radio static

Help, I have a lincoln ls 2001, great car. Just recently I started to hear static from the radio, AM stations only. this only happens when the car is running. Once you turn the engine off the station comes in loud and clear. Does anyone have a quick fix to this issue.

I'll have to check my wife's car, but it used to be there was a cheese-grater like piece of metal that, when the hood was closed, would allow a clean ground to the hood. The large grounded metal hood would act as a Faraday cage and reduce the amount of engine RF noise that would be picked up by the AM radio. As the ground rusted, or the metal piece was bent out of the way, people would get static like you mention on the AM stations.

I would have to guess that you have a bad (loose/dirty) ground somewhere. Since AM is amplitude modulated (by definition) and the frequency band is in the lower kHz range where the engine can produce noise, the AM stations are much more prone to engine/alternator RF noise than FM.

-Rod

Help, I have a lincoln ls 2001, great car. Just recently I started to hear static from the radio, AM stations only. this only happens when the car is running. Once you turn the engine off the station comes in loud and clear. Does anyone have a quick fix to this issue.


I am new to this forum. I have a 2000 LS and I have had a problem with radio static as it refers to the alternator noise coming thru the speaker system. What I found was that in the trunk where the amps are in the center there was a connector for an amp and a BIG copper ground strap. I reseated the connector in the amp and moved the ground strap away from the amp and that fixed the problem.

Good tip, Moonzap. Thanks for the post!