FM was fine on my F700BT but I could not tune in any station in AM. Since it works fine with FM I assume that the antenna is not the problem. Is there a cure for this?

Depending on the car it could have a separate antenna for the AM. The installers probably didn't hook it back up.

I installed the unit myself. I'm pretty sure that there was only 1 antenna jack for the original HU. I unplugged that and plugged it in the F700BT, which also had only socket for the antenna.

Many manufacturers use active/amplified antennas. You should check Crutchfield or a forum specific to your vehicle to verify whether that is the case with yours.

more info needed. make, model, year, factory audio options...

more info needed. make, model, year, factory audio options...

Make: Hyundai

Model: Santa Fe SE

Year: 2008

Factory audio: base radio, no external amp

This drives me nuts because the it works fine for FM. Unless the Pioneer HU is defective.

I have a recetion problem as well. Let me start with the vehicle info:

Make: Toyota

Model: Highlander

Year: 2008

Factory Audio: base model (no JBL amp)

When removing the factory H/U, there were 2 'plugs' from the antenna (one slightly large than the other) but only room for the larger one in the pioneer (F700) unit.

I am assuming the one I did not plug into anything is the problem, but am not sure what to do. I get very poor FM reception and no AM reception right now.

Does my vehicle have an amplified antena and if so, what do I do with the 'plug'? (I'm calling it a plug b/c it's not like a plain wire, more like the center of an RCA jack).

Thanks!

If you do no have a mast antenna- ie on the fender on the Santfe or Highlander. Then it is amplified. Amplified antennas will be the short ones on the roof or built into a window like the rear defroster grids. Connect the power antenna lead and reception should improve.

Also on the Highlander the second smaller antenna wire is fo FM diversity tuner - factory radios only, leave it unplugged.

Connect the power antenna lead and reception should improve.

I'm an idiot. Where can I find the power antenna lead? The Santa Fe does have a short antenna on the roof. There was only 1 antenna plug that was plugged into the original factory HU. I unplugged it and plug it in the Avic. I don't know what I missed

What really bothers me is that I got perfect reception for FM but not AM

You don't need much of an antenna for FM. However it is very important for AM.

Hope this helps: If you had the base radio, you probably didn't need to connect an amp turn-on, and therefore missed the power ant. If this is wrong let me know...It's for a 2007, all I could drum up. (I Show a yellow/orange for the '08 Elantra)

Radio 12v red/black + radio harness

Radio Ground black - radio harness

Radio Ignition blue/black + radio harness

Radio Illumination yellow + radio harness

Factory Amp Turn-on same as power antenna wire

Power Antenna green + radio harness

LF Speaker +/- black - white +,- radio harness or amp under pass seat

Notes: On models with the amplifier, there are two pair of these wires, one for the tweeter and one for the woofer.

RF Speaker +/- blue - red +,- radio harness or amp under pass seat

Notes: On models with the amplifier, there are two pair of these wires, one for the tweeter and one for the woofer.

LR Speaker +/- black - yellow +,- radio harness or amp under pass seat

Notes: If equipped, the left tailgate speaker wires are brown - white at the amplifier.

RR Speaker +/- green - orange +,- radio harness or amp under pass seat

Notes: If equipped, the right tailgate speaker wires are black - white at the amplifier.

If equipped, the subwoofer wires are black - yellow/white (coil 1), and white - brown (coil 2) at the amplifier.

Highlander

I don't know if they changed the wires, but it was red/black in '06. It is usually found on the smaller of the two plugs, toward the middle.

If your factory antenna is powered (amplified), then the factory stereo likely provided the power via the antenna wire. The F-series does not provide power to the antenna wire.

If your vehicle does have an amplified antenna, you will need to purchase a powered antenna adapter. You install it between the F-series and the factory antenna plug, and power it either using an ignition-on source (acc wire) or a switched power source from the F-series (antenna/amp trigger). If you decide to power it from the antenna/amp trigger wire (most do), I recommend verifying that the power consumed by the adapter won't overload the antenna/amp trigger.

If your factory antenna is powered (amplified), then the factory stereo likely provided the power via the antenna wire. The F-series does not provide power to the antenna wire.

 

If your vehicle does have an amplified antenna, you will need to purchase a powered antenna adapter. You install it between the F-series and the factory antenna plug, and power it either using an ignition-on source (acc wire) or a switched power source from the F-series (antenna/amp trigger). If you decide to power it from the antenna/amp trigger wire (most do), I recommend verifying that the power consumed by the adapter won't overload the antenna/amp trigger.

The power antenna wire is on the power harness and the amp remote wire is on the rca harness.

Thank you all for the tips.

I would like to make sure that I got this right.

The Metra harness adapter I used for the Santa Fe has a blue wire which is labeled as "power antenna" and a blue/white wire as "amp turn on." Since I don't have an external amp, I will leave the blue/white wire alone.

According to this

Factory Amp Turn-on same as power antenna wire

Power Antenna green + radio harness

I had the same problem, drove me nuts, I went through three different pioneer radios. My factory AM sounds great, pioneer horrible. I finally had a separate antenna attached through a Y connector and now have a small antenna behind my rearview mirror. It worked really good. I would say 90% of perfect. I could get more info from installer if anyone is interested. Bottom line is AM tuner in pioneer sucks. The RCA connections seem to cause me problems too.

I had the same problem, drove me nuts, I went through three different pioneer radios. My factory AM sounds great, pioneer horrible. I finally had a separate antenna attached through a Y connector and now have a small antenna behind my rearview mirror. It worked really good. I would say 90% of perfect. I could get more info from installer if anyone is interested. Bottom line is AM tuner in pioneer sucks. The RCA connections seem to cause me problems too.

Was the Y connector connected to the Pioneer unit? I have a vision of a wire running from your pioneer to your rearview mirror.

Photos? Link to product?

Yes there is wire, but I have never seen it. Installer did a good job. All you see is the antenna mounted to the glass. On my H2 no one would ever see it unless I pointer it out.