Static on AM band of car radio

> wrote in message news:62835fe3-428a-46de-92dd-
> Ford recommended covering the tip of the distributor rotor with a very
> thin coating of dielectric grease. Use only the very thick type sold
> by parts stores and Radio Shack (their transistor heatsink grease).
>

Are you sure that heatsink grease is dielectric? Some of these heatsink
greases are filled with salts like zinc oxide and may conduct electricity as
well as heat. I wouldnt want this type of thing inside my radiator cap.

On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:49:55 -0800, nccft wrote:

> With the engine running on my 97' Nissan Sentra I get static on the AM
> radio band; FM is OK. When engine is not running, everything is fine. Can
> anybody suggest a solution?
>
> Larry

See do not spam me.

What kind of antenna? mounted on the driver's side pillar?

If so, remove one of the screws, get a "star" lockwasher, coat it in
dielectric grease (Syl-Glide for brakes will work) and screw the screw in
tight enough to break the paint. This will ground it to the body and get
rid of static.

Note: when you remove the screw, look and see if there is metal under the
screw. If not, remove the other one. When I did mine, I lifted the antenna
mount, put a star washer under it, and one under the screw and never got
static again.

hls wrote:
>
> > wrote in message news:62835fe3-428a-46de-92dd-
>> Ford recommended covering the tip of the distributor rotor with a very
>> thin coating of dielectric grease. Use only the very thick type sold
>> by parts stores and Radio Shack (their transistor heatsink grease).
>>
>
> Are you sure that heatsink grease is dielectric? Some of these heatsink
> greases are filled with salts like zinc oxide and may conduct
> electricity as
> well as heat. I wouldnt want this type of thing inside my radiator cap.

Agreed. Two different things. The white stuff is zinc oxide with
a little hydrocarbon emulsifier. Its a great heat conductor but is a
semi-conductor so it is used in apps where there is no chance of
conduction or where you want conduction. It hardens up with time
and heat. The clear stuff is the non-conductive silicone grease.

hls > wrote:
>
> wrote in message news:62835fe3-428a-46de-92dd-
>> Ford recommended covering the tip of the distributor rotor with a very
>> thin coating of dielectric grease. Use only the very thick type sold
>> by parts stores and Radio Shack (their transistor heatsink grease).
>
>Are you sure that heatsink grease is dielectric? Some of these heatsink
>greases are filled with salts like zinc oxide and may conduct electricity as
>well as heat. I wouldnt want this type of thing inside my radiator cap.

It's not... it's intended to be thermally conductive and consequently it's
not so good an electrical insulator. BUT a good electrical supply house
will sell a silicone dielectric grease which is just plain unfilled
silicone polymer.

I highly recommend packing every damn connector on the car with silicone
dielectric grease. Twenty years later you (or whoever owns the car by
then) will be very glad you did.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:02:20 -0600, Paul wrote:

> hls wrote:
>>
>> > wrote in message
>> news:62835fe3-428a-46de-92dd-
>>> Ford recommended covering the tip of the distributor rotor with a very
>>> thin coating of dielectric grease. Use only the very thick type sold
>>> by parts stores and Radio Shack (their transistor heatsink grease).
>>>
>>>
>> Are you sure that heatsink grease is dielectric? Some of these
>> heatsink greases are filled with salts like zinc oxide and may conduct
>> electricity as
>> well as heat. I wouldnt want this type of thing inside my radiator cap.
>
> Agreed. Two different things. The white stuff is zinc oxide with a
> little hydrocarbon emulsifier. Its a great heat conductor but is a
> semi-conductor so it is used in apps where there is no chance of
> conduction or where you want conduction. It hardens up with time and
> heat. The clear stuff is the non-conductive silicone grease.

Right. It's the stuff AutoZone sells in little packets for $0.99 as "spark
plug wire" grease. You can buy a whole can from CRC for $3.99, and unless
you're like me, who uses it for everything, will last your lifetime, your
kid's lifetie, and may run out with THEIR grandkids...

I use it for a lot of stuff, when I need a good, waterproof lubricant,
freeing stuck bicycle chains, on the sliders for the doors, I even used it
as a lubricant in the caliper slides on my Soob, because it does not
attack the rubber boots, and resists moisture.