I have a 2004 VW Golf, with the original AM/FM/CD receiver replaced with a Kenwood receiver that has MP3 and Sirius radio capability.
In general, it works fine. However, there is an intermittent problem with distorted crackling in high frequencies on the left channel only.
I'm trying to locate the source of the problem so I can get it fixed (or fix it myself). I assume it could be any of the following:
==> an intermittent defect in the aftermarket receiver
==> a problem in the wiring harness
==> something in the power amplifier (still the original VW unit in the back of the car)
==> a defective connector plugging into the power amplifier
==> the left tweeter (front corner of the driver's-side door, near the side-view mirror)
or maybe something else entirely.
Any of these things are likely to be expensive to have an outsider troubleshoot. I went to the car stereo shop that installed the aftermarket receiver three years ago, and they said it would cost $$$ to tear things apart and find it (even if they ended up not being able to find the problem at all -- the problem is intermittent, and the guy I talked to wasn't able to hear the static even when it was happening -- probably messed up his hearing from listening to too much rock music cranked all the way up :-}). I'm sure the VW dealer would refuse to do a thing unless the Kenwood receiver were removed and the original radio put back in first -- and even then, it would probably be my luck to have the problem go away for a while, only to come back after they were done.
So . . . any ideas of how I can try to track down the problem myself?
At one time, I thought the problem might be with one of the two connectors that plug into the power amplifier behind a panel in the hatch space. If the static came, the next time I parked I would jiggle this connector -- or unplug it and put it back in -- and when I started up the car again, the static was gone, at least for a while. However, sometimes the static goes away on its own, even if I don't do anything at all. So maybe it's not the connector -- or, alternatively, maybe random vibrations are causing a connection to go flaky, and later be OK, and then later go flaky again . . . .
I should probably take a look at the tweeter and the wiring to the tweeter, but I'm not sure how to remove the black triangular grille over the tweeter without breaking something. Any suggestions from VW fans?
Rich Wales === Palo Alto, CA, USA === snipped-for-privacy@richw.org