have any backroomers found the reception of their radios on their bMW 5 series a bit wanting,the reception is ok with the engine off,but once starting the engine,it goes crackly.this is especially true for MW stations.It gets worse on putting the rear demister on when even the local FM radio station gets affected.I am not sure if it has got to with the reception generally in the area as the reception on my audi 80 which is 12 yrs old in the same areas is good.any thoughts whether there is problem with the electrics/fuel management or just defective aerial/radio on my recently acquired 530d which is 2002/51 year model.
BTW where is the aerial on the 5 series?
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If yours is one where the aerial is integrated into the rear screen heater elements, yours is giving all the classic symptons of a defective one. (gets worse when the rear screen heater is on)
Is a defective (or not working due to fuse or earth) amplifier unit or more likely a broken or weak element in the screen itself.
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Thanks
there is a Cd changer as well,which seems to work allright,so does this mean the amplifier unit is ok,if it is a defective/broken element in the screen-what is the best solution to get it rectified
thanks
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No I meant the Aerial Amplifier, not the main audio amplifier.
Its a black box that plugs into the power feed to the rear element and provides radio frequency to the main head unit.
Any elements appear not to work slower than the rest when demisting?
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At a guess the radio aerial is part of the rear screen demister. These don't always work as well as aerials as the traditional telescopic ones. This is probably why reception gets worse when the ehater is turned on.
All the digital electronics in modern cars throw quite a lot of interference round the wiring loom. Its much easier to screen this out with an external telescopic aerial. Its also easier to screen the interference from an FM signal than it is the MW band.
It may be that if the problems are unique to your car then its due to a fault with the filter. Its more likely however to be an undocumented design feature.
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I read often, only post occasionally
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Try 675mw, a fairly weak Dutch Rock station. (quite good incidently!) I use this as a test for the reception ability of any car i use. Some are better than others> so if you can't here it then it's not working as it should, if it is a strong signal all is well.
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>>Fairly weak... ( i mean the signal)
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thanks guys
renaultfamily-all the specific elements seems to be working,though I am not so sure whether the demisting of the rear window should be faster considering it is a relatively newish car.
i shall try the 675mw and report back
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No problem with radio reception per se, but I find the RDS tracking weak compared to a number of mid ninties Vauxhall products I have had experience of. Not unique to the current 530d I must say. The one in my last 3 series was as bad.
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Yes,the tracking(scanning)RDS is weak too.I tried the 675MW and the signal was OK,though with the rear demister on and the engine running,the signal went off completely as did most of the MW stations and some FM stations.Is the aerial ampliflier(black box)accesible easily or is it a specialist job.is it worth asking someone to have a look,or will they fob me off.
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just to update you guys
I had it looked at by an independant BMW garage-He gave me some talk about diversity etc and how there is an electrical interference with the radio reception and effectively said that the rear windscreen needs to be replaced.does that sound sensible?are there any other options and is it worthwhile to replace the original rear screen-2002/jan registered car especially with bonded windscreens(i am not sure if it is)
any thoughts please
nand
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If you are paying for the rear screen then no its not a sensible option.
Toddle the car along to a good specialist car audio outlet and he will advise you what to do. Probably best to fit an external bee sting aerial or one like in the new 5 series.
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as i have the car for 6-8 weeks only,the problem seems to have been present before I bought it.I have broached this subject with the independant BMW specialist dealer and i will convince him to pay.All the same is it worth messing around with the original windscreen, (bonded et al) or leave it as it iis and turn off the radio for a few minutes when demisting.will it have an effect on its demisting performance as the years go by.also which glass fitters one should avoid-the local independant garage mentioned avoid autoglass,silvershield are fine-have any backroomers any good/bad experiences
thanks
nand
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I have the same problem with my Sierra,there is a signal amplifier in the tailgate,yours must have one,more than likely in the same place.It may need replacing(I keep a few spares for mine)but it would be worth checking all the connections are clean and tight.I would be very suprised if the screen was the cause.The other option is to install a conventional aerial,but that may spoil the aerodynamic appearance of the vehicle.
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I have the same problem with my Sierra,there is a signal amplifier in the tailgate,yours must have one,more than likely in the same place.It may need replacing(I keep a few spares for mine)but it would be worth checking all the connections are clean and tight.I would be very suprised if the screen was the cause.The other option is to install a conventional aerial,but that may spoil the aerodynamic appearance of the vehicle.
what does it look like and where in the tailgate?-I assume the garage must have looked at it,but I would like to make sure the connections are tight etc
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what does it look like and where in the tailgate?-I assume the garage must have looked at it,but I would like to make sure the connections are tight etc
Follow the connections from the heated screen and you have a chance of finding it, though it may well be hidden under some trim.
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I read often, only post occasionally
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My Dads 2002 530d does the same thing. If you switch the rear screen heater on, then FM reception is apalling.
Is this a recognised fault?
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I am not familiar with your model,but the aerial amp will be near the rear screen,in hatchbacks behind the trim on the inside of the hatch,on saloons under the parcel shelf,possibly visible from inside the boot.It will be a rectangular box with two flat leads from the element running into it,also a couple of cables for power and earth and a co-axial aerial cable.May be worth checking the earth is good using a multimeter(should not be more than a few ohms).
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