FM reception gone

[$chocker]

My FM reception on my 2006 Mz5 vanished today. I can still slightly hear the signal from the FM modulator of the DVD player (NOT hardwired), but everything else is basically static. I pulled the head unit to see if the antenna wire had become disconnected, but it is still attached. I turned the unit on while I had it out and disconnected the antenna, and the static got "quieter". I plugged the antenna back in, and the static got loud again.

Has anyone else experienced this? I'm wondering if the tuner has actually crapped out on me. Hell, does that ever actually happen? My concern is that I pop in a new head unit, and the same thing happens, as if there is some other fault in the antenna wire that I'm unaware of. Oh yeah, I'm out of warranty,too.

 

[Zoom5Zoom]

My FM reception on my 2006 Mz5 vanished today. I can still slightly hear the signal from the FM modulator of the DVD player (NOT hardwired), but everything else is basically static. I pulled the head unit to see if the antenna wire had become disconnected, but it is still attached. I turned the unit on while I had it out and disconnected the antenna, and the static got "quieter". I plugged the antenna back in, and the static got loud again.

Has anyone else experienced this? I'm wondering if the tuner has actually crapped out on me. Hell, does that ever actually happen? My concern is that I pop in a new head unit, and the same thing happens, as if there is some other fault in the antenna wire that I'm unaware of. Oh yeah, I'm out of warranty,too.

I have heard of the base of the antenna connection (below roof above headliner) become disconnected. You can access if from the rear plastic panel at rear hatch roof line at headliner and reach in to check....

Does the AM function still work or CD player?

 

[$chocker]

I have heard of the base of the antenna connection (below roof above headliner) become disconnected. You can access if from the rear plastic panel at rear hatch roof line at headliner and reach in to check....

Does the AM function still work or CD player?

AM is messed up too. CD and auxmod still work. I checked the antenna connection at the roof, and it seems OK. I checked the antenna connections with the radio on and tuned to a station that normally comes in strongly. When I unscrewed the mast and removed it, the static got quieter, but returned as soon as I touched the stud of the mast to the threaded hole. That makes me think that things are connected properly.

Curiously, when I was screwing the mast back in, I heard little blips of weak reception on and off as I was doing it. That made me think perhaps it was the mast itself, so I took the mast off of my 3 and screwed it into the 5; no difference.

If I had a connection problem between the mast and the head unit, why would simply touching the mast's post to the mounting hole instantly change the character of the noise that the radio was making? This makes me think it's the head unit.

I would be so pissed to have the same problem after dropping in a new head unit. Should I risk it?

 

[mazdadude]

Here are a couple things to check according to the Mazda5 Workshop manual:

It states that checking continuity through ant cable with meter inapplicable because of a capacitor inline.

One method of checking the ant mast according to the manual is to turn on the AM to a station with no signal, low to med volume, and wave a flourescent work light around the antenna mast. There should be noise from the radio coinciding with the movement of the light.

Another method listed was to check the antenna feeder axis for short to ground.

Of course it also states possible interference or lockout due to electronic devices, TV antenna, cell phone, 2way radio, etc.


FYI I just saw a cheapie Mazda5 6cd changer on ebay, as well as a few MP3 versions in the ebay stores. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2007-07-Mazda-5-CD-Radio-Stereo-6-Disc-in-Dash-Changer_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a1205Q7c66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a12Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a1Q7c293Q3a1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem1c09e618aaQQitemZ120425158826QQptZCarQ5fAudioQ5fVideo

 

[Zoom5Zoom]

Well I stand my ground...I know and have seen disconnect from under headliner to base of antenna support which your mast goes into. Just bring it in or open the back headliner yourself and look.

Touching the mast support would cause issues with the radio because your now the antenna...

You could test your antenna from the 5 and put it on your 3 and it should work fine if it is ok.

If you CD works fine the Amp part of your head set is AOK..now its a receiver/antenna issue.

 

[AwaKeN]

Well I stand my ground...I know and have seen disconnect from under headliner to base of antenna support which your mast goes into. Just bring it in or open the back headliner yourself and look.

Touching the mast support would cause issues with the radio because your now the antenna...

You could test your antenna from the 5 and put it on your 3 and it should work fine if it is ok.

If you CD works fine the Amp part of your head set is AOK..now its a receiver/antenna issue.

He already did that !!

Curiously, when I was screwing the mast back in, I heard little blips of weak reception on and off as I was doing it. That made me think perhaps it was the mast itself, so I took the mast off of my 3 and screwed it into the 5; no difference.

