Radio Reception

[passat08]

Hey just wanted to know has anyone else had bad radio reception very static radio?

[Lindsay]

Yeah I have always had bad radio reception in my Passat, andhad the same problem in my old Astra too. My old VR Calais has fantastic reception! I think it's a common problem with European cars due to the often much larger distances in between radio towers here.

[booba]

Never had a problem in the GTI.

[wai]

Unfortunately it is because VW choose to use the rear window heater/demister element as a radio antenna. I have even seen this now in Falcon wagons. Basically, it is not a big cost to have the heater element applied to the rear screen, and when you install it, it is just a matter of connecting it and you have an antenna of sorts. Compare this to the cost of sourcing a proper antenna and then fitting it and carrying it around. If the customer has an issue with that then it is up to them to have a proper antenna fitted.

Then the use of FAKRA type plugs causes problems as any aftermarket antenna wil have the standard DIN plug and not the FAKRA connector. You will need a FAKRA to DIN adaptor made up.

You can buy a concealed antenna. There are various types ranging from ones like a GPS antenna, or one that sticks to the windscreen like the heater element, or one that sticks to the windscreen like the old mobile phone car antennas.

The problem is that it should not be like that. I had a Hiace with a simple AM/FM radio and had no problems with it on either AM or FM. This is not the case with the antenna on my Caddy.

[PASHN8]

Yep poor reception and occasional static with my R36 wagon also. Lucky I never listen to the radio!


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[clip]

nope, mines great. On a recent trip from Brisbane to Sydney via the New England highway, I was really impressed at how well it sucked in and held onto radio stations. Mine's a sedan, so maybe it's a wagon thing?

[passat08]

found out probably tint doesnt help either cause aerial is the back window

[wind]

found out probably tint doesnt help either cause aerial is the back window

If it is a metallic tint then that may contribute to the problem by blocking the radio waves (i.e. lower/no signal coming to the antenna stuck onto the inside of the rear glass, again this would be direction dependent: better reception driving away from the transmitter and worse driving towards it - is this what you are seeing???) - did read up on this before I tinted my car/s and to a certain extent it depends on the metallic tint (and how much radio wave blocking metal they use in it), was non-issue for me as ended up at that time getting a car with external antenna on back of roof.

If it is a non-metallic tint then less likely to be an issue re radio waves being blocked by the film (may be due to a poor connection somewhere along the line from the antenna to the head unit?).


Re my Passat wagon and radio reception - have not noticed any issues . . . antennas in shark-fin

[Jmr84]

Tint is a common problem with reception, the dealership I work at used to use a different tint until we realised it was causing reception issues. Not saying that's your issue tho.

[wai]

I went out today (I have been laid up) and this time was ready for the change of radio station.

Everything was OK when I drove into the underground parking station. There was barely a radio signal, but it was holding onto the station.

I shut the car down and set the alarm as I went for my appointment. When I got back, I turned everything on and started the car. Now, it could not get a satisfactory signal for the radio and so switched to preset position 1. Me being me I have my preset stations in increasing frequency as it makes it easier to search for them and the radio station I was on was the first button on the lower row. As a result, the radio decided to switch the preset to 1, and naturally got nothing as this is a frequency normally used in regional NSW and not in Sydney. I had to wait until the satellite search was completed for the navigation system before it would let me switch to the radio screen and change it to the desired preset.

So, to avoid this happening in future, is there any way that the radio can be set to NOT try and find a radio signal that is stronger or default back to preset 1?

Thanks.