How do you improve radio reception

[Kibokojoe]

How do you improve radio reception? Reception in my 89 535i is really bad. I have noticed that there is no external antenna. Can anyone tell me where the antenna is?

[shogun]

Maybe you amp is not working (sits behind C-pillar cover).
The rear window antenna and heater: The upper 3 lines on the glass are the AM radio antenna, the middle 8 are FM and defroster, and the bottom 8 are defrost
pic from Bill R
http://www.bimmernut.com/~billr/images/antenna.jpg
The amplifier and the rest is behind the C-pillars of the car. For the rear window heater on drivers side, but also some is on passenger side. Just remove the covers from the C-pillars.


The control of the defroster is done by the IHKA control unit. Maybe that is also not working.
So take a multimeter and the C-pillar covers, switch the defroster on and see if you get power there in and out.

[Kibokojoe]

Checked amplifier in trunk, seems the coax was loose. Also found the antenna module in the c-piller (rear driverside) the coax was loose there also. Tighten them up and seem to have improved receiption. Now I need to check for power at the amplifier. Is there a schematic or can you tell me what color wires are power?

[shogun]

here is more
http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/145262/

[///Sniper535]

Does anyone have directions and pics how to do this? i have crappy reception too but it's intermittent when driving around.

[Tiger]

red wire and brown is pos and neg... Blue is the trigger to turn it on.

[rob101]

red wire and brown is pos and neg... Blue is the trigger to turn it on.

cut the blue wire, no wait the red one.... its a booby trap. agh I'll do it with my eyes closed. 5....4....3....2....1...

[Qube]

Holy crud. Is that why the top three never defrost?! I always thought it was broken...

Maybe you amp is not working (sits behind C-pillar cover).
The rear window antenna and heater: The upper 3 lines on the glass are the AM radio antenna, the middle 8 are FM and defroster, and the bottom 8 are defrost
pic from Bill R
http://www.bimmernut.com/~billr/images/antenna.jpg
The amplifier and the rest is behind the C-pillars of the car. For the rear window heater on drivers side, but also some is on passenger side. Just remove the covers from the C-pillars.


The control of the defroster is done by the IHKA control unit. Maybe that is also not working.
So take a multimeter and the C-pillar covers, switch the defroster on and see if you get power there in and out.

[ajt3nc]

We always have good luck with tin foil here in NC :>

[Stacy (Sydney)]

Certain window tints can effect reception. When I had all my glass tinted, I was told that metal based films can harm radio reception when fitted to the rear screens of cars like the e34's ( glass with ariels fitted within the glass). Supposedly, the cheap tints that turns purple are the ones that you fit to the rear screen to not effect reception.
I had the more expensive film added to the rear screen, and experienced only a slight loss in reception.