bad fm reception
08-17-2018, 03:35 PM
#1
bad fm reception
I am very disappointed with the sensitivity of the onboard fm radio (audio 20 USB). Even when listening to national radio in a densely populated area (means a powerful and well located transmitter) I get more noise than signal. I see on the display that the radio frantically switches between frequencies to obtain some reception, but fails miserably. A simple test is to tune to some station with known location of the transmitter, then go across the border, so that no alternative transmitters are available. I my previous car I could travel 50 km away from the border and still get decent reception, this one fails to play after 10 km. What a shame.
I guess part of the problem lies in that there is no decent aerial at the outside of the car, only those funny strips in the rear window.
In the garage that sold the car they offered a software update. I was skeptical, but I let them install the update, without any improvement. I suggested an aftermarket aerial, but was told that it is impossible, "because there is an amplifier in the trunk". This may well be, but it clearly isn't working. So I have some questions: where exactly is this amplifier located? Where is the radio circuitry actually located? How are they connected?
Is this a more common problem? Are there any solutions I am missing?
Thank you for your advice.
I guess part of the problem lies in that there is no decent aerial at the outside of the car, only those funny strips in the rear window.
In the garage that sold the car they offered a software update. I was skeptical, but I let them install the update, without any improvement. I suggested an aftermarket aerial, but was told that it is impossible, "because there is an amplifier in the trunk". This may well be, but it clearly isn't working. So I have some questions: where exactly is this amplifier located? Where is the radio circuitry actually located? How are they connected?
Is this a more common problem? Are there any solutions I am missing?
Thank you for your advice.
08-17-2018, 04:16 PM
#2
I noticed the same thing. These rear window antennas simply suck. A shark fin antenna would likely fix the issue. However, we just use CarPlay to stream radio now. We give up on radio which is has too much political junk anyway.
08-17-2018, 05:10 PM
#3
May or may not be related so take this for what it is worth...
I own a 2016 GLC. Nice car...Took it in for scheduled maintenance on Wednesday of this week..I also mentioned that the radio seems to "cut out" now and again...OK, we will check it out.
Just got a call an hour or so today that the MB dealership has finally been able to validate and isolate the problem.
Apparently, there is an am/pm antennae amplifier. It had somehow either gone bad or had always been bad. Please keep in mind that this issue was not so bad to make the radio unlistenable - just mostly an annoyance since I picked the car up 2 1/2 years ago.
So.........maybe this antennae is part of your culprit??/
Just throwing it out in case it helps you
I own a 2016 GLC. Nice car...Took it in for scheduled maintenance on Wednesday of this week..I also mentioned that the radio seems to "cut out" now and again...OK, we will check it out.
Just got a call an hour or so today that the MB dealership has finally been able to validate and isolate the problem.
Apparently, there is an am/pm antennae amplifier. It had somehow either gone bad or had always been bad. Please keep in mind that this issue was not so bad to make the radio unlistenable - just mostly an annoyance since I picked the car up 2 1/2 years ago.
So.........maybe this antennae is part of your culprit??/
Just throwing it out in case it helps you
The following users liked this post:
Bert.DS (08-18-2018)
08-17-2018, 05:24 PM
#4
Member
Same here. GLC FM reception is very poor. A few months ago I had a new GLE with excellent reception. What gives? Antenna? Different radio? I’d think by now car radio and radio antenna technology would assure excellent radio reception across the entire model line.
09-01-2018, 11:23 AM
#5
Member
My FM radio reception is fine, its the HD one that bothers me. It cuts out and comes back on, even if I'm sitting in the same spot. My dealer "updated the software" recently, that seems to have reduced the cutting out, but still happens
10-02-2018, 01:56 PM
#6
Dear Sirs,
just to share the information, I would like to report the solution of the problem. It turned out that the mobile charger that I put in the cigarette lighter socket (a cheap no name, made in PRC) was the source of interference and noise. Replacing it with a branded MB model (at a steep €34) improved radio reception to a more than acceptable level instantly. I am not 100% happy with this solution, because the old charger was smaller, so that it was flush with the socket and I could close the middle console stowage compartment without removing the charger, and with the new, branded one it is impossible. But the radio works, and the charger works. On the other hand, that 1) the constructors provided but one USB port in the whole interior is laughable. I think the standard could be seen in long haul aircraft: one 230 V and one USB port per seat. I do journeys of 16 hours and more at a time with my family and everyone wants to use his/her gadgets when underway, so... and 2) back in the heydays when I bought cars without any radio and installed the audio myself, it was my responslibility to find a solution for interference, but the tools and material was there. Now I can only call the service, which sucks. Engineers who made the onboard electronics so sensitive to external interference should redo their homework... I used the same charger for years in my previous cars and never encountered this kind of a problem.
anyway, don't forget your seemingly innocuous peripherals when looking for a source of electronic noise.
just to share the information, I would like to report the solution of the problem. It turned out that the mobile charger that I put in the cigarette lighter socket (a cheap no name, made in PRC) was the source of interference and noise. Replacing it with a branded MB model (at a steep €34) improved radio reception to a more than acceptable level instantly. I am not 100% happy with this solution, because the old charger was smaller, so that it was flush with the socket and I could close the middle console stowage compartment without removing the charger, and with the new, branded one it is impossible. But the radio works, and the charger works. On the other hand, that 1) the constructors provided but one USB port in the whole interior is laughable. I think the standard could be seen in long haul aircraft: one 230 V and one USB port per seat. I do journeys of 16 hours and more at a time with my family and everyone wants to use his/her gadgets when underway, so... and 2) back in the heydays when I bought cars without any radio and installed the audio myself, it was my responslibility to find a solution for interference, but the tools and material was there. Now I can only call the service, which sucks. Engineers who made the onboard electronics so sensitive to external interference should redo their homework... I used the same charger for years in my previous cars and never encountered this kind of a problem.
anyway, don't forget your seemingly innocuous peripherals when looking for a source of electronic noise.
The following users liked this post:
jeffzou (10-03-2018)
10-09-2018, 08:15 PM
#7
I, too, have been getting really lousy FM reception so I mentioned it when I took my car into the dealer today for some other work. They updated the software, took about two hours, and the improvement is night and day better. Not only is the receptions better, but the sound quality seems to have improved, too.
The update also made some changes to the Navigation menu. What I have noticed most so far is that the RPT button is gone and replaced with an icon that you can toggle to turn voice guidance on or off.
The update also made some changes to the Navigation menu. What I have noticed most so far is that the RPT button is gone and replaced with an icon that you can toggle to turn voice guidance on or off.
The following users liked this post:
sears1234 (10-10-2018)
Trending Topics
10-16-2018, 02:54 PM
#8
Member
Bad FM and lost HD
i recently lost reception of HD 2. I only get the standard FM stations. I suspect it is due to the poor reception in the car.
When i had the HD 2 it would still take long time to load and the signal was weak and would drop out frequently. But this may be true in general as it is a lot of data to broadcast over the air for one frequency(?)
When i had the HD 2 it would still take long time to load and the signal was weak and would drop out frequently. But this may be true in general as it is a lot of data to broadcast over the air for one frequency(?)
