Anyone having trouble with FM reception with the stock antenna? Can anything be done to improve?

 

Need more info. Are you running a stock or aftermarket HU?

 

Aftermarket. It's kind of a cheap double din unit. It is a Valor brand DVD/AM/FM/CD...etc. Yes, I wanted the Eclipse or Kenwood or Pioneer, but wasn't willing to dish out more than I paid for my home 6.1 surround sound receiver for one of those. May be the antenna lead came loose when I stuffed everything back in.
Thanks

 

I just had this same problem. Hook up the Blue wire from the aftermarket harness into the Remote turn on wire for your head unit.

Even though our Z has a plastic antenna it needs this wire to turn on the antenna amplifier.

I mistakenly thought that wire was for cars with power antennaes.

 

Problem is that the antenna turn on only works when the AM or FM is used. If playing a DVD it is not powered so amps don't come on. I tried using it to begin with. I wonder if I could hook up both the constant power and the antenna leads together?

 

Why would you be using the Radio Reception while you're watching a DVD? I'm confused.

 

What I'm saying is that you cannot use the antenna cable to turn on amps since that cable is only hot when the tuner is used. If using DVD the cable is not hot so you can't run amps.

 

Wait! I see what the issue is. Just hook up the blue wire to the harness... OK, I'll try that. I re read the post and made more sense out of it.
Thanks

 

The Green wire with the white stripe on the factory harness should line up with the blue wire on the metra harness (or whatever brand).

Make sure that blue wire lines up with that green/white wire. That is the antenna amp turn on wire.

 

So this is necessary to get decent reception? I have a non-bose and i recently replaced my HU and my reception is bad also, so this should help?

Al

 

I guess so, man. This is not what I wanted to hear since it will suck to have to take everything apart again. But, I guess now we know the problem and can fix it. At least it wasn't just a piece of crap head unit...

 

Interesting topic. I just installed my aftermarket and am getting bad reception. The thing is, I had two blue wires off my wiring harness -- one for the amp turn-on, one for the power antenna turn-on. Should I just connect both of them to the right place on the factory wiring harness?

 

Yes this is neccessary for non Bose too! Any Z that gets an aftermarket HU needs this wire hooked up.

I dont think you need the power antenna turn on. Just amp turn on.

 

Use the amp turn-on lead to trigger your amps. Run a separate "amp remote turn-on" wire to the amps. Connect the amp turn-on lead, from the back of your HU, to this wire.

Use the pwr antenna turn-on lead to turn the antenna booster on. Connect that lead to the pwr antenna booster lead, in the factory harness.

 

Are you sure of this? It sounds like you might have another remote lead that you over looked. Most HU with DVD capability will come equiped with two remote leads. One for the antenna and a separate one for the amps. Mine HU has both leads.

 

I seem to having the same problem as all of you. I bought ones of those cheap double-din dvds and i am having problems with my FM reception. I went back and tried to figure out the wires but it looks like i have it right. The green with the white stripe is lined up with the blue on the metra harness and I have that connected to the blue wire on the headunit (note their are no unused wires on the headunit). Any ideas? Did you guys get the problems figured out?

 

Help!

 

I'm not sure... someone help this man!

 

I have the same bad reception problem. Dang, I should be able to take the dash apart blindfolded by now. Hope the fix works boma!

 

supply 12vdc to the antenna power booster.