rnbuda

Hey guys,

I'm having a problem with a high pitch sound coming from the raido area. The GM dealer said this is a standard issue and all their models do this. I can hear it in all the models and wondering if there is anything I can do to get rid of it or has anyone had luck getting rid of it? My car is a brand new 2012 Malibu. Any help would be great!

Thanks!

Mike Sigmond

Ear Plugs! jk man.

Do you mean out of the speakers? or the actual radio unit in the dash? might have to wait for a recall, this is a good one for the Member - Chevrolet Customer Service.

rnbuda

The sound is coming from behind the "On" button of the stero unit. I've heard the same sound but at lower pitches coming from my sister's 2010 Colbalt, neighbor's 2011 Camero and my cousin's 2011 Malibu as well.

EinST

It's probably the switching power supply circuit inside the radio. It can run at ~25 KHz and up. Can you hear fluorescent lighting (high-pitched sound, not low buzz), too? If you're under 25, just turn up the radio. If you're over, go see a doctor.

rnbuda

Thanks! I'm 22 and this is my first real new car. I've driven a 2001 Cavalier and a 1999 Blazer and saving on the gas is huge and basically paying for the Malibu!

I noticed as I dim the lights the sound decreases but as I turn the lights higher the sound becomes higher.

EinST

LED lamps and displays can emit noises above the "audible" frequency range, too. The driver chip contains some sort of switching power regulation circuit.

rnbuda

Any suggestions to get rid of the sound or mute it alittle?

EinST

I don't know what to tell you. It's just a nature of electronics in today's vehicles at that price point. Plus, most people who can hear the noise don't really get bothered by it.

mackdog

It's a high pitch noise coming from the radio display and/or the dashboard. I actually think it's the LCD display in the dashboard since I also hear it when I first get in the car and the only thing that's lit up is that displaying the mileage. I'm approaching 30 years old and while I can hear it my 28 year old wife cannot, lucky her! The only way I've found to reduce the noise is to adjust the dimmer, however that only works at night when headlights are on as the displays are fully lit during normal day driving. You could leave your headlights on all the time if you wanted to get around that. I just bought my Malibu last week so the next time it's in for service I'll see what they say about this.

vivid

I'm having the same problem with my new 2012 Malibu LTZ. I believe it may be a poor electrical ground. The whine from the radio panel area starts up and lasts for several seconds when I turn the key, it kicks up when I use the turn signal and if the radio is on, even with the volume off, the whine continues until I turn off the radio. I just got it back from having other repairs today and I'll have to find another dealership to deal with this issue.

In my first six weeks of ownership, I've had it in for struts to be replaced, driver's seat repairs, camshaft actuator adjustments, both headlamps replaced due to poor seals. It's really been a nightmare. To top it off, the Buick dealership where I now live doesn't even carry the Malibu. Since the camshaft actuator visit, the car has had a louder engine noise and vibration in the steering wheel/seat/pedals that was not there prior.

The dealership insists that the Malibu is just a noisier car than the Buick, but I know what the car sounded and felt like when I bought it and this isn't it. So far, Chevrolet corporate has been of no help. They offer to schedule my next visit to the dealership and that's it. I just continue to drive back and forth to the dealership with no end in sight.