Renault Scenic radio mystery!

Renault Scenic radio mystery!

Author
Discussion

paxtec

Original Poster:

8 posts

171 months

Friday 31st October 2014
quotequote all
Hi Everyone,

I'm faced with a real mystery with a brand new Scenic. Yes I know - don't buy a Scenic - but my other car is a Porsche honest, see it at Wilmslow this coming Wednesday evening.

I bought a new Scenic in March this year and within a day realised the radio was playing up. On Radio 4, yes I know boring!, and RDS it would lose signal and go silent, seeming to search for a signal. Sometimes it took 20 minutes to find a signal. Complained to the dealer, they tried to fix but no difference. Wrote to Renault UK they tried all sorts of things - software updates, DAB radio processor, entire new radio system all to no effect. Finally admitted defeat in August this year and agreed to replace the car(!!!!).

So I collect my new car end of September and guess what the new car is just the same...........

Dealer says they don't have another Scenic showing this problem.

Lots of recent messing: if I listen to Radio 4 on Long Wave no problem its just a crap sound; its not just Radio 4 its any FM station; if a traffic update comes in whist the signal is lost, cancelling the traffic signal brings Radio 4 back; its not consistent on a journey as to where a signal is lost; turning the radio off and on again makes no difference; turning the car on and off again makes no difference; if I park with the signal lost, by the time I come back to it the signal is always recovered; Renault say it is only my car, no-one else has the problem hence replacing my car.

I'm not particularly odd - no pacemaker, no metal in my body.....

I'm losing the will to live, a great car audio guy has had the car today and can't shed any light on the problem, what the hell do I do?

Peter

Spare tyre

10,360 posts

137 months

Friday 31st October 2014
quotequote all
Hmm

Do you have any odd electrics, mobile phone, dash cam, phone charger, garage door opener, any thing like that?

paxtec

Original Poster:

8 posts

171 months

Friday 31st October 2014
quotequote all
Hi,
Nothing odd, the Scenic has facility to Bluetooth a mobile phone which I do, but over time I've had 2 different phones and tried decoupling the phone for a couple of days but no difference. No garage opener, or anything else non-standard.
Peter

VWDaz86

387 posts

193 months

Friday 31st October 2014
quotequote all
Couple of ideas

Could renault lend you an identical car(ideally) or another model with same radio set up for you to try?

Do you have access to another car of any brand with a DAB?

Both of these could shed light on if its an area/DAB signal issue on that particular station rather than a car issue.

Butter Face

31,687 posts

167 months

Friday 31st October 2014
quotequote all
Do you have DAB? The DAB add on accessory?

paxtec

Original Poster:

8 posts

171 months

Friday 31st October 2014
quotequote all
Hi,
DAB as an add-on accessory, but no difference at all, just proved that the problem was within the radio/RDS function to me.
Remember, I've had 2 cars both brand new, both with exactly the same problem and the DAB processor has't effected the core signal loss problem.
Peter

paxtec

Original Poster:

8 posts

171 months

Friday 31st October 2014
quotequote all
Hi,
Asking to borrow a Scenic demonstrator is a good thought, I'll do that, thanks.
Peter

Butter Face

31,687 posts

167 months

Friday 31st October 2014
quotequote all
You're one of the very few who have had the DAB accessory, it's a bit of an afterthought IMO and doesn't really flow that well with the rest of the system.

That being said, I've not seen this issue in any scenic I've sold or driven.

It's an odd one for sure, especially for it to present in two cars. When it loses the signal, can you search manually and find anything or is it complete radio silence?