 

[bulwnkl]

It's curious that the AM reception is also gone. That antenna should be internal to the radio (head unit). My personal guess is that the issue is inside the radio/head unit, but I'd try the fluorescent light procedure that mazdadude gave you.

 

[Zoom5Zoom]

He already did that !!

OK blunt reply here

RADIO TO BOTTOM OF ANTENNA MAST SUPPORT...CONNECTION...TOP OF CAR ANTENNA SCREWS INTO MAST SUPPORT.....

I think it is disconnected below mast..

 

[$chocker]

I did already check the connection under the roof...I don't think that was totally clear. It was fine.

I have discovered that the reception has somewhat returned, but is very week. If I unscrew the mast, the reception goes away pretty mutch completely.

Anyway, I think the HU is f'd, so I ordered a Pioneer DEH-P7000BT with the steering wheel controls adaptor and of course the free wiring harness and dash kit. I look forward to putting that in there.

Oh well, if it ends up being the antenna after all, at least I'll have a head unit upgrade out of the deal!! (2thumbs)

 

[Zoom5Zoom]

I did already check the connection under the roof...I don't think that was totally clear. It was fine.

I have discovered that the reception has somewhat returned, but is very week. If I unscrew the mast, the reception goes away pretty mutch completely.

Anyway, I think the HU is f'd, so I ordered a Pioneer DEH-P7000BT with the steering wheel controls adaptor and of course the free wiring harness and dash kit. I look forward to putting that in there.

Oh well, if it ends up being the antenna after all, at least I'll have a head unit upgrade out of the deal!! (2thumbs)

Did you ever try another screw in antenna? From a 3 even..I can't remember if you did or not. If I am correct the am & fm antenna are in the mast..this is why on the 3 or early 5 mast the wire runs around what looks like the center conductor.

 

[$chocker]

Yes, I did try the antenna from my 3, and it made no difference.

 

[bulwnkl]

I meant to go and look in the Owner's Manual, but did not. It would surprise me if the AM side of the radio used the external antenna. Most automotive head units abandoned external AM antennae somewhere between 30 and 40-45 years ago.

 

[$chocker]

Problem fixed

Put in the new head unit last night - problem fixed. Head unit had gone bad in the tuner, apparently.

Notes: Metra dash kit as supplied by Crutchfield is not a stellar fit, but it works and the finish is a fair match to the 06 and 07 trim color. ISO trim to go around the single DIN head unit was a poor fit, so I used the trim that came with the head unit, and it leaves an unsightly gap. I'll try to post some pictures soon. Sound is greatly improved over stock head unit. SWI-PS steering wheel remote control adaptor works well. IPOD interface of the Pioneer DEH-PB7000T works nicely and sounds great. Haven't yet tried to pair our BT cell phones with the head unit; I'll report on that soon. Had been using the FM modulator for our overhead DVD, but I hard wired the audio for it when I did the install of the new head unit, and it's a night and day difference in sound quality. Clarity and stereo imaging are greatly enhanced. I'm quite happy about that. By the way, the install that Best buy had done for the DVD was pretty shoddy; I corrected their screw-ups.:mad:

 

[remarquian]

Notes: Metra dash kit as supplied by Crutchfield is not a stellar fit, but it works and the finish is a fair match to the 06 and 07 trim color. ISO trim to go around the single DIN head unit was a poor fit, so I used the trim that came with the head unit, and it leaves an unsightly gap.

What I ended up doing is using the trim that came with my JVC head unit, and realizing that the trim that came with the Metra kit would fit right on top of it (even the flanges were long enough to fit). This seemed to look the best, but I got some bowing of the Metra trim ring.

Sound is greatly improved over stock head unit. SWI-PS steering wheel remote control adaptor works well.

I'm going to be installing a SWI-JACK, and was wondering if you had to move any wires on the Metra harness to get it to work. If so, which wires?

 

[$chocker]

Splicing in the SWI

I actually ended up splicing into the Mazda wiring near the factory plug. There weren't any wires in the head unit adapter harness that went to the appropriate pins that I needed to access, and I wasn't smart enough to think to move wires around in the head unit adaptor plug.(ugh)

The pins I needed were 9 and 10 of the factory plug; they were the very small pins, and to be honest, I don't recall if there were any small wires in the head unit adaptor harness that I could have moved anyway. At least the splice into the factory wires would be easy to put back together.