hiss continues for about 15 seconds then shuts off. And here's a weird one, if you're sitting in the car at night and it's totally shut-off and you turn on the marker lights (one notch up on the headlight stalk) the hiss comes and goes for 10 seconds at a time. Totally annoying! I complained to the Dealer before I even drove the car off the lot and he said all the other Vibes did it to. I think it's maybe just mine?

cohocarl · Post by **cohocarl** » Sat Mar 22, 2003 1:05 am

Definately doesn't sound right. May want to take it to another dealer for a 2nd opinion, or a call to GM.

Vibe Rater · Post by **Vibe Rater** » Sat Mar 22, 2003 5:45 am

Could you please be sure to give us some follow-up on this problem? Thanks.

ngilbert · Post by **ngilbert** » Sun Mar 23, 2003 6:46 am

Have a GT with Moon & Tunes, does exactly the same thing you described, although not very loud. In fact, you really have to strain and listen for it in mine, although I did notice it very shortly after driving it home from the dealership. It's like there's still power being supplied to the amp under the passenger seat, but not the head unit. I added a Bazooka tube (EL8) and spliced the amp turn on lead from the under-seat amp for the sub remote. And after I shut down, the sub is still receiving power for about 15 secs then turns off. Weird. But no negative effects so far, so I'm just living with it.I haven't tried the marker light trick, I'll give it a shot and report.

Sub-Vibe-R · Post by **Sub-Vibe-R** » Sun Mar 23, 2003 8:41 am

It looks like the 200W amp does not turn off even the radio is. It amplify every garbage it receive. My be the remote from the HU is not working properly and does not turn off the amp.

Post by **NSimkins** » Sun Mar 23, 2003 12:13 pm

quote:Has anybody else got this problem?It's not a problem. It's normal with the Vibe's with the Moon and Tunes package. Check out these threads for more info:http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id ... quote:When you shut the car off the loud hiss continues for about 15 seconds then shuts off.That's normal. The power from the amp is dissipating from the system.quote:And here's a weird one, if you're sitting in the car at night and it's totally shut-off and you turn on the marker lights (one notch up on the headlight stalk) the hiss comes and goes for 10 seconds at a time.I just tested this on my Vibe and it does the same thing as well. Also, if you hit the Recall (RCL) button on your head unit while the vehicle is powered-off to display the time, the noise will surface for about 15-20 seconds. Basically what it does is when the system obtains power of any sort, the amp/speakers/head unit all receive power as if in a stand-by state. This also follows suit when you turn on the parking lamps/headlights, etc. My theory on that is since you turn on the parking/head lamps, you power up the interior dash lighting (head unit included) which causes the stereo system to obtain power.quote:Totally annoying! I complained to the Dealer before I even drove the car off the lot and he said all the other Vibes did it to. I think it's maybe just mine?I was a little annoyed at the beginning, but to be truthful, I hardly notice it anymore.

KSNeptune · Post by **KSNeptune** » Mon Mar 24, 2003 1:48 pm

You guys shouldn't accept the noise as "standard". My Base Vibe with Moon & Tunes DOES NOT exhibit any of those symptoms. No good radio/CD/amp system should. IF the amp is hissing when no signal is going to it then it is either defective or internally cranked up too high.Take em to the dealer and complain.KSNeptune.

robdog · Post by **robdog** » Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:04 am

Mine hissed as well for about 10 seconds and then that is it. I have had no ill affects from this.

Post by **NSimkins** » Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:08 am

quote:You guys shouldn't accept the noise as "standard". My Base Vibe with Moon & Tunes DOES NOT exhibit any of those symptoms.I would consider yourself lucky. I have been in a few other Moon&Tunes Vibe's and all had the same "symptom". For what it's worth, I have been in other vehicles with professionally installed systems with the same issue as well and it was deemed normal by other people.quote:Take em to the dealer and complain.Hey, if you don't like it, by all means this is the way to go. If they receive enough complaints (or read this thread on the forum), they may check into this further, or at least release a document describing why the noise exists.

ganderso · Post by **ganderso** » Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:10 am

I totally agree with KSNeptune on this one! We shouldn't accept this as standard performance. While I'm not saying that this annoying noise causes me brain tumors and I can't drive straight because of it, I am saying that it's disappointing when you pay big bucks for a product and it has undesired behaviour. I just think that GM should be able to do better than this and that we shouldn't have to put up with poor sound. Next time I take the car in for an oil change I'm going to talk to the dealer about this in further detail and will update you all.

