Lousy Reception AM!!!!
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Lousy Reception AM!!!!
Hi all,
Have a '98 vette that has lousy reception on AM. FM is fine and CD plays well. Thought it might be plug wires but have changed them without beneficial results. What might be a correction for improving reception?????
Have a '98 vette that has lousy reception on AM. FM is fine and CD plays well. Thought it might be plug wires but have changed them without beneficial results. What might be a correction for improving reception?????
Instructor
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 149
Likes: 0
From: Twain Harte CA
Hope this long-winded explanation helps.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
You dont say what type of interference you're getting. Can you tie down the culprit? Also, how is the signal strength in the area. Did they just switch off an AM transmitter? Lack of listeners means that often stations are pulling hardware for economics reasons. You may be chasing a problem that you can't fix as it may be nothing to do with the car.
General static is either weak signal or poor connections. The antenna head into the HU would be my first candidate. A rhythmic ticking which increases with engine speed is car electricals. If you can tie it down you can target the offender. In the old days I used to fit suppressors to the plug wires but I don't know if you can even get them nowadays. Shielding might help but it would look bad. The alternator could be another problem but hard to fix.
Good description from Bassman but signal quality was the reason for the big switch to FM.
BTW, its worth filling out your profile. In this case members who live in your area may offer comment on their reception.
General static is either weak signal or poor connections. The antenna head into the HU would be my first candidate. A rhythmic ticking which increases with engine speed is car electricals. If you can tie it down you can target the offender. In the old days I used to fit suppressors to the plug wires but I don't know if you can even get them nowadays. Shielding might help but it would look bad. The alternator could be another problem but hard to fix.
Good description from Bassman but signal quality was the reason for the big switch to FM.
BTW, its worth filling out your profile. In this case members who live in your area may offer comment on their reception.
Last edited by DeeGee; Aug 22, 2008 at 03:59 AM.
Instructor
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 149
Likes: 0
From: Twain Harte CA
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Pro
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 580
Likes: 0
From: New York NY
It might be your antenna amplifier module...the coupes have a module locuted behind the B pillar (behind the seatbelt) that amplifies the signal recieved by the antennas and if it's not functioning, your reception becomes very poor....you might want to check that out, there are two wires, a green wire which is live at 12V and a pink wire which is at 5V...the module turns on only when the radio tunes in to an am or fm station.
your first best is to check all the fuses, i do believe there is a fuse for this antenna module alone but im not sure which fuse location it is
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,211
Likes: 4
From: Vancouver B.C.
It might be your antenna amplifier module...the coupes have a module locuted behind the B pillar (behind the seatbelt) that amplifies the signal recieved by the antennas and if it's not functioning, your reception becomes very poor....you might want to check that out, there are two wires, a green wire which is live at 12V and a pink wire which is at 5V...the module turns on only when the radio tunes in to an am or fm station.
your first best is to check all the fuses, i do believe there is a fuse for this antenna module alone but im not sure which fuse location it is
your first best is to check all the fuses, i do believe there is a fuse for this antenna module alone but im not sure which fuse location it is
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...ighlight=Radio
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 146
Likes: 37
From: Canton GA
I had absolutely no AM reception. There is a module in the roof right behind the rear latch that takes input from the rear antenna and then sends it down to the module in the B-Pillar behind the driver seatbelt.
The rear antenna is the only one that does AM reception. It also does FM. The Antenna in front only does FM. The module in the B pillar figures out which signal to use from the 2 antennas.
The problem that I had was that the antenna lead coming from the rear antenna had a problem. What I believe was that the tip of the lead had a loose connection to the wire. If i wiggled the wire some AM would start working again. Instead of trying to resolder it, I put a bit of force on wire with a tie wrap to force a better connection.
This got me AM reception and better FM reception.
See this thread for Diagrams
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=antenna
The rear antenna is the only one that does AM reception. It also does FM. The Antenna in front only does FM. The module in the B pillar figures out which signal to use from the 2 antennas.
