Hi there,

Still having problems with my Fabia vRS' radio - the signal becomes very distorted in built up areas/ around trees etc. The local dealer removed the radio and said the aerial connection on the rear had worked its way loose... however, this didn't correct the problem.

I've been told the signal booster is at fault. Where is this located? Does it require the headcloth to be removed?

Cheers

The booster is in the aerial base. Carefully unclip the top rear trim to lower the headlining, then you will need a 22mm spanner to undo the retaining nut, unplug aerial and power wire and it's off.

Thanks heading your way.

So the signal booster is built into the aerial base which sits on the roof of the car? What's my best bet for a replacement, a breakers yard?

Funny that, when I removed my standard cassette radio and fitted an after market one, the radio signal dropped A LOT... Fitting an after market signal booster (to the rear of the head unit @£12) fixed the problem.

Yep. thats due to the base amplifier is fed by a signal up the aerial cable, this signal isnt usually present in aftermarket headunits so the booster doesnt work. A simple booster wired into the back of the headunit restores the signal.

Yep. thats due to the base amplifier is fed by a signal up the aerial cable, this signal isnt usually present in aftermarket headunits so the booster doesnt work. A simple booster wired into the back of the headunit restores the signal.

Nearly

The actual amplifier is in the aerial base, and the standard headunit feeds power to it up the aerial cable. Non standard ones don't, so the amp doesn't work. The extra bit you can add behind the headunit supplies the missing power and gets the amp working.

Thanks heading your way.

So the signal booster is built into the aerial base which sits on the roof of the car? What's my best bet for a replacement, a breakers yard?

I got one from a scrappy for a fiver - don't forget it's the same unit on many vag cars.

The aerial amplifier has a plastic cover which is fixed by 2 small screws. I removed my aerial when the signal went very bad. Being experienced in electronics I was able to see water had been able to get onto the printed circuit board,corrode and dry. I cleaned it off with electrical cleaner (not WD40) ,dried it,and protected the Board with PCB varnish. I then resealed the plastic cover with silicon rubber sealent ,to stop anymore water getting in.Hey Presto it worked perfectly. Be careful you do not damage the components on the PCB when cleaning. Of course some PCB's will have corroded to far to repair.

I dont expect I am very popular with VW/SKODA spare parts suppliers!