Help! Strange Sound from Radio area...

dm874 · 07-20-2016, 09:56 AM

So I recently started to get a random humming sound from my radio area. It has about a 10 second interval between each hum. It randomly comes and goes....walking away from the car and locking the car only works if I wait about 5 minutes before re-entering the car. This is very annoying. The video is posted below.
Any ideas would help!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oRE7Du_y_E

dm874 · 07-22-2016, 12:00 PM

Anyone?

mackeroni · 07-22-2016, 09:08 PM

That sounds like a servo motor running, but I don't know what it would be if it is coming from the dash/radio area. It sounds like a servo is trying to open or close something, but it is stuck. Some possibilities:

1. Is your sunroof closed? Does the same sound occur when you open it?
2. Try adjusting your recirculation switch to automatic or on.
3. Try the central locking switch on the dash. Little picture of a door, right below your hazard light switch.

Good luck.
3.

scythe1969 · 07-22-2016, 11:52 PM

It may sound dumb, but I had something similar happen in my car. I forgot I had a CD in the slot... Easy enough to check. :-) I'm curious to find out what it turns out to be.

dm874 · 07-25-2016, 08:27 AM

Ok thanks for the replies guys. I know there is no CD in there because I've clicked the ject button several times just to make sure. Maybe there is a CD stuck there from the previous owner?
The sound is different from the sunroof opening sound. This sound is louder and more electrical in tone.
I will try the central locking button next time the sound appears. Since it's intermittent i'll have to wait for it to appear again

mackeroni · 07-25-2016, 09:13 AM

You know, I think scythe1969 is on to something. I just inserted and removed a CD several times from my radio, and it sounded just like your video. You could confirm or disprove this theory by removing the fuse for your radio the next time the sound is occurring. If the sound stops, your CD unit is trying to eject something that is stuck, or maybe there is something else in the unit. A couple years ago, my niece spent 15 unsupervised minutes in her father's car inserting pennies into the CD slot. He could never get them all out, and the ejection process would occasionally run on its own without ever ejecting anything.

scythe1969 · 07-25-2016, 06:22 PM

yeah, i agree it sounds different than the normal CD eject sound, but I can't think of anything else that would be in that vicinity causing the noise. more curious than ever...

Dackelone · 07-25-2016, 07:12 PM

Try inserting a cd and see what it does?

I would also try selecting different air vent output to see if that changes the sound.

dm874 · 07-29-2016, 08:29 AM

Ok so I think I found the culprit. When my phone charger is plugged into the car before I start the car the sound starts. If I unplug the charger (while the car is on) the sound disappears. I guess the charger is triggering some kind of electrical signal on startup? If I start the car and then plug the charger in the sound does not appear. Very weird but at least I know how to stop it now

mackeroni · 07-29-2016, 11:50 AM

Sounds like the old joke...

Patient: "Doctor, it hurts when I do this."
Doctor: "Stop doing that."

