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Lost Fm reception with stereo install

16K views 17 replies 6 participants last post by  Family Guy 
#1 ·
I installed a head unit in my 06 wrx Tr last weekend and My Fm reception sux now. I bought the plug and play harness and spliced it to the deck harness. When doin so I noticed that the plug and play harness had an output wire for a powered antenna where as the deck harness didnt. I also have tinted windows if that effects reception. I think the antenna is in the back windshield

Any one else having a similar problem? Fixes?

I bought this one:

http://mobile.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL027692&pathId=54&page=1

Thanx
Jeremy
 
#2 ·
06wrx4me said:
I installed a head unit in my 06 wrx Tr last weekend and My Fm reception sux now. I bought the plug and play harness and spliced it to the deck harness. When doin so I noticed that the plug and play harness had an output wire for a powered antenna where as the deck harness didnt. I also have tinted windows if that effects reception. I think the antenna is in the back windshield

Any one else having a similar problem? Fixes?

I bought this one:

http://mobile.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL027692&pathId=54&page=1

Thanx
Jeremy
must be the tinted windows.





are you sure you plugged the antena into the deck harness? Sometimes you have to push really hard to get it to click
 
#3 ·
Yeah its plugged in properly. I have been searching many other forums and have heard that the blue powered atenna wire needs a switched 12v power.

Im gonna try this tonight but i dont want to keep taking the deck in and out. Has anyone with tinted windows installed a signal booster?

Do they help?

Thanx
 
#8 ·
kingypoo said:
damn those tinted windows!

the window tint actually stops the radio waves from modulating

:rotfl:
With the stock stereo it got great reception with my tinted windows. But I conciously remember not splicing in the power antenna wire like i havent done a thousand times for vehicles with a manual non powered antenna. But again I didnt see where my aftermarket HU had a wire to splice into it. meh.
 
#10 ·
kingypoo said:
:rotfl: means i was kidding...

Gotcha :)

Think I found my solution.

Antenna Control Pin ("antenna remote on")

Earlier Subarus have a rod antenna that you raise or lower by hand. Others have a motorized antenna. On recent Subarus (WRXs starting in 2004; Foresters as early as 1999) the antenna is on the rear glass. With these there is an antenna amplifier, usually hidden in one of the rear pillars.

Quote:
Important note:
On models that have a motorized antenna or antenna amplifier, you must supply +12 volts (low current) on pin 14 to activate the motor or amp. When the antenna amplifier is not 'on', you'll get very poor or no radio reception.

(exception: On 2000 and 2001 Foresters the antenna amplifier is activated directly from Accessory power; pin 14 has no connection on the radio harness)

All Subaru radios provide this signal on pin 14, whether or not the car it was in had a motorized antenna or antenna amplifier. So any Subaru radio with the 14-pin speaker/power connector will be "plug-and-play" in any other Subaru whose radio had the 14-pin connector (as long as the radio physically fits).

When installing an after-market radio, here's what you should connect to the Subaru's pin 14 (from "best" to "worst"):
"Power antenna" output. Most after-market radios have this, usually a solid Blue wire. This will activate the antenna only while you listen to AM/FM.
Amplifier remote control (usually a Blue/White wire). Not all after-market radios have this. This will activate the antenna whenever the radio is on, even when you switch to CD or AUX input.
For head units that lack either of the above, your only other choice is to connect the Subaru's pin 14 to Acesssory power (pin 10). Then the antenna amp will be 'on' (or the motorized antenna will extend) whenever you turn the ignition key to ACC or ON.
 
#11 ·
Now one more thread will come up in a search for this subject.
 
#13 ·
Yep that was the problem. So now when installing an aftermarket HU in an 04+ Scooby remember; even if your HU harness doesn't have the power antenna wire, you still need to splice it into a 12v+. Mine is now hooked up to the remote turn on wire from the Aftermarket HU. You can now save yourelf the aggrevation of tearing everything apart again, I did it for you.
 
#15 ·
Family Guy said:
Just found this thread.
I bought my 04 STi used and the previous owneer installed a pioneer H/U.
Radio reception is poor.
What wire on the actual car wiring harness (inside dash) do I connect the blue wire from the H/U to?
Thanks
Well first question is did he actually cut and splice into the factory harness or did he use an adaptor harness and splice the radio to it?

If he used a conversion or adaptor harness (plugs into factory HU plug) then the answer would be either the wire that leads to nothing or in most cases its either blue or blue with white stripe.

If he cut the factory harness then, there is a white wire on the wiring harness that needs to be connected to the blue antenna turn on lead on the aftermarket HU. You can also connect this wire to any swithed 12V source if your HU doesn't have a power antenna lead.

Here's another good thread on the subject. Shows a diagram and refers to pin 14.

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=749402
 
#17 ·
Family Guy said:
Awsome, thanks, and all this time I thought it was something with the radio or his install. Don't think he hooked up the Antenna wire. I love this website.

No problem, I only figured it out cause i did it wrong the first time.:)
 
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