FM/AM Radio Antenna locations & Connections
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
2000 E430
FM/AM Radio Antenna locations & Connections
I have a 2000 E430, which I bought new back in the day. 145,000 miles and still running great. Like other E Class, the radio reception has gotten bad. I have an XM module that I plug into the lighter and feed the FM transmission through the air to the original stereo head unit. This FM reception was bad, too.
OK, to my point. I've read online that the AM antenna is in the rear window, so I went looking for the connection from an antenna wire to the grid on the rear window. Can't find it.
I went looking for the illustrious splitter that's rumored to split the antenna into a separate AM wire to the rear window and a separate FM wire to the the FM antenna running along the bottom of the rear bumper. This splitter is supposed to be under the driver's side C Pillar. It's not there.
I removed the CD Changer in the trunk, and then removed driver's side interior trunk panel and the interior trunk panel behind the back seat. I found several things under these panels:
OK, to my point. I've read online that the AM antenna is in the rear window, so I went looking for the connection from an antenna wire to the grid on the rear window. Can't find it.
I went looking for the illustrious splitter that's rumored to split the antenna into a separate AM wire to the rear window and a separate FM wire to the the FM antenna running along the bottom of the rear bumper. This splitter is supposed to be under the driver's side C Pillar. It's not there.
I removed the CD Changer in the trunk, and then removed driver's side interior trunk panel and the interior trunk panel behind the back seat. I found several things under these panels:
- the female coax connection from the FM antenna in the bumper was never connected to anything.
- there's another loose female coax connection feeding from the front and dangling over the wheel well.
- an unconnected (16 pin?) connector on a wire harness.
- another unconnected (8 pin/) connector that has AMP embossed on it.
- a black finned amplifier that was hooked up.
- two square pancaked Motorola devices, having connected coax wires labeled ANT 1 - GMS - ANT 2
- Can anybody explain these components to me, and
- where is that splitter, and
- where is the AM antenna and it's connections, and
- Shouldn't the FM antenna be hooked up?
