How to fix bad radio reception in car

For many people, music is a necessity on all their journeys. Even though it is possible to get really interesting radios that will allow you to play literally any of your own music, we must not forget that most people today prefer classical. And that is the standard tuning of FM radio stations. If your car radio has bad reception, the problem can be either in connection with the fact that the signal cannot be found at all or is only of poor quality and drops out, it is necessary to find out not only the origin of the specific defect, but logically it is also necessary to began to work precisely on its removal.

repair of bad reception of the car radio

Check the wiring

That is the first step that needs to be taken. It is important to know that cables run from a specific car radio to your antenna. It is clear that, especially in older cars, the wiring can already be significantly damaged, which leads to the fact that a specific part can either only be damaged, or it can also happen that a specific part of the cabling is even interrupted. At such a moment, you need to know how to resolve the situation. But first, let’s talk about how you can tell when something is wrong. It is necessary to follow the individual cables, which are mainly led through the interior of the car, to the area of the roof, where they are connected to the antenna. It’s a good idea to find out where the cable goes and then check it.

If it is a break in one of the specific places, two paths are possible that are connected with a specific repair. The first option is easier, and if you don’t want to spend a lot of time on the repair, it’s more than clear that we recommend it. You simply replace the specific damaged part of the given cable with a new piece, which you connect to the current cable, and you’re done. The second way involves replacing the entire wiring that runs from your car stereo to your antenna. Here you have to take into account the fact that it is neither simple nor quick.

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Check your antenna

If the cables are fine, the problem may naturally be in your antenna. This is also a device that may not be unusual in that it simply terminates service. If this is the problem, the solution is quite simple. The solution is nothing more than just replacing the specific antenna. Today, you can find a whole range of types on the market, which are not only associated with a specific vehicle model but which are also universal. Replacing a specific antenna is usually not difficult, and any more skilled person should be able to dismantle the original one and install the new one without any problems. Logically, we should also not forget one important fact, which is that specific replacement instructions can be found online or in various brochures for your car.

What type to buy?

If the problem is actually with your antenna, this can be pretty good news. And that’s because you can not only buy a new one, but also because you can already buy a better one. Thanks to this, the FM signal will be of better quality. The first possible and easiest step is to purchase a passive antenna. This is absolutely standard and, therefore logically, also the cheapest solution on the market. However, reception may not be perfect in places where the signal is poor. We, therefore, recommend buying an antenna with an amplifier. The reason for this is clear. It is the amplification of the FM signal and, thus, the certainty that listening to music will always be without problems. If you also have a high-quality or original car radio, you will definitely solve the problems with this step. Certainly, the possible expenditure for this type is not so great that you have to reject it immediately. In addition, you can be sure that you will definitely not be disappointed with regard to the quality of the signal, as it can be completely different compared to an older passive antenna. Listening to perfectly quality music does not have to disappoint anywhere.

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The problem may be in the reception of the signal

If the problem is neither with a faulty antenna nor with specific cabling, it should be mentioned that the problem may simply be the poor quality of the received signal. If you are wondering how to solve this problem too, there is no need to worry about any complicated procedures. The main thing that is needed is just an amplifier. This is useful in cases where you either have an ordinary, mostly noname radio or you have a very ordinary antenna. In that case, a signal booster is what you will need. We recommend a variant that can not only amplify the signal strength when necessary but we also recommend a variant that can also attenuate it when necessary. These can also be situations that subsequently lead to impaired income. Furthermore, you should not forget the step associated with the fact that you cannot do without the necessary power supply. Of course, the connection is not that complicated, especially in cases where we take into account the information that only 12 V is sufficient as a power supply. After connecting the signal amplifier, there should not be any problem with the reception.

The error may also be in the radio

The last situation that can occur is related to the fact that a specific error will be associated with your specific radio. Even if all the individual elements are working correctly, the car radio may have a problem with the signal not being able to tune in to the station. It usually means a bad tuner in that case. Ideally, you can confirm the fault by trying to connect to another car radio. If it works, you already know what the real cause is. In this case, there are two ways to remove it. The first is the possibility of having the existing car radio repaired. In the latter case, getting a brand new one may be the way to go. Both options have their pros and cons, so it’s up to you which direction you take. The price associated with this solution should primarily play a role.