Do you have a mast antenna or do you have antennas in the glass? If in the glass, have you had any of the glass in the rear of the car replaced? If not have you carried anything large in the vehicle which could have scratched the antenna traces on the rear glass panels (specifically the quarter glass panels)?

 

Thanks underthehood51 for your reply. I believe they are in the glass, and will take a look for any possible damage. We have not replaced any glass, but we did carry an odd item once that was a bear to fit.

 

You may have scraped the glass the antenna(s) are around the outer edges of the glass panels. IIRC (I would have to look at my own HL) I think it has traces on both rear quarter glasses and the hatch glass

 

Hi underthehood51. I just checked and see that one of the "lines" on the back-most left windows has been damaged(?) such that the black outer part/surface has been removed (maybe 1 cm of length), but there still is a line of material still on the glass to which the black outer material was bound. Is the black material the antenna material (and the remaining material adhesive)? Would a pic help?

Thanks for your help!

 

Hi underthehood51. I just checked and see that one of the "lines" on the back-most left windows has been damaged(?) such that the black outer part/surface has been removed (maybe 1 cm of length), but there still is a line of material still on the glass to which the black outer material was bound. Is the black material the antenna material (and the remaining material adhesive)? Would a pic help?

Thanks for your help!

No. Sounds like you found and answered the question to your problem. IIRC at some auto parts stores they sell a type of "defroster line repair" paint. Perhaps you can try that? IDK if it works on the antenna conductors. I REALLY hate those Diversity Antennas. Every time I load the back of our HL I am always worried I will damage it

 

This shows how the in-glass antenna wires are routed. If the black outer conductor has been severed anywhere along that path, the reception is definitely affected such that the antenna amplifier can't compensate for the loss. You could try to use a conductive pen or piece of copper along that 1cm separation and see if that could complete the circuit.

 

Thanks, Luc, for your help!

 

Hi Everyone, To follow-up, I taped a small sliver of tin foil in the suspect spot. This test showed that this (the small torn spot on the window-laid diversity antenna) was the problem. Now I just need to do a more permanent fix...but figuring out the problem was 95% of the job (for me at least). Thanks again for your help.