Ridgeline AM Radio Crackle noises

Is anyone else having issues with the AM radio making Crackling noises when going over bumps or rough roads? I have had it on mine since I got it in October, I personally know of 3 other RL owners that have the same problem.
I have had the radio replaced three times and it still has this problem.
I have had it into the dealership at least 10 times for this issue and numerous testing and replacing of wiring and antenna modules have not fixed it.
I now hear from another party that some RL models may need to have the entire wiring harness replaced to fix this. Any Comments on this?

Is anyone else having issues with the AM radio making Crackling noises when going over bumps or rough roads? I have had it on mine since I got it in October, I personally know of 3 other RL owners that have the same problem.
I have had the radio replaced three times and it still has this problem.
I have had it into the dealership at least 10 times for this issue and numerous testing and replacing of wiring and antenna modules have not fixed it.
I now hear from another party that some RL models may need to have the entire wiring harness replaced to fix this. Any Comments on this?

Had the exact same problem, the fix was replacing the radio sub-harness wires behind the dash. They tried replacing everything else first like you mentioned but that is what fixed it for me.

Is anyone else having issues with the AM radio making Crackling noises when going over bumps or rough roads? I have had it on mine since I got it in October, I personally know of 3 other RL owners that have the same problem.
I have had the radio replaced three times and it still has this problem.
I have had it into the dealership at least 10 times for this issue and numerous testing and replacing of wiring and antenna modules have not fixed it.
I now hear from another party that some RL models may need to have the entire wiring harness replaced to fix this. Any Comments on this?


Same problem. Also had the radio replaced but made no difference. Honda knows about the problem and is working on a fix. They told me it would be out sometime in August. This is what the work order said when I had it in the last time. "Called Honda techline and was informed there is a new antenna sub harness to be released in the near future to solve this complaint.

I have some crackling with AM but I only listen rarely. I don't see much difference than any other vehicles i've owned. AM is old technology

i listen to the AM radio in my RL often, Between the White Sox games on AM 67, and a talk show on AM 89 I have not experienced any issues.

...AM is old technology

No offense but I don't care about technology if it doesn't suit me, it's the programming I want. XM is fine but I don't want another monthly bill for something I don't listen to that often, local programming is what I want. I'm already disgusted with payments for cable, water, gas, electricity, garbage, phone, cell, internet, newspaper, magazines, boat storage, property tax, mortgage, kid stuff...Sometimes I wish I lived on a prairie 100 hundred years ago.

Gitarman95 I am having the same problem. I rarely listen to the AM setting but it still annoys me that something on my ridge doesn't work. I am coming up on my second service visit and plan on mentioning this issue to the techs before the appointment. If the fix isn't ready from Honda, I intend to get a comittment out of the dealer to fix it when a fix is available. My previous Honda was an '89 accord with 273,000 miles and EVERYTHING on the car worked. I intend to be able to make the same claim on my Ridge! You just can't let these things slip while under warranty. This is a long term investment, albeit one that I enjoy.:cool:

There are a few other threadfs on this issue. I think soemone had this problem solved with an antenna replacement.

My AM sounds like the antenae connection is loose,or broken.I would examine that first.

Hello All, I had the same problem when I first purchased my RL. Took it to the dealership and the service tech told me he would order a wiring harness, he stated that that was the problem. Going to take it in this Thursday to have the harness put in. :)

Is anyone else having issues with the AM radio making Crackling noises when going over bumps or rough roads? I have had it on mine since I got it in October, I personally know of 3 other RL owners that have the same problem.
I have had the radio replaced three times and it still has this problem.
I have had it into the dealership at least 10 times for this issue and numerous testing and replacing of wiring and antenna modules have not fixed it.
I now hear from another party that some RL models may need to have the entire wiring harness replaced to fix this. Any Comments on this?

I have the exact problem. I've only had the truck for a month and haven't brought it in to get it looked at.

They can fix it.

I had mine done and it works well now. Looked up all of the posts here about AM radio problems and took them to the dealer. They fixed it under warrenty.

i listen to the AM radio in my RL often, Between the White Sox games on AM 67, and a talk show on AM 89 I have not experienced any issues.


Chisoxjim:
Are you talkin Roe Conn. I pick them up down here in Peoria and just crack up! What a hoot!

njdevils,


yes Roe is hilarious, I listen @ lunch, and on the way home from work.

I also listen to Rush Limbaugh who is on right before him.

nice hearing from another person in Illinois. I live about 90 miles from peoria in Marseilles ( by Ottawa on the Illinois River).

what's an AM radio?? jk mine works fine, also used to listen to rush till near the end of clintons first term, everything he said was just negative whining, and of course he is just an ACLU using drug addict hypocrite now anyway!, Stern Rules!

I am an AM freak at night, listening to LA, SLC, SFO and Denver clear channel AM's, what with local radio in Las Vegas being largely crap, and I noticed it the first day or two after I got the truck. Even pavement joints made an annoying pop.

It seems to have healed itself. No intervention from dealer, no return of problem.

Will probably recur somewhere in deepest Northern Nevada on a holiday weekend.

I pulled my head unit, unseated the connector - reseated and now its gone a few weeks without issues. Last time I did that it lasted about 4 days, I wonder if it has to do with the stress relief (once installed) pulling the connector apart?


In my case its the subharness that takes the funky antenna lead down to the lower right hand dash area. It needs replacin - but my dealer won't do it cause I fixed it, of course :D

They are preparing to repaving I-95 here and the road is grooved. My AM has the static or loose connection sound. It's only over bumps or rough road. After going to the dealer for the water leak , rattling dash and door clip recall, I can live with it. I don't like it where the service manager starts to know my name.

My dealer Tiffany Springs Honda fixed both my wind shield noise and am
radio noise. It took 2 days but I was given a loner car and I was very please
with my service:)

I wish I had a radio to listen to. After just 10 days of owning my Ridge, the radio went out. Brought it in to the Honda dealer and they said that they needed to order another radio. That was 5 days ago. Hoefully I will get a call today to get it replaced.

roc:( :(

I had the same problem when I purchased mine. But wasn't going to travel all the way to New York to have it fix. The dealership where I lived fixed it, no more problem. Its a wiring harness problem for the AM. I had to wait for the part to arrive, it took about two weeks and a repair time of about 30mins

I too have had the same problem with the crackling noise..........."my" noise comes out of the "riders" side speaker (right side) and the right rear speaker doesn't work at all. No sound no nothing. I changed out my origianl am fm radio for a 6 disc cd am fm and still have the same problem. I will ask my dealer to pay attention to the wiring harness. They should change it out........I'd guess.

