So usually what happens is I'm listening to the radio/CD player/Satellite whatever, and the driver's side front speaker crackles and shorts out. Lately the entire sound system cracks very loudly and shuts off. It sounds like a needle on a record player skipping. Then the clock blinks on and off like the power went out on an old alarm clock. Usually it comes back on its own or if I shut the truck off and open the door then restart it, the radio works fine. Oh did I mention the issue is very intermittent? Also the satellite was installed aftermarket. The button for Sirius was always there but the truck didn't come with the satellite receiver installed nor the antenna. I had to have that done on my own (I bought the truck used from Enterprise).

Today it worked fine until I shut the truck off at the deli. When I got back in and started it up, the clock was blank. Then it started blinking. Before I open the dash to look for loose or broken wires, has this happened to anyone before? I can load and eject CD's no problem. The compass and temperature work fine. I don't have the touch screen model, its the normal stereo with a small display screen above the CD player.

 

Its a blown speaker. Picked my 14 up kast week brand new and had that issue, dealer ordered new speaker and will replace it, for some raeson it seems to be an issue with these truckks

 

As I said though, my speakers are aftermarket. I replaced them shortly after I bought the truck so it has to be something else.

 

Joe, have you been able to solve this issue? I know this thread is getting a little old, but I have the same problem in my 2011 F150 FX4. I have totally stock radio and speakers. My radio will make a crackling noise and all sound stops. The clock will blink, but the compass and temperature still work. If I turn the truck off and let it sit, it will come back on...sometimes. Very intermittent issue. Just hoping that you could help point me in the right direction for fixing this, as I would like to avoid purchasing another radio unit if at all possible. Thanks,
Spencer

 

Not an expert by any means, but this sounds like either a ground issue (wire cover worn and touching bare metal somewhere[moving wires-check the door]) or broken wire [again moving wires-check the door].
JMTCW

 

I have two different problems I am sure of it. Or possibly one large problem. I bought an aftermarket Kenwood stereo from Crutchfield and the required PAC interface unit. Having installed the new stereo I come to find out that the PAC unit is not creating +12v on the accessory wire when the key is on or in the ACC position. I tested this and that, spoke with their customer service plenty and I also spoke to PAC as well. I checked fuses, wires, I even swapped out the PAC module and wiring harness for a new one. Nothing. The unit right now is hot wired to the yellow memory wires coming form the stock Ford harness. All the customer service reps I talk to tell me I have to have a data bus problem. The compass and thermometer are blank as is that entire stock display screen.

93F14X4 I believe you have the same issue as well. I was having the exact issue you describe. The stereo works fine all the time. Out of nowhere as I'm driving or sometimes when I go to start the truck, the radio never powers up and the clock blinks on and off constantly as if it's trying to power up. I can't adjust the clock, I can't do anything to that display. I've spoken to one other person who had a similar issue to mine on a different forum and he did not use a PAC module at all. He found an aftermarket harness that utilizes the Ford 22 pin harness, found +12 at the fuse panel by the passenger door and his display works fine except that it always says Built Ford Tough. But the thermometer and compass work as they should.

I hate to say it but I think my next move is to go to Ford one of these days and have them look at it to see if I need a module or diode or something replaced. I'm not in a rush to do it although I'm sick of not having a thermometer and compass that work.

My speaker issue is not recurring with the aftermarket stereo but the driver's side front speaker still crackles or cuts out. I may have a bad wire or speaker in there.

This sucks.

 

I had the same front left speaker problem on my 08 F150. The dealer replaced the factory head unit and I was fine for a while. The next time I had the problem I bought all new components from crutch field. I also ran new speaker wire to the speakers & everything was fine. My 2012 left front speaker just started cutting in/out as well as the crackling noise. That is generally a symptom of a poor connection not a short. This summer I might run a new wire and see if that fixes it.

