AM radio frequency not working

bobsy852 · Jul 24th, 2016, 16:29

So I recently posted this thread in the general discussion area as my car wasn't picking up AM radio frequencies.

I finally had chance to test the radio in my girlfriends car yesterday and found hers works perfectly so it's not a transmitter issue in our area. It's my Volvo that doesn't seem to be picking up hardly any AM radio at all (I can hear it very faintly sometimes with the volume set to maximum).

My FM radio works fine (apart from when I plug a phone charger into the cigarette lighter, then it gets a bit of interference, but I've had this with every car I've had so I presume it's normal).

Does the radio have separate aerials or something? Why can one frequency be working but the other isnt?

Anything people would recommend I look at?

Thanks

Charc · Jul 25th, 2016, 11:52

My friend has the same problem on its Volkswagen Golf. Almost all new cars have installed antenna booster. There are separate amplifiers part for AM, FM or DAB frequencies. If any of this parts get broken, signal can't go through and there is low or no reception on this band.

There are usually three major problems:

- problem with power feeding - antenna booster is powered by +12V coaxial signal cable
- problem with ground caused by corrosion - antenna booster gets only +12V, but no ground.
- problem with power booster itself - the plastic isolation can be weak and water can penetrate inside.

Jul 24th, 2016, 16:29	#1
bobsy852 Senior Member Last Online: Oct 7th, 2022 08:44 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Rossendale, Lancashire	AM radio frequency not working So I recently posted this thread in the general discussion area as my car wasn't picking up AM radio frequencies. I finally had chance to test the radio in my girlfriends car yesterday and found hers works perfectly so it's not a transmitter issue in our area. It's my Volvo that doesn't seem to be picking up hardly any AM radio at all (I can hear it very faintly sometimes with the volume set to maximum). My FM radio works fine (apart from when I plug a phone charger into the cigarette lighter, then it gets a bit of interference, but I've had this with every car I've had so I presume it's normal). Does the radio have separate aerials or something? Why can one frequency be working but the other isnt? Anything people would recommend I look at? Thanks

Jul 25th, 2016, 11:52	#2
Charc New Member Last Online: Sep 5th, 2017 21:42 Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: London	My friend has the same problem on its Volkswagen Golf. Almost all new cars have installed antenna booster. There are separate amplifiers part for AM, FM or DAB frequencies. If any of this parts get broken, signal can't go through and there is low or no reception on this band. There are usually three major problems: - problem with power feeding - antenna booster is powered by +12V coaxial signal cable - problem with ground caused by corrosion - antenna booster gets only +12V, but no ground. - problem with power booster itself - the plastic isolation can be weak and water can penetrate inside.

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