Click and Clack, You're My Only Hope!

[lydamorehouse]

Do you ever listen to Click & Clack the car guys on NPR? I'm not what you'd call a regular listener, but I've tuned in ocassionally. I think I need to call them. My Ford Taurus has the weirdest damn problem. Let me explain it to you, like I would to them:

I like to listen to the radio. In fact, I tend to turn it on the moment I start up my car. That's how I noticed this problem. When I shift (my car is an automatic) into reverse, the radio cuts off. It pops back on in drive. If I go from park to drive, it will go off, but only for about five seconds. It will stay off the entire time my car is in reverse. Why does my car radio hate reverse in particular?

I would think it was just a wiring problem, except that my radio works perfectly, no matter how bumpy the road. To be a completist, I should say that my dashboard has any number of odd quirks. My spedometer is about five miles per hour off (at least if radar guns are to be believed), but all of my other gauges are fine.

So, what is it? Gremlins? A personality quirk?

Before I call them, what do you think? Anyone else have a problem like this?

Comments

[alirose.livejournal.com]

You should call them! I am always waiting for a problem interesting enough to try and call Car Talk.

[naomikritzer]

It's almost certainly a radio problems, and you could fix it by buying a new radio at Circuit City and having it installed, which will run you about $100-$150.

Every weird fluke I've ever experienced with my radio was fixed by replacing the radio. And if you do it at an electronics store, it's very cheap.

Back when I had the Geo Prizm, I had a radio issue where if I drove over a bump, the radio would lose track of what station it was supposed to be playing. This progressed until I could no longer tune in any station except one. Naturally, it was 107, the Oldies/Christmas Music station. I didn't get it fixed because I was going to replace the car with a minivan, but then Ed got laid off and we had to put the minivan purchase (and all other discretionary purchases, even little things like car radios) on hold. And Ed was laid off right before Thanksgiving, so for that whole freaking Christmas season, my choices were No Music vs. Bing Crosby.

Ed got me a new car radio for my birthday, so at least for my last five months of driving in that car, I had better options.

[naomikritzer]

And I meant to call Car Talk about a problem with my minivan I had this winter. It only happened on really cold days, and the first time it happened I took it down to the dealership for warranty work and they VERY VERY CLEARLY thought it was operator error (I've worked in tech support; I can tell when someone thinks I'm a luser, even when they're being polite) and it was NOT. *sigh*.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Oh, call them! I would love to have a reason to do it!

[lydamorehouse]

Ah, but you see, this is why I need Click & Clack. On the Ford Taurus the radio isn't a seperate unit. It's part of the entire dash. I'd have to replace the whole section (which includes dials for my heater, etc.)

[swords-and-pens.livejournal.com]

Is it part of it, or is it only mounted like it's part of it? Just because they look like they are one unit doesn't necessarily mean they are. Most car manufacturers want to be able to pull out the radio without having to deal with thermostat controls, etc. If you haven't asked you mechanic, check with him to make sure what you think is the case is the case. Not having driven a Taurus, I am in just guessing, but Detroit usually isn't quite that dense (even for Detroit). Then again...

On a different note, you can do a search on-line for reported problems with your year/model Taurus involving radios. Likewise, you can call a Ford service department and see if there is a service note on the problem you are encountering. Then you could at least know whether it is the radio, a wiring, issue, etc. before you take it in.

FYI

[swords-and-pens.livejournal.com]

The above was meant as a reply to your reply to Naomi, but LJ kept refusing to let me post there.

[darkchallenger.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you need to reconfigure your warp core intake valves. You're creating a rift in the space time continuum.

[ann-leckie.livejournal.com]

My husband, who fixes Dodges for a living, asks, does it do this when the engine isn't running? I don't really understand his explanation of why that question matters, but.

[lydamorehouse]

It's part of it. The whole thing is one unit. It's one of the flaws of the Ford Taurus.

[lydamorehouse]

Uh, the radio doesn't turn on when the car isn't on. Or do you mean when I have the electrictiy on in the "locked" position, in which case I still wouldn't know since I can't shift the car if the engine isn't running.

[ann-leckie.livejournal.com]

If you put the key in the ignition, and gently turn it in the direction you would to start the car--on my car, it's two clicks--the radio will come on and you will be able to shift gears, but the car won't be started up.

[lydamorehouse]

The Ford doesn't seem to have that feature. I tried it this morning. My car won't let me shift gears unless the engine is running. A safety feature, perhaps?

[lydamorehouse]

Shifter is on the steering column.

The indicator light doesn't seem to be an option on the Ford. All I have is a little arrow that points to what gear I'm in.

Well, since the car seemed to fix itself, I don't think I will end up calling in. Electricty. It's magic, I'm telling ya. Dr. Frankenstein was right.

[ann-leckie.livejournal.com]

Hm. Every car I've ever had would do that.

If your car stalls, for instance, you can still shift gears. Putting the key forward is kind of like stalling your car without stalling your car, if that makes sense.