Jeep Antenna...

[CFMopar]

So I've lost all reception on my radio with my 96 xj. It will pick up my ipod fm transmitter and the odd radio station comes through if im parked next to the broadcasting tower. But generally I get nothing. I'm assuming its the antenna before I replace the radio. Either way its plugged in at the back of the radio. How do I get to access the antenna on the passenger fender?

[71charger_fan]

Look behind the passenger kick panel. The antennae went out on both my '92 and '94. I bought a new antenna and had it almost completely installed before I found the problem with the old antenna. In the Cherokees, at least through '94, there's a joint of some kind in the antenna wire behind the passenger kick panel. For unknown reasons, they put a spring in the joint. Over time, the spring tends to force the joint apart, thereby killing radio reception. I went ahead and put the new antenna in the '94, but when the '92's reception died, I knew right where to look. I just threw the spring away, put the joint back together with tape, and was good to go.

[71charger_fan]

I'm curious, was your loss of reception due to the same cause as mine?

[CFMopar]

That was it. Thanks bud.. Now I don't gotta listen to my ipod over and over

[71charger_fan]

Look at the bright side, the first time it happened to me, I bought a new radio only to find out it was the antenna. Since I already had the radio, I decided to go ahead and install it to replace the cassette with a CD. Of course, there's no reception on the new radio, so I buy a new antenna. While I'm pulling the old antenna out, I find the retarded connection behind the kick panel. What a stupid design.

[CFMopar]

That it is... I do need a new radio though.. The Lights and lcd keep cutting out even though I can hear the sound still.. And the cd player gives me problems...