[jimmyv]

Hopefully I'm putting this in the right category -- I have some antenna problems going on. Since I've been trying to find a good replacement for the stereo that was stolen out of my Escape, I've noticed that all of them seem to get bad reception. More specifically, it seems to be bad near the middle of the dial for some reason.

The antenna wire looks fine, but I'm wondering if the thief screwed it up by pulling on it or something. Is antenna wire like coax cable, where it can be damaged internally? If so, what would be my best course for replacing it? Can I put on a new wire, or do I need to replace the entire antenna?

Thanks!

 

[jpark]

Actually, you may not need to buy anything. The Escape's antenna cable is actually two cables. There's another connector inside the instrument panel, to the right of the glove box. Open the glove box door and squeeze the sides so that the glove box door can swing down. You'll see the cable running along the glove box hinge area. Follow it to the right and look for the connector.

The *******s may have pulled the antenna cable so hard that they unplugged or loosened that connector, and that would explain why only certain stations are powerful enough to hear (it might just be coincidental that the powerful ones are more toward the center).

Try to find that connector and see if it's unplugged or loose. If that doesn't work, and if you want to replace the entire antenna assembly, I can post the instructions and part numbers.

HTH!

 

[jimmyv]

Thanks, jpark. I'll check that out on my lunch break.

If the antenna is bad, I'm afraid I might have to retract all the bad things I've said about HD Radio in the last month. Ugh, I hope my shoes are clean...

 

[jpark]

Good luck!

 

[jimmyv]

I took a look in there, I cannot find a connection anywhere. The wire goes out the right side and into the fender well area, with nothing else in sight or reach.

I checked the antenna with a ohm meter, and I'm not sure if it is right. The ground is about 4 ohms, but the antenna connection is in the hundreds. When I first touch the probe to the line, it goes down to around 30 ohms, but then all the way to the end of the scale. This seems odd.

The Escape doesn't have an amplified antenna, does it? Do I need to run power into the power antenna lead (connect to the new head unit)?

 

[jpark]

Hmmm...the DVD shop manuals aren't really clear on the location of that second connector, and it looked like it was in the upper kick panel area. Try removing the fender splash shield to see if the connector is between the firewall and the mast.

4 ohms for ground actually sounds high. If the ground is good, it should be zero or very close to zero.