[Keith]

On the subject of radio's in i30's... does anyone else suffer with vibration related crackling on MW? FM is fine, I'm certain it's aerial connector related, sprayed the connector behind the radio with switch cleaner a bit back but over the 6 - 8 months the crackling has returned....

[mjt57]

The i30's radio seems to be more susceptible to interference than some other ones in cars that I drive, including the OEM radio in our Mazda Tribute and its replacement, a Pioneer unit. And it uses an electric antenna that's just about stuffed, only extends half way. But it doesn't cop the static on some AM stations that the i30's radio does.

FM is fine, of couse.

I posted a question about this issue in another thread a couple of weeks ago, shortly after I took delivery of our then new i30. Someone posted a link to an after market antenna. However, the base connection on it appears to be different to what the i30's is. If I could buy it locally I'd go into the shop with the i30's aerial and compare the fittings. But this after market one is sold in the US, not here in Australia.

[Surferdude]

There was also a thread some time back about the suggestion that AM stations were scaling back the power of their transmissions as part of the rollout of DAB. I did some research at the time and could find no evidence of it and in fact it seems to have been an urban legend.
Having said that, I don't get crackling but the range in my i30 is not as good as my Subaru which had one of those windscreen antennas and was worse than anything I've had before.

[ElleB]

HI Guys,
  Yes..  we have the AM ariel problem....hit a bump or a bit of uneven road and it is a shocker, if fact the wife has changed to FM as she cant stand it any more....

 I just have not had time to take it to the dealer for a "look see" !!!

 Nor have I played with ariel connections or had my hand behind the dash..

 It is very frustrating. 

 Has anyone been able to put their finger on the actual problem ?

  Elle B

[Shambles]

It's not an unusual problem...


https://www.i30ownersclub.com/forum/index.php?topic=12097.0


https://www.i30ownersclub.com/forum/index.php?topic=11956

[Keith]

Interesting, as I say I did fix mine for a few months by getting at the antenna connection at the back of the unit & spraying it with switch-cleaner, but it has slowly returned to how it was before. I find I can make mine crackle by whacking the dash just above where the unit is installed, I guess I'll be re-doing the switch-cleaner thing again...

[Ugly Mongrel]

Have a look at reply # 3 in the second thread in Shambles post. 

All you need to do is remove the radio and re-seat all the connectors. Problem solved.

[constipated]

Someone suggested it might be some atmospheric conditions predisposing. In my situation it was very bad for 2 days and then went away.

My theory is that the reception is a bit borderline and something about the weather made reception unfavourable that weekend coupled with the fact that a jolt to the antenna tends to mess up reception unless the signal is strong.

[ElleB]

Had time to have a fiddle with the radio last week..

  Took out the "cubby hole' ( 4 screws)... then carefully prised the facia lugs out that secure it to the dash chassis.
 Not hard but just need to be gentle and seems to be easier to start at the top of the facia panel and work down. With the cubby hole out, one can see the position of the 4 lugs just above the radio, so can ease them out with care. Also ease around the sides of the facia , maybe with a stiff flat object, ( I used a half broken knife blade...with the edges rounded off.) just to get it started, then ones fingers can do the rest.

 Once the facia is out, then there are just 4 screws that secure the radio /audio unit.

 All I did was unclip the ariel plug and put it back a few times, reassembled everything and .... ....so far so good, no more station drop out and crackle on the AM stations.

Now I wont miss the "snick" of the next Indian wicket!!!

 The ariel plug did not seem to be loose in any way ... but... "stuff happens"..

Time will tell, but it worked for me!!!   

[Ugly Mongrel]

Thanks for the feedback, ElleB. I'm sure that what you have done will solve the problem for you. It certainly worked for me.

[2i30s]

fingers crossed its a fix,but it sounds like it. 

[Dazzler]

I would have been tempted to apply some WD40 or CRC while you were at it That seems to improve electrical connections (as I understand it)

[mjt57]

One of the problems with that is WD40 or CRC will stink up the car.

In any case, WD is a moisture displacer and rust "dissolver" for want of a better word.

Best stuff to use is Contact Cleaner, a CRC product. However, in this case, unless there's crap on the contacts it won't make much difference. And the OP hasn't reported this when he pulled the radio out to fix it.

In my case I accept that the radio's AM performance is and always will be poor, particularly given that the AM stations that I listen to are 160 kays away...

I also put it down to the short stumpy aerial that the i30s have. My Mazda Tribute has a conventional telescopic one. Its AM performance is much better (both the OEM radio and the Pioneer aftermarket one that I fitted).

[Keith]

Thanks for the feedback, ElleB. I'm sure that what you have done will solve the problem for you. It certainly worked for me.

As I said... I did this... it worked... but it's now back... lasted around 6 months, awful now so I stick to FM which is perfick!