Maybe the probs Radio 4 - should be phased out, LOL. Stick to Radio 1 instead.

No problems with Virgin radio

mention to them that if they do a google they will find the extent of the problems

I seem to have got a greatly reduced radio reception on my Stream radio in recent weeks. I mostly use FM set to Radio 4 and thought at first it was a transmitter problem, but the problem exists over a wide area so it is unlikely that all FM transmitter power is down.

The aerial is screwed in tightly and looks clean however when you hold the aerial then reception greatly improves so it looks more like a reception gain problem.

Any other Stream users found a similar problem, if so how did you get the problem fixed?

Hi there,

My MP3 Stream has always had a poor quality signal - If you switch radio on & select Radio (FM) then hold down the Menu button for about 10seconds or so you will get your signal quality - mine always displays poor.

I presonally think it has something to do with these anti-theft aerials, I don't think you get a good ground because of the extra joint..... but then I may be talking out of my jacksy :cyclops: ......

Has anyone checked to see if there is an amplifier built in to the aerial? I will have a check to see if there is a wire coming from the aerial inside the roof lining.

oops footies back on...

W.

This reception problem seems to be across the VAG vehicle range and I find it surprising that they have not found a solution.

Does anyone know if the Audience unit is having these same reception problems or is it just confined to the lower model range?

My FM reception is fine, but MW is absolutely abysmal at times. Was never this bad with the 2004 Fabia.

I live in Essex and have found over the last few weeks that I'm having problems with Essex FM and BBC Radio 2. Previously I could get Essex FM as far into Kent as Orpington, now it starts cutting out about the Dartford Crossing.

Has anyone ditched the Stream unit and fitted another make, if so did the new unit work OK and get a good reception across all wavebands?

If so did you just replace the head unit or did you go the full hog and fit a new Ariel as well?

I live in Essex and have found over the last few weeks that I'm having problems with Essex FM and BBC Radio 2. Previously I could get Essex FM as far into Kent as Orpington, now it starts cutting out about the Dartford Crossing.

Could also have something to do with atmospheric pressure as well

Perhaps a mass email of SUK is in order.

I've given up on radio and gone CD. Even Radio 1 is hissy within the M25. And Capital/Kiss and the London stations are impossible to get!

Yet hop into my Citroen Dispair, in the SAME location, and crystal clear.

It's blindingly obv VAG have a major supplier issue. We really should keep taking them back time and again, and after (IIRC it's 3 attempts) we all demand they install a third party DAB head unit and changer.

I had an out of the blue call yesterday from Skoda Customer Services asking if I had decided to get my car in for the radio to be checked out rather than wait until it has its first service in November. I opted to wait even though I want to have a decent working radio, but again I told her that there were a great many complaints on the Net about this radio and that the VAG group seemed to have a general problem. Again I got "we have no knowledge of any such problems" and there was no promise to investigate the Net, so I think we can safely say that Skoda UK is still not prepared to accept they have a problem, although I can understand why they will not do so openly.

I am not out to pick a fight or trash Skoda, all I want is a radio that will receive a clear signal and provide a clear audio output where ever I choose to drive my vehicle. I am prepared to wait until November when I get the vehicle serviced and I expect Skoda to come up with a satisfactory answer, if not it will be passed into the hands of the "Which" legal team and Trading Standards because this Stream radio is clearly not fit for purpose. I just want a comparable radio that works and I am fully prepared to upgrade to the "Audience" unit provided I get a guarantee that this model does not have similar reception problems.

As Gadgetman says "it is blindingly obvious that VAG Group and especially Skoda has a major problem with his radio" as such it is up to Skoda and VAG to put the matter right even though it will be a costly fix in the initial stage.

Regrettably the Auto Industry still has not learned to accept its responsibilities towards its customers, dealers push the problems over to the manufacturers, who promptly pass it back to the dealership saying they can do nothing until the dealership checks out the problem, which of course they have already done and passed you on to the manufacturer. This is a ploy they can engage in for weeks or months presumably in the hope we will give up and it was about time they were brought to book for this continued poor customer support on what is a very high value product.

Has anyone had reception problems with their Audience Radio units?

hi,guys i have just e mailed skoda uk re the stream radio reception.i think everybody suffering the appalling reception problems with this unit should constantly bombard skoda uk with emails about this till they admit the problem and get this sorted.what do you think?.cheers john:mad:

I have today sent my complaint in writing direct to the UK Importer so they can not say they are now unaware as to this reception problem.

I have no problems with the reception on my Audience, and I dont think dare I say it that all streams are the same in having poor reception. The stream has been in production since 2004, and any problems should have been highlighted.

Can they trace the numbers on the radio (serial/batch etc) from the VIN or number plate?

I'm sure some sort of trend will become aparent.

I took the car in today for its first service and to get this radio reception problem sorted as promised by Skoda.

When I picked the car up nothing had been sorted, because Skoda had not authorised any fix for the radio and apparently, to date have no solution to the radio reception problem.

The dealer confirmed mine was one of many radio reception problems they have with the Stream unit both on Octavia and Fabia, but again to date Skoda has done nothing to resolve the problem and claim nothing can be done. I was advised that Kerry from Skoda Customer Services would telephone, which she duly did.

