Car Stereos: radio intermittent reception, jeep cherokee country, antenna assembly

Question
Justin,

I have a 1996 Jeep Cherokee country and the radio gets intermittent reception depending on where I drive in town. I have tried other stations and they seem to work. I am thinking it is either the the antenna is bad or there is a problem with the ground. I have tried installing a different radio and it does the same thing.

thank you,
Jeff

Answer
Hi Jeff,

My second vehicle is a 97 Pathfinder, and I have the same issue.  It stems from the fact that at this age, there is often corrosion on the antenna wires, and its ability to conduct electricity is pretty heavily diminished.

Unfortunately, the only reasonable way to get your reception back if that's the case is to replace the antenna assembly entirely.

Being a 96 Cherokee, you can probably find what you seek on eBay.