The problem that I had was that the antenna lead coming from the rear antenna had a problem. What I believe was that the tip of the lead had a loose connection to the wire. If i wiggled the wire some AM would start working again. Instead of trying to resolder it, I put a bit of force on wire with a tie wrap to force a better connection.
This got me AM reception and better FM reception.
See this thread for Diagrams
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=antenna
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
I had absolutely no AM reception. There is a module in the roof right behind the rear latch that takes input from the rear antenna and then sends it down to the module in the B-Pillar behind the driver seatbelt.
The rear antenna is the only one that does AM reception. It also does FM. The Antenna in front only does FM. The module in the B pillar figures out which signal to use from the 2 antennas.
The problem that I had was that the antenna lead coming from the rear antenna had a problem. What I believe was that the tip of the lead had a loose connection to the wire. If i wiggled the wire some AM would start working again. Instead of trying to resolder it, I put a bit of force on wire with a tie wrap to force a better connection.
This got me AM reception and better FM reception.
See this thread for Diagrams
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=antenna
The rear antenna is the only one that does AM reception. It also does FM. The Antenna in front only does FM. The module in the B pillar figures out which signal to use from the 2 antennas.
The problem that I had was that the antenna lead coming from the rear antenna had a problem. What I believe was that the tip of the lead had a loose connection to the wire. If i wiggled the wire some AM would start working again. Instead of trying to resolder it, I put a bit of force on wire with a tie wrap to force a better connection.
This got me AM reception and better FM reception.
See this thread for Diagrams
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=antenna
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,227
Likes: 15
St. Jude Donor '06
I had absolutely no AM reception. There is a module in the roof right behind the rear latch that takes input from the rear antenna and then sends it down to the module in the B-Pillar behind the driver seatbelt.
The rear antenna is the only one that does AM reception. It also does FM. The Antenna in front only does FM. The module in the B pillar figures out which signal to use from the 2 antennas.
The problem that I had was that the antenna lead coming from the rear antenna had a problem. What I believe was that the tip of the lead had a loose connection to the wire. If i wiggled the wire some AM would start working again. Instead of trying to resolder it, I put a bit of force on wire with a tie wrap to force a better connection.
This got me AM reception and better FM reception.
See this thread for Diagrams
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=antenna
The rear antenna is the only one that does AM reception. It also does FM. The Antenna in front only does FM. The module in the B pillar figures out which signal to use from the 2 antennas.
The problem that I had was that the antenna lead coming from the rear antenna had a problem. What I believe was that the tip of the lead had a loose connection to the wire. If i wiggled the wire some AM would start working again. Instead of trying to resolder it, I put a bit of force on wire with a tie wrap to force a better connection.
This got me AM reception and better FM reception.
See this thread for Diagrams
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=antenna
Thanks for posting the link...i really did not want to have to find it with the search function....
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,336
Likes: 4
From: NW Arkansas
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
before the days of FM and cable TV (about the era of the Flintstones) I ran solid wires on my hotrod. all the neighbors knew when I came and went by the rf noise it made. I don't know what it was about that old Chevy, but it was bad!
Racer
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 352
Likes: 42
I like to listen to AM sometimes too. Had lots of problems with my 2001 Coupe when I first got it. After lots of trys I finally found that by pulling OFF the two wires on the rear defroster my AM reception was MUCH better. Somehow they were causing interference.
First off, check the wire to the rear AM antenna, make sure it's connected. If it's OK then pull the two wires off the rear defroster, there's one on each side of the window. See if that helps.
I left the wires off, I don't plan to drive her in weather where I need a rear defroster!!!!
DocOhm
First off, check the wire to the rear AM antenna, make sure it's connected. If it's OK then pull the two wires off the rear defroster, there's one on each side of the window. See if that helps.
I left the wires off, I don't plan to drive her in weather where I need a rear defroster!!!!
DocOhm
Rush Limbaugh - 
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 41,793
Likes: 153
From: Houston,Texas USA
Do you have tinted windows? When I had the windows tinted on my 99 coupe, I went with a metalised film, that made the AM radio reception real bad. I didn't use the metalized film on my 04 coupe, and AM works fine.
