Re: New alternator - No AM radio?

[Sandy Duffy <sandyduffy@home.com>]

Dewitt:

See my post RE noise on this problem but because he was nowhere near the
antenna or antenna connections I would highly suspect a bad ground on the
alternator or battery (only things that were touched aside from putting in
the unlock code into the radio to make it function again).  If there is a
bad ground connector, various computers, ignition sources, and electronic
controllers that are all radiating vast amounts of AM noise will thoroughly
mess up the AM radio.  BTDT (also installed car stereos in my (much)
younger days).  Audi noise problems are the stuff of legends!

Sandy

>The alternator could, indeed, be bad. So many rebuilds are.  But there is
>also some chance that the noise suppression capacitor - normally mounted
>on the rear of the alternator case - was not transferred to the new
alternator
>during the swap.  A suppressor cap would not overcome the noise
>produced by an alternator with a blown diode but it often will make a
>difference. By the way, alternator noise generally manifests itself as
>a "whine" which changes pitch with engine rpm.  If your noise is more
>like between-channel static, look to the antenna/cable - something
>may have come unplugged - or to radio itself.
>
>DeWitt Harrison    de@aztek-eng.com
>Boulder, CO
>88 5kcstq
>