tinman · Post by **tinman** » Fri Mar 28, 2003 11:55 am

I just got my Vibe 2 weeks ago. It just spent two days back at the dealer while they dealt with some issues, one being the loud hissing. This occurs even when the Radio is off. I also experience the 10-15 second noise after I turn off the ignition and pull out the key.I will not accept this as normal. I often drive with the radio off, and, considering I can hear it above highway engine noise, it is pretty annoying. My dealer called the Pontiac Technical Assistance Center and they said they had one other complaint about this but no solution. They tried to find another Vibe with the six-disk changer/200w amp at a dealer in PA to compare, but they could find none with the same system. The Regional Service Manager happened to be there today, and he is going look for other Vibes with the same system to compare and he was also going to talk to Pontiac engineering,

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 2:49 am

I never noticed mine hissing while off, but when I play a CD and there is dead air, it's definitely there. Plus, my display where the readout is and the clock and such is discoloring and like, looks like it started to melt? I dunno. I'm really frustrated cause the noise drives me nuts (I hear little things like that), and the dealer says they can't find anything wrong. But I could swear someone on here said there was a service bulletin released regarding the radios...*shrug*

johnsoax · Post by **johnsoax** » Mon Mar 31, 2003 3:40 am

I didn't notice this till my friend from Delphi came over to help me figure out if we could use the "aux" button for anything. After we had pulled the headunit out and looked at it, then put it back in and tested it, He says"Hey whats that static noise". We then heard the same thing that everyone else is complaining about here. His final word on it was "This shouldn't do this, I'll look into it". Unfortuanetly, he hasn't mentioned anything, and it doesn't bother me, so I didn't think to ask about it.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Mon Mar 31, 2003 12:52 pm

quote:His final word on it was "This shouldn't do this, I'll look into it". Unfortuanetly, he hasn't mentioned anything, and it doesn't bother me, so I didn't think to ask about it.Not to be a pest, but could you ask him for those of us it does bother. Hehe. Thanks alex!

johnsoax · Post by **johnsoax** » Mon Mar 31, 2003 11:34 pm

I sent him an email.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Mon Mar 31, 2003 11:42 pm

You rock! THANKS!

johnsoax · Post by **johnsoax** » Tue Apr 01, 2003 6:29 am

My friend Andy replied back that he has to ask the guy who designed the amp system. His name is Mike, and he drives either a Vibe or a Matrix, didn't find out which. Talk about taking pride in your work!!

johnsoax · Post by **johnsoax** » Wed Apr 02, 2003 6:21 am

Well your not going to like the answer that I got from Delphi."I did find out about the noise from the radio. It is normal for that particular configuration."Sorry.Like I said it doesn't bother me, but it is very quiet. The only time that I hear it is after I shut the car off. I don't even hear it when the radio is off unless I put my head up to the tweeter.

Sub-Vibe-R · Post by **Sub-Vibe-R** » Wed Apr 02, 2003 6:41 am

quote:Well your not going to like the answer that I got from Delphi."I did find out about the noise from the radio. It is normal for that particular configuration."Sorry.This is exactly the answer I hate to receive.It is a "normal trouble". No trouble are normal.I call this poor engeneering, period.

ganderso · Post by **ganderso** » Wed Apr 02, 2003 6:46 am

I agree that this is poor engineering! Mine is so loud that I can hear it when I'm driving the car with the stereo off. If driving around with static filling your ears is part of the Pontiac experience then I think GM will continue to play second fiddle to the Imports for some time yet.

joatmon · Post by **joatmon** » Fri Apr 04, 2003 5:07 am

I've got the moon'n'tunes package, and have no hiss problem. Don't accept the hiss as "normal"quote:Plus, my display where the readout is and the clock and such is discoloring and like, looks like it started to melt? ragingfish, sorry if this is a stupid question, but ....my radio came with a thin layer of protective plastic over the display. Is that peeling off your radio and giving the appearance of the display melting?

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Fri Apr 04, 2003 5:49 am

quote:ragingfish, sorry if this is a stupid question, but ....my radio came with a thin layer of protective plastic over the display. Is that peeling off your radio and giving the appearance of the display melting?Ya know, I was waiting for someone to mention that. LOL! Not a stupid question my friend. Very valid, in fact. It looks EXACTLY like that thin plastic often found on cell phones, clocks, etc. when you first buy them. However, I haven't been able to find a corner that would let me peel it off. And I rub my finger, and it's not like a bubble or anything that typically would develop with those plastic layers. So I can't find any reason to believe it IS that, even though that's exactly what it looks like...

johnsoax · Post by **johnsoax** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 12:04 am

