car radio - keeps changign stations, switching itself on and going louder...

[joko]

it does all this randomly on its own

what could be the reason? electrical short?

i dont mind it, but is it something that needs checking?

cheers

[Richard1966]

Are you driving a citroen, as i have had three and they all do it.

[ChuckFickens]

Do you have RDS traffic reports switched on?

[Buenchico]

I've had several cars where the radio has started doing strange things. in each case it wasn't very long before the alternator packed up. i.e. the problem was related to a fluctuating voltage from an alternator which wasn't functioning properly.

Chris

[gsr600]

I had a late Astra that would turn the radio on itself `when left overnight, a common fault with that model.

[joko]

its a vw passat tdi, auto

i dont know what yhe traffic reports are...? how would i know if theyre on?

is the alternator a major fault?

[Graham-W]

I had exactly the same problem until my divorce.
The radio/ cd player now plays what I want, when I want, at the volume I want.

[Buenchico]

A mechanic (or anyone with a multimeter) could quickly check the efficiency of your alternator by checking the voltage of your battery while the engine is running. A new alternator is one of the cheaper replacement parts on most cars(and requires very little labour to fit).

If your radio has RDS, and you've got traffic reports turned on, it will automatically switch to an appropriate channel when a travel report is broadcast. For example, let's assume that you're driving in Suffolk and listening to Radio 2. If BBC Radio Suffolk puts out a travel announcement, you radio will automatically switch over to that station for the duration of the announcement. (If you're within range of the BBC Radio Essex, Cambridgeshire or Norfolk transmitters, they'll also make your radio change channels when they broadcast travel news).

If you've got travel announcements turned on, there will be something like 'TA' or 'TP' displayed on the radio's screen. You need to look for a similarly labelled button to switch the function off.

Chris

[Buenchico]

PS: If your radio offers the 'traffic reports' function, it will provide you with those reports at a pre-determined volume level. (You need to dig deep into the radio's settings to change that level). That's done so that you can drive with the radio completely turned down (so that you can concentrate on your driving and/or talk to your passengers) but you'll still hear important travel news when you need it.

If the pre-set traffic announcement volume level is higher than your normal listening level you'll always notice a sudden increase in volume when your radio switches to a traffic announcement.

[joko]

cheers chris that soundf like what it is...