C5 Z06 poor radio reception. A lot of static
03-03-2012, 02:45 PM
#1
C5 Z06 poor radio reception. A lot of static
Hi everyone,
I have a 2003 C5 Z06 with an aftermarket sound system. My problem is my FM radio reception. I think it's a ground issue somewhere near the antenna in the back of the car. I hear a lot of static in the background of stations, and stations turn to static very often. For example, sometimes when I stop at a stoplight, the radio station will turn completely to static. If I move forward maybe an in inch, the station will come back in with almost no static! This happens to stations that are supposed to have strong signals. As I am driving, stations will either often go in and out with static, or there will be almost a constant static I can hear in the background. In some parts of my city, the reception isn't too bad at all for some reason, but in others it's just terrible.
Here are the things I have tried so far that did not work at all:
- With completely stock sound system, reception was still just as bad as now.
- Replaced only the headunit to a Sony. Sonys are supposed to get good reception.
- After the rest of the sound system was replaced, I had an antenna amplifier installed. This was used with the Sony.
- Installed a new JVC headunit
- Swapped out the antenna adapter with a new one
- Tried the antenna amplifier with the JVC. Tried the JVC without the antenna amplifier
- Replaced the antenna in the back of the car (not the antenna mast, but rather the antenna module thing inside the car inside the rear passenger side bumper. This can be accessed by removing your right-most taillight). This thing was like $200!
- Ran new antenna cable from the antenna to the back of the radio, but didn't hide it because I wanted to see if it would fix it
- Wrapped the top of the antenna mast with tinfoil (I am getting desperate and read somewhere online that this might help somehow)
Things I noticed that make me think there is a ground issue:
- If I put on a station that is all static at the moment, and I just walk near the antenna on the passenger side, the station starts coming in clearly
- If I stand near the driver's side rear bumper, static gets worse somehow
- If I grab the top of the antenna mast, station will start coming in clearly
- When I ran the new antenna cable, I didn't hide it or anything so I could experiment with where to place it, and there's no point in hiding it if it doesn't fix the problem. I noticed that sometimes if I make the antenna cable have no slack, the static goes away.
- If I raise the antenna cable up in the car, static goes away
If anyone has a fix for this issue, please please let me know! I've taken my car to a Chevy dealer and an aftermarket car shop, and both could not fix the problem. I have been fighting with this issue for months now, and I'm running out of ideas
I have a 2003 C5 Z06 with an aftermarket sound system. My problem is my FM radio reception. I think it's a ground issue somewhere near the antenna in the back of the car. I hear a lot of static in the background of stations, and stations turn to static very often. For example, sometimes when I stop at a stoplight, the radio station will turn completely to static. If I move forward maybe an in inch, the station will come back in with almost no static! This happens to stations that are supposed to have strong signals. As I am driving, stations will either often go in and out with static, or there will be almost a constant static I can hear in the background. In some parts of my city, the reception isn't too bad at all for some reason, but in others it's just terrible.
Here are the things I have tried so far that did not work at all:
- With completely stock sound system, reception was still just as bad as now.
- Replaced only the headunit to a Sony. Sonys are supposed to get good reception.
- After the rest of the sound system was replaced, I had an antenna amplifier installed. This was used with the Sony.
- Installed a new JVC headunit
- Swapped out the antenna adapter with a new one
- Tried the antenna amplifier with the JVC. Tried the JVC without the antenna amplifier
- Replaced the antenna in the back of the car (not the antenna mast, but rather the antenna module thing inside the car inside the rear passenger side bumper. This can be accessed by removing your right-most taillight). This thing was like $200!
- Ran new antenna cable from the antenna to the back of the radio, but didn't hide it because I wanted to see if it would fix it
- Wrapped the top of the antenna mast with tinfoil (I am getting desperate and read somewhere online that this might help somehow)
Things I noticed that make me think there is a ground issue:
- If I put on a station that is all static at the moment, and I just walk near the antenna on the passenger side, the station starts coming in clearly
- If I stand near the driver's side rear bumper, static gets worse somehow
- If I grab the top of the antenna mast, station will start coming in clearly
- When I ran the new antenna cable, I didn't hide it or anything so I could experiment with where to place it, and there's no point in hiding it if it doesn't fix the problem. I noticed that sometimes if I make the antenna cable have no slack, the static goes away.
