Radio Reception Issues

[WLC]

GM would be more involved in our truck issues if they were carrying the notes. We would have a little more leverage and maybe get these issues resolved.

[WLC]

Got xm radio. Lot better signal. Should be free since my radio fm reception is bad along with the HD signal.

[jamin87ss]

Reception issues resolved git me a 16

[Jesse Davidson]

Got xm radio. Lot better signal. Should be free since my radio fm reception is bad along with the HD signal.

Thats how I feel, I can't even use my FM cuz its so bad.

 

Reception issues resolved git me a 16

I'll be doing the same once my buyback through "Trade Assist" finishes.... then that thing will be going to either a Ford or Toyota dealer to be traded. between this radio issue, AFM issues, and Vibration issues. I'm done with GM for a while.

[GeorgeMJ]

As a follow up, I feel a little stupid. My 2016 Mylink FM radio was performing worse in reception of stations than it was measuring on test equipment. The radio is 6 dB worse than normal GM radios, which means they only need a quarter of the signal power than mine for the same performance, actually this is not a lot and shouldn't be very noticeable. Well in actual use it appeared much worse. I don't drive the truck often and when I drove it over the last two weeks, it performed more like it should have being 6 dB deficient. The problem was I was testing during June and was getting atmospheric conditions that were bringing in more distant stations that made it sound like weak reception. (This happens the most in June, late May and early July, but can happen any time. There are two types, "sporadic E" and "tropospheric ducting"). From this, I would say that my 2016 Mylink FM radio is slightly worse than normal, but most folks probably would not notice it. I have to assume from what I have read here that the 2014 and 2015 FM radios must be much worse.

 

Now, I wonder if the 2016 radio module is the same as the 14 and 15? Can they be interchanged? If anybody has access to parts books maybe they can look them up to see if they have the same part numbers?

[TJay74]

No, none of the modules are interchangeable when brought straight from the dealer. When I was dealing directly with the Chief Engineer over the entire truck line and the engineer in the infotainment area that was one thing they said several times, nothing from the 2014 to 2015 to 2016 is interchangeable in regards to the infotainment system.

[Jesse Davidson]

No, none of the modules are interchangeable when brought straight from the dealer. When I was dealing directly with the Chief Engineer over the entire truck line and the engineer in the infotainment area that was one thing they said several times, nothing from the 2014 to 2015 to 2016 is interchangeable in regards to the infotainment system.

That is so stupid haha, they should make parts like that interchangeable

[GeorgeMJ]

I've looked around and the modules look the same so it is likely that the circuitry and software is changed so much that it wouldn't work with the display. You know, I believe the name on the module in my truck is LG, and the name on some of them on Ebay is Fujitsu. Maybe if the radio module still said Delco or Delphi we wouldn't have this problem. Hyundai and Honda radios seem to work OK, is it because of the specs that GM gives them or could it be radiation from the display? I wonder if they got rid of the Delco engineers and hired new GM ones to work on the "infotainment" system....if I wanted an Asian radio I would have bought a Toyota.

 

I had a 2006 Chevy truck, WT, 4WD. After two years I started losing speeds on my heat and AC blower. It seems that some likely young and semi brilliant engineers put the blower resistors inside the cab of the truck but on the BOTTOM of the air plenum where all the water goes. Then they made the support posts out of steel and built a little lake out of epoxy potting compound to retain the water and make sure the posts rotted out. All they had to do was look at just about every car with a heater in it from 1950 through about 1990 to see that you install things like that on top of a plenum so it will avoid water or drain. Automatic transmissions have been around since 1938 but it seems they can't get that right either. I used to work in an engineering group at a large corporation and for some reason they didn't want the older more experienced guys working on the new designs and we had a lot of good laughs watching the young guys re-invent the wheel. I think they used the excuse, "we need new ideas," instead of the truth that they wanted some lower paid people....probably what happened to Delco.

[ShamrockShooter]

So I noticed the FM Static quite a bit the first month of owning my 16. I am within a few miles of the broadcast tower and tuned to the most powerful station in the city. I had hoped the April software update listed on this forum would solve the problem (my 16 is an early april build with Carplay and bose). The dealer did the software update today. i drove 30 mins home, all with 10 miles of the broadcast tower. The reception was so bad I couldn't stand to listen to it. it would cut in and out, and the sound has a constant light static in the background. It sounds just as bad in HD on or off. My subaru gets this station crystal clear 60 miles from the city. I'm a few miles from the freakin tower and can't get it clear. Needless to say i feel sick to my stomach having just shelled out my hard earned money on a $53k pickup, with a $500 up-charge for Bose speakers to hear the extra fine definition of the static noise.

 

So my question, is it even worth the hassle to have the dealer go through the motions of trying to replace the actual radio head unit? From other's comments, it probably won't solve the problem. Xm sounds okay, and so does music from my phone, so i don't think its the speakers.

[WLC]

Did not help on one of my 2014's. Had one module replaced. Not going to fool with the other one. Talking with GM but no offers for help.

[ShamrockShooter]

I drove from New York to Colorado and back in my father's 14 Silverado and never heard any static like my 16. Although his is the work Truck radio.

[GeorgeMJ]

I would complain about any problem including radio, not sure what it will get you, but always good to be "on the books" for a problem just in case they ever decide to do anything about it. Who knows, it could be a problem with only yours? I noticed that the signal to noise on my 2016 Mylink FM never appears to get any better than 19 dB. That is horrible performance for an FM radio. You might be hearing the digital sidebands as well in the analog audio. You can't be sure what you're hearing, let the dealer figure it out. They may not be able to make it worse.

[ShamrockShooter]

Oddly if I put the equalizer to the "talk" setting, the static is not really that noticeable. But the music sounds terrible then. Soon as I turn up bass and treble the static is terrible

[ShamrockShooter]

BTW. I looked up my favorite country station. I am 6.8 miles from a class b 50,000 Watt broadcast tower that is 400 feet tall. When I tune to the other 50,000 Watt station that is 2.5 miles away it comes in pretty clear. So as long as I don't go more than 5 miles away...

[fbachman]

Generally, my radio reception is OK, except for ONE AM channel. It sounds like i have a speaker going out with hiss/fuzz and scratching. If I change AM channels, it goes away. It;s unique to that one station.

 

strange... Sometimes i like talk radio.

Oddly if I put the equalizer to the "talk" setting, the static is not really that noticeable. But the music sounds terrible then. Soon as I turn up bass and treble the static is terrible

Bingo, my situation exactly...