howards11 Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 (edited) I'm having a problem with my radio on AM only. I'm having problems using AM; local stations come in with a lot of static. Forget about distant stations like some I listen to in NYC. I pick up static from the front windshield washer and from the rear washer too. I also seem to be picking up static from passing cars. Radio is an aftermarket single CD Pioneer which was professionally installed by Best Buy over 5 years ago and has not given me problems until now. FM is fine. Does anyone have a clue on this problem? HELP....................this is driving me nuts! ~Howard Edited April 20, 2009 by howards11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 (edited) What's AM? hehe just kidding. I don't know esp if it is an aftermarket unit. They might not be putting much $ into the AM sections these days. AM has always seemed to be more picky and hard to tune in and get it to stay tuned in. If it's a problem that is just starting, maybe somethign is going wrong with the unit. I think the AM section just uses some internal ferite core coil thing for reception rather than the external antenna. Did you have your windows tinted recently? There was something about some soob radios getting static when the rear defroster was on but I forget the details. Edited April 20, 2009 by porcupine73 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howards11 Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 (edited) What's AM? hehe just kidding. I don't know esp if it is an aftermarket unit. They might not be putting much $ into the AM sections these days. AM has always seemed to be more picky and hard to tune in and get it to stay tuned in. If it's a problem that is just starting, maybe somethign is going wrong with the unit. I think the AM section just uses some internal ferite core coil thing for reception rather than the external antenna. Did you have your windows tinted recently? There was something about some soob radios getting static when the rear defroster was on but I forget the details. NOPE....No tinting here. ~Howard Edited April 20, 2009 by howards11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Due to the much longer wavelength of AM signals than FM it is harder to pick them up and having a good external antenna to do that is a must. Without it, you would have zip. The problem you are having Howard sounds to me there is a bad ground connection in the antenna circuit. The symtoms you describe match the characteristics of a bad ground at least. This could be where the antenna connects to the body. It may also be where the antenna connects to the radio. I think your model may have the version of antenna that is built into the glass and would be harder to work on. As a test you could try using a piece of wire stuck into the center pin hole of the antenna connector and see what happens. Older radios used to have a tuning control for the AM antenna section. An adjustable capacitor was used to maximize the signal for a weak station on the upper end of the tuning scale. I don't think they are used anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howards11 Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 (edited) Due to the much longer wavelength of AM signals than FM it is harder to pick them up and having a good external antenna to do that is a must. Without it, you would have zip. The problem you are having Howard sounds to me there is a bad ground connection in the antenna circuit. The symtoms you describe match the characteristics of a bad ground at least. This could be where the antenna connects to the body. It may also be where the antenna connects to the radio. I think your model may have the version of antenna that is built into the glass and would be harder to work on. As a test you could try using a piece of wire stuck into the center pin hole of the antenna connector and see what happens. Older radios used to have a tuning control for the AM antenna section. An adjustable capacitor was used to maximize the signal for a weak station on the upper end of the tuning scale. I don't think they are used anymore. COUGAR: Thanks for the insight and information. My antenna is external; it is not in the built into the glass. I have an appointment with Best Buy on Wednesday morning so we'll see what happens then. I'm just hoping that it's like you say. If I need a replacement radio, Best Buy appears to have nothing that fits my car. ~Howard Edited April 20, 2009 by howards11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 I doubt that the radio is the problem but it might be. If you decide to go with a new one you sould check out Crutchfield.com. A great place to help you with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howards11 Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 I doubt that the radio is the problem but it might be. If you decide to go with a new one you sould check out Crutchfield.com. A great place to help you with that. COUGAR: I got my speakers from Crutchfield and the price was fantastic. I checked them out for a new radio just in case. They have stuff that will fit my 2000 Forester plus they have a new service that has local installers. They have an installer near my house. They don't tell you who until you purchase the service