HI
I am up in calagry Canada, and have had the Truck in three times with the noise very annoying , BUt i just copied the postings and will take to honda see what they say now,

Will keep you posted.:cool:

I experienced this issue for the first time this week. Happened after the truck was sitting in the sun for several hours on a day in the mid 90's. Seems after the truck cooled off the problem went away. Hmmm.. Seems to be an expansion contraction issue causing a connections defect. Wonder why Honda hasn't issued a service bulletin on this if the problem is so prevalent.

I have the same crackling but I have it all the time. Doesn't matter if it is FM, AM or CD. I hear mostly in the drivers side speaker. I plan to take it to the dealer next week. Thanks guys

I have the same crackling but I have it all the time. Doesn't matter if it is FM, AM or CD. I hear mostly in the drivers side speaker. I plan to take it to the dealer next week. Thanks guys


That doesnt sound like the AM issue with most of them. I've had mine three weeks and thats the only issue I have with it. I called the dealer and he was unaware of the issue. Why wouldn't Honda inform dealerships of the issue? Called yesterday and the dealer said he would talk to service and get back to me. Still waiting...

I too have had same problem with am only, it drives me nuts. Thanks for the info:)

My AM radio started the cracking noise just as I took it out of the showroom. It has 300 miles on it. Dealer service manager immediately identified it as a harness problem (wires not properly crimped). He looked up the Honda hotline website to identify the cause. Unfortunately he didn't have the replacement part. I have now waited for the part for about 10 days. Hoping that it comes in this week.
Thanks for the info.

Welcome Suresh! :D I'm glad you found us and got registered so quickly after our conversation yesterday. I look forward to meeting you this afternoon to check out our Retrax. You're going to find the ROC is a treasure trove of information and good will.

I took mine in three weeks ago for the replacement harness. Once I was there (35mile drive) they said they had the wrong part. Made an appointment for a week and a half later which was cancelled by the dealership. Now it is three weeks later and they are telling me that the part is backordered and they have no idea when they will get it.

Has anyone had this fixed lately?

I got mine repaired yesterday. They too said the new harness design is on national back order but there's a technical service bulletin out now that describes a work around repair requiring some soldering of the existing harness. Picked my RL up last night and so far no static. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Count one more RTL with the crackly am radio. It only spits when you go over a bump..I can reproduce the problem by lightly bumping the side the dash on the right side of the radio. And it's only the AM. Guess I'll call my dealer and see about an appointment.

First post - Yet another RTL with a cracklin' AM. I'm on backorder with the dealer, as well. I've got the creaky dash/glove box too. But I love the doggone truck so much, it's easy to overlook the small stuff. This is my first Honda, but I see why there's so much loyalty to the brand. Although I always seem to break down and buy a new toy before it happens, I can see driving this one "until the wheels fall off." (or until gas prices jump up to $4+ per gallon).

First post - Yet another RTL with a cracklin' AM. I'm on backorder with the dealer, as well. I've got the creaky dash/glove box too. But I love the doggone truck so much, it's easy to overlook the small stuff. This is my first Honda, but I see why there's so much loyalty to the brand. Although I always seem to break down and buy a new toy before it happens, I can see driving this one "until the wheels fall off." (or until gas prices jump up to $4+ per gallon).

Welcome and don't get discouraged. If your service guy has a problem finding anything on this you can have him contact Brown Honda in Toledo OH and have him speak to the Service Manager, Troy. He has a good eduction on mitigating this issue. Even without the new replacement harness from Honda. Mine is fine now that he took care of it and knew what to do.

Just had mine fixed last week....they located a loose wire. And it works fine so far.

Replaced radio, worked for approx 1 month. Crackles again. Scheduling a service for a new wire sub harness.

My 2006 does it too. I get to choose from two dealerships. The first one said they were not aware of the problem and no bulletin was out. The second one said they were not aware but checked some Honda literature and found the issue mentioned in the "Summer" newsletter to the dealers...but no TSB at this point.

i had mine fixed yesterday....i had to print everything i could find about it from these forums and take it to the technician working on mine. after he read it, he went online and found the bulletin. it took him about 20 minutes to
find it....anyway, the harness was on backorder. it took less than a month for mine to come in....if it helps, it is part number 32117-sjc-a11. it is the instrument panel harness....however, they only use a part of it for the repair.

yes, I'm hitting the same problem, i listen to sports radio all the time and it seems like the cutting in and out is getting worse. i'm going to call the dealership to see if they can order the part and have it in stock when i go pick up my new license plates.

Mine is being "repaired" today. According to the repair manager it is the coax cable and the fix is to disconnect the existing coax cable and run this new one along side it. I will post the results when I get it back.

p.s. good to have all of this info. I had to bring it in twice and then with the info I found on the bulletin board to get them on the right track.

Mine is being "repaired" today. According to the repair manager it is the coax cable and the fix is to disconnect the existing coax cable and run this new one along side it. I will post the results when I get it back.

p.s. good to have all of this info. I had to bring it in twice and then with the info I found on the bulletin board to get them on the right track.

It has been about a week and the crackle is gone. The part number is 32117-sjc-a11 (harness ins 32117).

Thanks for the info. My July 2006 build has the problem too. Will have the dealer fix it with my first oil change.

Add another one. When I first heard it about 3 weeks ago, I hoped it wasn't another issue. Now it happens nearly constantly on every little bump. :( Because service is 50 miles away, I'll schedule this soon, along with a dash rattle that isn't related to the many threads. Inside of the passanger air bag enclosure?? Love is overlooking minor flaws in your "partner." ;)

Just had my radio fixed.
I called in and told them about the problem, the part number 32117-SJC-A11, and that there was a tsb on the problem.
I scheduled the install but when I got there they told me it was a 16hr install, they didn't really want to do it, and they had a different part they wanted to try first. I agreed I didn't want them to tear apart my Ridge, and would let them try their approach.

