'05 S40 - AM radio reception bad. Aftermarket antenna??

[SVTfocusO3]

It should be in that area there, on that box. Will email asap.

[Rainor]

Ok, so now I realize the brass strip doesn't go on the "9-volt style" antenna connector but on the coax connector on the antenna amplifier.

My Volvo dealer told me that for a 2004 S40 the antenna amplifier was under the rear window shelf and he gave me a "drawing" of how to apply the brass strip to the coax connector.

So I lifted the shelf enough to see that there was a small box (antenna amplifier?) right in the corner where the window shelf and c-pillar on driver side meet.

I would like to take the whole c-pillar trim off but there's one plastic tab that stops me from removing it. I think it is to keep the trim from flying through the car if the side air curtains deploy.

Any ideas on how to remove the c-pillar trim completly to access the antenna amplifier? Or ideally does anyone have an actual picture of the antenna amplifier in it's location?

In the meantime I'm using the "turn the rear window defroster on" method of clearing up the AM static. Surprisingly enough it does work, but I'd like to get the proper fix (brass strip on antenna amplifier) in place if possible.

Thx

[SVTfocusO3]

You need to turn the clip in there 90° and it will come out, you will not have to do it putting it in, youll see.

[Rainor]

So easy when you know how!!

I'll give it a try.

Thanks,
Rainor

[Rainor]

Ok, this is driving me nuts and I'm about to concede to having to "live with it" but thought I'd give it one more try...

To recap my AM radio reception has a lot of static (all other audio work fine, eg FM, CD). The only fix I've found that works (temporarily) is to turn the rear window defroster on for a few seconds and the static clears up (don't ask me how this works but it does).

I ordered the "brass strip" that has been recommended to fix this issue but never could locate where it's to be attached so I finally took it to my dealer.

Dealer said there is no fix for this for the 2005+ S40. The brass strip fix is for a S80 or S60 earlier model. Dealer claims his own 2009 C30 has the same problem and there is no fix for it either.

So as a last glimmer of hope does anyone have a 2005+ S40 where they have had AM radio static problems and found a fix??

Thanks in advance and if I get no response I will just suck it up and live with it!!

[gcking]

Rainor

I have the same problem with a volvo 2005 s80. the AM reception is both poor and full of static. The copper strip, you heard about, is the supposed solution for the problem. In fact, I found the proceedure to get to the antenna amplifier and found that the strip had alreasy been installed by the dealer. The strip is slipped between the cable connector on the cable from the radio and the receptical on the antenna amplifier. Best I can see is that it simply tightens the connection and keeps it from coming lose. It is not a good fix. The problem remains. AM is still poor at best.

I think that the elements in the rear window effectively act as two antennas. One pointing both front to back and the other side to side in the car. Which ever antenna is giving a more powerful signal is switched to the radio. This is what is ment by diversity antenna. Sounds good but the real problem is that they are using the window elements as the antennas

I removed one of the connections of the antanna amplifier to the rear window antenna elements and put my fingure on it. WOW - instantly I became one of the antennas and the signal was 10 times better. My body was acting as one of tha antennas.

Conclusion - The real solution is to have one of the connections to the rear window antenna elements instead go to an external 31" motorized mast antenna. This mast will most probably always give, by far, the best signal and the antenna amplifier will always send its signal to the radio. I will try to get a roof magnet antenna and set it up this way to test it.

My only question now is - "How can I make sure I have the correct impedance match to the new 31" external antenna and what other considerations should we have.

What do you think?

George
gck@mobilesight.com

[Rainor]

Hey George,

I know nothing about "...impedence match.." for an external antenna.

I tried a little experiment myself by attaching an AM antenna from an old getto blaster to the connector that attaches to the rear windshield antenna. With the antenna jammed into my sunroof I got perfect AM reception. Not sure if it was just a fluke or if any antenna (motorized or fixed) would work.

There's some cheap inside windshield antennas on ebay that I might try just for the heck of it. I don't like the idea of drilling a hole in my fender to mount a motorized antenna.

Rainor

[s40volvo]

Did you ever get a fix for that? I have kind of the same issue. I get AM stations but its very weak and most of the times lots of static.

If I turn my rear defroster on, i lose all stations even FM. What gives??


Also my rear defroster doesnt work i.e. it doesnt seem to do anything when the car is fogged up inside, might this be a reason and how do I fix it?

[Rainor]

Hey s40volvo, I share your pain!
Not exactly the same pain but similar.

My problem is only with my AM stations (FM ok all the time). The AM has not too bad a reception but gradually builds up lots of static. If I turn on the rear defrost it clears up to a "not too bad" reception.

Where I'm currently at is I bought a generic AM antenna off ebay for $23. 95 (currently listed as item # 110576781989, or search for "Universal Am-Fm Hidden Windshield Antenna Car Radio-New"). Unlike some aftermarket antenna's it doesn't require 12 volt power.

I detached the stock antenna and attached the aftermarket antenna to the connector in the rear driver-side C pillar where the S40 antenna cable connects to the rear window antenna. At this point the stock rear window antenna is totally disconnected from the system.

I tried running the aftermarket antenna along the rear window but still got static. Then I ran it along the roof liner up the driver side of the car and attached it to the front windshield.

I would like to tell you that this has totally fixed the static but it hasn't. What it has done though is make the AM stations clearer to start with and the static buildup takes longer before it becomes annoying. Then it's back to the old trick of turning on the rear window defroster to get back to clear reception. One downside I've noticed is now when I turn on the windshield wipers I get some buzzing interference on the AM stations - arrrggghhh!!

I haven't mounted anything permanently yet as I'm still looking for a better solution although I'm starting to think Volvo's are not intended to listen to AM radio!!

I've brought this up with my local Volvo dealer and he says there's nothing they have to fix the problem! Their service manager has a C40 with the same problem and he says he just never listens to AM radio. Hard to believe a company like Volvo can have such a basic flaw in their design.

From what I've seen (I'm not too mechanical) the rear window defroster has nothing to do with the radio antenna. I think if you look closely at the rear window you will see that the antenna wires are at the very top of the window and the defroster wires are just below them but not connected in any way. So I would think your defroster problem is something unrelated to the radio.

Again, caution that I'm not a mechanic and all of this is what I've found to work best for my car. Who knows what is actually causing the static as the fix of turning on the rear defroster makes no sense to me at all... but it works!

Well that's about all I can offer. Good luck and let me know if you come up with any better solution.

Rainor

[gcking]

I just pruchased an external FireStick AM/FM antenna. I will mount it on the trunk lid (with a trunk mount bracket) and I will connect it to one of the 9-volt "buttons" in the c column. The diversity feature of the amplifier should select this external antanna. If this works I may end up installing a power antenna in the rear quarter pannel. I will keep you informed.

George