Radio Reception Issues

tnchevy · January 2, 2016

My service manager said that it just depends on RPO and module par number because they used different runs between MX and Ft. Wayne, but that is a fair rule of thumb.

Is that TSB and hardware number codes that you used in this thread? I'm due for an oil change so I may have them make an attempt at it.

chuckl1218 · January 2, 2016

Is that TSB and hardware number codes that you used in this thread? I'm due for an oil change so I may have them make an attempt at it.

Search for PI1288a in this thread. You will see the details. The dealer has to download your VIN and the hardware & software information from the radio to determine course of action. i printed the thread page with the PI details and handed it to my service manager. He knew of my previous complaints, so when I gave it to him, I just asked if this pertained to my truck. The tech came back and thanked me for the information. He had not seen this before, but the TAC confirmed it and worked with him to acquire the hardware & software update for me..

tnchevy · January 3, 2016

Thanks Chuck, I already have that information printed out from a when I first started reading this thread. Just wanted to make sure there was nothing new out there I may have missed. I'll find out in a couple of weeks when I get my truck in for an oil change.

WLC · January 3, 2016

Wil the new update supersede pi1288a or will they need to do both?

chuckl1218 · January 3, 2016

Thanks Chuck, I already have that information printed out from a when I first started reading this thread. Just wanted to make sure there was nothing new out there I may have missed. I'll find out in a couple of weeks when I get my truck in for an oil change.

Wil the new update supersede pi1288a or will they need to do both?

Tnchevy...We are awaiting another update that TJAY is working on with the engineers. At this point, there has not been anything new since PI1288.

WLC...we don't know what the new update will entail yet, but I would assume it would replace PI1288. TJAY indicated there is new hardware....we need to wait until it is released.

WLC · January 3, 2016

Tnchevy...We are awaiting another update that TJAY is working on with the engineers. At this point, there has not been anything new since PI1288.

WLC...we don't know what the new update will entail yet, but I would assume it would replace PI1288. TJAY indicated there is new hardware....we need to wait until it is released.

Thanks just a little impatient I guess.

TJay74 · January 6, 2016

While I did get a new module the infotainment engineer said this will be a software update only unless as said previously you have an early built 2014 that has the older radio module that will need to be swapped out.

Here is my initial impression so far, now mind you I only have 3 days of driving on the new software. The engineer said this will not affect reception at all, the reception part is what it is on these trucks. So far I have noticed when the radio does drop out of HD it is not as pronounced, it is a lot more subtle and the audio quality does not drop out nearly as bad as before. Before I would relate the audio quality when dropping from HD to analog as a noticeable difference that sounded like going from stereo to mono.

The engineer told me that part of the new programming affected the hysteresis logarithm of how the radio handled the switch from HD to analog. Before the radio would just go back and forth constantly which causes a lot of audible quality loss. under the new software it will not do this, once it drops out it will stay out for a bit and then once conditions are meet it will go back into HD. I will say the sound quality while under analog FM is better, the highs are not as muddled when under analog FM after the drop from HD. That was one of my biggest complaints.

I am still seeing some drops from HD at times, I am logging the locations as of now and will be testing over the next week or so to rule out if it is the station causing the issue or something environmental in the area I am noticing the issue at.

That is what I have for now, I will update over the next week or so as I get some more miles on the new update.

WLC · January 6, 2016

Reception was one of my biggest complaints since I live in rural area. Both of my trucks are early build 14's. That said I assume I will need a hardware mod and the latest software upgrade.Please correct me if I am wrong. When or if this gets released I am sure you will let us know and what to ask for at the dealer. Many thanks Todd!

chuckl1218 · January 6, 2016

Thanks for the update Todd! So do you or the engineers recommend PI1288a for the early 2014 builds irregardless of this new software update? I saw a big improvement on both non-HD and HD reception with the new hardware. Where my dropouts were frequent and random before the update, the dropouts are fewer and are location/station specific (i.e. when I travel through a specific intersection, a specific radio station will drop or reduce reception and then pick up again as I leave the intersection). This leads me to believe environment plays a part here. Most notably, when I am further away from Austin, it picks up better than before. Curious to hear how this new release compares to your experience post PI1288a update...

So, the question I am asking is, will PI1288a be a part of this new release (hardware review and replace as necessary for early hardware) or should PI1288a be performed prior to updating to this new release?

Thanks again.

TJay74 · January 6, 2016

Thanks for the update Todd! So do you or the engineers recommend PI1288a for the early 2014 builds irregardless of this new software update? I saw a big improvement on both non-HD and HD reception with the new hardware. Where my dropouts were frequent and random before the update, the dropouts are fewer and are location/station specific (i.e. when I travel through a specific intersection, a specific radio station will drop or reduce reception and then pick up again as I leave the intersection). This leads me to believe environment plays a part here. Most notably, when I am further away from Austin, it picks up better than before. Curious to hear how this new release compares to your experience post PI1288a update...

So, the question I am asking is, will PI1288a be a part of this new release (hardware review and replace as necessary for early hardware) or should PI1288a be performed prior to updating to this new release?

Thanks again.

I really don't know how GM will roll out the update, I just know that if the truck is an early build (before 12/2013) and the radio module has not been changed out yet it will have to be changed out and then the newest software update installed. I have noticed the same thing as you in regards to loss of signal/station/location all being tied together. So far it does seem to be a lot better than before, seems like the system knows how to handle the multipathing issue that was detailed to me before by the previous Infotainment engineer.

The current engineer did say that basically this is the programming that the 2016 trucks have been using, it was re-coded to work in the 2014 trucks which is what took the longest to get done and for it to work. This could have been easier if GM has kept the hardware/software the same over the production year runs, but for what ever reasons they didn't and so far the 2014/15/16 years all have different hardware and software in them that is not backwards compatible.

tnchevy · January 6, 2016

So will this update fix my bad regular FM reception? I do not live near a HD station so I just turned the HD option off but still can't pick up squat once I am out of town and what I do pick up sounds pretty bad, kind of muffled.

glcbn · January 7, 2016

Where my dropouts were frequent and random before the update, the dropouts are fewer and are location/station specific (i.e. when I travel through a specific intersection, a specific radio station will drop or reduce reception and then pick up again as I leave the intersection). This leads me to believe environment plays a part here.

To a T for me too!!

Almost the same places every day. Noticed different types of weather conditions affect it too.

chuckl1218 · January 7, 2016

To a T for me too!!

Almost the same places every day. Noticed different types of weather conditions affect it too.

Yes! I noticed that too.

TJay74 · January 7, 2016

Also another change I forgot to mention is now once you store a station if you have turned HD switching off that station will stay analog in the preset until you turn HD switching back on. The only caveat to that is if you store a true HD only station IE 102.7-2. That preset will be a HD only preset stored.

chuckl1218 · January 7, 2016

Also another change I forgot to mention is now once you store a station if you have turned HD switching off that station will stay analog in the preset until you turn HD switching back on. The only caveat to that is if you store a true HD only station IE 102.7-2. That preset will be a HD only preset stored.

This alone might be worth the update...?