Dear Motor Medics,
I’m having trouble listening to your car show. It’s not so much you guys but rather my car. If I listen at home or in my friend’s car, it’s loud and clear but I just can’t seem to get good reception on my vehicle radio.
The truck has 160,000 miles and is a 2003 Chevy. I started getting poor reception a few years ago and it has become worse. The FM reception is poor and the AM is very poor. It has kind of a popping sound that changes speed of pops as the engine changes speed.
Where would I begin to fix this problem myself?
Scott in Clayton, New Mexico
Dear Scott,
It could be many things that won’t be too hard to fix if you have some basic mechanical skills. It could also be the entire radio but let’s start with checking the cheaper stuff first.
A radio is only as good as its antenna so start there. Check the mast and the mounting. The antenna should be tight where it mounts to the vehicle. Check the cable as well. The cable needs to have no corrosion at any connector joint from the antenna to the radio.
If all looks good, try a test antenna that is not mounted to the vehicle. If it fixes the problem, it is likely the antenna. If not then it is time to have some diagnostics done at the local radio repair shop.
Take care,
The Motor Medics
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.