Audio Keeps Popping / Cutting Out Randomly

[stoopid]

Really feel like they're waiting until warranty runs out for these kind of issues...

That's a LONG wait though.

No issues with my 2021, base 9 speaker system (GT).

Reading through this thead, it seems like everyone with the issue has a GT1 or 2, with the Harmon Kardon system. So far coil packs replacement or new SPDIF wiring resolves it. Anyone with this issue reading this post should bring these possible two fixes with them to the dealer, any self respecting service department will take hints that saves THEM time and frustration, while also saving you time and frustration.

 

[Ace Deprave]

Anyone have any updates on this? They have replaced my amplifier and head unit so far, and the issue remains.

 

[Dueller]

We have our warranty paperwork filled out and ready to send in to start the process layed out in the owners manual. The whole phone call thing to the KIA claim person has gone on for 11 months now with really no action. They've done the amp and electric fuel pump and then crickets. I've brought to Kia's attention everything on this thread but they wont do anything without factory approval. I will post the process.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

Took them six months to figure out my brake thing. I'm not surprised. Just make sure you're documenting everything meticulously.

Good luck and yes, keep us posted!!

 

[ebbebb91]

Did you have any CELs or misfiring happening as a result of your faulty coil pack? It would make sense for this to also be the issue in my case as the audio system works perfect with the car in accessory mode. As soon as the car is in ignition, the popping and cutting out starts up. I’m getting ready to order coils and replace them all to see if this could potentially solve my issue, but just want to know if you experienced any other issues prior to your fix. Thanks!

At first no. But I did notice the popping got worse as I was spirited driving a few times. Eventually I got the misfire codes and that's why I took it to the dealership to be fixed. I never heard the popping sound when the car was in accessory mode. Only when the engine was running. Other issues, my android auto would disconnect from time to time for no obvious reason. It hasn't done that since the coil pack was replaced however.

 

[Ace Deprave]

I brought my car in for service and I asked them to look at it again. Of course, they can't replicate the issue at all now. Picked it up and it only dropped out once on the 1.5 hour drive home. Not sure what's happening, but it's frustrating to say the least.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

I brought my car in for service and I asked them to look at it again. Of course, they can't replicate the issue at all now. Picked it up and it only dropped out once on the 1.5 hour drive home. Not sure what's happening, but it's frustrating to say the least.

If possible try to record the problem or have a passenger record it on their phone?

That's super annoying. Sorry...

 

[jfol]

At first no. But I did notice the popping got worse as I was spirited driving a few times. Eventually I got the misfire codes and that's why I took it to the dealership to be fixed. I never heard the popping sound when the car was in accessory mode. Only when the engine was running. Other issues, my android auto would disconnect from time to time for no obvious reason. It hasn't done that since the coil pack was replaced however.

Thanks for the reply! I’m still waiting on Kia or the dealer to do anything to fix the issue. We’re almost at 6 months. In the mean time the car has been stuttering under hard accelerations mainly in sport mode and the issue does get noticeably worse. I made a dealer appointment for next week and I’ll keep this thread updated on results.

 

[ebbebb91]

Thanks for the reply! I’m still waiting on Kia or the dealer to do anything to fix the issue. We’re almost at 6 months. In the mean time the car has been stuttering under hard accelerations mainly in sport mode and the issue does get noticeably worse. I made a dealer appointment for next week and I’ll keep this thread updated on results.

Your issues sounds close to the issues I had. Hopefully it is and they fix it. Sound system is too good for all that popping mess.

 

[jfol]

Your issues sounds close to the issues I had. Hopefully it is and they fix it. Sound system is too good for all that popping mess.

I agree. Would love to finally be able to enjoy the sound system instead of listening to it for a few minutes in accessory with no pops. Do you happen to know what cylinder the coil was bad on and if they replaced the plug too? Been reading a bit and apparently cracked plugs are pretty common with these cars especially under heavy load.

 

[ebbebb91]

I agree. Would love to finally be able to enjoy the sound system instead of listening to it for a few minutes in accessory with no pops. Do you happen to know what cylinder the coil was bad on and if they replaced the plug too? Been reading a bit and apparently cracked plugs are pretty common with these cars especially under heavy load.

My spark plugs were okay and it was cylinder 3 coil pack for my engine.

 

[jfol]

Just an update for everyone in the thread... I changed out my spark plugs today and investigated the coil packs. All plugs were great, showed no signs of extreme wear, tips all looked good, but since I ordered some Densos, I changed them out anyways. If you plan on doing this watch a YouTube video of it and it shouldn't take you longer than 1-1.5 hours to do it yourself. I am NOT a weekend warrior mechanic and I spent about 1.5 hours on my first time with this car and about 30 minutes of that was trying to get a socket that had fallen into the engine bay way down low.

Now for the bad news. All of my coils EXCEPT for cylinder 4 coil were extremely corroded. Like bad bad. Rust and everything breaking off of everywhere. I notified the dealer of my findings and told them I want them to investigate the stuttering issue which will most likely lead them to the coils, which will then most likely lead them to the cause of the speakers cracking/popping. I just rolled over 20k miles on a 2018 GT1 yesterday, so in theory this should all be covered under warranty with no hassle, but we will see. Ill update after the 13th when my car goes in. Cheers.

