radioheadlive82

Hey guys, just wondering if you can help me with the radio reception in my car. Just bought a used 2001 civic lx and the radio reception is horrible on it. I know that simply buying a new radio won't solve the problem. I was wondering if this is a manufacturing problem. A friend of mines had the same problem with her 01 civic she bought last year. Does the embedded antenna on the rear window just suck? As opposed to my friends car, my rear window is tinted. But I doubt that that is the problem. I'm stuck in los angeles traffic an hour everyday and I NEED my AM talk radio. Is their anything that can be done. Any help would be extremely appreciated.

tomcisneros

Check the grid on your back windshield. If there is any breaks or gaps, you can guess that to be the problem. Also check to see if your radio has a lose connection(but requires you to break your car down a bit).

stock

Install a roof mount antenae to improve reception.

varnz

to tell you the truth it could be the window tint on the back window. Some tint companies tint is a metalized film. Since the antenna is enbeded in the window the tint could be a cause to your problem. It does sound dumb i know but i do work at a tint shop and we do use metalized film and some customers complain about their radio reception after they get their windows tinted.

ProjectMayhemR

iTrader: (1)

ur antenna could have been cut when the window was tinted. it happened to my brother's rear window defroster in his camaro (god I hated that car)... and the tint guy wouldn't pay him for damages so he punched him in the face it was hilarious.

PopcornPlaya

iTrader: (6)

The tint is the most likely culprit. Lots of people receive worse reception after a tint job. Just depends on the film.

If it's an aftermarket radio (which your post didn't indicate) the problem could be that the installer didn't hook up the power antenna wire (yes, this wire is in there, and it has to be hooked up).

tomjoyce

i have an 05 civic DX ... aftermarket stereo. The stereo had a power antenna wire, but the civic didnt have a wire to connect to it so I left it alone. What was I supposed to connect to it?

radioheadlive82

Thanks for the comments guys. The tint was done from a "honda certified dealership," whatever that means. I'm probably going to take it out because I can't see sh*t behind me on the freeway at night time. The radio is not stock (Kenwood), but it's about 5 years old and the cd player doesn't even work. So I was going to replace it with another cheap (whatever $99 gets me) radio. Hopefully doing both these things solves the problem. I didn't think it was the tint because my friend's 01 ex (without tint) also had reception problem. I now believe this must be a strange coincidence since I don't see many others complaining about this problem on msg boards. Also, the AM reception improves slightly (still static-ky but could make out sound) when the engine isn't on, but the power is; though can't hear sh*t on AM when engine is running and actually driving.

Alpha 5

iTrader: (8)

You have a ground loop problem. You need to better ground the radio also the newer radios are better insulated against this problem. So when you purchase one it should help. Also you can't just rip the tint off the window. You will for sure damage the antenna in the rear window. It needs to be properly removed by a professional.

Just a side note: I have the Kenwood Kdc-X991 and the AM is good but not great. Radio manufactures don't really concentrate on AM quality anymore. If people want to listen to talk radio, most manufacturers will tell you, you need Sat Radio. Sorry but that is what I had to resort to.

christmaspie

If it's a coupe make sure the yellow/green on the honda side of the harness is fired up as antenna turn on.

PopcornPlaya

iTrader: (6)

A ground loop isolator is a band-aid, and could actually make the sound quality worse. It won't help much in this situation, especially if the power antenna wire isn't conected (which is the number 1 culprit for the reception problem on the aftermarket deck). You never need a GLI. The best thing that they work on are in amp installs when all other methods of removing radiated noise fail. You don't need one on an aftermarket deck ever, especially when not running an amp, and even then you can eliminate the noise most of the time by rerouting the RCA's or moving your amp ground(or cleaning the grounding location better). GLI's are, by all means a very last resort because your SQ will suffer when installing one. Besides that, they are used to fix alternator (or interference) whine, pops and cracks. This is a reception problem. A GLI won't do anything for reception.

Now, as for actually installing it, wiring harness and match the colors up. Simple as that.

Here's an install DIY for installing the radiolocated in the sticky)

https://www.civicforums.com/forums/2...t-install.html

As far as connecting the power antenna wire (yes, it is there, your antenna isn't a power antenna, but this wire is a booster that boosts the signal, so it "powers" the antenna). Hook it up to the same wire you conect your remote wire to, and you'll be golden. This signals the booster to turn on when the radio is on. The wire will be blue. Connect it to the blue/white remote wire. It will be on whenever the HU is on, but that won't be a problem, it'll be boosted all the time the radio is on instead of just with the radio. It won't kill your battery, but it will dramatically improve radio reception.

Also, this topic has been covered a million times. I figured I'd be nice before you got bashed. Next time, though, please search.

lost06

as i can see, the original factory radio has an integrated in-line power up antenna? That maybe why i hear static from an aftermarket radio and i did not connected the power antenna lead.
So, i ask to you guru. How to do so?
I have bought an in-line noise plug-in to the antenna lead. It seems have fixed a bit the static i hear from radio but...

christmaspie

^^^^

mikereynolds9

Does this only apply if you have an aftermarket headunit? I have a 2001 civic ex coupe with stock radio and I have almost zero reception! i drive 45 mins both ways for work and its killing me listening to the same old cds over and over and i need a fix for this. any help would be great! thanks!

yeroks

I have the same problem. Did you figure out a solution yet?

unTuned

its because you guys need to connect the power antenna wire. even though you dont physically see the antenna, coupes have one.

read the last post on this thread and it shows what you have to do:

https://www.civicforums.com/forums/1...o-02-ex-2.html

afeinstein

I have a 2001 Civic LX coupe with an aftermarket radio and am also having these problems. There is fair reception but I am always hearing scratchiness that changes depending upon my location. I have checked over all the recommendations said here: correct wiring to power antenna booster, grounding, and to continuity testing on the rear window antenna to check for breaks. Still no solution.

In desperation, I just bought one of those add on antennas from Crutchfield. It mounts on the glass and is about 18in. It has decent reviews on Crutchfield and costs $25. I was hoping to just pop it in on the back window and simply attach it to the antenna wire that goes to the controller/ booster where it would be out of the way. No such luck! Honda puts on an unusual non standard antenna male end on that cable and even if the end was standard its too hard to splice it in. So I am left with having to reroute the wire of the add on antenna back to the main deck but the wire is not long enough to go all the way to the back window. But maybe it was never meant to be because probably the metal elements in the window may interfere with this addon antenna. Dunno. So it will go on the side window. I am going to do that this weekend. Hope that it works okay and is worth all the hassle.

After all that, is there a roof mount antenna that someone can recommend that is better?