If you’ve ever been in a car and noticed a buzzing sound coming from the stereo, then you’re not alone. This is an issue that many people experience when they listen to music with their speakers.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss the most common causes of buzzes and hums in your audio system and what you can do to fix them!
11 Reasons Why Car Stereo is Making a Buzzing Sound
A car stereo can make a buzzing sound for a bad ground, damaged car speaker, or electromagnetic interferences. Apart from these, there can be other reasons as well which we’re going to discuss in detail below-
1. Loose Wire Connections
Loose speaker connections are one of the most common reasons for making a buzzing sound. There can be several wires connected with your car speakers including power cables, ground cables, audio cabling, etc. All these wirings work together to make sure that you have high-quality music playing in your vehicle’s stereo system.
If any wire is loose or not properly connected, a buzzing sound will be produced. The first thing that you need to do is check all the wires and cables for any loose connections or damages. Also, make sure your car battery has sufficient charge as it can cause this issue as well if there’s not enough power in it.
2. Car Speaker Failure
If you hear a short-circuiting sound coming from your speakers, then you need to check if one or both of them is not working. There can be several reasons behind the failure of a car speaker including dust and moisture accumulation in it, damage by water, torn cone, etc.
If any of your car’s speakers are broken due to these issues, then they’ll need to be replaced.
3. Buzzing Sound Due To Magnetic Interference
If your speakers are making a buzzing sound, then you could have an issue with electromagnetic interference. This can happen because of multiple reasons including low battery levels in the car, poor grounding system, poorly managed cables, poor cable shielding, etc.
To fix this problem make sure that all connections related to the ground are properly connected, the car battery is fully charged and all the cables are shielded to reduce audio interference.
A good way to remove interference is using a ground loop isolator. This will isolate the ground loop eliminating the electromagnetic interference in the system, which will result in clear and crispy sound without any hum or buzz.
4. Incorrect Speaker Placement
If you have placed your speakers incorrectly in a way so that it’s touching another part of the vehicle or any other metal object then there can be a buzz issue as well. An easy way to know whether this is the cause is increasing the sound in the car. If the increased sound causes the issue, that’s a good indication that the speaker is not correctly installed.
To fix this problem make sure that each speaker is placed correctly and not touching any metal part of your car. If they do, get them out of the enclosure and put them back again in the correct order.
5. Ground Wire Issue
If you have a loose ground connection in your car then there can be an issue with the audio system. To fix this problem make sure that all connections related to the ground are properly connected, and that any loose wires are tightened up.
6. Low-Quality Cables
If you’re using low-quality audio cables, then they can also make a buzzing sound. Cheap wires are not properly shielded to reduce audio interference and sometimes the core elements are also compromised. To fix this problem, replace your cables with high-quality ones which are properly shielded and grounded for better sound quality.
7. RCA and Power Cables in Close Proximity
RCA cables are used to connect your head unit with the amplifier of your car stereo. If the power cables and RCA cables connecting these two devices are placed in close proximity, then there can be an issue with them causing a buzzing sound.
To fix this problem make sure that both RCA and power cables don’t get tangled up or cross each other’s paths while you’re performing any type of installation.
8. Low-Quality Music Files
Low-quality music files are another common reason for producing buzzes or hums in your car stereo system. To fix this problem make sure that you play only high-quality music files in your head unit to get the best experience of listening through it.
9. Antenna Noise
If you’re hearing a buzzing sound through your speakers when the radio, CD, or MPlayer is off, then it can be due to antenna noise. Or if the problem only occurs when you play FM radio.
Either way, you’ll need an antenna noise suppressor device to solve the issue.
10. Car Stereo is Faulty
If you tried everything and the issue is not yet solved, then the head unit may have gone bad or there are some issues in it internally. If you suspect that, it is best to consult with the seller from whom you have purchased the device or go to the authorized service center for a fix.
11. Alternator Going Bad
If you hear a loud humming sound coming from your vehicle’s engine which can be easily mistaken as stereo sound, then it can be an issue with the alternator going bad.
Before you take this into consideration, you should first ensure that there is nothing wrong with the stereo. Otherwise, you may end up troubleshooting at the wrong place.
Conclusion
buzzing sound in a car infotainment system is one of the irritating things that can happen on your trip. If you have just installed a new stereo system, it is best to go to the shop from where you have installed the device. They should solve the issue free of charge.
However, if the issue has suddenly appeared after years of usage, the issue may have developed due to regular wear and tear or for some other reason. In such cases, you can troubleshoot this by following our guide one by one.
