Poor Radio Signal?

[Penguin]

You know you're on a petrol-head forum when you see a radio transmitter rated in brake-horsepower.

Yeah 700BHP might register with the character that informed Toneboy that R4 Lw was "low powered" !

I wouldn't want the electricity bill:eek:

[Toneboy]

I suspect my Aerial may be going duff yet again as I am getting slight distortion of the signal.

I think this recent cold snap has caused the materials to contract and thus allowing moisture to get inside the base, but time will tell.

[Fred_Bristol]

Booked in with Platinum Skoda, Bath.

They diagnosed a high resistance aerial lead, so it will be interesting to see if they replace the aerial base while they have the headlining out.

If they just replace the lead and the base is defective will the menu function show ANT ON even though its not working?

[Fred_Bristol]

Thanks for your comments.

Sorted under warranty by Platinum Skoda in Bath - and I only reported it a week or so before the car's warranty expired. New antenna fitted. No quibble.

Is there any way I can stop it failing again?

Where does the water get in?

[Toneboy]

I think it gets in thru the join between the base and the main body of the aerial and I suspect cold weather conditions causes shrinkage and opens up a bigger gap and thus allows more moisture to get in. They had a lot of trouble in Canada, very cold there at times they tell me and they seem to indicate road salt was getting in a badly corroding the circuit board in the aerial base.

I suspect the recent cold spell here has allowed the above to happen as I seem to be getting reception distortion in areas of a weak signal.

[jcdub]

Is there not a sortware upgrade for the STREAM RADIO from Skoda?

I reported my as cr*p from day one (bought it in August 08)

[moley]

There was a software upgrade for the Stream HU, but I think that was before 2008. Do the check by holding the menu button for 10 seconds and check the values displayed.

[Toneboy]

They carried out the software upgrade on mine in 2006, but it failed to correct the poor reception, but then it wouldn't if the aerial was faulty.

[Stu999]

My local dealer did the update on my radio and told me that was it fixed..... But it wasn't so back again, this time they have change the areial base, told me it was fixed..... but it wasn't so back again. They now say that it's just the way it is and it picks radio 1 up in their yard fine.

It's really starting to p*ss me off now but what else can be done?

[spookt]

Sorry to resurrect and old thread but just thought I'd share my experience today.

06 TDi Ambiente. Had 20K service last week and I reported poor radio reception to them at the time (I had already checked the ANT value on the radio - it was OFF). When I got the car back they said they needed it again to look into the radio fault as they hadn't had enough time since they needed to remove the head lining.

Car went back today for the radio fault, plus an alarm fault (goes off all the time). The service chap rang me up with good news about the alarm (faulty sensor, warranty replacement) and said that they couldn't find an issue with the radio, quote "We've been listening to it all morning."

Since I'd already seen this thread and checked the ANT value on the radio diag screen I mentioned it to them (and where I'd found the info). They didn't seem to know about the diagnostic screen and went away to "try that next". 15 minutes later I got a call back "Yes, you're right it's the antenna base and we've got authorisation to replace that under warranty as well."

I was a bit surprised that they would test the radio just by listening to it but in the end a good result. Well except that they now need to order the parts and the car will need to go back yet again (3rd visit now) to have them fitted.

I must say that I'm happy that the dealer was ready to listen and have another look at the radio fault, I've been in similar situations in the past and found other garages less open to discussion. The chaps there were friendly and helpful and I got the result I wanted in the end - thanks in part to the Briskoda forum

[skippy41]

has anyone tried or fitted a different aerial to there's

[Toneboy]

Not as far as I know, but then could you just fit any make of amplified aerial, VAG uses Bosch ones.

Spookt, when you take your vehicle in for reception checks you will find most dealerships are in towns and thus either on top of the radio transmitters or at least close to repeater transmitters. This means they will get a strong steady signal and to them it appears nothing is wrong, but if they actually take the vehicle out then they soon get the same problem. Trouble is to get them to take the vehicle on the road as there seems a marked reluctance to do so.

When I had my problem I found the town where the dealership was located actually had poor reception spots with a short drive from the dealership so they then went out and came back saying yes you have a reception problem. I had provided them already with the online evidence that the OEM aerials were faulty and that both Skoda and VAG were well aware of the problem, but were in denial that it existed.

The software upgrade will not sort out this problem, it is a hardware fault.

[Tomdeswrig]

Which HU do you have? on the Stream unit you can hold the menu button for 10 seconds to reveal the signal strength indications. look for the ANT on /off, if it is ANT off then it will be the amplifier unit in the base of the aerial that is faulty. There are a few threads on this subject if you do a search. On an 06 plate you should still be in warranty, so take to the dealer for a new aerial.

So what do you press and hold if you do not have a 'menu' button?

[ScoutAngell]

Hey guys and girls 

 

update found another why of fixing poor signal 

 

1. Clean and check secure connection aerial at back of head unit

2. Used contact cleaner on aerial base on outside were the antenna screws into base and let it do its job

3. Check aerial base connector under head lining just underneath the aerial base unit

4. Press <<>> together on headunit for ten seconds should go into a menu saying debug i did this and now instead of just bbc2 with poorsignal now have 4 radio station all good strength. 

 

Hope this helps happy to give more info if required. 

 

Alex