Well... here is the info on my receipt. It took them ~ 2hrs.



C/S AM ANTENNA RECEPTION IS POOR /ORDERED PART PER
TECH LINE SUMMARY ARTICLE ATS060605
BAD ANTENNA LEAD.
STRIP ANT. LEAD FROM INSTRUMENT PANEL HARNESS. INSTALL LEAD
FROM AUDIO UNIT TO CONNECTOR AT RF DASH. TECH LINE ARTICLE
ATS060605. TECH LINE REF. NO. 1970453 0151A8 2.8W 01801



FP-NUMBER
32117-SJC-A11

DESCRIPTION
HARN, INST 32117

PRICE
WARRANTY 0.00


Hope this helps.


-Jim

I am having the same crackling noises with my AM radio. Brought the truck in April. I will be taking it to dealer soon Thanks all

Update on the fix to my rig. They originally replaced the 32117 cable people have referred to here. It improved the situation but on high vibration pavement (freeway with a rough surface) the AM was still unintelligible. Took it back in and they replaced

39160-SJC-A01 Feeder, Antenna
39155-SJC-A01 Module unit, Antenna

I think they fixed it this time :D

Update on the fix to my rig. They originally replaced the 32117 cable people have referred to here. It improved the situation but on high vibration pavement (freeway with a rough surface) the AM was still unintelligible. Took it back in and they replaced

39160-SJC-A01 Feeder, Antenna
39155-SJC-A01 Module unit, Antenna

I think they fixed it this time :D

Congrats... Just in time for a thunderstorm :D

I have this problem too. Started at approximately 10K miles.

I have this problem too. Started at approximately 10K miles.
Mine started at about 20K. How many months was that? Mine was 7 months of ownership. Build 02/06. I have it "scheduled" but haven't taken it in yet. Dealer wants the truck for 2 days! (nearest one is 50 miles). :(

they first tried to put in the harness with the number I got here, they then told me it wouldn't fit??!? But, they thought a new coaz cable would correct the prob, and ordered that one. Had it done two weeks ago, so far no more crackling.

Congrats... Just in time for a thunderstorm :D


Generally, we don't have thunderstorms here. What we do have are exploding powerline tranformers due to high winds and lots of trees. :eek: It gives you a fairly similar effect :D

Generally, we don't have thunderstorms here. What we do have are exploding powerline tranformers due to high winds and lots of trees. :eek: It gives you a fairly similar effect :D

Washington or Oregon?

Washington or Oregon?

Just say WA (that's our states brilliant new tourism slogan :rolleyes: ).

I lived in Arlington for about a year and a half in the early '90s. Right over by Ranger Stadium, before it became, what, The Stadium at Arlington or something like that. Probably would have stayed if my employer hadn't been bankrupt.

The harness replacement corrected my problem. The dealer did it in 3 hours and it was covered under warranty

add me to the list. Guess I will have to make an appointment and drop off, 3 hours is a little long to wait. Infiniti has the right idea, loaners for everything including oil changes:cool:

I had the same problem for over a year now. I've taken my Ridgeline back to the dealer in the past, but all they did was re-seat the radio connections in the back. I finally convinced them (based on the posts here) that they need to replace the wiring harness - which they did. It's only been a couple of weeks now, but so far so good.

By the way, while I agree that AM radio is 'old' technology - it's the best way to listen to the White Sox, Bears and get the traffic reports while on the road.

3 hours i wish had the sub harness replaced started work on 2/06 didn't get the truck back till today 2/08 tech said he had to remove the complete dash plus steering wheel:mad:

3 hours i wish had the sub harness replaced started work on 2/06 didn't get the truck back till today 2/08 tech said he had to remove the complete dash plus steering wheel:mad:
This is the same story my SM is telling me. Needs it overnight. One reason I haven't had it done yet, but baseball season approaches while Rome burns (on AM only).........;)

I have had this problem since I bought the truck in 06. The dealer told me first it was a loose ground. The next time they could not find a problem. I listen to am for the traffic report but the noise is to much.

had the sub harness` replaced took 3 days but happy to say no more crackle on AM radio works perfect now and no dash rattles either:) one problem i had after the fix when the tech put the steering wheel back on he put it on off center seems the ridgeline has a multi spline steering wheel ( it can be put on more then just one way) dealer had me bring the truck back next day and now all is well

Got another AM radio crackler here. :mad: Purchased my '06 Ridge back in March last year so almost a year now. I noticed it just a couple of months ago and mostly when it was cold (unlike another post here that only noticed it when it was hot?). But it seems like it's getting worse and I can hear it nearly all the time now ... maybe I'm just more keen to it.

Anyway, I'm just over 14K miles now and I listen to AM radio all the time (mostly sports talk) so I have to get this problem fixed ASAP (not a problem with FM or CD). Due for her 2nd oil change very soon (man I like that oil life thang!) so hopefully I can get all the issues taken care of then (crackling radio, rattling sun visor clips and tranny software fix).

:)

footer,
Sorry to hear that (no pun intended). Even as I type, mine is getting fixed at the dealer. Better check with your dealer as I have read about all kinds of time required for the fix. My dealer had to order parts and says the entire dash and maybe more has to come out and this is a BIG deal (translation: need truck overnight). Note my build date in the sig.:eek:

Thanks for the reply geotech. My build date is 01/06 so I'm right there with you. I have the good fortune of having a close personal friend who is also a Honda Tech. and he works at the dealership where I get my truck serviced. So I'm bouncing it off him to make sure they know about or at least have heard of it before I bring my truck in.

There's no doubt they will get it fixed, it's just a matter of how long it will take the way it sounds. I hope yours gets fixed and in an acceptable amount of time. Ditto for mine!

Absolutely love this truck though.

:)

footer,
Sorry to hear that (no pun intended). Even as I type, mine is getting fixed at the dealer. Better check with your dealer as I have read about all kinds of time required for the fix. My dealer had to order parts and says the entire dash and maybe more has to come out and this is a BIG deal (translation: need truck overnight). Note my build date in the sig.:eek:

Is your dealer replacing that whole harness? My dealer went into shock, and so did I when they pulled out that whole harness that Honda sent them. I told them I did not want them ripping out my whole dash and then they realized they had to cut out the part needed to replace the bad section. Took them about an hour from that point.

