Hilton

Pics of LHD cars will be just as useful - so please post 'em if you've got 'em.

The antenna booster in my 87 was replaced sometime prior to my ownership - but it's been left dangling by the thin cable that comes through the cowl under the windscreen.

Does anyone have a photo of one attached in place correctly? Does it have a bracket? Or if not, where do I bolt the radio signal amplifier to? Should it be grounded? (it has a metal mounting tab)

My car is RHD, but the antenna booster is on the right side of the car where it connects to the windshield antenna - so I'm assuming the booster mounts in the same physical location within the car as a LHD car (i.e. US passenger side). A search indicates its behind the glove box on US cars, which puts it in the same place in the car.

Hilton

Ok - after more trawling threads, I've manage to find one that may show what I'm after? I think the pic is from an 87/88 S4.

In the attached pic, is that the booster I can see tucked behind the crash tube?

Also - what's the mystery ground point that's on the aft-side of the crash tube? I was wondering if that's where the antenna booster bolts up, but if this pic is correct, it's not.

(still wondering if the metal tab with a bolt hole through it on the booster is for grounding purposes).

Thanks to Hawkeyes for posting the pic in this thread

pcar928fan

Almost ALL of my antenna boosters have now failed in my 928's and so AM reception is non-existent and FM is fair to good still (thankfully). I'd LOVE to know of an alternative that can be plugged in to the back of the radio antenna input and then have the antenna plugged in to it...that way it would be easy to add a functional one in to the existing line!

Ed Scherer

What you've got circled in green looks suspiciously like an airbag crash sensor to me. At least that's about where it is on my '90 S4.

Edit: ... or maybe not ...

I just went back and looked at where the airbag crash sensor is, and I think it's a lot lower than what you have pictured.

FLYVMO

Hilton,

Yup, that is the amplifier. Just removed mine from the 86.5. It is attached with a small metal clip. Mine had the typical "no AM reception, poor FM reception).
Check out Dakota Digital for an "upgraded" antenna receiver/amplifier.

http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.c...rod/prd105.htm

Cheers!
Carl

pcar928fan

Carl,

Have you purchased and installed that? Does it just go behind the dash somewhere or do you have to get it on the outside of the car? There is not much info on that link...

FLYVMO

It is on my shopping list for the GT, once it gets done It goes inside the car...I was planning on putting it up inside the headliner, but I think you can probably put it behind the dash as well. It takes the same 12v as the original amplifier, so you should be able to use the same connection.

Carl

Hilton

Thanks Carl - so now I know where it goes, I ust need to figure out what I'm missing to attach it to the firewall.

Attached is a pic of the booster as it hangs now by the door frame - I don't want to leave it hanging like this as the small lead will likely break.

Right now it works (I get good AM reception), so I just want to figure out where it goes. I'll have a look behind the padding on the firewall to see if there's somewhere obvious it screws onto.

I've also attached a pic of the ground point that's welded on the crash tube - I was wondering if the booster bolts to it (and possibly grounds it), but it seems the ground point has another use I can't detect (it had an M6 bolt in it, but nothing attached).

Given it works, I suspect it's already grounded through the harness connecting to it that supplies power (and probably also shields the signal).

Landseer

I think that mystery ground is the attachment point.
Mind is foggy, but I think I wire brushed mine and reattached it.
Is the cord not long enough?

I can take one apart again if you need me to.

FLYVMO

Yes, mine was attached to that "grounding point" as well. I mentioned an attachment clip before but now I recall that it is the alarm module on the 86.5 (also behind the dash, closer to the center of the car) that has a metal clip to attach it.

Carl

Hilton

Excellent - thanks guys. Its what I suspected, but wasn't sure of (I figured the ground could just be one that remains unused on RHD cars).

The secret location of various electrical gizmos is something PET is horribly vague about

Jim Chambers

Help me out here please. I have a 90 with a roof antenna. I thought the only booster is part of the antenna base. There is a 12 volt power line to it. I have poor radio reception and was planning to replace the antenna. Is there another booster under the dash I should be looking for?

Hilton

Jim, prior to 89, the 928 was equipped with an antenna built into the windshield.

The booster in this thread is the one for the windshield. You're coorect, your car has the booster built into the base of the roof antenna, so if its failed (common), you need to replace the whole antenna. My 89 needs a new roof antenna too - I'm just busy sorting my newest acquisition (an 87) for DD duties.

Jim Chambers

Thank you Hilton. I have a used antenna as replacement so my odds may not be to good. I'll try it and hope for improvement.