Radio Reception

[crazykid]

topic says it all.... the stock hu is fine.. but with my aftermarket hu i get no am what so ever... and with fm, its mostly fine, but some of the stations located not as close get static depending on your location... this sometimes happens with all stations actually. Is there a simple way to boost the antenna? Do i need a new antenna? Thanks for any help

(i think this was posted before in the old forum, but i didn't see it transferred over here anywhere)

[evilinside09]

i have that exact same problem. most fm comes in well except for 89x. am is nonexistent which was frustrating for the u of m v osu game last saturday!

[boarder211]

Yeah... it happens to me too... In some places of the city, I can get some stations, but not others... so I've had to drive around and program my HU to get them all.

Before the change-over, they said that it was a problem with the in-line radio antenna in the rear window... I dunno if anyone ever said how to fix it though...

[crazykid]

evil!! same problem i tend to get most problems with 89x...

[evilinside09]

i think it has something to do with the main 89x tower being in canada. just a thought.

[Aleromaster]

My AM is fine, even stronger than the factory and my FMhas no change at all.

[vulgar]

not a canadia thing...got the same prob here in NY

[99BLKALERO]

this was a topic on the old site...I guess there is a wire you can connect too...I have not done it..but it is supposed to boost your reception.

[Final-Reality]

I'm in windsor, right across from detroit, and even with the stock headunit sometimes 89x comes in lousy... I don't know why.. they need more power to their tower or something.. :P

[Aleromaster]

Most aftermarket radios now seem to have 2 remote turn on wires. 1 for the amps and one for the power antenna. I noticed that the cars that where done at circiut city where wired wrong and the antenna booster would not power up. Also I believe the AM is an internal antenna ( coil antenna) that is inside ofthe radios and has nothing to do with the antenna on the car.

[jojo0715]

I have the same problem some channels that worked fine with my stock raido no longer come in at all and some of them come in all $hitty i had mine done at best buy.

[jamcllw]

You have to hook the blue antenna wire up to the wiring harness. I had the same problem with mine til I took it back apart and hooked up the power antenna lead. I guess since our antenna's are in the rear window that they have a booster that needs to be powered up to get good reception. Ohyeah after I connected the power antenna wire I was able to pick up stations in Columbus and Cincinnati and I live in Dayton.

[bigd6983]

wait wait.........you hooked up the blue antenna wire coming out of head unit to ground, 12+, constant........i get nothing as far as AM, would like this fixed when listening to football games when I cant watch them.......

[jamcllw]

NO! There's a blue wire coming off your wiring harness that you buy to install you head unit. On it there is a blue wire that the instruction states is a power antenna lead. You then connect the blue wire coming off of you radio harness to it. That is the same wire you'd use for a remote turn on lead for an amp.

[bigd6983]

so the same wire i use to turn on my amps i use for the power antenna, im pretty sure there is a seperate wire for power antenna, I am sure they probably both are a switched on after the ignition is turned on, I am going to give that a try and see if thats why my AM stations arent coming in.......

[smokinAMD]

You might want to try a different antennae adapter.

[bigd6983]

jam was right........theres a light blue wire that you need to hook up to a remote turn on wire, anyone with this problem, its definately the fix.......i went from getting no AM stations what so ever, to getting them all and sounding almost as good as FM.......

[jamcllw]

your welcome

[mikegett]

the look of a car with a rear window antenna is nice, but it is just plain a bad design. the original cars (not just olds) had no booster (around '90). they soon realized that a booster was required but had alot of noise intered into the cars electrical systems. So every year the boosters get stronger and the noise supressors get bigger to accomodate. The toyota Sieanna van for 04 had multiple issues over this. That is the main reason you will start to see the small antennas (they look like xm's) on the cars. the good news is that when HD radio comes out, the antennas can get even smaller. Hopefully our next car purchase will have the issues solved and no more window antennas.

[sound_xtreme]

yea, alero's technically have power antenna's so you need to hook the power antenna lead up. you can also splice it right into the turn on lead(the red wire) either way works

[MikeSS]

My thick ass tint didn't do much to help my reception either. I can barely get some radio stations in toronto that are two blocks away :pissed:

[bigd6983]

MAlero you are sure this wire is hooked up??

[MikeSS]

O h yeah, it is funny, cause sometimes I get buffalo nice and clear, I think it might have to do with the different valleys and tall buildings around here

[jamcllw]

Originally posted by MAlero@Aug 13 2004, 07:31 AM
My thick ass tint didn't do much to help my reception either. I can barely get some radio stations in toronto that are two blocks away :pissed:
I don't think tint strongly affects radio reception if at all.

[mikegett]

The only way the tint will affect the rececption is if you are using reflective tints. These contain aluminum which blocks radio signals. Otherwise the signal will pass through the tint just as it does the walls of your house.

[bigd6983]

yea thats what i was thinkin guys........didnt think tint would block it......

[bjensen83]

So with this blue wire thing, can anyone post pics of how to do this? I think i've seen the wire labeled "ant." but had no clue what to do with it.

[bigd6983]

this wires going to be coming off the wire adapter you bought for your car, its a light blue color..........your going to connect that to your remote turn on wire, the same one you would use for your amps, or anything that is switched on once you turn the key on.......

hooking it up to the remote wire just seemed easiest for me......

i forgot to hook up my rj-45 cable for my sound for my ps2 so when i get time i will take pictures and show you guys how messy it is behind my head unit lol, and show you the wire.........