Is your dealer replacing that whole harness? My dealer went into shock, and so did I when they pulled out that whole harness that Honda sent them. I told them I did not want them ripping out my whole dash and then they realized they had to cut out the part needed to replace the bad section. Took them about an hour from that point.
Sorry I haven't replied sooner.
Heard from the dealer last night. They told me (I'm 55 miles away) that they had to remove the entire dash and headliner. :eek: They will have it another whole day. :( I'll know more Friday.

Sorry I haven't replied sooner.
Heard from the dealer last night. They told me (I'm 55 miles away) that they had to remove the entire dash and headliner. :eek: They will have it another whole day. :( I'll know more Friday.

Geotech -- Sorry to hear about all your troubles. I hate to say this but sounds like you should find a different dealer/service dept. I just got back from getting my radio fixed. Made the appt. yesterday for 1:00pm today. I was out of there just after 3:00pm ... and that included: oil change, tire rotation, AND tranny software update. They had to pull the face piece of the dash off is all ... not sure why your service tech is pulling the whole damn thing apart. It's basically just a couple of wires in the harness that they have to replace. Shouldn't take so much effort or time. I think what was done to mine was almost exactly what bogie1 said.

Good luck and I hope you get your truck back soon!

Geotech -- Sorry to hear about all your troubles. I hate to say this but sounds like you should find a different dealer/service dept. I just got back from getting my radio fixed. Made the appt. yesterday for 1:00pm today. I was out of there just after 3:00pm ... and that included: oil change, tire rotation, AND tranny software update. They had to pull the face piece of the dash off is all ... not sure why your service tech is pulling the whole damn thing apart. It's basically just a couple of wires in the harness that they have to replace. Shouldn't take so much effort or time. I think what was done to mine was almost exactly what bogie1 said.

Good luck and I hope you get your truck back soon!
Well, I wish it was a simple as finding a new dealer.
I knew going in that if warranty work was needed, that I was going to pay a price, so to speak. My nearest dealer is 55 miles away (Topeka), next one is 75 miles away (Manhattan) or it's 80 miles to Lawrence. The Topeka dealer, Sharp Honda, has been very accomodating. They let me climb under the truck with the tech and they explain everything in as much detail as I am able to understand. Plenty of food and drink in the waiting area too. They always give me a nearly new Civic to "drive like its my own," whether for a few hours or a few days. One of those other two, where I actually bought the truck, treated me like a stupid 16 year old (or maybe one bovine within the herd) when it came to service. Told me nothing and kept me far away from the vehicle. I will not be back.
O.K., now to the radio fix. The SM said that when he ordered the parts under this TSB, Honda sent him two parts, a radio harness and a main harness that connected to main antenna. I asked him about some of the quicker fixes (radio and steering wheel alignment). His comment was something along the line of, "this is the way we think will produce the best results." BTW, the SM says he roams this forum from time to time.
The truck was done (AM radio was one of 4 warranty issues) this afternoon. Weather prevented me from going up there to get. I'll return the Civic in the morning and pick up the truck then. I'll report my results later next week. Hopefully, it will be all good. I like to continue to believe in this dealer. Geez, I miss my truck. :(

Well, it sounds like you're making the best of it. Your SM does sound like he's working with you and doing the best job he can. Nice that they give you a car too (since you're 55 miles away and they need it more than a day, I guess that's a no brainer!). My case was helped by the fact that I have a friend who's a Service Tech ... and he did the work on my truck! So that was a bonus.

Good luck!

Well, it sounds like you're making the best of it. Your SM does sound like he's working with you and doing the best job he can. Nice that they give you a car too (since you're 55 miles away and they need it more than a day, I guess that's a no brainer!). My case was helped by the fact that I have a friend who's a Service Tech ... and he did the work on my truck! So that was a bonus.

Good luck!
That is a bonus! As promised, I swapped out for the Ridge this morning. Had a long talk with the Tech that did the work. He said that the fix for my truck was a two stage project. First, he was to replace the radio harness and test to see if this fixed the crackle. In my case that was a "not." He then installed an entirely new wiring harness in the truck. That did the trick. I'm kicking myself for not taking a photo of the giant squid of a harness that was removed. Your friend might be able to confirm this repair approach. The Tech said that this was the first Ridge harness the dealer had replaced and they wanted to be certain it was done right. Listened to the KU-Nebraska game on the road today. Fixed. All good. :) Did I ever miss the truck!

That is a bonus! As promised, I swapped out for the Ridge this morning. Had a long talk with the Tech that did the work. He said that the fix for my truck was a two stage project. First, he was to replace the radio harness and test to see if this fixed the crackle. In my case that was a "not." He then installed an entirely new wiring harness in the truck. That did the trick. I'm kicking myself for not taking a photo of the giant squid of a harness that was removed. Your friend might be able to confirm this repair approach. The Tech said that this was the first Ridge harness the dealer had replaced and they wanted to be certain it was done right. Listened to the KU-Nebraska game on the road today. Fixed. All good. :) Did I ever miss the truck!

Yes, I talked to him about the fix. The harness is a huge bunch of wires (I didn't see it) that he said probably costs like $300-400. However only a couple of wires need to be replaced to fix the problem and I believe that's what he did on my truck. He's done at least 3 of them himself. The instructions he worked from said to be careful when zip tying the bundle of wires because this is what could possibly damage them and cause the problem.

Whatever it takes eh? Glad to hear you got your truck back finally and all is well!

:)

Sheesh! Just noticed the problem last night when I switched to the AM band to listen to PITT lose to UCLA in the sweet sixteen :(

I don't know what was worse... the AM crackle, or the Panthers' shooting. :rolleyes:

Anyways, it did work when it was new... wasn't all that great, but NOW, "talk radio" is hardly intelligible!
I've read mention of a TSB in this and other threads during my search, but have yet to find a TSB number mentioned.

If there IS one, does anybody have a .pdf or a readable .gif that I can print-out and take to my dealer? Printing out this whole thread would be a PITA. :p

I hope it's still a warranty item, if there is NO TSB.
I'd STILL like to get the AM radio fixed... even if I won't be listening to PITT play for awhile.