but I think I know who it is. The cost to install a new radio would be $60.00. Not too bad if you don't want to tackle the job yourself. ~Howard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 That's great Howard. Just don't replace the radio and expect the trouble to go away with the new one unless testing has verified the radio itself is bad and not the antenna. It doesn't take much of an antenna to receive FM signals and is not susceptable to the noise problems AM is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howards11 Posted April 21, 2009 Author Share Posted April 21, 2009 (edited) That's great Howard. Just don't replace the radio and expect the trouble to go away with the new one unless testing has verified the radio itself is bad and not the antenna. It doesn't take much of an antenna to receive FM signals and is not susceptable to the noise problems AM is. COUGAR: What you say makes perfect sense to me. Today it rained in Philadelphia. The radio reception was on AM was a lot better because everything was wet and made a better connection. So I'm beginning to believe it's not the radio but a connection. The hard part here in Philly is finding someone to do the work. My mechanic who's done work for me for about 15 years only wanted to pull the radio and send it out for repair. He didn't understand the problem. Like I told you I'm starting with Best Buy first on Wednesday since they did the original instillation. They have a "lifetime" guarantee on their install. But I'm willing to PAY for any work as long as it clears up the problem. I'm not looking for "free". I just want the work done properly. ~Howard Edited April 21, 2009 by howards11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 (edited) From what you say Howard I would have the shop clean the chassis ground connection at the base of the antenna. It sounds like some corrosion has taken place and the grounding bond isn't as good as it should be. The body of the car acts as the ground plane for the antenna and is a very important part of the antenna circuit so a good bond to it is necessary. The added resistance to ground allows the noise to be picked up along with reduced signal level. They will have to remove the antenna to do that and clean the base area of the antenna and the chassis. This is a pretty common trouble. Edited April 21, 2009 by Cougar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNY_Dave Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Another item to check is to see if the static is dependent on the fan blower speed. If the anti-noise capacitor across the motor is bad, it will create a lot of static that will change with the fan speed setting. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howards11 Posted April 22, 2009 Author Share Posted April 22, 2009 As expected Best Buy did not find a problem with anything. The blamed the AM stations. They also told my wife if there was a problem with the ground the whole radio would shut down. So now I'm going to set up an appointment with another dealer. ~Howard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 I have had similar problems with after market radios that I have installed. Usually, it is a bad antenna connection, or just a bad antenna. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howards11 Posted April 22, 2009 Author Share Posted April 22, 2009 I have had similar problems with after market radios that I have installed. Usually, it is a bad antenna connection, or just a bad antenna. ROOSTER2: I wonder if I just try another antenna. I saw one at WalMart that might fit. ~Howard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 (edited) ROOSTER2:I wonder if I just try another antenna. I saw one at WalMart that might fit. ~Howard New antennas are inexpensive, so it is worth a try. If you buy a new antenna, make sure the base of the new antenna is the right size to fit into existing mounting hole where current antenna resides, as not all antennas have the same size diameter base. Usually import cars have a small size base. Sometimes, the antenna display in a store will have antennas that are advertised to fit imports. Also, check to see that the signal carrying plug (connector) is the right size to insert into the antenna port on the back of your radio. Edited April 22, 2009 by Rooster2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howards11 Posted April 22, 2009 Author Share Posted April 22, 2009 New antennas are inexpensive, so it is worth a try. If you buy a new antenna, make sure the base of the new antenna is the right size to fit into existing mounting hole where current antenna resides, as not all antennas have the same size diameter base. Usually import cars have a small size base. Sometimes, the antenna display in a store will have antennas that are advertised to fit imports. Also, check to see that the signal carrying plug (connector) is the right size to insert into the antenna port on the back of your radio. OH.........I was just going to try a new antenna. I don't want to try running a new cable to the radio. ~Howard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 The shop was talking about the DC ground for the radio. They don't realize the antenna needs a good ground bond also to work like it should. You should be able to just use a piece of wire