[bjensen83]

I paid someone to install it for me. Interestingly, I took out my head unit to check that stuff out, when i lift up all the wires and jam it back some, i get pretty good reception, then while i'm driving after a while, it turns to static. a picture would really help :)

[snake_eyes2]

Hmmm I put my HU in myself and didn't connect either the power ant lead or the amp lead (Amp is in waiting) but the point is that I haveno problem with radio either am or fm. And there is no reason that tint should be blocking the radio signal, unless it is lead! :pimp: pimpin ain't easy

[bjensen83]

hrm. so which two wires do i connect? i don't see what you guys are talking about.

[tenny]

ya I am wondering about this too.... my wire harness didnt have a wire for powr antenna, it did have one for remote turn on for an amp though, which i hooked up the remote turn on from my wire harness too. should I hook the blue wire to that one? :wacko:

[bigd6983]

yes hook the wire coming from your car that antenna on it or ant to that same wire you use for your amp turn on or antenna turn on off your head unit......

[tenny]

no what i mean is that my wiring harness didnt have a power antenna wire, the radio did though.

[AleroDownSouthGirl]

I always had that problem with my stock stereo and figured if I put in a aftermarket w/a antenna adapter that it work.....yeah right. Still caught just ONE FM station, and no AM. So, I just listen to CD's, until I can get my friend to fix the wiring for me to see if it will work.

Brought it to GM to fix. Guy said another Alero got brought in for same problem and it's usually a loose wire connection by the rear glass.....hmmm.

Screw it.

[Oldz Alero]

Alright sorry guys for bringing up an old thread but I just put in my headunit and my reception sucks. When i turn on the rear defroster i get all static on most stations and even when its off my reception still isn't good. The thing is, is that it did the same thing with the factory deck.

I see the blue wire you are talking about coming out of the aftermarket headunit. I am using the relocation harness from scoshe (sp?) my factory deck is in the trunk. My dad is a service manager and pulled up all the wiring stuff for the car, but im still not seeing which wire i need to connect the headunit wire too. Is the wire in the relocation harness or in the factory wiring harness?

Thanks for the help, I just want to get this hooked up once and for all.

Joe

[mikegett]

I think it varies on the harness and year of the car. some cars are blue and some are green. My harness (purchased from circuit city) didn't have a antenna turn on. However, the cars radio wiring had a green wire that goes back to the booster. The booster and deefog are in the same unit. Since the new harness doesn't have a turn on for the antenna, you will need to jumper the amp turn on to the booster. If you have distortion then the booster is probably bad.

[Oldz Alero]

Yeah i think you're right about the wire being green for my 2001. Thats what the wiring harness sheets my dad printed out said. The thing is the relocation harness doesn't list what each wire does and i tried to put the blue antenna wire coming out of the aftermarket deck to the green wire in the factory harness and it didn't help, in fact it made it so that the front speakers and tweeters didn't work (they are all plugged into the factory harness, whereas my 6x9's aren't)

Thanks i'll have to keep trying some stuff

Anymore help would be greatly appreciated

I don't know if it'll help but my car is a 2001 and it has the amp in the trunk. I have the sun and sound package.

[mikegett]

If you are want to be possitive of the correct wire, then trace it from the rear to the HU. The booster box is on the rear passenger side of the back window. You have to remove the plastic facia. You will notice that the antenna and defogger go into one box. Coming out of the box is two wires. One green for the antenna turn on and one black for the defogger. It would be possible to run the 12 volt ignition off of your amp to the defogger as well. I am concerned with your amplifiers condition. If you had static with your old radio then it is probably bad. The box shares a ground someplace (probably off of your antenna cable) and that could be the cause. Try unplugging the window from the antenna. See if the static goes away.

[Oldz Alero]

I think you might be right, mikegett. Yeah i did see the box when i was putting in the 6x9's. At that point though i just thought the bad reception was from my factory headunit, so i never really paid attention to it. I'll give that a shot tomorrow, see how it goes.

Thanks

Off topic: I just put in the cd/mp3 reciever about a week ago, I highly recommend one to anyone looking to get a new headunit, because it usually doesn't cost that much more. I don't even know why i am trying to fix the radio. I love having that many songs on a disc.

[snake_eyes2]

have you been able to fix this problem yet? I even had to go and pull my HU out and rewire into the ant, it was pissing me off :angry: Anyway if you still need held send the wiring diagram / colour code for your deck and I will look into the answer for you.

[Chucklez05]

My reception sucked, I got 1 FM station and no AM stations. After I hooked up the wire i get every station in the area and some from pretty far away

[slowandlow]

i am thinking of getting a aftermarket hideaway antena that has a higher gain than stock so i get better and from longer away

[FrankNY]

Found this THREAD via the SEARCH feature, had same problem, new PIONEER CD head unit, no AM reception. I took it for granted that those blue wires were for power "motorized" antenna, so I left them disconnected. Took radio out again connected wires, problem solved. :beerchug:

[switch]

Hmm..Im using the GM Data Class II harness. and I have no "Power Antenna" wire. I do howver have an Amp turn on. Should I hook those two up?

EDIT - I went ahead and connected them It works great now. Im just an idiot.

[marcsalero]

:) dude you are my hero I get every station and like ten I didn't know about thanks