grayman

Hi Folks,

I have a 2000 Boxster S with the hi fi stereo option. My issue is poor radio reception that is getting progressively worse.

In searching the forums, I found some info where you remove the trim on the inside passenger side of the windshield to expose the antenna ground, then clean up the connection. well, my car does not have that particular settup. It has a small black plastic "box", and none of the screws holding it in place are corroded. I'm at a loss. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Macster

Without a pic of your car's setup there may be something else going on.

Send me a PM and I'll respond with a pic of the a-pillar with the trim removed that shows the plastic box. In my 02 Boxster's case this plastic box (long thin plastic box/enclosure/housing) has an alum. tab with a hole in it that a self-tapping screw fits through and into a threaded hole in the a-pillar metal.

Whenever I get tired of poor mainly AM radio reception I remove the trim and loosen then tighten the screw and radio reception is improved again, but of course starts to decline over time. I see no signs of corrosion, but this is expected. Alum. forms a very thin layer of alum. oxide (alum "rust"?) when exposed to air and this layer of oxide is not very electrically conductive. There might be some effect from dissimular metals too but I'm no metalurgist.

Last time I tried applying a tiny dab of heavy grease to "seal" the area but radio reception still has gone downhill.

Sincerely,

Macster.

aeshultz

Radio? You use the radio?
Come on, man!

grayman

Macster,

Thanks for the input. I dont need to send a picture, as I have exactly what you are describing. I think I read somewhere that that little black box is some type of signal amplifier, and they occasionally go bad. I may break down and take it to the dealer and see what they suggest

grayman

You say that because you've never heard my singing voice.

So, how's your new car?

Macster

Hah! I never thought about the thing going bad. I guess if it went bad I'd just expect the radio to stop working. FM ain't bad but AM is very lousy. I may just spring for a new one of the boxes and see what improvement there is.

To those that ask why listen to the radio? Well, I commute in the SF/SJ/Oak bay area and rely upon AM radio traffic reports to miss horrible traffic whenever I can. Thus, AM radio is very important to me.

When I'm away from the bay area I can drive thousands of miles with no radio on at all, nor any CD playing.

Once away from my commute and on the open road I much prefer the sound of the engine, the car, the road, over radio/music.

Sincerely,

Macster.

aeshultz

"So, how's your new car?"
Sitting on the storage lift with a bad 6-spd transmission. Sealed bearings on the mainshaft are no longer sealed. Great Porsche engineering strikes again.

grayman

Oh nooooo.

So what is the plan long term?