[simmiv]

Hi,
My i30 has been having issues with it's radio for couple of years now.  It started when we got it new..  The issue is that occasionally when starting the car, the radio comes on tuned to a radio station it was on previously, except the sound is pretty badly crackling.  It's like the station is fading out or de-tuned.  While this occurs, you can change stations and bands to no avail.  Turning the radio off/on fixes it, or restarting the engine.  Hyundai have looked at the several times now.  They have replaced the radio three times to no avail.  The last time they replaced the amplifier in the roof between the whip antenna and the radio to no avail.  They have pulled all the bits and pieces out, wiggled all connectors etc to no avail.  Has anyone come across something like this?   The radio is the GD-01..  I'm providing a link to three files, one picture of the firmware version of the radio and two MP3 files.  The first MP3 files has the crackling sound, the second is fine and recorded after a radio turn off/on for the same song. 

Radio firmware version https://sites.google.com/a/valgeirsson.com/electronics/Home/20170222_141251.jpg?attredirects=0
Bad Crackle MP3 File https://sites.google.com/a/valgeirsson.com/electronics/Home/RAD-022.MP3?attredirects=0&d=1
Good MP3 File https://sites.google.com/a/valgeirsson.com/electronics/Home/RAD-023.MP3?attredirects=0&d=1

[tw2005]

So with all that in mind , my question is, is that happening regardless of locality or is it happening only when the car is at a particular location?

[The Gonz]

My question is: with radios and amplifiers already swapped and eliminated, why aren't they checking elsewhere like quality of supply voltage or body module?

[Dazzler]

The i30 radio reception (particularly AM) has never been a strong point. The i30 is not alone in this. Australian built cars have tended to have radios better suited to our longer travelling distances and varied topography.  It is unusual though that your dealer has gone to such lengths to sort it without much if any success. From memory over the last 9 years on here, a few have improved things by shoring up the connection of the aerial to the back of the head unit or adding some sort of noise filter.

I did a google and found this interesting link...

https://www.lifewire.com/curing-car-audio-static-534627

[cleid]

This is my biggest complaint about our i30. FM radio reception is awful, even in the big smoke.

[simmiv]

It's regardless of locality..  It was happening in Sydney and now that I have moved three hours north of Sydney, it is also happening here on completely different radio stations..

[simmiv]

A very good question!  They spent a day with it yesterday without finding anything.  Their supervisor is a way for two weeks, so I was told to come back then and talk to them.  It comes down to knowledge and skills.  When a problem like this occurs that is intermittent and not easy to fix, it tends to drag on and on..

[tw2005]

@simmiv  Someone else just posted a GD-01 radio failure. So i was digging around thinking about firmware or software issues.

Just happened to find this doc. It's Firmware V2.15T which is higher version than yours.

One of the fixes it claims: "Buzzing/static sound when the audio is   switched   on in tuner mode."

http://www.cartronics.net.au/uploads/documents/hyundai/33_1463117417_Firmware%20Solutions%20Gen%202%20Audio.pdf

instructions:
http://www.cartronics.net.au/uploads/models/1464570658_GD-01%20User%20Manual.pdf


File:
http://www.cartronics.net.au/uploads/firmware_files/1463101316_V2.5T.zip

Question is , if there's a higher version than loaded, why does the dealer not know of it?

good luck

[Dazzler]

Nice work Gerard, I just tagged simmiv in your post, so he doesn't miss it. 

[tw2005]

version summary

http://www.cartronics.net.au/uploads/documents/hyundai/31_1488245686_Firmware%20ID%20as%20at%20February%2028%202017.pdf

[thommo101]

The issue is that occasionally when starting the car, the radio comes on tuned to a radio station it was on previously, except the sound is pretty badly crackling

Hi @simmiv , I've had the exact same issue in my 2012 GD (GD-01 head unit). It is very intermittent, about once every 6 months. The only way to fix it is to turn the engine off and start it again, a head-unit power off/on doesn't resolve it.

It is definitely not a FM reception issue. It is though a clipped interfering signal is mixed in (or based on how these radio receivers work, more likely a problem in the heterodyning or FM demodulation step).

I have recently had my GD-01 software updated by the dealer (will check version later). Will report back in a year to see if I have noticed the issue!

On a related note, I have another annoying issue with FM radio... Occasionally the FM radio will go silent. Switching between presets show them all silent. If I turn the radio on/off it comes back. Only affects radio, not CD/USB.

[simmiv]

Wow, that was a great find.  I've now done the firmware upgrade to version 2.15T..     I'll see how it goes!!  Thanks so much!!