[xraychick01]

Has anyone else noticed a very annoying high-pitched noise in their car? I've figured out that it is originating around the area of the radio/cd player. It's only noticeable when very quiet. Most of the time the radio is up loud enough and/or there is enough other noise such as road noise or a conversation but since I know it's there it's easier to detect now. I've tried turning off the stereo and air and it's still there. The only time I don't hear it is when the car is turned completely off. It's a steady high pitched ring. What do you think might be the cause of this? Do you think it can be fixed? Anyone else noticed this?

 

[DrivenDaily]

As cars got alternators instead of generators there was a tendency for the rectifying diodes to sometimes leak (electrically speaking) and that would cause a high-pitched noise like you describe. It would usually be constant but get louder as time went by. Fixing it was fairly simple, either replace the rectifiers or get a new alternator.

Sometimes it can be caused by interference from the high voltage ignition wires, or in the case of our coil-on-plug engines, a wire or wires too close to any one of the coils, or a coil that is damaged or defective. This is usually referred to as RFI - radio frequency interference.

Finally, it could be an electronic module that is suffering a deficiency similar to the rectifier leak above, but not as obvious or easy to fix.

My sister has a '97 Cadillac that would make a noise like that in the right front speaker, but only when it was below about 40 F outside. We searched all over the car and couldn't get it to go away. Then a few months ago she asked me to replace all of her exterior bulbs (one was burned out, the rest were just old). After that her whine disappeared. Her car has a system that alerts her if a bulb is out. All we can assume (not a good way to diagnose, I know!) is that there were possibly some poor connections causing feed-back through the module that monitors them, which in turn bled into the amplifier circuit. Not too sure about it, but seems somewhat logical. Since it's not doing it anymore we're not looking for it, either. (Oh happy day!)

Your system should not make any whining noises like you describe. One of the things we searched for in her car was leaves or other debris in the blades of the HVAC blower. A very small piece of stuff can make an irritating noise until it either wears out or is removed. Other than that I'd suggest you take it to the dealer when it's convenient to you. Just be sure you can reliably reproduce the sound so they don't send it out the door with "Unable to duplicate or diagnose" on the repair order.

 

[xraychick01]

As cars got alternators instead of generators there was a tendency for the rectifying diodes to sometimes leak (electrically speaking) and that would cause a high-pitched noise like you describe. It would usually be constant but get louder as time went by. Fixing it was fairly simple, either replace the rectifiers or get a new alternator.

Sometimes it can be caused by interference from the high voltage ignition wires, or in the case of our coil-on-plug engines, a wire or wires too close to any one of the coils, or a coil that is damaged or defective. This is usually referred to as RFI - radio frequency interference.

Finally, it could be an electronic module that is suffering a deficiency similar to the rectifier leak above, but not as obvious or easy to fix.

My sister has a '97 Cadillac that would make a noise like that in the right front speaker, but only when it was below about 40 F outside. We searched all over the car and couldn't get it to go away. Then a few months ago she asked me to replace all of her exterior bulbs (one was burned out, the rest were just old). After that her whine disappeared. Her car has a system that alerts her if a bulb is out. All we can assume (not a good way to diagnose, I know!) is that there were possibly some poor connections causing feed-back through the module that monitors them, which in turn bled into the amplifier circuit. Not too sure about it, but seems somewhat logical. Since it's not doing it anymore we're not looking for it, either. (Oh happy day!)

Your system should not make any whining noises like you describe. One of the things we searched for in her car was leaves or other debris in the blades of the HVAC blower. A very small piece of stuff can make an irritating noise until it either wears out or is removed. Other than that I'd suggest you take it to the dealer when it's convenient to you. Just be sure you can reliably reproduce the sound so they don't send it out the door with "Unable to duplicate or diagnose" on the repair order.

Wow, thanks for the info. I had my boyfriend listen for it and he could only faintly hear it when he put his ear up to the radio/cd area. Otherwise he can't hear it. It's constant unless the car is off. I just hope whoever I take it to can actually hear it too.

 

[elcompaLalo]

Wow, thanks for the info. I had my boyfriend listen for it and he could only faintly hear it when he put his ear up to the radio/cd area. Otherwise he can't hear it. It's constant unless the car is off. I just hope whoever I take it to can actually hear it too.

I had a similar sound in my truck, not necessarily annoying but it was weird. It was the CD player, when a disc was loaded it would run it and the noise came from it spinning inside the deck. Have you tried ejecting the/all discs in the radio/CD player and seeing if that is where it comes from?

 

[xraychick01]

I had a similar sound in my truck, not necessarily annoying but it was weird. It was the CD player, when a disc was loaded it would run it and the noise came from it spinning inside the deck. Have you tried ejecting the/all discs in the radio/CD player and seeing if that is where it comes from?

Yes, I actually noticed the noise even before I ever put a disc in the player.

 

[xraychick01]

I'm sitting here watching tv at my mothers and notice her tv is making a high pitched ring that is similar to the one in my car. Strange.

