Well, the fix described above has faded and the static is back on the AM band just as annoying as in the beginning. I have a date of July 12 to address this issue with dealer #2, as the service manager is anxious to dig further. He has had three other Atlas Cross Sport cars with static issues. He told me turning off the HD AM radio setting should solve the problem but no luck. I will report in after the July 12 efforts.Static issue solved.
I took my CS SEL Premium with Fender radio to two dealerships for help with this issue and Dealer #2 solved the problem within an hour. I had an appt. at the selling Dealer #1 for 2 weeks and when I arrived I was told they would try to investigate within 2-3 days! The would most likely have to pull the radio and drop the headliner to check antenna connects etc. I left immediately with such a vague expectation of when they would begin to analyze what's what. They did offer me a loaner car when I pressed them.
Dealer #2 got me within 8 business days and welcomed my visit with assurance they would inspect and do their very best to solve the mystery. I waited in a modest waiting room and within the hour was presented with a clean washed car and announcement they had found the issue. The previous selling dealer did a less than satisfactory setup of a new vehicle in the prep process and did not do a reset of codes vs what comes from the factory. Dealer #2 had not encountered such a radio problem before, but their process of inspection identified the conflict and the fix was on.
I must say the service manager of #2 is a mature experienced gentleman who is able to provide good service from a great tech team and was sincerely intending to solve the problem. The service manager of #1 was a flip mid thirties man with a bad attitude and thought he could bluff his was through. My sales guy at Dealer #1 was embarrassed, to say the least, with their service department failure
The service department counts when considering where to purchase an automobile. Price is important, but the service department reputation should be considered, as well. I learned that lesson first hand.
Thx,
Tom A
Cincinnati, Ohio
Tom