Window tinted -now no AM Reception
 

After tinting my windows on my cl 500, I lost virtually all am reception. Short of getting rid of the tint,which is metallic, is there any way to connect a non-external antenna for am reception. I have no external antennae on the car and I prefer it that way. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

check out this thread. . .
 

sounds like what happened to me.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/car-audio-multimedia/28085-2nd-replacement-radio-95-e320-am-stations-fades-out.html

There is an antenna part in the rear of the headliner called a "combar". The combar has contacts on it that contact the rear window glass to establish a connection to the embedded antennas in the glass.
Possibly the window tint was placed on top of the contact points in the glass and is preventing the connection to take place.
This will usually effect AM reception much more than FM.
Gilly

yeah gilly is right i would start buy checking there and make sure the job was done correctly.

Many window tints have a metallic coating & that will limit the AM reception OF all cars that use the rear window for the AM antenna.
The W210 & later cars require special window sealant when installing the rear glass(broken) & it must be heated. IF any other glass sealant is used the AM reception is cut by 50% to 75%.

Have the people that tinted the window use a non-metallic tint on the rear glass.

Thanks - short of replacing the tint, is there any way to rig a non external (ie. non-visible) am antenna instead?

Had same thing happen to me!

My '94 E320 had the AM/FM antenna and the telephone all in the main antenna (the one that goes up and down!).

But on my '94 S500, the FM antenna is in the bumper but the AM antenna is in the back window. The FM reception was great but AM was almost non existant!

Just so happens that the back window had metalized tint put on and it took a lot of time before I realized that it was the metal tint in the film. Yes, I thought that it was the antenna cable, etc. but it was none of that.

Rather than take it off, I changed all connections to be like the '94 E320; ie all in the antenna. Went to a audio/radio store and the techs added an switchover relay/amp. Any quality audio/radio shop can do it for apx $250.

Thanks--I am trying to avoid any external antennae. Right now, the car has none.

Most of our AM programs have been replaced with FMs.

But I never knew that tinting could affect the receipt of AM in a car! I always thought that the radio waves would be able to penentrate through (metallic) tinting more so buildings and other obstacles (with the exception of mountains) to get into the radio.

I do hope the matter will be sorted out.
:)

JLR:
What I am suggesting is that if the tint has covered the area between the combar touchpads and the glass, that maybe the tinting can be trimmed so the combar can make contact directly to the glass as original. I know the metallic tinting can cut down on radio reception per an MB service bulletin, but possibly if I am correct and the tinting is preventing the combar from touching the contact areas on the glass, that trimming the area will at least make the AM reception acceptable.
I feel your anguish. The Buick I bought this year has an rear window antenna also, and the AM reception is pretty lousy. I like listening to talk radio to and from work.
Gilly

. . .remove the tint!
 

go to a competent window tinting service and they can remove the film. If it's a nice warm day with lots of sun, putting a moist towel over the area and letting it 'cook', will make the film just peel off.

Didn't know that CL500 removed the antenna!!! That's a bad move by MB!