She went on to tell me that the dealer had found nothing wrong with the radio and that one could not expect to get good quality Long Wave reception because the transmitter put out such a weak signal. As any of you who know a bit about radio, you will know that the BBC long wave transmitter is one of the most powerful going and any radio worth a candle can pick up the signal fairly loud and clear well into Continental Europe. When this was pointed out to Kerry all I got was " I am not technically minded I am only going by the dealerships report"

When asked why the FM signal was poor, again she implied that the dealership could find no problem and thus their was nothing that Skoda could do. I then asked her if she was actually saying that the dealer had told Skoda they could find nothing wrong with the radio and got " without any adverse report from the dealer there was nothing Skoda could do and that as far as they were concerned the case was closed". Me, " so you are telling me the dealer has told you that the radio does not have faulty reception on LW and FM and that they do not have many other complaints about this problem" Kerry then repeated the same mantra given above and by now sounded merely like an answering machine. I then asked what I was supposed to do with a radio that did not work properly only to get the same old response.

I then telephoned the dealer and said " I am given to understand by Kerry at Skoda that you could find not problem with the radio?"

"No that is not what we said, Skoda were told that your radio showed the same faults that we have previously experienced with other customers radios". They then went on to say " Leave it with me I will phone Kerry and get back to you or have the branch manager contact you"

The branch manager did phone me back, very depressed and asked me to bring the car back in and they would have another look at the problem. He confirmed this was a KNOWN on going problem with the Stream radio and that it had been raised at Skoda's regional service meetings. He said that his dealership had tried every check possible to solve this reception problem, presumably suggested by Skoda technical, but to no avail. To use his words, " trying to get this reception problem resolved with Skoda is like banging your head against a brick wall"

He also went onto state that he had a Fabia customer who was so upset that he could not listen to his cricket on the Stream's Radio4 long wave, that at the dealer's own cost, they fitted a new third party made head unit. To date he has not had any further complaint from that customer.

This of course means that Ariel, Ariel Lead and boosters are all functioning as they should and the fault has to lay within the Stream head unit.

I will go back to the dealer next Tuesday, they have earned the right, but if nothing happens to resolve the matter I will bloody sure that Skoda's poor service name is widely proclaimed in the Auto press sections, papers and consumer magazines. I will also seek legal redress if necessary to correct this appalling level of Skoda customer service.

My final question to the stone walling Kerry at Skoda was this " are you telling me that Skoda is knowingly still fitting Stream radios to all current 2007/2008 model Octavia in the full knowledge that radio has an inbuilt poor reception?"

You have got it " without any adverse report from the dealer there is nothing more we can do"

I wonder if the Continental Skoda importers offer the same very crap level of customer service and malign their dealerships?

point them towards trading standards and if you want to give the website some free advertising point them towards this thread as i have problems with my stream too.

Briskoda website does not seem to exist when you talk to Skoda CS and in fact when you mention doing a web search so that they can see the level of the problem out here that is completely ignored.

Then they revert to the now well prepared scripted answer, " without an adverse report from the dealer there is nothing Skoda can do"

What we should do is like they do in the USA and that is bring a Skoda owners group action against the importer, VAG Group and Skoda UK.

Trouble is we Brits only row our own boats and that is what these buggers are banking on, as individuals we can be ignored or picked off.

I accept that if VAG Group concede to this problem and issue a Bulletin or recall it will cost them very big Euros, but that is there problem not ours.

They have sold to all of us a radio that is "not fit for purpose" and as such we are entitled to redress.

What a load of old tosh. The reception in my 2002 and 2004 Fabia estates were a million times better than the 2006 Octavia I have and that is 5 Live on Medium Wave I talking about.

Just to add there is another Stream headunit user who is very unhappy with their MW(always bad) and FM(normally acceptable) reception.

I have ahd quite a few VAG cars, and have never experienced anything as bad as this.

I have my car in on Tuesday at the dealers to sort out a suspension 'squeak', so if I have any answers or make any progress I will let you know.

I had all the same problems and my dealer got it down to the aerial fixing. It spent a little time in the workshop having the roof lining taken out( which is probably why dealers are reluctant to know about the problem) but now I have perfect reception

Not managed to get that far as the A66 yet !

did you find out what they actually did/replace/bodge on the aerial fixing when they had the roof liner out?

My 06 plate Octy is going into the dealer to soon to have have the stream radio reception sorted out, it sounds like a similar problem to this thread, FM breaks up on occasions and the AM is very poor. The dealer has looked at it and has told me that the cure is to replace the co-ax lead. So this would mean the removal of the headlining. I'll let you know if this solves the problem or not.

My FM signal quality is awful - I dont have a Strem radio but the MFD2.

Let me know if the replacement co-ax resolves this.

Anyone else have an issue with FM on the MFD2 ?

The dealer apparently changed the aerial and ensured that it was fixed correctly to the roof. They were aware of some problems from Skoda, that the aerials were not being secured correctly. They tried all the obvious things first, updated the firmware(failed) then changed the radio. As I say, everything is now fine with excellent reception.