In my 2002 Escape, I was driving with the radio off and loud static started coming out of the rear drivers side door speaker. I turned the radio on and the static continued. When I would tap on the speaker with the car sitting still, the noise would start and stop. I'm guessing this is the speaker, but is that the case since it made the noise while the radio was not on? Afterwards, the radio was playing and the volumne would adjust up and down without me touching the volume control. Any thoughts on either of these two problems? Thanks!

 

the static noise sounds like enigine noise feeding back thru the radio. The volume going up and down on its own well,,,,,you got a ghost lol. seriously though sounds like the radio is shorting out somehow, does this radio have like volume controls in the steering wheel? the reason i ask is because with the steering wheel radio controls there is that much more wiring that could be grounding out or somthing causeing the problem in the steering colum or somthing. Id suggest just putting in a good quality after market stereo in itbut heck now days you got to be a ASE certified auto tech practicallyjust to change the radio the way they make everything such pain to dothese days. well if you decide that you do want to stick with the factory radio id start another thread asking for wiring diagrams for your whole stereo system that way you may be able to trace the wiring and find possible shorting/grounding out issues. although with the volume going up and down on its own it maybe in the radio itself and might not fixable unless replaced for another. If you did decide to get a after market stereo keep in mind almost all car stereo systems use factory amplifiers these days and when you go to hook up typical after market radios the use of those factory amplifiers are sometimes elimanated. being that it is sometimes impossible to get the kind of wiring harnesses needed to hook up the after market raido and still maintain use of the factory amplifier. well good luck and let us know what you find out.

 

Another thing i wanted to ask is the static noise does it seem to get lower and higher with engine speed? if so that would confirm the engine noise back feeding thru the radio, that can sometimes be fixed just be useing autolite spark plugs that have the radio isulators or noise supressors what ever its called its something in the plug that helps with engine noises that can flow throughout the cars electrical system into the speakers wiring and causeing them to static or whine while engine is running.sound usuallygets lower the less rpms the engines is turning and it get louder and higher pitch when the engine is reved up.

 

Sounds like you have a lose wire where the speaker is that is touching metal in the door.

When you say the volume is going up and down. Is it when you are driving and the volume goes up when you drive faster and when slowing it goes down? There is a feature on radios, maybe when you were messing with the radio you turned this feature on. Check your manual for this. It is a speed control thing. I forget what term they would use for this feature.