Hum in radio after battery change

[t_habrock]

Last Wednesday I found my battery had died. I called AAA and a mechanic came and gave my battery a jump. After he gave me a jump, it is interesting to note, he said, "I know why your battery went dead." I asked, "Why?" He replied, "Because you left your lights on last night - your lights are on." I explained that my car has daytime running lights and they come on automatically. This fact is important later on.

I then drove my car to my mechanic of 9 years, listening to the radio the whole way without problem, to have the battery replaced. The owner who I deal with was on vacation, but I had the manager on duty do the work anyway, I figured what can happen with changing a battery...

When I picked up the car later, I found that the stereo now had an electronic hum/whine in it. It did not seem to be a ground problem and was unrelated to engine noise - it happens whether the engine was running or not. it also happens across all radio functions (CD, FM, AM & Tape). I returned immediately to the mechanic and let him hear the hum, he heard it too, but basically said he had no explanation and that it was in no way related to or caused by the battery change. Later I also found that I no longer low-beam lights, daytime running lights or fog lamps. It was discovered that all bulbs had blown. They also contended that there was no way this could have been caused by the battery change.

I called two different Toyota Service Deptartments and also talked to an independant mechanic. I told each of them the symptoms. One of the Toyota servcie dept's had me bring the car in for a diagnostic inspection and when I did they found no fuse damage or ground problems. They said they believed the problem was "inside" the radio and that the only thing they could really do now is send the radio unit in for more testing; however, due to the high cost, they recommended that I go back to the mechanic who replaced my battery and have him check the radio. Each one of these service departments/mechanics told me the same thing - when changing a battery on newer model cars a surge protector should always be used.

The mechanic who changed my battery told me he did not use a surge protector and he still says that it was not required. I brought my car back to him and he still says that the blown headlight lamps and radio problem could NOT have been caused by the battery change and it must have been the jump. When I repeatedly point out that I had headlights AFTER the jump and listened to the radio AFTER the jump without any of these problems they say it was probably a "delayed" reaction problem and that the problem was caused by the mechanic who jumped it and that he must have jumped it wrong and that after starting it, as the battery charged, a surge, caused by the "so-called" incorrect jump, worked it's way through the system and that is when the headlight lamps blew out and the radio problem was introduced. He refuses to do anything else and I am stuck there now.

My questions are this:

1. Is it true that a surge protector should have been used?
2. Could changing a battery without a surge protector cause the headlight lamps to blow and maybe burn out something in the radio?
3. Is there any merit to the delayed reaction theory? In other words, if the problem was caused by the jump would the problems have been noticeable immediately or could the symptoms have been delayed?
4. What is most likely the cause?


I appreciate any advice anyone can offer.

[yotatechie04]

It sounds to me like some people don't know what they're talking about. The problem with your radio could lie within the radio itself, but the first thing you should do is check your battery cables to see if they're tight. Also, you should check to see if the posts on the battery are clean and the terminals are free of corrosion. You should try and check the battery, maybe even disconnect it completely and wait a few minutes, and hook it back up to see if the radio still makes noise. If it still makes noise, then I would most definitely blame the mechanic who put the battery in. I'm not completely sure that you need to use a surge protector while installing a new battery in newer automobiles, but I do believe it sounds like someone done something wrong somewhere...whether they put the terminals on backwards or laid a wrench across both posts or something...something caused your lights to fry somewhere...and it has to do with that battery! Try and reset everything by disconnecting it first, like I said, and let me know how well that works out...if you need any further help, or have any other questions, let me know.

[Wyldhorse0705]

my g/f's 02 has a whining in the speakers when the radio is on while she is accellerating, the pitch gets higher as the rpms get higher.