S80 AM radio reception

This is a common problem on S80s. Volvo has several bulletins on this, with a multitude of fixes, including rear seat grounds and signal wires from electrical modules. If your warranty is still valid, it may be worth going to the dealer. See what happens if you operate the power locks.

I saved this post from G Klein:

There is a fix for this problem yon have to remove the Left rear C-Post cover there you will see the antennae cable where it goes in to the signal amp use a razor blade remove a small amount of insulation from the radio connector you will need a length of wire to connect from the antennae cable to the body ground just below the antennae cable usually this solves most of your problems

Which he then updated with this post:

Volvos new correction is to place a small brass strip in-between the ant amp & the cable make a slight bend toward the amp hold in place with a small piece of tape If you like I will retrieve the information from the Volvo service web site & if anyone would like a copy just post a way to receive & I will send to all who ask

I'm sure his offer is still open. I'm not going to post his email address, look for the sender with the name "G Klein"

yes...this is a common problem w/the s80's...the dealers know hoe to fix...some sort of a grounding issue...or something like that...lots of folks had problems w/am "noise".....

WAY back when I first drove, radios - they were only AM - picked up noise from the spark plugs. There were gadgets you could put on top of the plug, called spark suppressors, to reduce the noise. Then it was built into the spark plug. Unless the noise goes away when the engine is off, you may be having a problem of that kind. Another clue is whether the noise changes with engine speed.

The offer is still good to whoever wants a copy of the Tech Note just provide a E-Mail address & it will be on the way Glenn

My 2000 S80 had the same problem. I complained to the dealer and they replaced some part. I think mine was defective from the git-go, but it was out of warranty when I complained so I had to pay to have it fixed. Seems to work fine now though.