I got some more information about it. The Radio (MoonsNTunes in dash 6-disc changer) is designed to be connected to a smart amp that takes a control bus signal from the radio. The amp in the Vibe isn't a smart amp. That is why it hisses the radio is expecting its bus signal to turn off the amp, but the amp doesn't get the signal. None of the other radios in the vibe are supposed to hiss. And there are already plans to fix this for next year's models.

tinman · Post by **tinman** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 8:53 am

Alex,Any mention of what people with this year's model can do? Where did you get this information?Thanks,Tim Merkt

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 11:34 am

quote:Alex,Any mention of what people with this year's model can do? Where did you get this information?Thanks,Tim MerktSeriously...are we screwed? Cause that is not gonna make me happy...

johnsoax · Post by **johnsoax** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 10:29 pm

I don't know what people can do. I got the information from the same friend at Delphi. I think that if it bothers you that you should complain. You shouldn't be able to hear it over the engine and road noise. So if you can, COMPLAIN. Next time I go to the dealer, I will see if any of the other ones are loud.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 11:06 pm

LOL! I just reread it...you said the 6 disc changer is the only one affected. DUH! I don't ahve that...but I do still have a white noise when the radio is on that is hard to rid myself of...do you happen to know if that is attributed to the same problem, or if it could just be a defective radio?

johnsoax · Post by **johnsoax** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 2:52 am

Reading about the other problem that you are having with your radio( the screen looking like it is melting) I would say you might have a defective unit. Have you talked to the dealer? (I know I should just look to see if you had said it or not, but I am lazy )

johnsoax · Post by **johnsoax** » Wed May 07, 2003 12:53 am

This is definetly going to be fixed for the 2004 or 2005 year (I don't know which year they are designing now, but 2006 will have a line input on the front of the radio). They are building them now. My friend is giving me one of the new radios for my birthday. I would say once the new ones hit the lot then you should go see if they have the problem and then start complaining about it again. The dealer should replace the head unit and then that will fix the problem. The new head units will ground the output when it is off. That will get rid of the white noise.

tinman · Post by **tinman** » Sat Aug 02, 2003 12:27 pm

My dealer just told me that Engineering has a fix for the noise on 2003 6-disc radios that they will be rolling out soon.Tim

joatmon · Post by **joatmon** » Sat Aug 02, 2003 9:56 pm

quote:The new head units will ground the output when it is off. That will get rid of the white noise.If that's what it takes, you could use the "power antenna" signal out of the head unit to control a relay to do that,( if ithe noise is an issue and you're out of warranty or can't get it resolved at an acceptable cost for some other reason)

esjones · Post by **esjones** » Sat Aug 02, 2003 10:15 pm

Can your friend at Delphi give you any specs or other information on the DVD nav unit? I'd especially like to know the audio specs, power output, etc., but would want to know anything I can find out about it!Thanks.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 2:29 pm

Well, as we all know, my stereo has loud "white noise" whenever it's on. Mine, however, does not make noise when off. I thought it might be the head unit, but when I hooked up the matrix cd/cassette deck to check it out, the noise was still there. So I know now it's not my HU...Does anyone else notice this background noise? Could it be my amp? I mean, I guess it could, so rather, if it's not the radio, can it be anything OTHER than the amp? I'm no audiophile as we all know, so any help would be appreciated.

ArcsVibe · Post by **ArcsVibe** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 2:33 pm

You guys should ask Ben ( Sub R Vibe ) he should be able to answer this

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 2:59 pm

Thanks, I sent him an IM...

ArcsVibe · Post by **ArcsVibe** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 3:00 pm

Hey! What are friends for

Kari · Post by **Kari** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 10:15 pm

quote:You guys shouldn't accept the noise as "standard". My Base Vibe with Moon & Tunes DOES NOT exhibit any of those symptoms. Nor does mine. It doesn't hiss when the radio is off, period, whether the car is off or on. If it was raining, I could see mistaking the odd road noise the Vibe seems to produce in the rain for a speaker hiss, but otherwise, that is NOT normal. I'm starting to think it's a canned response from the dealer since it's a new vehicle... "They all do that."

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 10:20 pm

No no. NOT when it's off.

johnsoax · Post by **johnsoax** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 10:26 pm

quote:Well, as we all know, my stereo has loud "white noise" whenever it's on. Mine, however, does not make noise when off. I thought it might be the head unit, but when I hooked up the matrix cd/cassette deck to check it out, the noise was still there. So I know now it's not my HU...Does anyone else notice this background noise? Could it be my amp? I mean, I guess it could, so rather, if it's not the radio, can it be anything OTHER than the amp? I'm no audiophile as we all know, so any help would be appreciated.Mine makes the white noise whether the radio is on or off, but I can only hear it if the radio is off, and then I really can't hear it unless I try. But, I have heard louder ones. Something may be wrong with your amp.

