# Usb induced speaker crackle!!! HELP CHEVY!!!



## Daisy81 (Jun 17, 2012)

Kodered8 said:


> So last night on the groups FB page i brought up my issue! People suggested trying a new cable.... i have done this multiple times and it does not fix the problem. Im hoping that by reposting the issue on the actual forum site we can have some more input, or perhaps a chevy care specialist help us with it. We even had a dude with a 2015 who is experiencing the issue.
> 
> "Since i have owned my 2014 LS (6 months now) i have experienced an intermittent crackle sound that comes mostly from the tweeters, but could from other speakers as well. You can still hear the audio clearly, but there is fierce random and terrible crackle in additions. On some tracks it layers over the song a continuous shitty crackle. This happens ONLY when I'm connected to a device through USB. (mp3 players, iPhone ect.) when i unplug and replug it goes back to sounding crystal clear. The sound WILL NOT stop unless i unplug and plug back in my device.
> Could this be a negative battery terminal quirk or something more identifiable?"


Have you tried another USB cable? Do you have anything hooked into your aux jack?


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## Kodered8 (Nov 6, 2014)

Here are the screen shots from the FB thread!


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## Kodered8 (Nov 6, 2014)

Kodered8 said:


> ....People suggested trying a new cable.... i have done this multiple times and it does not fix the problem.


New out of the box cables from device manufacturers, as well as third party cables for those devices.


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## Daisy81 (Jun 17, 2012)

...


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## PurdueCruze (Jun 24, 2014)

I've experienced the same issue, but only on long trips, after maybe 2-3 hours of continuous music through the USB. 

Even then, I can't say that it happens _every_ time music plays for 2+ hours, but when it does happen its annoying. I'm glad this point came up.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

How are the MP3 players being powered? Anytime you connect another cable, you're adding a lot more complexity to the situation. If you power the device from it's own internal battery, does the noise go away?

In the case of connecting a phone, they frequently check in with the cell tower and it will cause bursts of "buzz". In fact having a phone near a sensitive device can cause the same problem.

Bottom line, I think another signal is 'riding' on the USB cable that's causing your problem.

Here's a sample of "cell phone buzz":


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

Does it crackle with a USB stick? If so, I'd be suspect of the USB interface with the audio system. From the USB recepticle all the way to the HU.


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## Kodered8 (Nov 6, 2014)

Jim Frye said:


> Does it crackle with a USB stick? If so, I'd be suspect of the USB interface with the audio system. From the USB recepticle all the way to the HU.


Thats my next try. Im going to load all the music on a 32 gb stick and see how that works out.


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## Kodered8 (Nov 6, 2014)

ChevyGuy said:


> How are the MP3 players being powered? Anytime you connect another cable, you're adding a lot more complexity to the situation. If you power the device from it's own internal battery, does the noise go away?
> 
> In the case of connecting a phone, they frequently check in with the cell tower and it will cause bursts of "buzz". In fact having a phone near a sensitive device can cause the same problem.
> 
> ...



Doesn't sound like cell buzz to me. I've also experienced this while in airplane mode so i think that rules it out. The devices are my iPhone and iPad so they charge while on usb. i can disable charge through usb in the setting i believe, ill give it a try and report back.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

On my Cruze, a 2012 2LT, the USB plug was not fully inserted at the rear of the radio. Just a possibility worth checking. Heck, all this stuff is in series.

Ha, other problems with my wife's ipad 4 are grandkids with sticky fingers. Or spilling a coke on a standard USB cable of a flashdrive. 

Your dealer should have a USB tester, can also be problems in the radio itself. Had problems on computer mainboards on the socket side, extremely tiny pins where just a touch of a fine point soldering iron would fix the problem. 

On day two with my Cruze, didn't like my battery terminals being dry, been using dielectric grease forever on these. Noticed the negative battery cable was loose even though the bolt was tight, no gap, so removed it and filed the insides so their is a gap. Three year later, get a letter from GM about this problem.

Also checked all the fluids, recovery tank was full when cold, week later is was low under the same conditions, just topped it off with dex-cool. Hasn't gone low since then. But also received a letter three years later that this can be a problem.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

Jim Frye said:


> Does it crackle with a USB stick? If so, I'd be suspect of the USB interface with the audio system. From the USB recepticle all the way to the HU.


Static would be something on the analog side. Digital problems tend to have a unique sound. But there could be an interfering signal riding the USB cable to the device that converts it to analog and messing with it.

But testing with a USB stick is a good idea.


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## Nobody (Feb 12, 2012)

I dealt with the crackle by simply unpluging and then pluging back in the usb. It only happens every once in a while after extended time listening. The cable was never the issue as I've used it in other cars and couldn't reproduce the crackle noise even after 4-6 hours of music


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## bluefirestarter (Jan 15, 2013)

I've experienced this issue in all of my recent cars when I hook up an iPod. The fix for me was to plug in the iPod to the car, power the iPod off while plugged in and turn it back on.. Should work fine after that. Makes no sense but that's what I do for my Cruze and did with the aftermarket units in my Camry and Trans Am


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Had to check on my computer, was 2/27/2008 wife wanted an MP3 player, was around 400 bucks as I recall, and that's all it did. 90 cents a track from itunes, and this is all you could use on it, and didn't even own it, just paying a license to use it.

So there it sits on a counter in an overpriced docking station gathering dust, has an ipad 4 now, least this plays conventional MP3's. Wonder if I could get five bucks for this thing if I put it on ebay? A lot has changed since then.


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