GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Yesterday when I was out driving around, all of the sudden the radio became louder. I looked down at the display and saw "VOL" along with the current volume level, just like I had reached over and turned the volume knob and turned it up a couple of notches...Only thing is, I wasn't anywhere near the radio to turn the knob! Both hands were on the wheel at the time. *scratching my head*Anyone else ever have this happen? I've got the single disc unit in my car, btw. It hasn't done it since, but if it becomes a bigger issue, the Vibe will be getting yet another radio. I'm on number three of these Delphi units so far, counting the one that came with the car...

Seems like it's time for an aftermarket radio! That's a new one though...I'd have some theories..but nothing specifically helpful..

OK, here's what you do. You need a young priest and an old priest...........The power of christ compels you!!!! The power of christ compels you!!!!!

You must be riding with Private Malone from that country song...LOL. That's freaky though. Wonder how that could have happened.

Static electricity, man. Static. I've been getting the H-E-double-hockey-sticks shocked out of me in the cold, dry winter weather.Every time I touch anything metal inside the car, and especially when I exit the vehicle, it's ZZZZZZZZZZZZZAP!

Quote, originally posted by kostby »Static electricity, man. Static. I've been getting the H-E-double-hockey-sticks shocked out of me in the cold, dry winter weather.Every time I touch anything metal inside the car, and especially when I exit the vehicle, it's ZZZZZZZZZZZZZAP!Not to hijack, but if you maintain contact with the door while stepping out, you won't get shocked.

You sure it wasn't your unknown, hidden psychic powers?

my radio changes channels by itself sometimes.

I was hoping someone had a SCV-Radio (Speed Controlled Volume), something else GM figures us Vibe owners don't need or deserve....you know, like heated or folding mirrors...

Remind me,when i was kid,sometimes my stereo system in the living room start to play itself at maximum volume in the middle of the night,like 2-3am.I was scared to go and close the stereo system.

Do you pass a eletric line?

Personally, I never liked SCV in my Sonoma. It always turned it up too much. And I like my music loud. LOL

I have a great idea, buy my radio off of me. It's currently for sale.Inder

Quote, originally posted by BlueCrush »You sure it wasn't your unknown, hidden psychic powers?That could be... I've always known that I'm a psycho, but never knew for sure if I was psychic or not. Quote, originally posted by Kari »Personally, I never liked SCV in my Sonoma. It always turned it up too much. And I like my music loud. LOLI know what you mean! My Malibu had it... Although in that car, it needed it - the radio got loud as heck, but that was a necessary evil to drown out all that friggin' road noise! I'm glad I don't have it in the Vibe - don't need it anyway, believe it or not, this car is significantly quieter on the higway than my 'Bu ever was... Besides, SCV=excuse for GM to install less sound deadning materials, IMHO. Even if this radio did hav SCV, I'd still say it was broken - only was driving 15 when the volume shot up. POLO, I was near power lines... That probably explains my problems, I live right behind some of those huge, high voltage power lines. *twitch* *twitch* lol

Were you listening to AM, FM or a CD? Because the power lines would affect the reception of the AM station, but shouldn't affect FM or CD.Dude, that's weird. *insert Twilight Zone music*

It was playing a CD at the time..... *i'm scared!*

Maybe your car is haunted, then... I've seen on Unsolved Mysteries people who live next to those huge power lines, and they say the ghosts draw power off of them and it causes more hauntings.

if it happens once, then assume you were daydreaming and hit the volume knob without remembering doing so. If it happens again, then maybe there is a supernatural explanation for it and all the other issues that particular vehicle has experienced

Quote, originally posted by Mr. Poopypants »Not to hijack, but if you maintain contact with the door while stepping out, you won't get shocked. BZZZZZZZZZT! Unfortunately, it's WHEN I make contact with the door that I get zapped!SNAP! CRACKLE! POP! (no wait, that was breakfast)Back somewhat on-topic - I had a TV that would change channels from static electricity when you walked into/out of the room.

