What's the deal the shoddy stock radios?

[Marmot]

I am sure this has been covered numerous times. I haven't been able to find the topic(s) though. If anyone has a link to topics that has covered the shoddy stock radios in the Bonnevilles, please post the link so we don't have to rehash it.

Anyway....my ride is a 93 Bonneville SE. It is a good beater/commuter car even though the tranny is a little loose (Lucas treatment has seemed to patch it up nicely for now). I am currently commuting a substantial distance for work. The stock radio doesn't have the ability to pull in a FM (or AM for that matter) signal worth a [mod edit]. It doesn't have a CD player either. If I am close to the broadcasting tower, I have good playback. If I am any distance (~30+ mile), the stock radio cannot pull in a clear signal. This happens everywhere I have the car so it isn't isolated to a single station/tower.

As of now, I am looking to upgrade to a new head unit. The problem is dropping a couple bills on a new head unit on a 16 year old car. Also, I am not excited about installing a new head unit in the midst of a Minnesota winter.

If I install a new head unit, are my reception issues going to be a thing of the past? Is there a fix/mod I can do to get my stock radio to give better performance?

Marmot

PS - This forum is a life saver. I probably would have had my Bonne hauled off a couple of times if it hadn't been for all the great help and info I have found here.

[RJGill84]

Reception is generally an issue with the antenna...not the head unit. I would imagine the antenna is either broken, or not connected completely somewhere. I'm not sure about 92-99...but in the 00+ there are two FM antennas in a diversity system, one in the rear window, and one in the front window. If the antenna grid is damaged, it will obviously affect signal.

I would work on fixing the antenna issue before I got a new head unit, as chances are, your reception problem will remain. Check the antenna connection in the back of the head unit, and at any other connection points.

[sandrock]

On that gen, there is only one antenna. And though poor connection (in particular, the center lead in the antenna coax) can be an issue, the unit itself could have suffered an internal fault in the tuner section.

That said, you don't have to spend all kinds of money to get good sound. I picked up a Kenwood CD/MP3 unit that was meant to go in a Hyundai for 70 dollars, and it was brand spankin' new. And it does everything I want it to do. Ebay is a good place to get closeout stereos, and Craigslist will also have good deals.

[Marmot]

Thanks for the info.

Re: the center lead in the antenna coax
Are you referring to the actual wire in the coax and that it might be damaged (ie cracked)? If that is the case, I am guessing I am SOL unless I want to pull new coax.

Are the two best places to check the coax: the back of the stock head unit and the connection point on the antenna?

Marmot

[sandrock]

Yes, I was referring to the center wire in the coax. That is the one that receives RF. The outer lead acts as both a ground strap and interference sheath.

There are (and I am basing this on memory)...3 places the antenna junctions at.

1) The back of the radio. This is the small mini-Motorola connector.

2) Right under the glovebox. This connects the mini-Motorola cable to a full-size Motorola connection.

3) At the antenna on the rear quarter panel.

Any one of those connections could be suspect. The good news is that a break in the cable is unlikely, and even if it is...it isn't hard to figure out where. It's very easy to diagnose with a digital multimeter.

EDIT - OH YEAH! I remember that you can get an aftermarket signal booster, so that is another avenue to consider. It's much cheaper than a new radio, though not much less than a good used aftermarket or upgraded factory unit.

[Jrs3800]

Does this car have the 5 Band Eq stereo with steering wheel controls?

[Marmot]

Does this car have the 5 Band Eq stereo with steering wheel controls?

Yes

Once in a while when the radio is fading, I can bounce my fist off the dash to get a better signal. I am guessing the science behind this is a loose connection.

Anyone have a topic link for dismantling the dash so I can get at the backside of the stock HU?

Marmot

[Jrs3800]

All you have to do is put your fingers behind the dash trim at the cluster and pull, then work your way around... Once removed you'll see the screws that hold the Stereo in...

To check the connection under the dash pull the Passenger side Hush panel( Plastic cover ) via a few screws and a wing nut of sorts at the firewall side.. You should be able to find the Ant cable when you look up..

There is a chance that the CDM Box( Tuner Amp section ) of the Stereo could be failing... I have gone through a handfull of these over the years... But when they work they do sound good..

[Marmot]

I will check out removing the dash when it warms up or when I am at a friends with a heated garage. Tackling this in sub-zero temps doesn't sound like a found project.

Marmot