MK5 Golf GTI

All Things Mk5 => Modifications & Technical Area => Sat Nav and Car Audio => Topic started by: fliprio on August 03, 2012, 09:42:30 pm

Title: No radio
Post by: fliprio on August 03, 2012, 09:42:30 pm

Hi all, wired in the new kenwood head unit today, all works nicly apart from the radio, it doesnt pick up any channels at all.

The VW harness adaptor I used was this;

http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/con-ct20vw02-ct20vw02-harness-adapter-vw-passatgolftouran.html

it only has a single airel port, in the car there is 2, a beige one and a white one, I connected the white one.  Should I be getting some radio signal or is this never going to work without a dual adaptor?  also, is it worth pullin the unit out to try the beige connector?

thanks in advance

Title: Re: No radio
Post by: fliprio on August 04, 2012, 09:29:45 am

anyone had experience with this?

Title: Re: No radio
Post by: Apollo on August 04, 2012, 09:42:51 am

Swap the aerial leads see what happens.......

Title: Re: No radio
Post by: fliprio on August 04, 2012, 12:09:17 pm

I swapped them and it made a very small amount of difference, I could get radio 2 for about 3 minutes and that was it.  I live in a poor radio reception area, but standard radio worked perfectly.

I had though that the aerial was AM/FM, so all FM should work if you get the right connector?

Title: Re: No radio
Post by: fliprio on August 04, 2012, 09:08:34 pm

I have also tried it in a few areas today, it doesnt pick up any FM or AM channels at all

The small metal tube attached to the radio adaptor seems to be getting warm, so it must be getting power from the head unit

Any ideas anyone?  I thought I would have gotten some channels even though only one aerial connection is plugged in.

Title: Re: No radio
Post by: fliprio on August 05, 2012, 10:19:28 am

has anyone else got no signal at all with a single Fakra connector?

Title: Re: No radio
Post by: Gazza747 on August 06, 2012, 02:28:32 pm

I had the same issue as you. My VW system is twin Fakra with diversity. The later GTI models had a roof aerial and an aerial in the rear screen. There are two connections into the radio hence the 'twin' bit and fakra is a name for the type of plug/socket design. Diversity is the clever VW bit, I think originally a box under the seat and now in the radio itself.

The Diversity feature decides which is the best aerial to use and then uses that one.

The basic aerial adaptor does not 'copy' the diversity feature very well if at all so you may get very poor radio reception. I went for a more expensive device from celsus ice which is much better but IMO will never replicate the diversity function as well as the one made by VW.

Title: Re: No radio
Post by: fliprio on August 07, 2012, 10:50:49 am

Thanks for the info, that's really useful to know. So you get a reasonable radio signal with the census audio connector?   I might order one, its only £20 and will save the faf of trying to change the aerial.  I don't know why these audio companoies sell the single fakra for a 06 golf when the clearly don't work at all.

Title: Re: No radio
Post by: Gazza747 on August 07, 2012, 11:49:09 am

I get excellent FM reception but very poor AM reception. You still need to try swapping the connectors over but I found the best reception was when only the white was connected.

Title: Re: No radio
Post by: fliprio on August 07, 2012, 01:13:07 pm

Strange that you still need to disconect one of the connectors, you would have thought the celsus diversity adaptor was meant to be used with both plugs, so with only one connection, is it still trying to replicate the vw diversity system?

Title: Re: No radio
Post by: Gazza747 on August 07, 2012, 02:11:53 pm

I'm not sure exactly I just know after trying all of the options connections wise just one connection gave me perfect FM. I have done loads of research on the 'net and one person got perfect AM but this may have been in the states. I was quite tempted to ask celsus ice and even pop down there as they are based in Poole, Dorset. They have a website if you want to read there blurb but it doesn't tell you much

Title: Re: No radio
Post by: Gazza747 on August 07, 2012, 03:28:59 pm

I just thought I have one of these AAN2203 spare as I bought two, you can have it for £10 if you want.

Title: Re: No radio
Post by: fliprio on August 07, 2012, 07:14:42 pm

whats the make of the spare lead, thanks

Title: Re: No radio
Post by: Gazza747 on August 08, 2012, 10:09:29 am

It is made by Celsus Ice, AAN2203 is the celsus ice unique manufacturers number.

Title: Re: No radio
Post by: fliprio on August 12, 2012, 05:44:07 pm

It seems despite a new adaptor (thanks for sending GAZZA747 ) I still dont have any radio, stuck a multimeter on the powered aerial lead coming off the head unit and its only putting out 1.3v, I would have thought this should be a 12v feed to the aerial?

Title: Re: No radio
Post by: Gazza747 on August 12, 2012, 09:38:18 pm

Not sure on the voltage but you should get some radio even without power throught the blue cable. The rear screen is the powered aerial. Have you tried swapping the beige/white connectors over? Also try just one from the adaptor into the white then with this into the beige. Then try the other from the adaptor into the beige and then the white. On each of these you can connect the blue wire and disconnect. I did this with the stereo out of the slot rested on the front seat, the cables from the car managed to reach just!