07-20-2016, 09:56 AM	#1
dm874 Lieutenant 84 Rep 501 Posts Drives: 15' M4 Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Bucks County,PA iTrader: (0)	Help! Strange Sound from Radio area... So I recently started to get a random humming sound from my radio area. It has about a 10 second interval between each hum. It randomly comes and goes....walking away from the car and locking the car only works if I wait about 5 minutes before re-entering the car. This is very annoying. The video is posted below. Any ideas would help! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oRE7Du_y_E
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07-22-2016, 12:00 PM	#2
dm874 Lieutenant 84 Rep 501 Posts Drives: 15' M4 Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Bucks County,PA iTrader: (0)	Anyone?
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07-22-2016, 09:08 PM	#3
mackeroni Former Opel GT Pilot 327 Rep 771 Posts Drives: 2011 135i, AW, CR, 6MT Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Canton, OH USA iTrader: (0)	That sounds like a servo motor running, but I don't know what it would be if it is coming from the dash/radio area. It sounds like a servo is trying to open or close something, but it is stuck. Some possibilities: 1. Is your sunroof closed? Does the same sound occur when you open it? 2. Try adjusting your recirculation switch to automatic or on. 3. Try the central locking switch on the dash. Little picture of a door, right below your hazard light switch. Good luck. 3. __________________ So, that's it. I am doomed. There is no patch, no methadone, no substitute. Curse you BMW. Curse you and your seamless power delivery. Curse the incredible sense of road feel. Curse the comfort, the luxury, the envious looks from the masses. I am... hopelessly addicted.
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07-22-2016, 11:52 PM	#4
scythe1969 Private First Class 21 Rep 105 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: SoCal iTrader: (1)	It may sound dumb, but I had something similar happen in my car. I forgot I had a CD in the slot... Easy enough to check. :-) I'm curious to find out what it turns out to be.
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07-25-2016, 08:27 AM	#5
dm874 Lieutenant 84 Rep 501 Posts Drives: 15' M4 Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Bucks County,PA iTrader: (0)	Ok thanks for the replies guys. I know there is no CD in there because I've clicked the ject button several times just to make sure. Maybe there is a CD stuck there from the previous owner? The sound is different from the sunroof opening sound. This sound is louder and more electrical in tone. I will try the central locking button next time the sound appears. Since it's intermittent i'll have to wait for it to appear again
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07-25-2016, 09:13 AM	#6
mackeroni Former Opel GT Pilot 327 Rep 771 Posts Drives: 2011 135i, AW, CR, 6MT Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Canton, OH USA iTrader: (0)	You know, I think scythe1969 is on to something. I just inserted and removed a CD several times from my radio, and it sounded just like your video. You could confirm or disprove this theory by removing the fuse for your radio the next time the sound is occurring. If the sound stops, your CD unit is trying to eject something that is stuck, or maybe there is something else in the unit. A couple years ago, my niece spent 15 unsupervised minutes in her father's car inserting pennies into the CD slot. He could never get them all out, and the ejection process would occasionally run on its own without ever ejecting anything. __________________ So, that's it. I am doomed. There is no patch, no methadone, no substitute. Curse you BMW. Curse you and your seamless power delivery. Curse the incredible sense of road feel. Curse the comfort, the luxury, the envious looks from the masses. I am... hopelessly addicted.
	Appreciate 1 Quote

07-25-2016, 06:22 PM	#7
scythe1969 Private First Class 21 Rep 105 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: SoCal iTrader: (1)	yeah, i agree it sounds different than the normal CD eject sound, but I can't think of anything else that would be in that vicinity causing the noise. more curious than ever...
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07-25-2016, 07:12 PM	#8
Dackelone European Editor 10532 Rep 22,992 Posts Drives: N54 e82 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Bayern, Germany iTrader: (1)	Try inserting a cd and see what it does? I would also try selecting different air vent output to see if that changes the sound. __________________ Dackel's European Delivery Museum Guide
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07-29-2016, 08:29 AM	#9
dm874 Lieutenant 84 Rep 501 Posts Drives: 15' M4 Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Bucks County,PA iTrader: (0)	Ok so I think I found the culprit. When my phone charger is plugged into the car before I start the car the sound starts. If I unplug the charger (while the car is on) the sound disappears. I guess the charger is triggering some kind of electrical signal on startup? If I start the car and then plug the charger in the sound does not appear. Very weird but at least I know how to stop it now
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07-29-2016, 11:50 AM	#10
mackeroni Former Opel GT Pilot 327 Rep 771 Posts Drives: 2011 135i, AW, CR, 6MT Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Canton, OH USA iTrader: (0)	Sounds like the old joke... Patient: "Doctor, it hurts when I do this." Doctor: "Stop doing that." __________________ So, that's it. I am doomed. There is no patch, no methadone, no substitute. Curse you BMW. Curse you and your seamless power delivery. Curse the incredible sense of road feel. Curse the comfort, the luxury, the envious looks from the masses. I am... hopelessly addicted.
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