- If I raise the antenna cable up in the car, static goes away
If anyone has a fix for this issue, please please let me know! I've taken my car to a Chevy dealer and an aftermarket car shop, and both could not fix the problem. I have been fighting with this issue for months now, and I'm running out of ideas
03-04-2012, 08:59 AM
#4
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Sep 2003
Location: Farmington CT
Posts: 6,125
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Cruise-In VII Veteran
right outer taillight, there are 2 grounds
1. ant. mast to rear frame
2. ant. mast to bumper cover/quarter brackets
the 2nd ground if often broken, it's a stud/ground cable loop/nut config.
you'll need to hold the stud with a slim 10mm wrench
1. ant. mast to rear frame
2. ant. mast to bumper cover/quarter brackets
the 2nd ground if often broken, it's a stud/ground cable loop/nut config.
you'll need to hold the stud with a slim 10mm wrench
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ArmchairArchitect (10-04-2020)
03-05-2012, 12:07 AM
#5
Thanks for the replies, everyone!
I thought about posting this in the audio forum, but I didn't originally because I thought this had more to do with the C5 Z06 antenna. I also was afraid to double post this there, but I'm hoping some of them might see this anyway!
I spent a lot of time this weekend messing around back there. I also bought another antenna mast, and that didn't help at all. What I ended up doing was changing out one of the bolts. I will post a pic of where I changed it. What's very weird is I left one of the grounds unconnected, and it seemed like my reception was not any worse at all.
This is where one of the grounds is. I replaced that bolt that was up there because it looked like it was messed up. This pic shows the ground with the original bolt holding it in. I replaced it today after taking this pic. This is also the one I left unconnected, and the reception was no worse than with it connected. I can post pics of the old bolt and the new one I used if anyone wants them.
This is where the other ground is. It looks good.
So I don't think the reception is that much better, but maybe it is a little bit. Overall the reception is alright, but it's just so frustrating when it goes in and out with static as I'm driving
I am going to continue to try to find other ways to make it better. I am thinking about changing the nut that holds in the ground from the second pic I posted.
I thought about posting this in the audio forum, but I didn't originally because I thought this had more to do with the C5 Z06 antenna. I also was afraid to double post this there, but I'm hoping some of them might see this anyway!
I spent a lot of time this weekend messing around back there. I also bought another antenna mast, and that didn't help at all. What I ended up doing was changing out one of the bolts. I will post a pic of where I changed it. What's very weird is I left one of the grounds unconnected, and it seemed like my reception was not any worse at all.
This is where one of the grounds is. I replaced that bolt that was up there because it looked like it was messed up. This pic shows the ground with the original bolt holding it in. I replaced it today after taking this pic. This is also the one I left unconnected, and the reception was no worse than with it connected. I can post pics of the old bolt and the new one I used if anyone wants them.
This is where the other ground is. It looks good.
So I don't think the reception is that much better, but maybe it is a little bit. Overall the reception is alright, but it's just so frustrating when it goes in and out with static as I'm driving
I am going to continue to try to find other ways to make it better. I am thinking about changing the nut that holds in the ground from the second pic I posted.
Last edited by Corvette_D; 03-05-2012 at 12:18 AM.
03-10-2012, 05:19 PM
#7
I added some more grounds, but that did not seem to help. I did notice that when I grab onto two wires that go into a plastic connector, the static goes away as long as it's not connected to the other blue plastic connector! These two wires that I grabbed look like they go right up to the antenna, and since grabbing them makes the static go away, then I thought I was on to something. Here are some pics:
1) This is the plastic connector with the two wires that go up to the antenna. When this connector is unplugged from the blue one that runs somewhere into the car and if I'm grabbing those two wires, the static is gone.
