Audio Systems: FM tunner in car stereo bad?, jeep grand cherokee, fm tuner module

Question
Hi Tom,
 I hope you can help. I have a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with the factory installed Gold Series stereo that has a cd, cassett, am/fm stero all in one...you probably know what I'm talking about. Anyway, I'm having a problem with the FM stations.  Sometimes is works fine, sometimes for three or four days or more it will work like nothing is wrong. But then sometimes all I get is static.  I can be driving around town  with my favorite station on and out of the blue with no warning it goes out and all I have is static. Sometimes I can be driving and know it's not working but listening to the static and out of the blue, it comes on.
 I called the dealer and they said it sounded like my FM tuner is going out. Can this be true?  Would it come and go like this? Seems like if it was bad, it would just go out and never come back.  I even replaced the antenna and that didnt help. Oh yeah, it works fine on the AM stations, all the time with never a problem.
   Is it time to buy a new stereo?
            Kim

Answer
Kim,
I find that in most cases the FM tuner module will have defective solder connections inside of it. A quick touch up with a low wattage soldering iron should do the trick. To resolder the tuner module you will have to take the stereo apart and unsolder the tuner from the main board.

TOM,
T&D ELECTRONICS
tdeser@zoominternet.net