Thanks for all the info all you members have provided! :cool:
Pug

I'll send you a PM with contact information for the service manager who handled my call. He should be able to help you. The dealer is Brown Honda in Toledo Ohio and my RL was fixed last summer.
Bob

I'll send you a PM with contact information for the service manager who handled my call. He should be able to help you. The dealer is Brown Honda in Toledo Ohio and my RL was fixed last summer.
Bob

Thanks Bob! Got it! :)
It'll be nice to have my RL back to "perfect", again. ;)

I was back at my dealer today. They saved the replaced wiring harness as a "trophy." I didn't get pics the first time. What an octopus! :eek:

:eek:
Isn't there an easier way to take care of this problem!? :confused:

I get an uneasy feeling in my stomach when I see what the service guys will be ripping outta my RL's innards! :(

I hope they'll at least be gentle with her...
... haven't they developed an "arthroscopic" procedure for this, yet? :p

Seriously though, to remove/reconnect THAT many connections, while avoiding others along the route would be a daunting task that I'D not attempt! Hopefully there isn't anything "vital" anywhere near that harness.

Isn't there an easier way to take care of this problem!? :confused:

I get an uneasy feeling in my stomach when I see what the service guys will be ripping outta my RL's innards! :(

I hope they'll at least be gentle with her...
... haven't they developed an "arthroscopic" procedure for this, yet? :p

Seriously though, to remove/reconnect THAT many connections, while avoiding others along the route would be a daunting task that I'D not attempt! Hopefully there isn't anything "vital" anywhere near that harness.
I asked that too. Doesn't make sense, but Honda wouldn't do it because of costs if they didn't have to. Poor planning/design?

I couldn't watch. Way too painful.

The SM said that it can't get any more "vital" than this. Made the tech a nervous wreck. :eek: But what about me????

While they're "down there"... I'll have them check-out the fuel pump relay, although I'm not in the VIN range for that TSB.

And I'll make sure to take her out to dinner and dancing before they invade her "nether regions". :p

Did this procedure take long enough that they have to provide a "surrogate" vehicle to make the time spent without the RL less painful? My dealership is about 1/2 hour away from home.

While they're "down there"... I'll have them check-out the fuel pump relay, although I'm not in the VIN range for that TSB.

And I'll make sure to take her out to dinner and dancing before they invade her "nether regions". :p

Did this procedure take long enough that they have to provide a "surrogate" vehicle to make the time spent without the RL less painful? My dealership is about 1/2 hour away from home.
This procedure (known as a radical harnoscopy) took 3 days!! The surrogate was just that at best (a plain '06 civic named Jane). Afterwards, she guilted me into listening to AM radio, even when I wanted FM. I figured I owed it to her for what I put her through. Some day, some way, I hope she realizes I did it for the both of us. (sniff sniff)

I would give up my XM before I would give up AM programming. It is not dead.

This procedure (known as a radical harnoscopy) took 3 days!! The surrogate was just that at best (a plain '06 civic named Jane). Afterwards, she guilted me into listening to AM radio, even when I wanted FM. I figured I owed it to her for what I put her through. Some day, some way, I hope she realizes I did it for the both of us. (sniff sniff)

Three DAYS!!?? :eek:
Last week, a coworker and his buddy changed-out an entire engine, in his Talon, in TWO, (so he claims... :rolleyes: )
Did you take it in on a Saturday, then pick it up on Monday?

Wow! I knew it looked "radical", but sheesh!:confused:

This may require a second opinion... :D

I was unable to really get an explanation for the 3 days. Sounded more like a political press conference. I think it boiled down to the dealer having no experience with Ridges and only one very busy technician that had even the remotest clue about such things. Beta tester. :eek: There are hardly any Ridges out here. I can go for weeks without seeing another one.

On the plus side, I can't tell that anything was done and it is fixed, but 3 days (in Tuesday AM and done late Thursday)!! In some defense of the dealer, they also had to realign the steering wheel that was off center due to the front strut replacement months ago.

What really hurts me is that I am self employed and produce income from the use of my truck. :(

I have the same radio crackle problem. Went to the dealership and they replaced the wiring from the right side passenger kick panel, along the ceiling and to the antenna at the back of the roof. Still have the problem. They are now ordering the complete front harness as seen in the previous picture above, but they don't need all of it. Apparently Honda only provides the complete harness when all you need is a smaller harness taped to the side of the larger harness. The Tech is going to cut the smaller harness off and install it from the right kick panel to the radio plus install a new radio. This is suppose to be the final fix to the crackle noise.

The radio problem is solved. They replace the harness from the passenger side right kick plate to the radio. They did not replace the radio. Everything works and no crackles.

The radio problem is solved. They replace the harness from the passenger side right kick plate to the radio. They did not replace the radio. Everything works and no crackles.
Yeahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

Radio sub-harness replacement fixed mine AM radio issues. The dealer had to order the part, but it only took a few days to come in.


Dan

I have this problem also but it only showed up when I installed my Pioneer HU. It's fine when parked or idleling. No problem on FM though...What exactly do I need to ask the dealer for?

We had the same issue and finally found a dealer willing to assist. They ordered a new wiring harness which we heard was in excess of $200+ bucks. Took the dash off (I assume), but after examining the harness it wasn't replaced.
BUT, now no more crackle after all was put back together!
We think it was a loose wire or connection. I even wrote both the Service Manager and the Tech (who helped us) nice 'thank you' letters for dealing with this (and this wasn't where we got the truck either).
Maybe it is as simple as something 'loose' inside. Good luck. It's one of those Gremlin things....

But why would it only affect the AM stations???? I'm also worried they will hassle me about going to a pioneer HU, but it did it with the stock unit and this is a known problem...

AM radio is much more susceptible to low frequency interference. AM operates in the kilohertz range, and it's modulated by amplitude. Foreign noises are going to get picked up very easily. Stuff like bad grounds, intermittent connections, and ignition noise can drive an AM receiver nuts. FM is modulated by frequency, and it's in the megahertz range. The noises that affect AM radio are too "slow" to affect FM.

Well, just got back from the dealer and they don't want to touch it because I swapped out the OEM radio for a Pioneer HU. Even though it's a (known) harness issue, they're saying the factory warranty is voided. I also explained that the problem existed before and after the swap. Looks like no AM for me unless I pay for it or the truck is not moving.....

