Bass-like rumble from speakers at idle / park

[baconisafruit]

Overland L V6 with premium audio - I noticed after ignition and idling in park, the car has a very unpleasant low frequency (but med-high volume IMO) bass-like rumble which is agnostic to equalizer and even radio power/volume at 0. The noise also stops if the window is opened and resumes when closed. It's almost like it's an engine sound emulation attempt as some high end cars do but I do not see such a setting or mention in the manual.

 

[Reno75]

Overland L V6 with premium audio - I noticed after ignition and idling in park, the car has a very unpleasant low frequency (but med-high volume IMO) bass-like rumble which is agnostic to equalizer and even radio power/volume at 0. The noise also stops if the window is opened and resumes when closed. It's almost like it's an engine sound emulation attempt as some high end cars do but I do not see such a setting or mention in the manual.

Yeah I have the same issue. Someone commented on another thread there should be a software update to fix issue.

 

[freethinked]

Seems like the active noise cancellation is got some sort of resonance or feedback loop or both going on.

 

[JTaylor62]

This problem appears to be a common issue. Others (in this forum) have had the exact or similar bass sound. Question: does it happen around 1000 RPMs? Mine does. I have 3000 miles on my GCL. Once I hit the 5,000 mark I will take the vehicle to the dealer for the first oil change and will attempt to get them to resolve this defect. For now, I took a beach towel, folded it (multiple times) and placed it across the rear speaker to muffle it and then placed my tool box against the towel along with a bungee to insure of the towel's compression. This has significantly reduced the bass sound and is serving as a temp fix. Try this too? Post your results?

 

[JTaylor62]

As others have suggested, I believe it does have something to do with the noise cancelation system. I'm wondering if the rear speaker has two functions (or has two speakers in one) - one for the bass for the Macintosh sound system and the other for the noise cancelation system. Despite having the towel across the rear speaker - the Macintosh system still has plenty of bass.

 

[GCOverland]

Oh, so could it actually be the sound system that 'vibrates' the interior when I start the vehicle? Sometimes, it is so intense that the vibration causes one of my door sunshades to rattle. I was 100% that was coming from the engine itself. It only happens for a few seconds after I start the vehicle..

 

[SweetAndLow]

Oh, so could it actually be the sound system that 'vibrates' the interior when I start the vehicle? Sometimes, it is so intense that the vibration causes one of my door sunshades to rattle. I was 100% that was coming from the engine itself. It only happens for a few seconds after I start the vehicle..

Yeah it's the sound system trying to cancel out the frequencies of the engine and exhaust note.

 

[freethinked]

Well shit, this was never a problem for me until today when I took it in for the recall software update. Now it's such a loud rumble I'm uncomfortable driving it. Maybe it'll sort itself out in a day or two. Fingers crossed.

 

[JTaylor62]

There are several posts on this problem. Yet does anyone read all the threads? Unlike other "know it alls" on tis forum - I don't truly know the root cause, I only think I know. So as I noted in previous threads, has anyone tried blocking the rear speaker? For example, take a towel, fold it, and block the rear speaker (near the rear hatch back), then get something heavy to hold the towel against the speaker - then bungee it. After the speaker is muffled, then report whether or not the bass sound goes away. In my case it did. I will bring my new GCL to the dealer when I need my first oil change - in a few weeks. Now that I have muffled the sound. I can live with the problem (that's artificial gone) for a few more weeks. Here's what I think I know, the noise activation system has an issue. I am hopeful a future firmware or software fix will fix it. The next step for me (if the dealer can't fix it)? Remove the rear speaker and cut the wires. Oh, and by the way, with the rear speaker muffled - the Macintosh system still sounds incredible - bass and all.

 

[JTaylor62]

Well shit, this was never a problem for me until today when I took it in for the recall software update. Now it's such a loud rumble I'm uncomfortable driving it. Maybe it'll sort itself out in a day or two. Fingers crossed.

Found a fix for this problem. Assuming the dealer hasn't already taken care of it. There's a small microphone in the ceiling or in the headliner in the very rear of the GCL (near the rear hatch door). Take a 1" x 1" piece of tape and cover it (I used white duct tape). This microphone is the cause of the feedback that produces the horrible bass sound.

