Antenne Question

[22chet]

I have a question when im listening to the radio in my car is cuts in and out and is all "fuzzy" when it is on. How can i fix this up and clear up the signal ?

[Pu241]

Could be the connection at the back of the radio.
Or the antenna itself could be damaged.
But, is it possible the radio itself is malfunctioning?

[Biff]

Watch the cable does not get pulled out when you slide the radio in.
Possibly the cable has wiggled out over time.

[22chet]

the cable is in, and this is the second radio i have tried and they all do the same. When i play CD's their fine but when the radio is on its all crackly.

[hawkdoc60]

Sounds like alternator interference. There is a diode that is supposed to quell that and it may have failed. I am not sure where exactly it is located, but I believe it is internally mounted inside the alternator.

[Pu241]

I think they used capacitors to shunt potential RF signals that might interfere with radio reception.
There are diodes in the bridge rectifier for the alternators voltage regulator.
Easy test.
Does the "crackly" noise picked up by the radio still continue with the engine off?

[Levitan]

Hey John,
Could it be that suppressor that attaches to the distributor has gone bad or is missing?
I was wondering if it gets louder as the motor revs up?

[Pu241]

Agreed, the "suppressor" is a capacitor and could have degraded or been damaged at some point and is non-functional.
Thats why a test with the engine off should help.

[hawkdoc60]

I think they used capacitors to shunt potential RF signals that might interfere with radio reception.

Thanks for calrifying that it is a capacitor and not a diode. I honestly could not fully remember the exact component.

[elcamino1]

Check to make sure your body grounds are good,radio antenna gets it ground thru the body!!!