I think I need to get a new (used) amp.

[Patron100LC]

Hi,

My sound system has been very annoying lately.

Every time it's cold (I'm in South FL, so basically when it's below 75F) and I turn on the radio/bluetooth (Vais), the speakers produce a Very loud noise, sounds like someone is trying to communicate from Mars.. that's what my kids say. It sounds like a really loud interference that can wake up the dead. No difference if it's on radio/cd/aux.

I shut it off, drive for a few, AC on so around 70deg in the car, and after a few miles/minutes the sound is gone. It might take a bit longer if it's raining or below 70.. It almost doesn't happen if it's dry and sunny, it always happen on colder/wet mornings. Cold is the issue I believe, since it happens when super dry and chilly too. It's been happening for a while, maybe 2-3 years, I did take the screen and radio off a few times for other stuff since, no changes.

I took the seat and amp off, cleaned connectors, cleaned grounds, opened covers to inspect and clean.. same thing.

Anyone had this happen?

If I want to get a used amp to try, which numbers should match?

Looking at the pics I think this might not be the amp, sorry, took everything apart to clean, and I'm looking for all pics of that day.

 

[TwistedCon]

I believe what you have there is the Nav computer. I have no idea what that parking assist computer is.

Thats a good amount of corrosion on the top of that nav computer. Mine had far less than and I had it draining my battery. I also had a damaged amp. Check for windshield, roofrack bolt, and sunroof leaks.

For fun you can try and run without the nav computer and see if that was causing the issue. But the nav should only play any noises on the driver door side speakers, no where else.

 

[Mike NXP]

Was that under your driver seat? That's not your amp.

What type of audio does your rig have, on the dash does it show JBL or Mark Levinson?

When you press buttons on your nav, do you hear beeps ?

If you can access your Fade / Balance and they respond properly.... and/or you hear the lady talking in the NAV / the beeps when clicking stuff than your AMP is fine and your head unit is the problem....

Resource for rebuild of either component below, although he seems to be a bit backlogged
Automotive audio electronics repair | OEM Auto Audio Inc. - https://www.oemautoaudio.com/

 

[Patron100LC]

I believe what you have there is the Nav computer. I have no idea what that parking assist computer is.

Thats a good amount of corrosion on the top of that nav computer. Mine had far less than and I had it draining my battery. I also had a damaged amp. Check for windshield, roofrack bolt, and sunroof leaks.

For fun you can try and run without the nav computer and see if that was causing the issue. But the nav should only play any noises on the driver door side speakers, no where else.

Was that under your driver seat? That's not your amp.

What type of audio does your rig have, on the dash does it show JBL or Mark Levinson?

When you press buttons on your nav, do you hear beeps ?

If you can access your Fade / Balance and they respond properly.... and/or you hear the lady talking in the NAV / the beeps when clicking stuff than your AMP is fine and your head unit is the problem....

Resource for rebuild of either component below, although he seems to be a bit backlogged
Automotive audio electronics repair | OEM Auto Audio Inc. - https://www.oemautoaudio.com/

Thanks for the replies.

Yeah, looked at the pics after posting them, the pictures were taken around 6 months ago last time I was under the seat, and they were snapped so I can remember the position it goes back, no idea why I didn't photographed the amp, but it was there, and looked better than expected, all plugs were fine, no corrosion on grounds or mounts, opened the cover to look inside expecting to see corrosion but none.

Water intrusion is a part of my LC ownership's experience, 7 years strong and still didn't get to it, but it never reaches the seats, always close to the kick panels/A pillars.
Gremlins live there for sure, but they do go to sleep after a few dry days. The audio noise happens even after weeks of no rain, when all other gremlins left, but only when cold (startup and a few minutes later).

Mike, regarding audio noises and beeps, if it's cold, as soon as the radio/audio is turned on it makes that awful noise, impossible to be in the car for more than a couple seconds, it sounds like Marty McFly's huge speaker!

Shut off and all is quiet.

After driving for a few, I try to turn on, sometimes it still makes the noise and If I got the bluetooth device on it fades off and goes back to normal.. sometimes it's just normal, depending mostly on temperature. When it's normal, everything works just fine, all buttons, all beeps, BT, CD, and radio.

What makes it hard to diagnose is the fact that the noise goes away after warmup, and the only way to replicate is at startup.

BTW it's a JBL on a 2005 LC, I hope it isn't the head unit since I believe it's way more expensive than an amplifier, but it could be..

 

[Mike NXP]

Thanks for the replies.

Yeah, looked at the pics after posting them, the pictures were taken around 6 months ago last time I was under the seat, and they were snapped so I can remember the position it goes back, no idea why I didn't photographed the amp, but it was there, and looked better than expected, all plugs were fine, no corrosion on grounds or mounts, opened the cover to look inside expecting to see corrosion but none.

Water intrusion is a part of my LC ownership's experience, 7 years strong and still didn't get to it, but it never reaches the seats, always close to the kick panels/A pillars.
Gremlins live there for sure, but they do go to sleep after a few dry days. The audio noise happens even after weeks of no rain, when all other gremlins left, but only when cold (startup and a few minutes later).

Mike, regarding audio noises and beeps, if it's cold, as soon as the radio/audio is turned on it makes that awful noise, impossible to be in the car for more than a couple seconds, it sounds like Marty McFly's huge speaker!


View attachment 4034775


Shut off and all is quiet.

After driving for a few, I try to turn on, sometimes it still makes the noise and If I got the bluetooth device on it fades off and goes back to normal.. sometimes it's just normal, depending mostly on temperature. When it's normal, everything works just fine, all buttons, all beeps, BT, CD, and radio.

What makes it hard to diagnose is the fact that the noise goes away after warmup, and the only way to replicate is at startup.

BTW it's a JBL on a 2005 LC, I hope it isn't the head unit since I believe it's way more expensive than an amplifier, but it could be..

Since you said you get the beeps on button press and everything is normal at times, my GUESS is a problem with your head unit not the amp.. That doesn't necessarily mean your whole navigation system rather the little tape deck down below which is a separate piece

I could be mistaken, I have more experience with the mark Levinson setup on the Lexus.

You should try to hit up that guy I link to above, he's good at rebuilding and he'll help you diagnose to figure out what part to send in. I sent him my amp when I thought it was the problem, he diagnosed that nothing was wrong with it and sent it back, then spent the time to help me realize it was the head unit and not the amp. He got it rebuilt for fairly cheap, can't remember exactly how much