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Radio & GSM Antenna - where is the amplifier ?

5K views 16 replies 4 participants last post by  chazpope 
#1 ·
Hi, my GSM (telephone) hasn't been working for a while and now FM radio stopped as if no aerial.

So I pulled the ICS and checked connections at the back - all looks ok - there are 2 coax aerial inputs only - one is (smaller) for the GPS maybe and the other bigger line on a TV - not sure what comes in where ?

Anyway started looking for the amp 'thing round the back, parcel shelf' ?

Where is it - do I need to take the seat off - where do I start ?

car is last fully loaded facelift 3.0 Sportronic Lusso 40K on the clock - with shark fin aerial on roof.

Thanks
 
#3 ·
thank you, saved me ripping the C pillar lining ! I had looked on the CD but its pictures are next to useless, you can't event tell which side of the car stuff is :)
So from what I gather it looks like it is the parcel shelf - behind the seat belt pulley - but it was too dark for me to open it yesterday.

I really want to get the gsm going because (unlike in BG :) here you should not be on the phone at all when driving.

So I guess the SatNav and GSM aerial signal come into the ICS via the same coax cable ? Does that go through the amplifier at at all
 
#5 · (Edited)
so finally I got to the amplifier on the right hand side, after looking under the parcel shelf (which btw contains NO big speakers), you have to rip the right hand side C lining between the door and rear window as shown in your picture.

On the amplifier I find that it seems to send the AM signal OK (disconnecting it from window or output or power to amplifier does stops/starts it) - but there is no FM radio still.
I wonder could it be that the FM part of amplifier has gone bad or what ?

Re GSM signal I found the 2 coax feed connectors like you said on the left side - so there must be something else in between - as you only get one coax for those in the ICS .
The two signals must merge somewhere ?

Does anyone have an idea how to test if the GSM aerial is working ? I get the full bars of reception in the ICS but , after acknowledging the PIN code it does not log the sim card (which works in a phone)

http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/gallery/showimage.php?i=61649

http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/gallery/showimage.php?i=61657
 
#7 · (Edited)
Yes I figured that out last night, and now I think there is nothing wrong with my GSM antenna - I get full reception bars on the ICS. And (after 3 years without a phone) I found that in fact Bulgarian SIM cards (connecting to UK Vodafone) do work in the car !

But with my normal 02 card it does this: it reads the card, reads the card contacts book, the Service Centre appears and it says BT CELLNET on top - and then it reboots the card and starts again to ask for PIN number ! The same card works in a mobile phone, and I am sure that when this started happening I tried another o2 card in it and it was doing the same.

So it looks like as soon as the O2 sim card logs in the O2 Network - it then reboots itself !

Something must have changed on the network side 3 years ago that I am not aware of ??

starting a new thread on this ..

Going back to my FM radio problem - looks like the amplifier works for AM only - the signal gets though - but then AM works without the amplifier if I just put a wire in the aerial cable.
So probably my cable is ok - but I still get nothing FM - so I don't know if the amplifier is the problem - I wonder if FM should also work without it - with just a wire - or not.
 
#11 ·
I replaced the aerial cable (AM/FM) on my car a couple of years back - a previous owner had removed the amp on the C-pillar and had cut the last few inches off the cable...

The replacement was a single cable, running between ICS and the aerial amp. It routes down from the ICS, under the centre console (on the right hand side), under the carpet to the rear seats, then turns under the seat cushion and up to the C-pillar. There wasn't a join in the cable.

If you're not getting AM or FM despite the aerial being present, then I'd suggest either the aerial amp has failed or the cable is damaged. If you've checked that you have power to the amp, it might be easiest to source a second hand unit in order to test...
 
#12 ·
Same here, I pulled off the handbrake surround and I can see some cable but not a connector.
Trying to save myself taking all the centre console off here ?
I have AM but no FM, AM works with just a wire - no amp anyway, not sure what to do next
 
#13 ·
#14 ·
Ok so I did buy another preamp (Does anyone need one :) and - no difference.

I found however that some (very strong) FM stations do work but nowhere near how it used to be, no BBC Radio 2. And it seems that the top wire of the amp (single wire) has no effect on FM reception - (though without it AM does not work). I mean I get the same bad FM reception with or without that antenna wire. It is almost as if that isn't the FM antenna at all and that there is no FM antenna - or is it something else that I cannot see ? If I discconnect the ICS end feeder from the amp FM stops as well, but it does not seem to be afftected by the single wire on top - i wonder is the aerial inside the amp or what

In the heater top element I can see the top 2 lines connect to the amp input top - is that all or is there another antenna bit to check ?
 
#15 ·
The antenna itself is built into the rear screen - the two horizontal lines you mention above.

If the amp is OK then the cable connecting amp and ICS must be damaged in some way. I went through the same process of elimination with my car. The part number for the cable is 6065 8154. Not sure if this is still available from dealers in the UK but there are a couple currently for sale on eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALFA-166-...872487?hash=item1ecbe61567:g:C9IAAOSw6GBZc03w

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CAVO-AUTO...804644?hash=item466deaa3e4:g:nDoAAOSwZVlXubvp

I'm pretty sure member ChrisS had a spare, too - might be worth asking him.

It's easy to test if a new cable will make a difference as access to each end is relatively straightforward; if the cable is the culprit then re-routing it to replace the original involves removing the central console (two screws at the front at the gear lever surround, and two each side at the back behind blanking plugs - push the front seats forward to reach these).

Gotchas on removing the centre console are:

1) You need to pull the handbrake lever up as far as possible

2) Remove the ICS - don't leave it half out of its socket as you need to move the console up and forwards to clear the handbrake

3) Unplug the power supply to the cigarette lighter socket on the back of the console, or else you won't be able to lift the rear of the console far - also a good opportunity to replace the socket if the cover has broken off

4) The cable runs under the carpet between the rear of the console and the rear seats. Tape the two cables together and use the one to pull the other through this gap.

Once you have a working amp and a good cable then you will get solid reception on both AM and FM.
 
#16 ·
So right now I sometimes do get a very faint reception, also my little FM audio transmitter just about works and I can play music from my phone, unplugging the amp or aerial has no effect on FM.

I don't see how the cable can be damaged, it's been unplugged and contact cleaned from both ends, but it is possible who knows..

Maybe I could make a new cable and try it externally, trying to avoid another £20 for the test, already have a surplus antenna amplifier :)
 
#17 ·
Now weird as it may seem - if i haven't tried to use the FM for say a week and then try it - it works for about 5 minutes - then stops and does not work again.
It is as if some some 'container' (capacitor) accumulates 'bad stuff' during the 5 mins of working, then it fails. Then the 'bad stuff' evaporates and in a week or so it works again for 5 mins.
weird but I reproduce that repeatedly, still looking for clues on this - sick of AM Long Wave :)
 
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