Pothole = radio station change

[Bill V]

About a week ago, I had a day where my factory-installed 6 CD changer on my '02 Sport Trac was constantly misbehaving. Anytime it was turned on, it was like the radio's "Seek Up" button was being pushed--the radio stations were constantly scanning. (And by "constantly", I mean constantly--it would never pause on any station for more than half a second.) If I switched to playing CDs, it was still like that button was being pushed, with the CD player constantly jumping forward to the next song on the CD.



The next day, it was gone--for the most part. But ever since then, anytime I hit a slight pothole, or even a significant seam in the freeway pavement, the radio once again "Seeks Up", although now it's only like it was pushed once, and it stops on the next station.



Any ideas as to what might be going on? Is the radio just old and malfunctioning, or is something else going on?

 

[Martin]

Sounds like a 'sticky' button.....might try spraying a small amount of WD-40 around the switch.

 

[2]

Is there something hitting the buttons on the rear console controller? I always had my seats folded down and had a similar thing happen, it took me about a day to realize that something on the back seats was leaning against the rear control buttons and when I hit a bump it would bump the controls.

 

[David Ponder]

I wouldnt use WD-40 on the plastic around the switch. It might clean it for the time being, but eventually the lubricant in the spray would attract more dust and dirt into it than you had before. And if the WD-40 gets into the actual switch membrane, it can ruin it.



I would take a few Q-tips, and put a few drops of Formula 409 or Fantastic or Mean Green, etc and gently clean around the buttons, then use the dry side of the Q-tip to dry them off.



my .02. Dave

 

[Dingo]

I second what Olaf said.

 

[Martin]

Thanks Dave.....your prob right......I just figured the lube would free up the sw sticking....didn't think about dirt etc collecting up in there.



Scratch my idea Bill

 

[Bill V]

Button on the front controls is clean, has not had anything slopped on it, does not feel "sticky" or have any tactile indication that anything like that is going on.



I checked the rear buttons to make sure nothing is resting on them, and that's not the case. But I will check them for cleanliness.



The air conditioning on my truck has been out for a couple years now--and it just so happens that the week this started happening was also the week the heat and humidity finally returned to Minnesota. Any chance that the humidity might be causing something to short out?

 

[user 62851]

Sounds like a standard Ford radio. Our box work trucks, some which are Sterlings and Fords have the standard no cassette or disc radio, and they every so often have the volume shoot up or down. Almost like a poltergiest is sitting right there screwing with you.

 

[brandon mena]

Do you have steering wheel controls?

 

[Bill V]

Nope. Just on the unit itself, and the back seat controls.