2020 RT Radio Issue - sound mutes/unmutes randomly?

[bryan]

I picked up my first Spyder, a new 2020 RT a couple of weeks ago. On the ride home from the dealer (about 30 miles) I got about halfway home and the radio just cut out. No static, no distortion, just playing great one second and silence the next. I spent the next week or so learning my bike thinking maybe I had just done something incorrectly - but nope, its definitely a problem.

Outside of that first ride where the radio played great for around 15 minutes, every time I'm on the bike and turn on the radio, I get about 5 to 10 seconds of audio and then it goes silent. It'll stay quiet for 2, 5, 8 minutes, then I'll get another 5 to 10 second wave of music, then out again. In the 200 or so miles I've put on the bike in the first week and a half, this has been the pattern.

When I mute the radio after it cuts out, after that 2 to 8 minute window of silence it will "unmute" itself. If I turn the volume all the way down, after that 2 to 8 minute window of silence, the volume will come up on its own just enough for me to be able to hear that it's on again. The only way to prevent that is to just turn the radio off altogether.

I'm stumped. I've talked to one other person nearby that's just started having the same problem, so I took my bike back to the shop where I bought it so they could take a look at it. Guy at the shop said they actually already had someone else's bike in the shop for the same thing already and were still trying to figure out what's going on.

Has anyone else experienced this or have an idea what might be causing the issue? I'm certainly disappointed to have to put my bike in the shop so soon after getting it, and its gonna drive me nuts having it potentially sit in the shop for a time while they try to figure out what's actually wrong with it.

[Cruzr Joe]

I would check my antenna connection, beyond that i would take it back to the dealer.

Cruzr Joe

[DanDanTMM]

Have you tried playing BT audio from your phone to see if it cuts out on all sources?

Have you tried turning off the Automatic Volume Control setting to see if that is somehow causing your issue.

The other thing the unit does is override the volume for announcements if you have the BRP app running for things like map navigation. When that happens the volume bar will be yellow and the source will show ANNOUNCEMENT. Does your head unit think an announcement is playing and overriding the volume but the announcement is just dead air?

[JP58]

My 2018 F3L. The bluetooth music on my phone will just quit playing at times. I have to turn bike off and restart to reboot dash. I've tried to reconnect bluetooth and other ways to get it to play. Nothing works other the restart bike. This has been doing it ever since I had update 20.8 done 2 years ago. It's not the phone because I've had 3 new phones and has done it with all of them. One other person on this forum said his did the same thing. There is no new update yet.

[EdMat]

Just curious. When this happens does the volume level bar graph display change to show a higher or lower volume level?

[JP58]

Just curious. When this happens does the volume level bar graph display change to show a higher or lower volume level?

Not for me. Volume stays the same.

[Papa103]

BRP really needs to get this BRP connect straightened out or scrap it and start over. It's been a massive failure from the start. IMO

[Motogordo]

July 22, 2021

I just bought the 2021 Sea to Sky and am having the same problem of the fm radio shutting on and off by itself. I took a ride yesterday and the fm wouldn't go on at all. The volume bar remains set but no a sound comes out. I brought it to the dealer and he said he had a couple bikes had the same problem and they had to order a new amplifier for the system. It's a real bummer, but S--T happens.I have seen a few people mention to check the antenna connection under the passenger seat. I haven't done that yet. If the antenna connection was loose, would there be any noise coming from the speakers ? The dealer mentioned that it is not the antenna.

[Motogordo]

July 25, 2021

I spoke to the service manager at East Coast Cycle Center where I bought my Spyder and he spoke to another certified tech and said that it most likely is the amplifier but it could also be a problem with the cable harnesses for the audio.

[WilcoJunoHotel]

If you guys are playing through your helmet headset, make sure you don't have more than 1 device "paired" to each bluetooth channel on your headset. If you do, you will have issues just like this. The way to fix it is to delete all pairings and start over carefully re-pairing each device.

[Joel The Biker]

Same issue with my sea to sky. I changed the amplifier myself but it didnt fix the problem. It is either the gauge cluster or the console harness. Waiting to see how others get theirs fixed. Spyder runs fine and I dont want to tie it up at the dealer.

[Motogordo]

August 8, 2021
I have the 2021 Spyder RT Sea to Sky with the same problem. I have about 2300 miles at the moment. It cuts in and out whenever it wants to. I went back to the dealer and they said they have had a couple of RT's with the same problem. One of them had a wiring harness problem and the other had a defective amplifier. I am not bringing it in for service until it gets a bit closer to the fall, since it will be tied up for a while. There is a lot of work to get to the amplifier. Rear trunk, side bags and other goodies to get to the audio system. Bummer, but there is no other choice. They are a Platinum dealer and they do good work. God bless all the tupperware.

Motogordo

[Motogordo]

August 8, 2021

I agree. I don't want to have it sit at the dealer for weeks while getting fixed and then waiting for parts. I have the same problem.

[Joel The Biker]

August 8, 2021
I have the 2021 Spyder RT Sea to Sky with the same problem. I have about 2300 miles at the moment. It cuts in and out whenever it wants to. I went back to the dealer and they said they have had a couple of RT's with the same problem. One of them had a wiring harness problem and the other had a defective amplifier. I am not bringing it in for service until it gets a bit closer to the fall, since it will be tied up for a while. There is a lot of work to get to the amplifier. Rear trunk, side bags and other goodies to get to the audio system. Bummer, but there is no other choice. They are a Platinum dealer and they do good work. God bless all the tupperware.

Motogordo

Actually, the amplifier on the 2020/2021 RT is located up front. Not in the rear like the old RT. I have replaced mine. 2 bolts located behind panel under left headlight. Reach up into left wheelwell to unplug and wiggle it down and out of left wheelwell(a bit challenging). You can see the plugs if you move the ECM out of the way. Thanks for the info about the wiring harness being an issue. That was my next try and makes the most sense to me.

[Motogordo]

August 29, 2021
I have the seem exact problem on my 2021 Sea to Sky. ?The dealer said they had a problem with a couple of the RT newer RT's and S2S. I am waiting until the dealers service department gets caught up on repairs before I leave it there. They did say the ones they had before with this problem, one was the amplifier and the other was the wire harness for the radio. In the mean time, I use my cell phone and set it to Iheart radio and bluetooth and listen on my Jabra 25 bluetooth under my helmet.

Motogordo