2) This plastic connector with blue on it runs somewhere into the car. I have no idea what this thing does or where it runs to, but when it's connected to the antenna, the reception gets worse!
I took my car to another Chevy dealership yesterday, and they said me grabbing the wires that go into the antenna (shown in pic 1, but I need to grab the wires with all my fingers) works because I am basically acting like an antenna when I do that, which makes sense. Other than that, they did not fix it and recommended to me to go to a high end aftermarket radio shop. They did acknowledge there is a problem though! I already did take it to a good radio shop, and they couldn't make it any better.
I think the problem is with that plastic connector with blue on it that runs somewhere in the car. Does anyone know what this is or where it connects to? Could I replace it easily?
1) This is the plastic connector with the two wires that go up to the antenna. When this connector is unplugged from the blue one that runs somewhere into the car and if I'm grabbing those two wires, the static is gone.
2) This plastic connector with blue on it runs somewhere into the car. I have no idea what this thing does or where it runs to, but when it's connected to the antenna, the reception gets worse!
I took my car to another Chevy dealership yesterday, and they said me grabbing the wires that go into the antenna (shown in pic 1, but I need to grab the wires with all my fingers) works because I am basically acting like an antenna when I do that, which makes sense. Other than that, they did not fix it and recommended to me to go to a high end aftermarket radio shop. They did acknowledge there is a problem though! I already did take it to a good radio shop, and they couldn't make it any better.
I think the problem is with that plastic connector with blue on it that runs somewhere in the car. Does anyone know what this is or where it connects to? Could I replace it easily?
03-10-2012, 05:39 PM
#8
Race Director
If there's enough wire length in those two wires to still make a male/female connection...you might try twisting those two wires around each other (like a braid). That sometimes will diminish electrical inference with grounding issues.
FWIW, I didn't believe it either, but with an after market electronic speedometer installation simply twisting the wires eliminated erratic needle behavior.
FWIW, I didn't believe it either, but with an after market electronic speedometer installation simply twisting the wires eliminated erratic needle behavior.
03-12-2012, 12:10 AM
#9
If there's enough wire length in those two wires to still make a male/female connection...you might try twisting those two wires around each other (like a braid). That sometimes will diminish electrical inference with grounding issues.
FWIW, I didn't believe it either, but with an after market electronic speedometer installation simply twisting the wires eliminated erratic needle behavior.
FWIW, I didn't believe it either, but with an after market electronic speedometer installation simply twisting the wires eliminated erratic needle behavior.
I tried buying a new blue connector today but couldn't find one. It looks just like a headlamp connector. As of right now, I'm not sure if I'm going to pursue this anymore, but I will post again if I decide to continue. I've just spent way too many days and nights trying to make it better
Good news is some of the things I did made it a bit better, so for the most part I actually do get decent reception. It just fades in and out with static at different parts in my city, but actually I might be just being too much of a perfectionist.
03-12-2012, 12:02 PM
#10
Team Owner
If holding the wires going toward the radio make reception better, the problem should be on the other end, toward the antenna. It should be in either the connector or in the base part of the antenna where the mast screws on. It sounds like the wires going up into the base section is corroded or loose. Have you tried a different base mount for the antenna?
03-13-2012, 01:29 AM
#11
If holding the wires going toward the radio make reception better, the problem should be on the other end, toward the antenna. It should be in either the connector or in the base part of the antenna where the mast screws on. It sounds like the wires going up into the base section is corroded or loose. Have you tried a different base mount for the antenna?
Yeah, this base mount is completely new, so I'm hoping it is fine. There might be something loose up there. I also never checked because I'd have to completely take the antenna out since that'd be the only way I could see the top of the base where the grounds are screwed in and where those two wires go. Hopefully I'll be able to check it out this weekend.
Bill McDonald (and anyone else of course!), let me know if you need any help! Looks like we are in this together!