I am having continuous problems with my radio & music link since services over the last 3 weeks so dealer is pulling the music link (2nd) and refunding money. since they bundled the wires the thing has static gremlins that even appear if you accelerate, hit the gas or touch the steering wheel.... Of course they also replaced the wheel:( Scary, who knows how bad she is messed up.

Anyways, they are doing the harness tomorrow as well. Had to go through the service manager and fuss a bit, didn't even mention the tech told me all the gremlins were due to my WINDOW TINT.

Not sure what I am doing with this Honda yet, but I am pretty confident that I will go back to my previous brand next time around.

If it doesn't go well tomorrow that could be pretty quick... (months end)

I have the AM Radio problem and I have had my Ridge in three times it and it still isn't fixed. They ordered the 32117-SJC-A11 part and I was expecting a 16 hr+ install. They called me in three hours and said it was ready, so I don't think they did the full harness replacement. A couple of miles down the road it was doing it again. They have since replaced the head unit and the problem sounds worse. The problem is also intermitent.
They don't know what to do and I don't know what to tell them. I turned them on to this board hoping they would at least realize that I am not the only one with this problem. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

4Truku I had the same problem. See post previous page. They fixed it, although I thought the other very cold day that it came back. It has been warner since and I am waiting for some colder weather. We are not the only one. My dealer was aware of it before I complained.

I had crackling in my front drivers side speaker. It was fixed by the honda shop by replacing it with a new one. Works very good now.

I just got my truck back from the dealer (4th time for radio crackle issue). They told me that there is a TSB (not a techline summary) that is going to be issued this week for this exact problem. Hopefully it will get posted here for others. They rplaced the Antenna Sublead and the Antenna Main Lead. They had to pull some of the rear panels (and back seat I assume) out to do the replacement.
So far the fix seems to be working.

Hopefully someone will post the TSB. My crackle IS back like it was before they replaced everything from the radio to the antenna. Frustrating......

Nice, my truck is out of warranty and they messed up my last in-warranty repair so I am looking to bug them about that shortly. If this is a TSB rather then a techline call that would make it infinitually easier to get them to give it a look.

Then again that shark antenna looks like the lower overall hassle to me still, but we'll see.


Did someone already ask what the part numbers were that you got replaced? are they on the work order? :)

I just posted a TSB related to this issue:
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18709

The TSB that CSIMO just posted is what they did to my RL on the 4th visit to the dealer and it seemed to work fine (at least for two weeks now). When I had it in was when the dealer found out about the TSB being released.
Hope everyone else can get theirs fixed now that the dealers should know the true fix.

Just found out about this problem. We had a cold morning yesterday (in the 20's) and I drove to the store. Radio was on an AM station, it cracked and popped everytime I hit a bump of any kind. Guess I'll put this on the list of things to have fixed next trip in to the dealer.

Just found out about this problem. We had a cold morning yesterday (in the 20's) and I drove to the store. Radio was on an AM station, it cracked and popped everytime I hit a bump of any kind. Guess I'll put this on the list of things to have fixed next trip in to the dealer.

Just had this fixed under warranty....It's a bad wiring harness.. so I've been told. Took a day to fix but dealer was very good about it.

is this a recall??? I just bought my 06 Ridgeline used and it doesn't have any warranty left on it. The cracking noise drives me crazy.. but my sports radio only comes on AM ....any suggestions??

I have an 06 (73k) with the same issue - called Honda and after I explained the problem and refrenced the Dec 5 service bulletin, the agreed to split the cost with me. It still cost me, but not the full $400 to fix the thing.

My issue was that in the bulletin they acknowledged that it was a "manufacturing" defect - not a "wear & tear" issue.

is this a recall??? I just bought my 06 Ridgeline used and it doesn't have any warranty left on it. The cracking noise drives me crazy.. but my sports radio only comes on AM ....any suggestions??

If you read the TSB it tells you, and no it is not a safety issue and thus not a recall.

Out of warranty: Any repair performed after warranty
expiration may be eligible for goodwill consideration by
the District Parts and Service Manager or your Zone
Office. You must request consideration, and get a
decision, before starting work.
ie: If you just bought your truck, take it back to them now and tell them they need to fix it. Or take it in for an oil change or two and then ask them nicely.

I have an 06 (73k) with the same issue - called Honda and after I explained the problem and refrenced the Dec 5 service bulletin, the agreed to split the cost with me. It still cost me, but not the full $400 to fix the thing.

My issue was that in the bulletin they acknowledged that it was a "manufacturing" defect - not a "wear & tear" issue.
Mine was fixed out of warranty. It took my dealer much longer than they thought to fix it. I bet your deal knows their return from Honda will not be enough to cover their billable time, hence, they are looking for someone to help offset their costs and that someone is you. :mad:

My dealer diagnosed the problem last week, ordered the part and said it was a warranty item. Didn't say anything about extra costs for labor and I'll hold them to that.

Tom

An update late yesterday from the Honda dealer. They discovered this is a very serious job to complete in one day. They had to remove the headliner and in doing so broke a couple of trim pieces which they will replace. Had to order the trim parts so Ridgeline is still in the shop. Should be done today. This is a warranty item with a bullitin number.

Tom

Update: Honda covered the entire cost - still under factory warranty. The new harness fixed the problem.

Tom

Well my RL started the AM crackle, thump and buzz thing early this week. What a pain in the backside this is. I’ve had more of these small little issues with this truck and it’s really getting aggravating. The only issue I haven’t had yet is the water leak. I have a list a mile long of things to be addressed at the dealer.
I still really love this truck but I have to say I never had all these little issues with my other trucks. :mad:

Well my RL started the AM crackle, thump and buzz thing early this week. What a pain in the backside this is. I’ve had more of these small little issues with this truck and it’s really getting aggravating. The only issue I haven’t had yet is the water leak. I have a list a mile long of things to be addressed at the dealer.
I still really love this truck but I have to say I never had all these little issues with my other trucks. :mad:
I hear ya.
That's why I named mine "Roseanne." As in Roseanne Roseannadanna: "Well it just goes to show you, it's always something...."

