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Here's one for the electronic wizkids. My FM bands work beautifully but recently AM has developed static. I've isolated this to one plug lead by substituting my 8 mm (fairly new leads) with my old ones. What I need to know is can you have static without effecting performance? The car seems to be driving as normal. I can live without the AM and dont want to go thru the hassles of claiming under warranty.

I'm sorta lost here you replaced what lead?
claiming under warranty for what? it's an old car right?
this is talking about a radio right
well AM and FM require different shaped aerials to get optimum signal with AM needing a 'loop' type so that might be your problem
but due to the nature of AM (amplitude modulated) if there is any other wires close by with an AC current going through them and you are close enough there will be interference from the electromagnetic waves given off by the current through a wire

not much help but yea

SM, I think trader was talking more about the problem caused by ignition noise on the AM signal.

As with everything, there is always a trade off. The BEST leads (for engine performance) will NOT supress ignition noise whatsoever, where as for street driving this would not be acceptible..

All that i can assume is that som eof the insulation and supression of the lead in question has become dodgy, or broken..

Sorry pal..

STV

Thats right STV....its a plug lead that is the problem, it came with a 12 months warranty so I'll send it back. It is one of those spirally wound high perfomance ones and initially it worked without static. There is nothing visually wrong with it but it must be breaking down somehow.

Check your grounding cables. There should a few strapped somewhere throughout the car. Also, check your radio ground wire.