Audio Systems: am static in car, premium sound system, electric antenna

Question
Hello.  I have a 95 Passat wagon with a factory "Premium sound system".  There is also a Panasonic 6 cd changer in the back which I assume came with the car.  I have a terrible problem with static on a local AM station, which comes in clear as a bell on my 2001 Tribute factory sound system.  There are certain streets where the static is worse.  Do you think that there is some ground or wiring problem, or could the static be increased by driving down streets with power lines near the road?  FM and the CD player come in clear as a bell.  The external portion of the antennae on the car is less than a year old.  Thanks for your help.

Answer
Antenna connections are a big problem for AM reception. Poor grounding, broken wires, plug falling out of the back of the receiver, etc. can be the cause.

Also, if you have an electric rising antenna check to make sure it is working properly. If there is a fuse to the electric antenna that has failed, it will effect AM reception.

You can check the AM cable between the radio and the antenna carefully and chances are you will find the problem.  If not, you may need to take it into a repair shop.

Let me know if you have further questions.
C