Question:

Why won't the AM radio work in my car when the FM radio works fine?

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I have a 2003 Honda Civic. A couple years ago I replaced the factory stereo with an after-market stereo (an Aiwa) so I could connect my iPod. I installed the stereo myself with instructions from Crutchfield. The system worked fine except that I could no longer get AM stations. I checked the antenna input again and confirmed it was tightly connected to the head unit. The lack of an AM radio bothered me but not enough to make any changes at the time.

So I recently decided to get a new after-market stereo (a Pioneer). I also decided that I wanted the ability to listen to AM radio. This time I had the stereo professionally installed so this way I couldn't blame myself if the AM radio didn't work. Once the stereo was hooked up, the AM radio didn't work (again) while the FM radio was strong and steady.

Has anyone else encountered this problem? I'm guessing this isn't a problem with the stereos since both of my after-market stereos have had problems...

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5 ANSWERS


  1. Your professional installer might have left the antenna unplugged. Or else it came unplugged while installing it.

    I've seen this before. The AM will not work without an antenna but the FM will.


  2. What do you hear when you switch to AM? Nothing? Engine noises? Your Crutchfield instructions should have included directions how to adjust your am tuner, with an adjustment tool likely made from steel wire.

    Edit: There's no way the AM antenna for a car stereo would be inside the stereo. A car stereo is a steel box inside another steel box -- your car. This double layer of shielding would block all signals to the antenna. That's why cars came with external antennas to begin with. If you don't believe me, try to listen to an AM radio inside a steel building.

  3. Your Civic has an in-glass radio antenna.  Because these don't perform as well as mast antennas, there's an antenna amplifier built into the vehicle.

    When installing a new head unit, it's necessary to connect the "power antenna" wire in the radio harness.  This activates the antenna amplifier.  If you leave this disconnected, the result is the problem you're describing.

    Since the vehicle doesn't have an actual motorized antenna, many installers overlook the power antenna connection in the harness.  Also, after-market adapter harnesses use a blue wire for this function, and your Pioneer head unit has only a blue/white output.  

    The answer, then, is to check the back of the radio, and make sure the blue/white wire from the Pioneer deck is connected to the blue wire in the adapter harness.

  4. Mostly because AM broadcasts are weak. Another thing is that the antenna on your car is for FM. The only AM antenna is a tiny "loop" antenna inside the stereo if it even has one.

  5. Hehe, it's mainly because there aren't really anymore AM stations left. I'd try to get the XM radio or Sirius radio if you really wanted the AM stations.

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