I had a local car stereo place install a JVC am/fm/cd player. They took out the original cassette unit. The JVC I got is HD so it's supposed to show the song and band playing if the station is a HD station. Mine almost never shows the data. I can park it right next to my GMC conversion van with factory stereo that shows the data so I know it's not the stations. I live in a large metro area and lots of the fm stations send out the data. I also get very very bad am reception. When they sold me the stereo they sold me some sort of antenna adapter. I see it on the invoice but I never saw it and don't know what it's supposed to do. My car has that cool looking Euro type antenna in the middle above the rear hatch. I think the antenna is not hooked up at all, or not properly. Before I take it back to that shop I'd like to have some knowledge to impart to the guy. Is there some antenna amplifier they messed up and didn't hook up right? I opened the panel in the left rear corner of the car and there is a cable there that looks like a coaxial antenna cable with a screw plug on the end. It's not hooked up to anything and I can't find anything that it might hook to. There is also a cable with a multi pin connector there. Guessing this might be for some sort of cd changer or something? I did some searching here but can't find a good answer. Thanks for any help.

 

Had this problem with both my B5's. The radio receiver on the newer radio just isn't as powerful as the old one or something. I have heard of amplifiers to make up for the signal drop, so i assume that's what they sold you. I don't listen to the radio much around here but the RBDS does actually work on mine. Also noticed that reception turns to **** when the rear window defroster is on. Did it work on your stock stereo?

 

Still having problems over this. They checked it and said the wire was loose, whatever that means. It works better now but not great. And AM reception is awful. The guy said Audi's have bad reception. Huh? Is that true? If it is how about putting a better antenna on? Anybody do that? I'm thinking if I tell them to put a better antenna on that should eliminate their claiming Audi's have bad reception. So, I guess I'm looking for antenna suggestions?

 

The reception isn't great because there's no aerial antenna. I'm sure if you wanted to you could wire one up but it would have to be custom.

 

There's some sort of Euro looking antenna on the roof above the tailgate. Isn't that for the radio?

 

Yeah on avants that's the radio antenna, sedans don't have an aerial antenna. Sorry for the confusion.

 

So, the antenna looks as good as any other antenna. Why should it be bad reception then? I'm thinking the shop is giving me a line because he can't figure out how to connect it to the new deck?

 

The antenna should plug into the back of the new radio the same as it did the old one, if he can't figure that out you need a new mechanic. Hard to say why the reception is bad, but it's a common problem on B5's.