 

[DrivenDaily]

xray, When I have the key in the accessory position there is a high-pitched noise from under the hood. There's a module between the battery and the left headlight that seems to be the source. See if yours does the same, and then see if that's the source. Not likely, but again, it's free to look and listen.

 

[elcompaLalo]

Some electronics tend to do that. Maybe it is the deck itself.............the deck in my Silverado made noise too (through the speakers) and I had it exchanged at the dealer. If you can't diagnose the noise issue I would try that route, just be prepared for them to turn you down. If you hold your ground and have them hear you might just get em to replace it.

 

[xraychick01]

xray, When I have the key in the accessory position there is a high-pitched noise from under the hood. There's a module between the battery and the left headlight that seems to be the source. See if yours does the same, and then see if that's the source. Not likely, but again, it's free to look and listen.

Thank you, I will give that a try.

 

[xraychick01]

Some electronics tend to do that. Maybe it is the deck itself.............the deck in my Silverado made noise too (through the speakers) and I had it exchanged at the dealer. If you can't diagnose the noise issue I would try that route, just be prepared for them to turn you down. If you hold your ground and have them hear you might just get em to replace it.

Thank you. I listened for it in the speakers and couldn't hear it. It seems to be originating in the dash near the cd player/radio. I'm going to take it to a dealer about the squeaky break pedal too and I will have them listen for the high pitched noise as well.

 

[xraychick01]

I sat in the car today and turned the radio off and the car off and took the keys out of the ingnition. I even opened and closed the driver side door so the radio would definitely be off (since it stays on even with keys out of ignition until the driver door opens). I could hear the noise until the overhead dome lights finally shut off. Then all was quiet.

 

[Silver LTZ]

I sat in the car today and turned the radio off and the car off and took the keys out of the ingnition. I even opened and closed the driver side door so the radio would definitely be off (since it stays on even with keys out of ignition until the driver door opens). I could hear the noise until the overhead dome lights finally shut off. Then all was quiet.

It is the timer for the RAP. Retained Accessory Power. It is just more noticeable in some cars.

 

[xraychick01]

It is the timer for the RAP. Retained Accessory Power. It is just more noticeable in some cars.

Does it continually make the noise while the car is on?

 

[Silver LTZ]

Does it continually make the noise while the car is on?

No it should just do it when you turn it off. I didn't read all the posts, sorry it that was mentioned.

The RAP timer seems to be coming from the back of the car and is a quiet, yet noticeable noise if your listening for it. And it stops 10 minutes after car is turned off or the dome lights go off.

 

[mevbo]

xray, When I have the key in the accessory position there is a high-pitched noise from under the hood. There's a module between the battery and the left headlight that seems to be the source. See if yours does the same, and then see if that's the source. Not likely, but again, it's free to look and listen.

Mine just started to do this after Sears did a "check" on the battery / charging system. At the same time, my turn signal freaked out. Thought it was a bulb, but that is good. Now the right side stays lite constant. If I turn off the lights, the 4 ways go. Also the auto down and up on my driver door stopped working. What did they d to my baby?

 

[Speed_Freak5150]

You may have a week battery. Weak batteries do strange things with these cars.

 

[Drunken Elvis]

Worth a try.....Disconnect the battery and hold the Negative and Positive leads from the car together for a few seconds. Wait another minute then do it again and finally reconnect the battery. This may re-set the computer.

DO NOT connect the Positive and Negative posts of the battery together.

 

[mevbo]

Worth a try.....Disconnect the battery and hold the Negative and Positive leads from the car together for a few seconds. Wait another minute then do it again and finally reconnect the battery. This may re-set the computer.

DO NOT connect the Positive and Negative posts of the battery together.

thank you both for the replies it is a new battery and resetting the computer made no difference.

 

[mevbo]

thank you both for the replies it is a new battery and resetting the computer made no difference.

You are all going to laugh at me. it was the dumbest set of coincidences that could ever have run together. it turns out the problem was the bulb. By chance the filament that broke was laying across the other filament and feeding the voltage back through the system. the window stopped working because of me unhooking the battery and doing a reset. and as stated earlier in this thread the whining noise from the front of the battery is normal not something wrong. $115 for a $2 bulb. Lesson learned. had to take it to a dealership and pay the diagnostic fee. Sears had it for 3 hours and gave up and told me to go to the dealer and they would pay for it. I ended up paying for it because it wasn't their fault at all. now it's time to have a few beers.....cheers. it's Friday.

 

[Speed_Freak5150]

You are all going to laugh at me. it was the dumbest set of coincidences that could ever have run together. it turns out the problem was the bulb. By chance the filament that broke was laying across the other filament and feeding the voltage back through the system. the window stopped working because of me unhooking the battery and doing a reset. and as stated earlier in this thread the whining noise from the front of the battery is normal not something wrong. $115 for a $2 bulb. Lesson learned. had to take it to a dealership and pay the diagnostic fee. Sears had it for 3 hours and gave up and told me to go to the dealer and they would pay for it. I ended up paying for it because it wasn't their fault at all. now it's time to have a few beers.....cheers. it's Friday.

Sucks that you had to have the dealer find. Glad you got it fixed though.