Cannot get signal to radio

[sierraman]

Trying in vain to get the radio to work on the Focus. It has an awful aftermarket cd radio. CD works but the radio doesn't, initially figured it was because the aerial lead was incompatible. So chucked the old unit back in, it powers up great but will not for the love of god pick up a station. Wondering whether the actual aerial itself on the roof isn't working. Are these actually capable of ceasing to function? It's just a rod after all?

[Stixy]

Ive had this happen with ford stereos  , its the actual unit / set itself thats the problem   . 

[dave21478]

Get 8 inches of wire, strip about 5mm on one end and ram this into the central part of the aerial socket on the radio. This will normally work well enough to pick up major FM stations.

[PhilA]

Don't those have a signal booster in the antenna wire because the aerial itself is so dire?

 

If that's died then you'll get zero reception

 

What's the AM reception like?

 

 

--Phil

[sierraman]

Haven't tried AM yet. The radio doesn't work on either the crappy aftermarket set or the original Ford set. Tried sticking a screwdriver in the aerial slot which would provide similar effect to wire. Still no signal.

 

There's two fuses for the radio, one 7.5 amp runs the radio, clock and fag lighter. So this one obv works. The other aparently is a 15 amp that also is the radio. Could this be linked to the aerial amplifier?

[Pillock]

From memory fag lighter on Focus is always on, even with key out. So you probably have a fuse for the permanent live (memory) and another for the switched live.

 

I didn't think these have an in-line booster but they might. I have one here you can have for postage, just needs a power feed from the head unit (blur wire on standard iso)

[sierraman]

I'll have to have a look. Just to rule it out ill see if my old mans mondeo wireless works to rule out the possibility that the sets fucked. I've no idea about an aerial amp... Thanks for the offer of the aerial amp I'll see if it has one first.

 

One other possibility is the serrated washer earth for the aerial could be duff???

[Asimo]

On AM you should get lots of hisss even if the aerial is shorted to the bodyshell or the cable is broken. If you hear other interferance noises like a whine and ticking which changes with engine speed the radio AM section is probably ok and the problem is aerial.

 

The alloy base that some ford aerials have rots right away, turning into a sort of conductive paste that shorts the aerial to the car body

[sierraman]

Had another crack at this today. Tried both units with a length of wire poked into the aerial socket and still no reception... Likelihood of both units being fucked? This no radio business is driving mad!

[sierraman]

Is the aerial base on the roof some sort of amplifier?