I brought this issue to the antique radio newsgroup since > they're > hands-on electronics folks. We batted it around a bit. My > suspicion is that the problem is caused by that nasty little > new-fangled volume control -- the type that's so > automatically-elect­ronic that its last position is stored in > computer memory -- it is not a traditional mechanical control. > It > has no "full down" stop, but rotates continuously. All of its > control is performed by reference to the last stored position, > not the control's actual physical position (got that?). I > mean, > like, who needs this? It's user-hostile design. >

The part is being made by some supplier, and being sold to > various companies. I think that the failure is caused by a > tiny > unsecured part inside the control, which has a conventional > "on/off" feel, but in fact, isn't a mechanical switch. Hitting > a > bump causes that part to make brief contact, which turns the > radio on. Note that in every case when the radio has > misbehaved > in two Hyundais, the failure mode has been that hitting a bump > turns the radio on. When the radio is on, the opposite doesn't > happen: the radio stays on. >

Does anyone know of a brand other than Hyundai in which this > happens? >

Richard