Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[unlucky alf]

Having noticed that my radio reception was pants I decided to investigate, I found the coax cut (snapped) where it enters the tailgate, Ive now run new cable through & reconnected to the signal amp, All was lovely until I turned on my heated rear window then I lost all signal, Ive now checked the power cable to the amp & found the 12v switched o,k but the other wire that shares the same plug is giving me no readings, Im presuming its a 0-v but it doesnt seem to earth out, I was just wondering why this wire runs through the car when it could be connected to an earth point in the tailgate?, for that reason I didnt attempt to earth it out just in case my assumptions were wrong, But could this be why my I got chronic interference when I turned on my heated window?.

[Dave DND]

I was just wondering why this wire runs through the car when it could be connected to an earth point in the tailgate?

Because the tailgate is not actually a good earth, and has a lot of resistance between the seams and welds by the time it reaches the battery. This difference in earth potential is really noticeable in audio systems and often the main cause of interference.

[Andy B]

I thought that the radio aerial on an estate was on the roof  and it was just the saloon that used the HRW as the aerial.

[Dave DND]

I was just thinking aloud about crap earth points in cars

 

[unlucky alf]

Thanks Dave, The thing is there is an earth wire (thick brown one) that enters the top of the tailgate from the main wiring harness & is secured in the tailgate with a 10mm nut, so there is a good earth option available, So do you think that the wire that seems to do nothing on the amp plug should be 0-v?, It just seems odd that they took the trouble to run 2 earth wires into the tailgate,
,,,& Andy B, my miggy is a rather old TD estate & its definately got this stupid in glass aerial!