 

I talked to a friend of mine who is a Ford tech, and he said to replace the factory radio. Since it is (in my case) the entire system cutting out, not one speaker, he said to replace it. Joe, it sounds like you have a real mess on your hands there, I hope you get it all straightened out. And just so you know, I had to have a Ford scan tool (IDS program) on hand to change out my factory radio. It saves information from the old radio and uses it to reprogram the new radio. I was lucky to be able to do this for free, I hate to imagine what they would charge you for that at the dealership. Good luck and thank you for the help Joe.

Spencer

 

Hey Spencer,

Glad it worked out for you. Keep your eye on this and if you remember, keep me posted if anything changes. I initially was told the same as you by a tech who frequents this forum (although I cannot contact him lately). He said he has seen my issue a few times in random models of Ford vehicles (cars and trucks I guess). He told me, "replace the stereo with a factory or go aftermarket". So I did. As I stated above when I bought all the necessary replacement interfaces and modules to integrate all the factory wires and the harness plugs, I had no power to any accessory wires associated with the stereo when I plugged it all in, turned on the key and tried to power up the new stereo. I then started testing grounds and wires and whatnot with a multimeter but came up blank. I finally hard wired the stereo to the memory wire which in all honesty, I'll probably keep it that way for a while.

I would like my compass and thermometer back though

Mike

 

I know this is an older post but if anyone can add anything PLEASE do

I'm Having the exact issue as the OP. (and) Along with the radio not working, the USB port, and cig lighter are also not working.... checked for blown fuses and also at the door wiring, but have not found a cause.

I've been searching the internet for the past two days with very little results.

glass_joe099, did you ever find out what the problem was?

Anyone else have any suggestions?

The only thing i haven't done is pull the head unit to check for loose connections. If all checks out, i'm going to take the unit into a stereo place to have it tested.

2011 FX4 SCREW - not under warranty....

 

An update to my earlier post....

Took the radio out, look at all the wiring behind it to make sure nothing was bare, broken and everything looked fine. Plugged the connectors back in, turned the key on and it worked again. Maybe just a loose connection in the back to begin with ... who knows... hopefully this may help someone down the road.

I have tunes again...

 

I hate to be pessimistic but I doubt your "fix" will be long term. I hope it is for your sake but this is exactly what my stereo was doing. It started one morning over this past winter when I was on my way to work. It worked fine when I left my house but when I got to the deli for breakfast and started it up again to go to my office I realized after a few seconds that the radio was off. Then I saw the clock blinking. I got to my office three minutes away, turned off the truck, let it sit for a minute, started it and it was working again. This went on for months. It would work for days or weeks at a time, then out of nowhere its dead. Sometimes on my way home from work the radio would produce this really loud crackle sound and all the speakers cut out but the radio would stay on. Turn it off, turn it on and it's fine. Finally it simply cut out for a week and I had enough, I replaced it.

As I posted here (I think) someone on this site who is a Ford tech told me he'd seen this a bunch of times and that they would replace the factory HU and the issue went away. Well my issue did not go away. The aftermarket stereo won't power up normally, I have to wire it up to the yellow constant memory wire. So something is up with a wire or a module in there.

My friend who owns a body shop had to do a repair on a customer's car that had the speakers cutting out. The service bulletin he got said that step one is remove the factory head unit and replace it with a "known working head unit". If the problem is solved then the head unit was bad, if not then go on to step 2 and 3 and so on. Sounds to me like Ford knows something is up and it's a gremlin that bounces around the vehicle.

 

I have the same problem as some in that the driver side speaker cuts out sometimes. Totally random and not associated with anything. I can be just sitting in the truck, not moving at all and have it cut in and out. Got me?

 

On my 2008 I had the same problem and after 40,000 miles of complaining the dealer installed a reconditioned unit and the problem went away. We tried new speakers, new wire, new plugs nothing worked until the new headunit.

 

I see that this thread has gone quiet so I apologize ahead of time for being late to the party... I just got this issue in the past month and let me tell you it sucks commuting with a radio.... Same exact issue, loud crackle and pop and flashing clock ever since... it powered on for a couple of days a while back but since then nothing... A buddy of mine recently upgraded this radio and wanted to see if it would work in my truck... Does it need to be "coded" for my truck? and if so can I avoid taking it to the stealership to get it done? Thanks again!!