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Picked up a 79' F250 recently, and I have tried googling and searching through this forum but can't come up with an answer. Why does the radio hardly work? It can't find anything switched to FM, and it can find maybe 2-3 stations across the entire AM band. Is there any way to fix this? The 2-3 stations it can find are best when parked with only a little static, but get much worse when driving.
Well. It is an old radio and these units are notorious for going south in a number of different ways. Before we conclude yours is bad, consider checking antenna connection in rear. Inspect antenna cable all the way up to the mounting bracket. If all looks good, time to start thinking about options. Repairing these is not cheap. Rebuild is $300. Used options not much cheaper. I’ve been through 3 units, all with their own issues.
It is a 40+ plus year old radio...is the antenna connected? As in plugged into the back of the radio body? A fellow FTE member says this....
"For OEM radio help, the guy to use is in Scottsbluff Nebraska. His name is Gene Cochran, and he works out of his house. He's a crusty old codger, but does some tremendous work. While he had the radio apart, he updated some of the internals and cleaned the heck out of everything. My total bill was $25!His number is 308-632-2520 (I checked with him at the time I collected my stereo, and he was OK with giving his number out) He also lined me out on the manner in which the old radios were wired (mine at least). The speakers are in series meaning positive from radio to positive on speaker #1, negative from that speaker goes to positive on speaker #2. Negative from Speaker #2 goes to Negative on stereo. Now the stock stereo rocks as loud as the little 5 1/2 speakers can handle!!!While it's there you might see if he'll wire in an aux input jack. I had it done with mine, and it allows me to run my I-pod through it. Basically, when the I-pod is connected it becomes the antenna source. Cost in parts was under $5. I set mine on a 12" extension so I could just drill a small hole in the dash by the ashtray, which I'm turning into a covert charging / storage station for my phone and I-pod. won't cost much more."
I bought a clean, working AM/FM stereo radio from Goodwill for $25. The bargains are out there if you bide your time and do a little digging.
If you do decide to look for a replacement, be sure to get one for an F-series truck. The truck radio chassis is physically smaller than the car radio chassis. There is less room inside the dash of a truck than there is in a car.
It should have an identification number on one side. The 3rd digit must be a T. Also the shafts where it mounts are longer on the truck version. I have just learned this myself.
The mount face where the shafts come out of the radio are flat like the mount in the dentside. Car radios and econoline radios have a noticeable setback on 1 side and a longer shaft.
No you do not have to pull the radio, I would remove the ash tray. Just the part that slides out like when you go to remove it and dump it. Then you can simply lay on your back in the dvrs side floor pan area. You might be able to get in there/up under there enough to look up and see it. Other wise (still laying on the floor) carefully reach up under the dash and sort of look and (by feel/hand) and find the back of the radio. It should have a single strap support bracket attached to the back of it also. Then (if I remember right) the antenna plug port is on the back rear corner, passenger side. Here is where one of these come in handy...
+1 on Gene from Nebraska. If your antenna connection isn't toast, give Gene a call. He repaired my non-functioning 8 track AM/FM for only $78 and he's a heck of a nice guy as well.