I have that AM radio problem as well. I find after the vehicle heats up, it is a lot better. I also found that when I applied pressure(my hand pushing) to the plastic dash to the side or top of the radio, it goes away. If I apply pressure to the radio itself, it doesn't go away. I haven't had it checked out yet, just learning to drive with one hand. My thinking is telling me it is the radio compartment that it sits in. By pushing against it, it reduces pressure that the plastic is putting on the wiring at the back of the radio(I am assuming all this as I have never been inside the dash.)

Check this out to see if this pressure helps or is this just on my RTL

Many RL's including mine have been taken to the dealer to be fixed.

After reading the previous posts I concur the crackle noise is there when I push the plastic beneath the OEM head unit. I notice that it is continuous when the vehicle warms up. Lets see if the dealer can help.
Thanks

Took my '07 RL to the dealer last week. Had the AM radio problem fixed with NO problems at all.

Has anyone completed the fix themselves?
For those of us out of warranty doing it ourselves could be the answer.

There is a fix for this. It involves the dealer taking the front of the dash off and replacing the AM/FM coax on the wiring harness. Check the threads.:)

I have read the threads.
The question was, Has anyone fixed this themselves. It is possible for some to perform the job without the dealer.

I had mine back twice. The first time they replace from the dash to the antenna. The second time they replaced everything under the dash. Crackle went away, but has returned. In my case it appears that cold weather starts the problem and when spring comes around it leaves for a few months. I wouldn't attempt to fix it myself seeing that the dealership couldn't fix it.

I had mine back twice. The first time they replace from the dash to the antenna. The second time they replaced everything under the dash. Crackle went away, but has returned. In my case it appears that cold weather starts the problem and when spring comes around it leaves for a few months. I wouldn't attempt to fix it myself seeing that the dealership couldn't fix it.

What's AM radio?

Similar issue with my AM. With the truck off and listening to the radio, even the local stations are almost unhearable. When you start the truck, the noise from the electronics comes out of the speakers as hash, completely wiping out any stations with clicking sounds and alternator whine. When you turn on the windshield wipers, they make all kinds of sound in the radio.

Will be taking her into the dealer in Alexandria next week!:confused:

I have an 08 RTX and I'm getting the AM noise. More so if its real cold out & push on the dash around the radio. Any other 08's have the problem also??

I am also getting this noise. I am going to take off the rear cover with the taillight to check the antenna connection, but I have one question.

If that is not the issue and I do need to get the wiring harness, does my truck need to be under warranty (my warranty just ran out)?

Thanks
:confused:

I am also getting this noise. I am going to take off the rear cover with the taillight to check the antenna connection, but I have one question.

If that is not the issue and I do need to get the wiring harness, does my truck need to be under warranty (my warranty just ran out)?

Thanks
:confused:

Don't know about your question, but a tip if you're going to remove the third brake light cover, you need to replace all the clips before you re-install. The clips are a one time use only. The cover may fly off if clips are not replaced. Dealer or one of the site sponsors will have them for sale. ;)

I am having this issue too. But it seems to be the the volume knob causing the issue.

The other day on the way into work, my radio was really acting up and, out of frustration, I gave the dash a whack right next to the radio. It crackled. So I did it a couple more times and it crackled each time I tapped the dash. I reached over to turn the volume up, just as I hit a bump, which caused me to put downward pressure on the volume knob, and the radio crackled. I proceeded to put upward and downward pressure on the know and, each time I did, the radio crackled. I turned it to FM/XM/CD and tried the same thing, but no crackle.

Why the heck would this have an effect just on the am radio and not the rest?

Also, I sent an e-mail to my service guy, at the Honda garage where I go, and asked him about the crackle. Told him there was a TSB and was wondering if they would fix it as one of those "good will" type things and/or if my extended warranty would cover the repair. No response so far.

Just a quick update on this...my service person got back to me and said this will be covered/fixed under my extended warranty. Not sure on the CD skipping thing, though. They said they would "look into it further".

I still have this problem. Under warranty, the dealership replaced all the wiring from the radio to the antennas. At first it "was fixed" but after a few months and now cold and damp mornings it has come back. I am now out of warranty. I can pound on the dash and make it go away so I am now convinced the problem it is in the connection between the replaced AM antenna wiring and the radio unit.

The dealer will have to remove the front of the dash and replace a coaxial cable. Mine was replaced two years ago and the problem has not returned.

I still have this problem. Under warranty, the dealership replaced all the wiring from the radio to the antennas. At first it "was fixed" but after a few months and now cold and damp mornings it has come back. I am now out of warranty. I can pound on the dash and make it go away so I am now convinced the problem it is in the connection between the replaced AM antenna wiring and the radio unit.

Might want to try wiggling the volume knob up and down and see if that helps. My radio crackles when cold and going over bumps. I tried whacking the dash a couple of times and it seemed to help. Then, one time I was adjusting the volume, went over a bump, and I ended up wiggling the volume knob a bit, and the crackle stopped. It started crackling again the next morning when it was cold and, after trying a couple things, I found if I pushed down on the volume knob the crackle would stop for a while.

Obviously this is not a permanent solution, but it may stop the crackle long enough for your truck to warm up. Also, if this was "fixed" under warranty and it is not fixed, if I were you, I'd go back to the dealership where it was fixed and ask them to fix it right. Tell them it wasn't fixed correctly while it was under warranty and, even though the warranty has expired, they should honor your request to fix it for no charge. Many times Honda will honor fixes out of warranty when the original fix that didn't work was done under warranty. Worth a shot.

Have the dealer replace the coaxial cable behind the dash that connects to the radio. NUFF SAID!

Sorry guys. I guess I sounded like the one who was banned.

Seriously! What was done on my Ridge solved the problem. They ordered a complete under dash wiring harness and then stripped the coaxial cable for the radio from that wiring harness and installed it in my truck. I don't know what they did with the rest (99%) of the wiring harness...:)

They did that on my second visit to the dealership. It worked for awhile but now the crackle is back.

I went to the Dealership to set up another appointment to fix my radio and it appeared that there was an update to the Tech Service Bull.. The last one I saw was TSB 07-079 dated Dec. 5, 2007. Does anyone have a newer one?

Of course my appointment is tomorrow and the radio is working fine for the last 5 days. Should have had them hear it when it was bad before Thanksgiving.

Bringing mine in tomorrow for the am crackle...supposed to be taken care of under the extended warranty I have. Will report after service is completed.

Cool....more icons...!