 

[jfol]

Update:

Dropped the car off at the dealer on 4/13 for an oil change, to "inspect" the coil packs, and to fix the braking issues I was having with the warped rotors. Dealer turned the rotors, fixing the braking problem for now and completed the oil change. Ok, great I didn't expect problems there. I picked the car up 4/14 and was informed from the service manager that the coil packs "look great" and that everything is fine. Since I had seen what these look like on April 3rd, I quickly questioned whether they even looked at them, but picked the car up anyway. I was fuming thinking about the "look great" comment and had time so I pulled the packs out again to take pictures and write emails (see below). Coil #4 must have been replaced at some point or is just extremely lucky that it is not fairing as poorly as the others. There is no f*cking way that they looked at these and determined that they "look great". If you google "coil pack corrosion", you will not find pictures this bad. I have updated my case with Kia corporate and attached these pictures as well, and am demanding that they take this seriously and replace all parts that are corroding/failing. Corporate said they will follow up on my case tomorrow 4/16, but it's a Friday and I doubt ill hear anything from them for weeks.

 

[MerlintheMad]

We need people like you @jfol. Didn't the service manager have a clue that you know what you're talking about? Pictures sent to Kia should put the move on them. Hopefully. (It will still take a while; Kia hardly ever seems to move fast on warranty claims.)

 

[jfol]

We need people like you @jfol. Didn't the service manager have a clue that you know what you're talking about? Pictures sent to Kia should put the move on them. Hopefully. (It will still take a while; Kia hardly ever seems to move fast on warranty claims.)

I had told them I changed the plugs out on April 3rd and that what I found was all coils but #4 were corroded. They didn't seem to care. I'm assuming this dealer doesn't want to touch warranty work. Makes sense, but I've been telling them for 6ish months about this thread and exactly what others were saying could be the issue. I don't understand why they would lie and say "looks great" when they definitely don't look great. It's upsetting because this dealer has a monopoly on the market here. Closest other dealer is over an hour away.

 

[EClapp3]

@jfol
I bet you if they pulled them, looked at the outside saw no tore up rubber and said it was good haha. Those are terrible! hope it all gets worked through corporate.

 

[jfol]

@jfol
I bet you if they pulled them, looked at the outside saw no tore up rubber and said it was good haha. Those are terrible! hope it all gets worked through corporate.

LOL! Terrible is right! I should have put paint on the bolts and plastics so I could verify if they actually took them off or not. I bet they just opened the hood and said "oh look, there they are! Looks great!" and shut it again. It took me less than 30 mins to pull them, take pics, and put them back on the car. There is absolutely no reason they shouldn't have done the same.

 

[MerlintheMad]

LOL! Terrible is right! I should have put paint on the bolts and plastics so I could verify if they actually took them off or not. I bet they just opened the hood and said "oh look, there they are! Looks great!" and shut it again. It took me less than 30 mins to pull them, take pics, and put them back on the car. There is absolutely no reason they shouldn't have done the same.

They probably simply used an ohm meter, which gave them an acceptable "looks good" reading. Here's the core question: does your car run rough and/or lose power, etc.? Any other symptoms of bad coil packs? A popping stereo is not one of them! So, the mechanics are simply doing their job testing the coil packs for symptoms of going bad, and if the engine runs fine, then "it looks good."

 

[jfol]

They probably simply used an ohm meter, which gave them an acceptable "looks good" reading. Here's the core question: does your car run rough and/or lose power, etc.? Any other symptoms of bad coil packs? A popping stereo is not one of them! So, the mechanics are simply doing their job testing the coil packs for symptoms of going bad, and if the engine runs fine, then "it looks good."

I get it, but if they had pulled and tested with an ohm meter they should have noticed all the shit falling out of the boots from 5/6 of them. The car was stuttering under hard accelerations. This lead me to believe that I had either a cracked plug or bad coil pack(s), which also relates to this thread and the issue of a popping stereo. I took the cheaper route and replaced the plugs myself and looked at the coils when I took the plugs out. The dealer had been told "All the coils BUT coil 4 are corroded". They should have looked for corrosion. Electrical resistance be damned if those rusted springs aren't the culprit of something.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I get it, but if they had pulled and tested with an ohm meter they should have noticed all the shit falling out of the boots from 5/6 of them. The car was stuttering under hard accelerations. This lead me to believe that I had either a cracked plug or bad coil pack(s), which also relates to this thread and the issue of a popping stereo. I took the cheaper route and replaced the plugs myself and looked at the coils when I took the plugs out. The dealer had been told "All the coils BUT coil 4 are corroded". They should have looked for corrosion. Electrical resistance be damned if those rusted springs aren't the culprit of something.

How could they say "you're good" if you're showing symptoms of bad coil packs? Why would anyone even do that? I get that they're the only Kia game locally, but seriously, if they actively lie to you, how can there be any possible business relationship? Outing them to Kia with fulsome details, including those pics of those five coil packs that "look great", is all you can do about this dealership.

But you still have to get service in the meantime. It would be worth the hour-plus drive each way (in a Stinger, man ) as long as the other dealership provides.