Static pops on all speakers

Post by **songzunhuang** » 29 Jan 2012, 10:52

Our family XC90 began to have static pops in the sound system. It's light static and happens at very regular intervals. When I first heard it, I thought there was something lose in the car like a interior trim panel. It's not very loud, but it's consistent and very noticeable.

It seems to happen more when the car is first started (I know, makes no sense that it matters) and it happens no matter the source (radio, cd, etc). If we leave the audio on and drive, the frequency lessens and sometimes goes away (perhaps the connection warm up and gets better contact?) I suspect a bad connection to the amp. Has anyone experienced this before? Perhaps you know of a specific connection that is suspect, some area where the connectors may be exposed to moisture or is likely to get vibrated loose?

I need to track this down and was hoping to get some guidance. Dealer wants $219 just for a general diagnostic BEFORE the fix. I figured I would reach out to you guys/gals first.

Thanks for any insight.

Post by **songzunhuang** » 05 Feb 2012, 16:31

Anyone? I was hoping to troubleshoot this issue over the weekend.

Post by **songzunhuang** » 11 Feb 2012, 16:25

Ok, no responses. I guess this means that there's no one with a better idea. I scheduled a visit to the dealer for the $219 diagnostic. Ouch. I'll post back whatever I find out in hopes that it'll result in something useful for others.

Post by **songzunhuang** » 26 Feb 2012, 00:08

I don't know if anyone if following this thread, but I'll update for completeness.
I finally tool the car to the dealer and had the $219 inspection done. They claimed that I needed a new Audio module. It's basically the amp under the passenger seat. The part was $599! So after $819.... the problem is still there.

After driving for a week, the static pops are less frequent, but now I get a burst of static when accelerating or decelerating. Sometimes it happens when I shut off the ignition or turn on the fog lights. It happens when the audio is not even turned on now! This is maddening.

The car is going back for another inspection next week. I wish I could just rip out the premium audio and start over....

TexasCoder · Post by **TexasCoder** » 28 Feb 2012, 16:21

Thanks for the update, I hate that you had to spend that kinda money for the problem to continue.

Have you tried doing a voltage drop test on the ground side of the battery and engine? Also, it might not hurt to inspect and ensure the ground cables are secure and corrosion free.

Hope this helps!

Post by **songzunhuang** » 28 May 2012, 12:23

I appreciate the tips. I thought I would complete this thread with the final solution. It was the amp. The dealer replaced the amp with another faulty one it appears. I took the car back again and they checked for voltage drops and discovered that the "new" amp was having issues as well. So, they replaced the amp again.

This time it appears to have fixed the issue. So a the end of the day, it cost me $800 and change. I really wish that I could put an aftermarket system on the XC90.

rsgreen00 · Post by **rsgreen00** » 10 Jun 2012, 13:47

When my Alternator when bad on my 2005 V8 AWD (actually voltage regulator) I got really bad noise through the radio. I had an overvoltage condition that caused this popping sound. just an idea.

nsheffer · Post by **nsheffer** » 26 Jun 2012, 11:26

rsgreen00 wrote:When my Alternator when bad on my 2005 V8 AWD (actually voltage regulator) I got really bad noise through the radio. I had an overvoltage condition that caused this popping sound. just an idea.

I just had this happen to me the other day with an overvoltage problem right before I received multiple error messages and warning lights

see my thread here: https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... 10&t=49639
"2005 xc90 alternator problem?"

do you think replacing the alternator will solve my problems??