:hol037:

OK, my truck is being worked on as I type this. The am crackle and CD skipping when the truck is cold issues are supposed to be covered under my Honda Care extended warranty I purchased a couple years ago. According to my service guy, the harness replacement is a pretty 'labor intensive' fix, and they needed 2.8 hours just for that.

Then they were gonna 'do some diagnosing" on the CD skip issue. I asked exactly what that meant. My service guy bascially said, they are gonna take a look at the CD player and try playing it, and if it has any issues, they'd probably just replace it under the extended warranty. I told him the truck was warm and it doesn't skip when it is warm. And the service notice said that it's all about when the CD player is cold, not when it is warm. I asked him, if it's covered under my warranty, just replace the dang thing. He said they have to do at least "a minimal investigation" into the problem before they can make any recommendations and get it covered under warranty. I told him to do what they had to do, but I wanted a new CD player. He said that is what they are probably going to recommend anyway. I think they had 1.5 hours noted for the CD player issue.

Sounds like they are gonna be working on my truck for most of the day on just those two issues....plus I am having them do an oil change, tire rotation, and a couple other items. I hope the truck is done by the end of the work day. Of course, the loaner they gave me, a '10 Pilot, isn't a bad ride either....

I didn't know the CD skipping was a wide issue. I bought mine used 2 years ago and it skipped the day a bought it. It usually skips for 5 to 10 minutes when first played each time. It really sucks, but I rarely use the CD player so I haven't bothered to have it looked at.

I usually listen to XM radio or AM radio and I hear the crackling sound and smack the dash and it's ok for a while.

I do wonder why it skips so much.

I didn't know the CD skipping was a wide issue. I bought mine used 2 years ago and it skipped the day a bought it. It usually skips for 5 to 10 minutes when first played each time. It really sucks, but I rarely use the CD player so I haven't bothered to have it looked at.

I usually listen to XM radio or AM radio and I hear the crackling sound and smack the dash and it's ok for a while.

I do wonder why it skips so much.

Not sure what the issue is, but I think it is fairly wide spread issue in earlier models, as Honda issued a Service Bulletin about it. Mine does exactly the same thing. Every CD skips for about 10-15 minutes, when the truck is cold, and it works fine after the truck warms up.

Well, I am just the opposite, as I told XM to stick it where the sun don't shine, as they refused to refund some money they charged to my CC without authorization, and I stared listening to FM radio and CD's more. Really hacks me off when the thing starts skipping when I first turn it on. I normally listen to the radio until the truck warms up enough for the CD's to stop skipping. But, I figure, for what we pay for these vehicles, at the very least, the friggin' CD player should work.

Total PITA if you ask me. But, I will find out what the fix is when I pick up my truck from the dealership after work today.

I have an 08 RTX and I'm getting the AM noise. More so if its real cold out & push on the dash around the radio. Any other 08's have the problem also??

Hmmm, I haven't listened to AM in more than 20 years. Didn't know it was still around. My FM works fine.:act024:

OK, here's the poop on the repair for my am crackle: They were able to reproduce the issue, so this repair will be covered under my extended warranty. They need to order the harness and, once they get it, I will bring it in for them to replace it. Hopefully this will fix the issue. I listen to local talk radio to and from work, so this crackle is annoying when first jumping into the truck when heading to work/home.

On the CD player, skipping when cold, they said they need to be able to make the player skip before they will authorize the repair. I told them it only skips when cold and the truck was warm when I brought it in. My service guy refused to make the fix unless they can get it to skip. I was a little ticked at this, but I understand it, as I am sure there are lots of people bringing in vehicle for phantom issues. Still, not really happy I have to wait until it gets colder so they can leave it sit outside for a while and try to get it to skip.

I had the exact issue of not being able to demonstrate the CD skipping issue. It would only skip on trips to Northern CA during the winter. Living in the San Francisco bay area I never would be able to demonstrate the problem. My warranty was about to expire and I wasn't going to let it go unfixed, so made a video of it with my digital camera. The dealership even resisted that at first, but I insisted that considering where I live, their request was unreasonable. It still took talking to the service manager to finally get it fixed. I have had several opportunities to test it since and no skipping.

They wanted to confirm that it skips on several commercial CD's so I made a little video that showed the CD and me loading it and then the skipping on the one I just loaded and several others already loaded.

I've had the am crackle since the truck was new. Mostly over bumps it doesn't matter if it's hot or cold. Just over bumps. I've been told the tsb calls for a labor intensive ordeal

I have the same issue on my 2006 which I had solved for a while anyway. In my case, the problem is right at the antenna connection near the radio itself. I took the dash apart last summer and put a crimp in the pin in the antenna lead connector. This made it go away completely for a while, but its back. I can tap on the radio frame and make it happen and the slightest bump does it also. My opinion is that the cheesy antenna connector they use is the entire problem. The old tried and true Motorola / coax connector is the simplest and best. I had it to the dealer and they quoted some ridiculous price to replace the entire antenna lead back through the headliner. For now I am going to ride it out and tackle it again in the warmer weather. It amazes me how Honda can be so great with most aspects of design, but drop the ball on the basics of RF antenna connections. Oh well, at least the rig runs great, that's the most important thing!

OK, here's the poop on the repair for my am crackle: They were able to reproduce the issue, so this repair will be covered under my extended warranty. They need to order the harness and, once they get it, I will bring it in for them to replace it. Hopefully this will fix the issue. I listen to local talk radio to and from work, so this crackle is annoying when first jumping into the truck when heading to work/home.

On the CD player, skipping when cold, they said they need to be able to make the player skip before they will authorize the repair. I told them it only skips when cold and the truck was warm when I brought it in. My service guy refused to make the fix unless they can get it to skip. I was a little ticked at this, but I understand it, as I am sure there are lots of people bringing in vehicle for phantom issues. Still, not really happy I have to wait until it gets colder so they can leave it sit outside for a while and try to get it to skip.

Just a follow-up on this...they did the replacement of the harness under my extended warranty for the am crackle issue...and 3 months later, I am am-crackle free. Now to get them to address the CD skipping issue and I will be happy. I didn't play my CD's much when I had XM...but since I told those askholes to take their XM an stick it where the sun don't shine, I miss being able to play CD's on long trips and such.