Ping Hyundaitech

Thank you for all the help you have given us on this newsgroup. You've been
a great asset to all us Hyundai owners.

I would like to ask you about my 03 Elantra's AM radio. Like others, my
reception is practically zilch. I live in a major urban area and listening
is like trying to pull in a station from 150 miles away. I like AM radio and
have no plans to go elsewhere on the band. But do you know what the cause is
of this problems which I and many others experience? Can it be fixed? Will
my dealer address this problem as its still under the 1 year warranty for
such matters.

Thanks

 

Just take it to the dealer and tell them it's not working, they will either
fix it under warranty or give you some BS reason why it doesn't work.

 

If there's something actually wrong, it'll be covered by the 3/36 warranty
on the radio or the 5/60 bumper to bumper warranty on everything else. I
don't listen to AM that much, so I don't know much more than what's been
posted here. A poor antenna connection will easily cause what you've
described. I suspect, however, that based on the number of statements on
this newsgroup, that this is simply the way the system is, and there is no
defective component. I can't recommend anything more than taking it to
the dealer and having them look at it.

 

Thanks Hyundai tech. The FM is doing well, so I doubt the antenna has a bad
connection. It looks like I'm going shopping for a radio. I live news,
sports, and talk and its located on AM.

 

Hi, Just a quick question. I, too, have noticed a loss in AM
reception. If the antenna is the problem, will it make a difference in
reception on AM, even with a new radio?

J.W.

 

The problem is more likely to be that the radio has a poor quality AM
tuner section. One possible fix might be to buy a better AM radio (not
necessarily a car model) and patch it into the existing antenna with a
splitter.

 

I wouldn't give up on the radio if it hasn't been checked. I suspect
you're right, but putting in a new radio if the antenna is your problem
won't improve anything. Although counterintuitive, I've seen the loose
antenna wire cause a major problem on AM but almost none on FM. GM had a
problem with antenna wires pulling apart on some of their late 90's N-body
cars that would cause the exact condition you describe.

 

A bad antenna will affect any radio to which it is connected.

 

It's not counter intuitive. The frequencies involved are quite
different - roughly 1 MHz vs 100MHz. The higher the frequency the
shorter the antenna. A broken stub might well work at 100 but be way
too short at 1. AM car radio antenna length is way short to begin
with but is compensated for with circuitry in the radio.

As a quck check I would connect another car radio, tweak the AM
antenna adjustment and try it in the car. YMMV. ;-)

While I am at it - Unless one is looking at high dollar specialty
communications gear it is unlikey a non car radio will have the noise
suppression and proper antenna matching to work in a car.