Crackly radio driving me NUTZZZ! Speakers come in and out

[91coMANche]

What is wrong with my factory AM/FM radio. I want to keep the original Jeep AM/FM radio in the truck. Right now it will only play some speakers and then a pothole will bring in other speakers and it makes driving with radio horrible. If I push on the faceplate it will bring in all speakers. I cleaned and reattached the back harness to no fix. What else could it be?

[lostissues]

could be just a bad radio. may want to grab one from a junk yard. just be sure that you can test it and return it if it doesn't work. also check the wiring mainly in the door boots and leading to the speakers. make sure the wires are attached to the speaker well and that the wires are not dry rotted and cracking (very common in Cherokees for the wires to dry rot and crack in the door boot). maybe replace the speakers if they are not in very good condition.

[jimoshel]

If pushing on the face plate brings all the speakers in, then obviously the problem is in the radio itself. You have a loose wire or connection. It could be one of the controls on the panel or one of the wires coming out of the back of the set. Get the radio out to where you can reach everything and just begin probing, wiggling and touching everything.

[91coMANche]

Ok sounds good. Got it apart to clean and fiddle but I also know where there is a good one in the junkyard too.

[kyleag89]

I'm not sure where at in MD you live but I have a factory am/fm/cassette you can have for free.

[91coMANche]

I'm not sure where at in MD you live but I have a factory am/fm/cassette you can have for free.

 

Thanks man! If I can't get this one running I'll have to take you up on that offer!

[Automan2164]

I also had this problem on my old metric ton once. Turned out that the radio was getting a bad ground. The truck was a radio-delete from factory, so the PO put one in and mounted an antenna. He didn't ground it right, and everytime the antenna would shift, it would crackle out, and shut down the radio. I added a grounding wire from the radio body to the metal frame of the dash by the ash tray, and wit went away.

 

Rob L.

[Carl'sMJ]

I also had a similar problem. Mine turned out to be the antenna connection... On the passenger side behind the kick plate the antenna cable from the radio connects to the external antenna. The metal connectors crimped onto the cable had come loose and was leading to alot of "crackling' on the radio when I drove. I'd give this connection a check. It's not too hard to get to or fix so it may save you some time and energy to check.

[Comanche County]

Also check your antenna cable junction inside the passenger kick panel...sometimes they work loose. Usually you just lose reception though.

[91coMANche]

Its not the antenna because the sound will bounce around the various speakers...when I push around on the faceplate it will help something and fix the problem...go over a bump and its broken again...I have the whole radio apart and cleaned...I just need to find the time to put it back together and test.