RDS display is lazy!

[bluevolume]

OK, so I've gone and bought myself an Escape. (I still have my Explorer, so I'm still in the club ).

The Escape radio has the RDS display on it, but it seems to be not working right. When you first tune to a station, the info comes up and scrolls like its supposed to for maybe 5 - 10 seconds, then it just gets stuck on one 'word'. It will stay like that until you adjust the volume or switch the channel. Example - Hells Bells is playing, but the screen says "Afternoon Delight"; turn the volume up one click, then the screen says "Hells Bells".

What's going on? I've driven an Envoy that has this feature, and the screen continues to scroll as long as there's info (I'll admit its quite distracting, but it does work).

Any ideas? I'm figuring that the Escape radio is the same as in other Fords.

 

[bel4_20]

Nope same issue here on my explorer's radio if anyone knows of a fix or tip please fill us in.

 

[Flounder]

Mine does not scroll, but occasionally changes. So, I'll get METALL then ICA then HELLS BELLS, etc.

 

[JDraper]

It's not a problem with the radio, it's the signal it's receiving that's causing the problem. RDS runs on a digital signal from the radio station. If that signal is not strong, some of the digital info is dropped, so it gets partial information, hence the goofed up display. Unlike an analog signal that can get fuzzy but still be understood, a digital signal is either on or off. Think of how the old analog cell phones used to start to get a fuzzy signal when the signal strength was low, and how the new digital phones just cut out. Same principle.