Neophyte needs help

[WileyP]

Glad you folks are here and maybe can help. I do some wrenching on cars, but have never gotten into doing sound systems or components. I'd like some advice about my sister's 2005 Nissan Pathfinder factory radio:

We live in a very rural, slightly mountainous area. She bought the car a couple years ago from a dealer in the big city. It's a great car and has done very well for her mechanically. The problem is with the radio portion of her audio system. When she is in or near the big city, it works just fine. Once she's a few miles away and over a mountain pass, however, neither AM or FM reception works. Now, I can understand the FM portion failing due to line-of-site concerns, but there are a few stations that all other cars receive just fine, while hers goes totally silent. Strangely enough, so does her AM reception. All the other vehicles in our area have no problem receiving a few AM station, but hers receives nothing at all.

Yes, she has taken it to a couple service places, but they are in the big city where the radio seems to work just fine.

It does appear like the car was once equipped to receive satellite radio, but no longer does.

Not being familiar with automotive audio-electronics, I'm just sittin' here scratching my head about it. Can anyone suggest a direction for me to work to try to figure this thing out? Any help at all would certainly be appreciated.

Thanks! - Wiley

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[dbjunior 10+ year member]

Factory or aftermarket radio? Hidden or external antenna?

 

[huberoy123 10+ year member]

Sounds like an antenna problem. I am also curious about where the antennas are located. If its an hidden or windshield mount antenna, I would try an externally mounted shaft antenna. Let us know how you make out.