Intermittent Poor Radio Reception (Reprogram Radio)

This bulletin is being revised to add a VIN breakpoint. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 07-08-44-006 (Section 08 -- Body and Accessories).

Some customers may comment on intermittent poor radio reception. The condition may be described as "the radio fades in and out while driving".

If the condition is only present when the rear defogger is on, refer to Corporate Bulletin Number 03-08-44-005G for more information.

This condition may be caused by the radio, which is designed so that the listener will not hear any static. The radio is cutting the higher frequency outputs to remove the static from the signal which causes the radio to mute the audio. This design characteristic is more aggressive than on other radios and may cause noticeable volume fluctuations.

A revised calibration has been developed to address this condition. Technicians are to reprogram the radio using SPS with the latest software available on TIS2WEB. Refer to the Service Programming System (SPS) procedure in SI. As always make sure your Tech 2® is updated with the latest software version. If the customer is still not satisfied after reprogramming the radio, and all connections and ground measurements are good, the condition is most likely associated with the performance of the rear glass antenna.

This calibration will not address concerns with significantly low radio signal strength. This will be described by the customer as "I was able to get a certain station and now in this car I can't get that station". If the customer is coming out of a vehicle with a fixed mast antenna, they may notice a small decrease in range when compared to the in glass antenna on this vehicle.

For vehicles repaired under warranty, use: