Radio reception issues - Mk2 GTI with Beesting

[robbie_d]

Hi all,

Just fitted a new Alpine head unit to my mk2 16v GTI, replacing a Kenwood unit fitted by the last owner.

When using the old unit I had problems with radio reception, it would pick up most FM stations but no AM stations (on either LW or MW). This has not changed with the new head unit.

Ignoring the speaker wires, there are five wires behind the head unit:

Brown - which attaches to the earth wire on the head unit
Red - which splits off into two wires, one red, one yellow which go to the battery/ignition wires on the head unit
White/Yellow - not used
Blue/Grey - not used
Black - this is attached to the aerial cable and attaches to the power anntenae wire on the head unit

I was wondering whether anyone has experienced similar problems and has a cure, and if anyone can tell me what the two unused wires are for (yellow/white and blue/grey)?

Many thanks in advance!

[robbie_d]

Anyone got an ideas? ^^^^

[AdamMk2]

Mines a pain somethimes too mate, apparently I think an earthing fault could be a problem sometimes but also its generally pretty diar anyhow, you can buy a signal filter which may help but also consider looking under the rear headlining (Not recommended cos its a pain!) and check the connection

 

[JC]

mines crap - but so is 99% of radio 

[troublestarter]

try an aerial booster like this
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-VAG-Aerial-Booster-Amplified-Antenna-Lead-VW-Cars_W0QQitemZ120304060604QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item120304060604&_trkparms=39%3A2%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A1%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ebayphotohosting
that should solve the problem

[Ant1981]

When I had a Mk2 I had reception issues, which was to do with the antenna amp, so changed the antenna that has the amp built in and it was sorted.

[robbie_d]

Thanks for all your replies guys.

Through what you said and searching other articles on the forum I narrowed it down to the base of the antennae (sic).

Just finished fitting a new beesting unit from GSF (about £14) and it's sorted it completely, result! Thankfully it didn't involve replacing the coax cable form the aerial to the headunit, I might not have bothered if it needed that!

Thanks again!

[Ant1981]

Excellent result. I got mine from GSF too. I remember when I did it, just pulling the headliner down a touch and finding a plug and socket set up. I thought the same as you, if I had to replace the entire cable run, I may have not even bothered!

[robbie_d]

Excellent result. I got mine from GSF too. I remember when I did it, just pulling the headliner down a touch and finding a plug and socket set up. I thought the same as you, if I had to replace the entire cable run, I may have not even bothered!

I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief when I relaised the cables were ok! In fact, the only slight inconvenience was the fact that the connectors on the GSF kit weren't the same as the factory aerial.

One thing, did you find the quality of the cables in the GSF unit to be massively lower than the original unit?

[Ant1981]

One thing, did you find the quality of the cables in the GSF unit to be massively lower than the original unit?

I really can't remember that much about it, it was about 5 years ago or so now. I must have been happy with the quality at the time, as I would have remembered being unhappy with it!