Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Radio Static

When I first got my LX, I was disappointed at the amount of static coming through the radio when the car was moving (mostly on AM). It appeared to be coming from the tires and wheels. The dealer installed the static accumulators for Taurus and that seemed to help a little. Now that the car is "loose" the problem has gone away. Did anyone else ever have this problem?

I have the same problem. There is a lot of static on the am stations when the car is turned on. When the car is not running it is clear. Ford sent off the radio to get fixed or replaced. I'll let you know what they say.

getting new spark plug wires might help

This may be related to TSB 01-7-3. Check it out...

ISSUE:
A "whining"/"buzzing" noise in the speakers of the entertainment radio or two-way radio on vehicles with an in-tank electric fuel pump may be caused by electrical noise from the fuel pump.

ACTION:
Install an electronic noise Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) Filter (F1PZ-18B925-A) on the fuel pump inside the fuel tank. Refer to the following Test Procedure to confirm that the concern exists, then refer to the Service Procedure for repair details.

TEST PROCEDURE
Fuel pump radio noise is relatively constant and changes only slightly with vehicle speed. If the frequency of the noise varies or the noise comes and goes with the vehicle speed, then it is not the fuel pump and this fix will not be effective. The following procedure will help determine if the fuel pump is the cause of the radio noise:

Turn on the radio before the key is turned on (assuming the radio will operate without the ignition key - you may need to put the ignition key in the Accessory position).
Turn the ignition key to the Run position (do not start the engine).
The fuel pump should run for about 1 second with the key in the Run position with the engine not running. Listen for noise in the radio. If noise is present while the pump is running and stops when the pump stops, then the noise is being generated by the pump and this procedure should help.