Radio Poltergeists

  • Thread starter Thread starter Richard Steinfeld
  • Start date Start date
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Richard Steinfeld

I drove my 2000 Sonata over a railroad crossing today. The radio
came on all by itself. Two weeks ago, I drove a different 2000
Sonata each time I hit a moderate bump in the street with that
car, the radio came on. In each case, the radio was an original
Hyundai model. The radio in mine is the top model -- with both CD
and cassette. I don't recall which model was in the other car,
but it's a different model: mine is almost as loaded as it can
get (only missing the traction control). The other one was a base
model.

I'm pretty familiar with electronics. This one's really got me
stumped. What gives?

Richard
 
Richard said:
I drove my 2000 Sonata over a railroad crossing today. The radio
came on all by itself. Two weeks ago, I drove a different 2000
Sonata each time I hit a moderate bump in the street with that
car, the radio came on. In each case, the radio was an original
Hyundai model. The radio in mine is the top model -- with both CD
and cassette. I don't recall which model was in the other car,
but it's a different model: mine is almost as loaded as it can
get (only missing the traction control). The other one was a base
model.

I'm pretty familiar with electronics. This one's really got me
stumped. What gives?
Click to expand...

Is the on-off switch/button particulary sensitive. If so, it may be just
the vibration causing the switch contacts to close and turn the radio on.
 
| Richard Steinfeld wrote:
| > I drove my 2000 Sonata over a railroad crossing today. The
radio
| > came on all by itself. Two weeks ago, I drove a different
2000
| > Sonata each time I hit a moderate bump in the street with
that
| > car, the radio came on. In each case, the radio was an
original
| > Hyundai model. The radio in mine is the top model -- with
both CD
| > and cassette. I don't recall which model was in the other
car,
| > but it's a different model: mine is almost as loaded as it
can
| > get (only missing the traction control). The other one was a
base
| > model.
| >
| > I'm pretty familiar with electronics. This one's really got
me
| > stumped. What gives?
|
| Is the on-off switch/button particulary sensitive. If so, it
may be just
| the vibration causing the switch contacts to close and turn the
radio on.

I wouldn't think so (note that I experienced this in two
different Hyundais). The switch seems to require a good healthy
push. On the other hand, that's the physical part of the
switch -- the actual contacts may be loose and able to touch each
other.

Richard
 
I've seen this customer complaint numerous times. While I've typically
been unable to duplicate it on road test, bopping the dash in the vicinity
of the radio often causes it to come on or switch to cd or some other
oddity.

To fix it, replace the radio. Unfortunately Hyundai's warranty on the
radio is only 3 years/36k miles in the U.S. (for no apparent reason).
 
| I've seen this customer complaint numerous times. While I've
typically
| been unable to duplicate it on road test, bopping the dash in
the vicinity
| of the radio often causes it to come on or switch to cd or some
other
| oddity.
|
| To fix it, replace the radio. Unfortunately Hyundai's warranty
on the
| radio is only 3 years/36k miles in the U.S. (for no apparent
reason).
|

Tech...
I understand how you feel about the factory radios. Too bad. I
sense that there's a very simple reason why this happens -- it's
bizzare. Perhaps the physical resistance of the switch (the
mechanical toggle) is stiff whereas the actual contacts inside
the switch are very loose and can easily short from a bump. Bad
bad parts sourcing.

My experience with Korean electronics is that the country's
manufacturers can build to whatever quality criterion that they
want to select. I've seen both brilliant and dumb products.
I don't fully know this radio yet. I'm not sure that I want to. I
guess I'll learn (and report back). I am tolerant of
"understandable" failures. I detest stupid failures.

Richard
 
I drove my 2000 Sonata over a railroad crossing today. The radio
came on all by itself. Two weeks ago, I drove a different 2000
Sonata each time I hit a moderate bump in the street with that
car, the radio came on. In each case, the radio was an original
Hyundai model. The radio in mine is the top model -- with both CD
and cassette. I don't recall which model was in the other car,
but it's a different model: mine is almost as loaded as it can
get (only missing the traction control). The other one was a base
model.

I'm pretty familiar with electronics. This one's really got me
stumped. What gives?

Richard
=============================
Click to expand...

My Santa Fe radio does the same thing. Fortunately, the ignition
does NOT! =;-)

S25
 
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