Reynoma · Post by **Reynoma** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 10:26 pm

I hate to chime in at this late stage, but my 6-disk changer also does the noise thing. I notice it for a little while after turning the car off, or if I eject / load any disks while the car is off. I cannot think of a single time when I've driven the car without the radio on, so I cannot say if the hiss would be louder than the engine noise (I wouldn't think so). I don't mind it, so I have not done anything about it.

johnsoax · Post by **johnsoax** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 10:30 pm

quote:You guys shouldn't accept the noise as "standard". My Base Vibe with Moon & Tunes DOES NOT exhibit any of those symptoms. Nor does mine. It doesn't hiss when the radio is off, period, whether the car is off or on. If it was raining, I could see mistaking the odd road noise the Vibe seems to produce in the rain for a speaker hiss, but otherwise, that is NOT normal. I'm starting to think it's a canned response from the dealer since it's a new vehicle... "They all do that."Kari,This is a known problem in all cars with the moons' n tunes amp. Yes I did say ALL. Some times the noise is so low that it can't be heard by all people. But it is an electrical issue. The speaker wires pick up noise and then transmit them to the amp. The amp is unfortunately always on when the car is on (Thanks to it not being a smart amp and listening to the bus signal to turn off). The amp then takes any noise, amplifies it and creates the "white noise" that some hear. Delco is working on a fix, which is to ground the speaker outputs at the radio when the radio is off.If anyone is getting white noise at any other time, then your amp is picking up noise somewhere else.

johnsoax · Post by **johnsoax** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 10:32 pm

That's pretty much exactly how mine is. I really only hear it right after I turn off the car. When the engine is running, I have to try to hear it. I didn't even notice it till a friend (who is an audio engineer) noticed it and pointed it out to me.

joatmon · Post by **joatmon** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 1:08 am

Well, if all M&T have the hiss problem, either it is so minor or I've wasted my hearing so much that I can't hear it, and so it is not a problem for me.As for Delco working on a fix, that's great for the 2006 Vibe owners. Since I have no confidence that GM would ever freely fix it for current Vibe owners,

Kari · Post by **Kari** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 1:58 am

I was talking to the people toward the beginning of the thread... I haven't noticed any white noise in mine when it's on. But then again I play CDs all the time. Radio always produces white noise just because of what it is. I've seen that in any car. But I don't get anything extraneous with my CDs...and I play my music pretty loud.

johnsoax · Post by **johnsoax** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 3:24 am

Like I said, some of the cars seem to have their wires run better than others, so that they don't pick up any noise. Mine is one of those that you can only hear if you really struggle to hear it, or you sit in the car imeddiately after you shut the car off. Otherwise, I can't hear it either.

Kari · Post by **Kari** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 5:34 am

Must be that "gee, I think I want to build a quality car today" syndrome again...

johnsoax · Post by **johnsoax** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 6:44 am

Sometimes noise just happens. I designed a project here at work for a measurement instrument and I ran shielded cable inside of a grounded conduit and I still picked up noise for somewhere. The way that they design cars now adays, if you get a wire out of place by a half inch, it could cause noise somewhere else.

Post by **NSimkins** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 12:16 pm

I noticed after I replaced my factory head unit with an aftermarket unit, that this 'white noise' will only appear now when the HU is actually in a mode to play audio (CD/Radio). Rather than having this noise all the time (with the factory unit), it will only turn on the amp (causing the white noise) when the HU tells the amp to do so.It appears that the factory head unit is what is sending the signal to the amp to power on - and apparently it is designed to keep the amp powered continuously as long as the HU has power going to it.Did that make sense?

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Thu May 05, 2005 10:53 am

This is whacked out... After the ex-dealer ripped the dash out and reinstalled, my radio hasn't been right. I've always had the white noise happening when the radio was all the way down and the like, but this is different...Now when I switch off the ignition, I continue to get the white noise for about 30 seconds. Previously, I swear the ONLY time I heard the white noise when the ignition was off was when I pressed RCL to check the time. Then I'll get white noise and it eventually cuts out (15 secs or so.) Bizarre... What could have changed that made the radio decided to start flaking out all the sudden? I sure would have noticed that waaay earlier. Blah, nothin' I can do - GMPP doesn't cover audio stuff as far as I can remember...

Jahntassa · Post by **Jahntassa** » Fri May 06, 2005 12:50 am

It really sounds like something with the amplifier... Do you feel up to pulling your radio and making sure that second connector behind the radio is plugged in?