to check the radio out. Get a 10 to 20 foot piece of wire and cut back the insulation on one end about a half inch. Then remove the antenna connector from the radio and install the wire end to the center pin connection. Then see how the signal comes in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howards11 Posted April 22, 2009 Author Share Posted April 22, 2009 (edited) The shop was talking about the DC ground for the radio. They don't realize the antenna needs a good ground bond also to work like it should. You should be able to just use a piece of wire to check the radio out. Get a 10 to 20 foot piece of wire and cut back the insulation on one end about a half inch. Then remove the antenna connector from the radio and install the wire end to the center pin connection. Then see how the signal comes in. COUGAR: Thank you for the suggestion but I don't have a clue how the radio comes out nor do I wish to try. I'll have to tell you about the time I glued myself to the inside of a toilet. That shows you my mechanical ability. I contacted a local shop. They will pull the radio and try another antenna. The gentleman I spoke with said that it's probably the antenna. He actually knew something so I feel better. If it's not the antenna they will even try another Pioneer unit. I have an appointment on Friday. I have some confidence in this place based on my phone conversation. They charge $35 to pull the radio. ~Howard Edited April 22, 2009 by howards11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 I'll have to tell you about the time I glued myself to the inside of a toilet. Okay, I'm waiting! Sounds like you're taking a good approach with the shop you found, Howard. You might want to ask them (politely) about the possibility of grounding issues--then they'll know you're not totally clueless and that you have friends (USMB) helping you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 COUGAR:Thank you for the suggestion but I don't have a clue how the radio comes out nor do I wish to try. I'll have to tell you about the time I glued myself to the inside of a toilet. That shows you my mechanical ability. I contacted a local shop. They will pull the radio and try another antenna. The gentleman I spoke with said that it's probably the antenna. He actually knew something so I feel better. If it's not the antenna they will even try another Pioneer unit. I have an appointment on Friday. I have some confidence in this place based on my phone conversation. They charge $35 to pull the radio. ~Howard Howard, a new antenna comes complete with a cable and the plug connector to push into the antenna receptacle in the back of the radio. Were you thinking that replacing the antenna was simply a matter of replacing the mast rod? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howards11 Posted April 23, 2009 Author Share Posted April 23, 2009 (edited) Howard, a new antenna comes complete with a cable and the plug connector to push into the antenna receptacle in the back of the radio. Were you thinking that replacing the antenna was simply a matter of replacing the mast rod? ROOSTER2: I was just going to replace the rod. Now I understand that it involves a lot more than I want to tackle. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I'll let everyone know how this turns out. ~Howard Edited April 23, 2009 by howards11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 ROOSTER2:I was just going to replace the rod. Now I understand that it involves a lot more than I want to tackle. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I'll let everyone know how this turns out. ~Howard Yes, please keep us posted. We all like to hear how problems were solved. Thanks.............Larry........Rooster2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howards11 Posted April 24, 2009 Author Share Posted April 24, 2009 (edited) PROBLEM SOLVED: The store I took it to tried a new radio and 95% of the static cleared up. The gentleman from the store told me that he even heard noise from the power windows. Before he tried a new radio he tried some filters on the line and tried a new antenna. Both did nothing to improve the AM. So it looks like the Pioneer was going anyway. The Pioneer has been in the Forester since 2003. The upside is I'm getting an updated version of what was in there. Not bad price wise........$107 + $35 and tax. Cheaper than the old one. That one installed was just about $200. ~Howard Edited April 24, 2009 by howards11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 PROBLEM SOLVED: The store I took it to tried a new radio and 95% of the static cleared up. The gentleman from the store told me that he even heard noise from the power windows. Before he tried a new radio he tried some filters on the line and tried a new antenna. Both did nothing to improve the AM. So it looks like the Pioneer was going anyway. The Pioneer has been in the Forester since 2003. The upside is I'm getting an updated version of what was in there. Not bad price wise........$107 + $35 and tax. Cheaper than the old one. That one installed was just about $200. ~Howard Situation fixed........glad to hear that! Rooster2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Good deal Howard. Thanks for the update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.