keep in mind, static getting worse is a subjective statement. We don't know how much worse w/o hearing it. it also could just become more annoying over time, leading him to believe it is worse. who knows. Any static, if caused by bad connections or a bad ground (which could lead to alternator noise) can overwork drivers and amplifiers, and in turn, cause an eventual overheat, leading to shutdown. My best guess is that it is a combination of things along these lines.