Golf III aerial question
Discussion
What route does the aerial take from the roof to the stereo?
My stereo isn't picking up any radio stations. It has one of those aerial adaptors to convert the VW press-on fitment into a male insert. This has a wire on it which I've connected to the power-aerial wire on the back of the unit. How do these things work? Is it easier to just fit a new aerial?
My stereo isn't picking up any radio stations. It has one of those aerial adaptors to convert the VW press-on fitment into a male insert. This has a wire on it which I've connected to the power-aerial wire on the back of the unit. How do these things work? Is it easier to just fit a new aerial?
I don't know what route it takes.
The only concrete information I have is that I changed the headunit on both mk3's I had and the VW-to-standard aerial adapter was a simple push-fit adapter jobbie - no wires. It might be worth trying it with the adapter wire disconnected and see what happens.
The only concrete information I have is that I changed the headunit on both mk3's I had and the VW-to-standard aerial adapter was a simple push-fit adapter jobbie - no wires. It might be worth trying it with the adapter wire disconnected and see what happens.
is your ariel a wing mouunt or a bee sting?
Bee sting the ariel lead goes behind dash up the A pillar allong the roof line. You can gain access to the bottom of the ariel by carefully removing the rear headlining. Recently i replaced my bee sting with a BMW Mini ampified ariel and christ the difference is amazing, radio1 everywhere around gloucestershire now where as before it required constant re tuning. £12 well spent in my view.
if its a wing mount then the lead runs through bulkhead on passenger side then through the inner wing near the rain tray.
As suggested, try the correct adapter and without the ariel wire to the headunit attached as it could be creating more interference
dave
Bee sting the ariel lead goes behind dash up the A pillar allong the roof line. You can gain access to the bottom of the ariel by carefully removing the rear headlining. Recently i replaced my bee sting with a BMW Mini ampified ariel and christ the difference is amazing, radio1 everywhere around gloucestershire now where as before it required constant re tuning. £12 well spent in my view.
if its a wing mount then the lead runs through bulkhead on passenger side then through the inner wing near the rain tray.
As suggested, try the correct adapter and without the ariel wire to the headunit attached as it could be creating more interference
dave
Thanks. It's the bee-sting and as I get no inkling of any reception at all, I was wondering if there was a link that has become detached. The stock end is a female "cup" adaptor whereas the aftermarket is a male thing with a pointy bit (all tech stuff). If the bee-sting isn't an amplified aerial to start with, then the amplifier adaptor may be the problem. Thanks.
LuS1fer said:
Thanks. It's the bee-sting and as I get no inkling of any reception at all, I was wondering if there was a link that has become detached. The stock end is a female "cup" adaptor whereas the aftermarket is a male thing with a pointy bit (all tech stuff). If the bee-sting isn't an amplified aerial to start with, then the amplifier adaptor may be the problem. Thanks.
do you mean you have 1 end that looks like this
and the adapter that looks like this
the Bee sting have the end like in the top pic, you then add the adapter in the lower pic that then goes into the back of the stereo. It is possible for it to come lose which would ruin the reception.
have you tried borrowing a bee sting end off another car and trying that first. i have a selection of dubs and the bee stings do vary between them, some are metal shafts - which rust , rubber ones degrade which both effect the reception.
dave
The car is a GTI and it has the top end fitting. All the websites say you need an adaptor which plugs into the female connector at the top - this runs into a metal cylinder which has a wire coming off it which you plug into the power aerial wire on the back of the unit which "restores the amplifier in the base of the aerial".
The car came with an Alpine unit and had one of these adaptors but again, there was clearly no signal and no reception. Luckily I broke the Alpine and replaced it with a Kenwood and that's the same so it's not the unit.
The power aerial lead is a blue/white tracer but in the original stereo "loom" is another blue/white tracer which I connected that lead to as well as the wire off the adaptor but I have to say that whether connected or not, there is no reception. If there is another connector somewhere along the route that may have become unplugged, the lack of signal might be more logically determinable.
I may just have to go with a screen aerial. How much is the BMW Mini item you used as it's only a daily hack and not worth spending a lot of money on. Maybe I should just rip out the interior.
The car came with an Alpine unit and had one of these adaptors but again, there was clearly no signal and no reception. Luckily I broke the Alpine and replaced it with a Kenwood and that's the same so it's not the unit.
The power aerial lead is a blue/white tracer but in the original stereo "loom" is another blue/white tracer which I connected that lead to as well as the wire off the adaptor but I have to say that whether connected or not, there is no reception. If there is another connector somewhere along the route that may have become unplugged, the lack of signal might be more logically determinable.
I may just have to go with a screen aerial. How much is the BMW Mini item you used as it's only a daily hack and not worth spending a lot of money on. Maybe I should just rip out the interior.
hi,
if you have the female end which is the top one in my previous post the you should find that the male adapter fits into the back of the stereo.
As far as im aware the blue/white wire is to act as a remote power switch for a amp.
The all blue wire is the one for the electric aerial.
I think what you need is one of these
Voltage Aerial Adaptor For Vw Golf 111 Vento Passat With 16 Price: £4.88
(Excluding: VAT at 15%)
(availability: Immediate)
DIN Type, (16V) Voltage Aerial adapter for VW Golf III, Vento, Passat
available from
http://www.auto-connect.co.uk/VW.html
oh and the BMW aerial was off ebay for 12quid, its a stubby with a amp wire wrapped around it and it screws into the existing base.
DAVE
if you have the female end which is the top one in my previous post the you should find that the male adapter fits into the back of the stereo.
As far as im aware the blue/white wire is to act as a remote power switch for a amp.
The all blue wire is the one for the electric aerial.
I think what you need is one of these
Voltage Aerial Adaptor For Vw Golf 111 Vento Passat With 16 Price: £4.88
(Excluding: VAT at 15%)
(availability: Immediate)
DIN Type, (16V) Voltage Aerial adapter for VW Golf III, Vento, Passat
available from
http://www.auto-connect.co.uk/VW.html
oh and the BMW aerial was off ebay for 12quid, its a stubby with a amp wire wrapped around it and it screws into the existing base.
DAVE
Mk 3 golf and Corrado are crap. the beesting base is full of foam which over time soaks up moisture and the intermal amp in the base of the beesting corode. The best thing to do is remove te aeriel base, Scoop out the foam, and corroded amp, and solder a direct link to the aerial.
Most modern head units have a decent fm booster built in so no need to replace the amp.
Most modern head units have a decent fm booster built in so no need to replace the amp.
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