xB poor AM recption w/ Pioneer HU

[Vincent Brick]

I'm posting this for a good friend who doesn't get on the internet much, he has a 1st gen xB (I think it's a 2004) with a few mods that I regularly help him work on. I tried searching on this, maybe I was searching the wrong terms.

Ever since I installed a newer, high-end Pioneer head unit in it AM radio reception is almost non-existent. My friend uses the car to deliver pizzas, and likes to listen to Cincinnati Reds games on the radio while at work. Its bad to the point where I reinstalled the factory HU.

I am assuming it is a result of the factory radio being specifically set up to work with the stock window-mounted antenna (those always seem to suck), would installation of an antenna booster help this issue? They are quite hard to find these days heh. Now I have read that some newer Corollas have an antenna that requires 12v, does the xB have this as well?

So what's my best plan of attack? Thanks so much guys!

[gameguru1360]

does that model pioneer have the option have adding an HD radio tuner?? I think an antenna booster would help unless the pioneer head unit has a local/distance option on it.

[Vincent Brick]

I would imagine it is HD compatible, the HU is only a year old or so. Not sure how much those are, but the car's owner mentioned something about getting XM to listen to the games but that it seemed silly to do so just to listen to what is already broadcast locally.

I don't think the radio has a local/distance option, do any modern HUs have that anymore?

We have yet to find a power booster locally, probably gonna have to order one on the net.

[sequoiasoon]

Check the wiring diagram and/or internet search. Most of the newer in glss antenna's have a factory amp for them. This will need to be powered on by the pioneers power antenna lead but you need to find the correct in the factory harness.

On my Sonata the adaptor wire harness didn't have the wire in place for it and sure enough radio reception sucked until I found that.

try this http://www.clubxb.com/forums/f23/rad...5.html#post662 the blue wire from your radio should hook to the black wire with red tracer labeled antenna amp in diagram. If that's not the correct diagram you need to find yours on the net.

[sepias]

Not to hijack a thread or anything, but I've got an 07 corolla with a similar issue. I went from a Alpine CDA 9885 with decent AM reception to my IVAW505 with almost no AM reception... any ideas? I'm using the stock wiring harness for the car, and an adapter on my alpine that is correctly wired.