I had a Clapper on an old TV once! Yes I know the Clapper but the on/off switch was broken. Came home from Jr. High School a few times only to discover that the TV was on! How could this happen?The telephone ringer made the Clapper turn on the TV as it rang! Not a car radio story but still funny and I figured it out after blaming the ghosts in the house.

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »If it happens again, then maybe there is a supernatural explanation for it and all the other issues that particular vehicle has experiencedWouldn't surprise me if my car was haunted... Too bad it isn't like Christine, where the odometer runs backwards! lol

It could be a number of things... the volume knob on our cars isn't a potientiometer... (i.e. the more you turn it the less resistance.. the louder the speakers) like older radios. Most radios nowadays use a rotary encoder (which means every time you turn a knob an electric pulse gets generated.. every time it pulses.. the volume goes up). In order to work correctly the radio has to filter out some pulses caused by external things... your alternator.. power lines... etc. Sometimes the filtering isn't enough (ever read one of the FCC declarations in an owners manual.. thats what its talking about), and radio thinks the knob was moved when it sees some extraneous noise on the circuit. So it turns up the volume. Its sort of the same effect when you hold you cell phone up to your car stereo when its ringing.. and on some radio's the display and sounds gets trashed for a while.That's my theory on whats happening... The other theory is that your volume knob is hosed.As for a solution... there probably isn't one, unless you can figure out what outside source is confusing your radio. Or it just be a boogey man? Who knows?!

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic »Too bad it isn't like Christine, where the odometer runs backwards! lolChristine, awesome car guy movie!!!! 1958 Plymouth Fury!! 23 were used for the movie...

Quote, originally posted by kostby »BZZZZZZZZZT! Unfortunately, it's WHEN I make contact with the door that I get zapped!SNAP! CRACKLE! POP! (no wait, that was breakfast)Back somewhat on-topic - I had a TV that would change channels from static electricity when you walked into/out of the room.Last attempt at hijack, I promis. Open the door, hold on to the metal around the door and THEN put your foot on the ground. I have never been shocked if I did that. And like I said, a young priest and an old priest.

Thanks for the explanation, omarq! That is definitely food for thought! Haven't witnessed the phenomenon again, so hopefully it was just a combination of the cold, being exposed to some sort of electromagnetic field, or just the radio being stupid that caused the problem.

Holy crap, it happened again and it did it a whole bunch of times... This time with a different radio! The other one went kaput last year, GMJAP has that one and one of you may have some bits and pieces of it in YOURS! *evil laugh!* This radio is Millster's old one...I had the volume turned all the way down on the radio tonight... I looked down at the radio, my hands nowhere near it and saw:VOL ok, why am I seeing this? 87.9 appeared after a few seconds, then...VOL |... ok, so it turned the radio up one notch... back to...87.9 But that one little notch of volume was too loud for it, so...VOL87.9VOL |This was great! It just kept doing this over and over and over... Kept up for about a mile. It never went above that first notch though, and thankfully. Once it quit, it didn't try to do it anymore...

Mine turned itself up two notches on its own the other day right after I backed out of my parking spot...I wonder if it's the cold that does it? I know the knobs give more resistance when it's cold so maybe they get in a bind or something and getting out of the bind makes the radio think someone is turning the knob...hmm.

Oh NOOOOOO! The dark side of the Force that turned Darth (Knocksalot) Vibe toward evil deeds seems to be after Princess KariVibe too!!! "Use the forks, Luke!"

I think the FAR more important question here is.....what cd were you listening to???

On one particular radio station, I would sometimes have a similar problem. The volume would increase for a few seconds, then would go back to my normal level. I believe it may be related to the radio data system (described in the owner's manual), but I am really just guessing!I have an 03 with moons and tunes.Good luck!

it happened in my friends 89 cutlass (i think thats what it was) and i whent to turn the volume down and it whent as loud as it could go..i figgured it was the connection inside the radio.