 

[JTaylor62]

Oh, so could it actually be the sound system that 'vibrates' the interior when I start the vehicle? Sometimes, it is so intense that the vibration causes one of my door sunshades to rattle. I was 100% that was coming from the engine itself. It only happens for a few seconds after I start the vehicle..

Found a fix for this problem. Assuming the dealer hasn't already taken care of it. There's a small microphone in the ceiling or in the headliner in the very rear of the GCL (near the rear hatch door). Take a 1" x 1" piece of tape and cover it (I used white duct tape). This microphone is the cause of the feedback that produces the horrible bass sound.

 

[JTaylor62]

Yeah I have the same issue. Someone commented on another thread there should be a software update to fix issue.

Found a fix for this problem. Assuming the dealer hasn't already taken care of it. There's a small microphone in the ceiling or in the headliner in the very rear of the GCL (near the rear hatch door). Take a 1" x 1" piece of tape and cover it (I used white duct tape). This microphone is the cause of the feedback that produces the horrible bass sound.

 

[GretnaHusker]

Found a fix for this problem. Assuming the dealer hasn't already taken care of it. There's a small microphone in the ceiling or in the headliner in the very rear of the GCL (near the rear hatch door). Take a 1" x 1" piece of tape and cover it (I used white duct tape). This microphone is the cause of the feedback that produces the horrible bass sound.

Are you referring to the one that is directly above and would be in between the heads of the 3rd row passengers? Let me know and I'll try it out also. Thanks.

 

[JeepCares]

Hello everyone,

We're sorry to hear about the noise you've noticed recently. If anyone is currently working with their dealers or would like our teams to look into this further, please send our team a private message with your VIN and any additional details/documentation you can provide to help us again a better understanding of your specific situation. We want to help get this properly addressed!

Thanks,

Courtney
Jeep Cares

 

[GretnaHusker]

Hello everyone,

We're sorry to hear about the noise you've noticed recently. If anyone is currently working with their dealers or would like our teams to look into this further, please send our team a private message with your VIN and any additional details/documentation you can provide to help us again a better understanding of your specific situation. We want to help get this properly addressed!

Thanks,

Courtney
Jeep Cares

Quite honestly what we would like to know is what is causing the problem and is there going to be a fix and when is that fix coming? Do you have any information on that? Thank you.

 

[JTaylor62]

OK, who is Jeep Cares - are you part of the FCA group? I submitted a definitive fix. For what's it's worth, I'm an engineer by trade. You put a piece of tape over the microphone and the problem goes away - period. Now that the rumble is gone, I can appreciate my vehicle. The next step for me? Is to find a piece of tape that matches the gray headliner so I don't notice it. Now I can live with the problem, and live with the tape over the microphone for as long as I won the vehicle - assuming the FCA group never finds a fix. If the dealer does not have a fix, the next time I bring the vehicle in for service, I'll have them cut the wire to the mic. The next owner will never know.

 

[JTaylor62]

By the way... now that I've found the fix. I still love the vehicle.

 

[Jasco2]

Thanks JTaylor for figuring this out. After reading your fix I had my daughter put her hand over the middle row microphone and confirmed that the bass noise goes away. We tried several different times and each time it immediately muted the incredibly annoying bass rumble. I only hear this noise at 1000rpm or at cold start but will put some tape or something over it until a permanent fix is put in a TSB

 

[hamada128]

Found a fix for this problem. Assuming the dealer hasn't already taken care of it. There's a small microphone in the ceiling or in the headliner in the very rear of the GCL (near the rear hatch door). Take a 1" x 1" piece of tape and cover it (I used white duct tape). This microphone is the cause of the feedback that produces the horrible bass sound.

Should you cover the rear microphone by the rear hatch door only or the microphone above the middle row seats too?

 

[GretnaHusker]

I can confirm this fix works. I only covered the microphone over the third row. I used felt tape. Here is a picture. Thank you JTaylor.