Edit: has the problem presented itself after using your bluetooth? There's a quirk with the DAB (which uses the fingertip controls to work where it cuts bluetooth functionality from the fingertip controls) my clio would sometimes completely lose signal after using the bluetooth/DAB.

paxtec

Original Poster:

8 posts

171 months

Friday 31st October 2014
quotequote all
I was told I was the first vehicle they had retrofitted the DAB processor to, but they were clutching at straws at that stage, it didn't help at all.
When it loses signal the radio locks up you can't retune at all, even turning the system off and back on again makes no difference, it seems to need time to reset itself. Its better to leave it switched on and let it find a signal again, 2 to 20 minutes, then all returns to normal, meanwhile phone system and nav work fine.
Peter

paxtec

Original Poster:

8 posts

171 months

Friday 31st October 2014
quotequote all
It doesn't seem linked to bluetooth, I've tried it without the phone being coupled but the problem still happened.
Peter

Spare tyre

10,360 posts

137 months

Saturday 1st November 2014
quotequote all
Hmm

Does the car have xenons, I've noticed interference when flicking on xenons and using other electrical devices in the car

This wasn't a Renault though

skyrover

12,686 posts

211 months

Saturday 1st November 2014
quotequote all
It's a Renault...

POCKET1

3 posts

116 months

Sunday 1st March 2015
quotequote all
HI, IVE GOT THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2011 RENAULT TRAFIC. DOES YOUR CAR HAVE THE BUILT IN SAT NAV? IF SO YOU WILL FIND THE PROBLEM TO BE THE AERIAL/SAT NAV AMPLIFIER WHICH IS LOCATED WITHIN THE AERIAL BASE ON THE ROOF OF YOUR CAR. IT IS A ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT BOARD WHICH HAS SEVERAL COMPONANTS SOLDERERED ONTO THE BOARD. IM NO ELECTRONICS WIZARD BUT AFTER TAKING MINE APART TODAY AND THE FACT THAT THE SIGNAL IS FINE FOR A WHILE THEN JUST FADES AWAY AFTER A WHILE (EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS SITTING ON THE DRIVE NOT MOVING, MY CONCLUSION IS THAT THERE IS A CAPACITOR ON THE APM THAT FAILS ONCE IT GETS TO WARM AFTER A WHILE. I HAVE CHECKED EVERYTHING ELSE ON THE WHOLE SYSTEM AND THERE IS DEFINATELY A FAULT WITH THAT AMP . ANY COMMENTS AS TO ME BEING RIGHT OR WRONG WILL BE GLADLY RECIEVED. PS SORRY BOUT MY CRAP SPELLING ETC

littleredrooster

5,707 posts

203 months

Sunday 1st March 2015
quotequote all
POCKET1 said:
PS SORRY BOUT MY CRAP SPELLING ETC
It would just be nice if you didn't SHOUT all the time...we can all hear ya!
smile

POCKET1

3 posts

116 months

Sunday 1st March 2015
quotequote all
wots that supposed t mean

littleredrooster

5,707 posts

203 months

Sunday 1st March 2015
quotequote all
POCKET1 said:
wots that supposed t mean
Well - look at your post, then look at all the other posts on PH. See any difference?

POCKET1

3 posts

116 months

Sunday 1st March 2015
quotequote all
get a life

All that jazz

7,632 posts

153 months

Sunday 1st March 2015
quotequote all
rofl

littleredrooster

5,707 posts

203 months

Sunday 1st March 2015
quotequote all
POCKET1 said:
get a life
Got a life, thanks. Rather wunnerful life; retired, just celebrated our Ruby wedding anniversary with a fantastic missus, enough resources to enjoy life on two wheels or four, just landed a part-time job to ferry prestige cars around the country and chauffeur selected celebrities. But I don't feel the need to shout...

SkeetKing

1 posts

116 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
quotequote all
I have a new Scenic - picked up last week. I find I am experiencing exactly the same symptoms as paxtec with my radio. So it's **not** just your Scenic that's affected.

I don't have DAB, and I've tried with and without RDS, and with/without phone. I haven't looked yet, but is there a way to turn off the SatNav to see if that's involved?

My car is booked in with the Renault Dealer next week.

Has Renault managed to fix it since October/November? It would be useful to know before then. Thanks.

Edited by SkeetKing on Wednesday 11th March 11:12