MX-3.com

Ok, I thought the antenna was bad on my car so got a new one that I mounted under the dash. Well, still having a problem with reception but...

When the key is in Accessory mode with only the radio on it picks up signal like a dream.

When the key is in the On position on the car running there is tons of static and reception is horrible!

I first thought it could be the plug wires, alternator, ect but it does it even if the car ISN'T running!

Is there some type of surpressor that maybe went bad? Please help me this is driving me nuts! I have to be able to listen to Howard Stern on the way to work!

Sounds like a bad ground.. its probably picking up interferance from the seat belt/door tone thing. Try turning the stereo on after the tones stop after you turn the key to the On position. If its normal then when the tones arent going.. its very likely a bad ground on the stereo.

Tunes67

Ok, I'll check that out. I have it plugged into the factory ground at the moment. I'll just cut that wire and ground it to that tube running under the dash that I grounded the new antenna that I got to.

Thanks for the help I hope it works. Having a crappy reception just sucks. Got everything else working just great this is my last little problem.

Well, I grounded it to the frame tube under the dash and still doing the same thing. Any other suggestions? This is getting very aggrivating.

Its got to be picking up interferance from somewhere.. is this the stock deck or an aftermarket install?

Tunes67

try running a ground wire from the antenna to the ground wire of the stereo. Then run the ground for the deck (use a long wire outside the car) straight to the negative of the battery.
That should tell you if you have a ground problem.

If not then move the actual antenna.

I'm gonna check my antenna. I don't listen to the radio much, but I'm gonna see if mine works bettery with the car off, and on accessory.....

It is an aftermarket radio. I had it in my old car and never had any problems. The antenna and radio are grounded to the same place on the frame.

I will run a wire directly to the battery after I get off work and see if that works.


On a side note I finally seen another MX-3 on my way to work today. Sadly it was all beat up and had a half white, half primer paint job.

Running the ground directly to the battery still didn't work. I did notice though that when I use the windshield washer fluid to clean the window that it gets even worse!

There had to be some type of thing that has gone bad to surpresses the interference just not sure what or where it is. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

runnnig the wires in a different area wont work get the anntena out from under your dash were every singel wire with electrical power is running and you wont get any interference if it's small enough remove the trim panel from the hatch about were it meets the roof and mount it in there put all trim panels back on and run in across the roof on the driver side and if you haven removed the original anntena cable just attach it there if you have then runn it down the a pillar and then to your deck. you'll get better signal the higher up the anntena is also there is no power wires in the roof strong enough to have any inductive signal distortion

That is a good idea, but that isn't my problem. It had even worse distortion with the stock antenna. Suppose I am just getting better signal with the amplified antenna but doesn't solve my problem.

Before I even hooked it up I held it around the car just to see and with the key in the 'ON' position still got alot of distortion from something. Works fine in the accessory position though, no distortion at all. There has to be some type of surpressor or something...