Radio Removal - Cardew
Daughter has a 1998 VW Polo with the standard fit Sony R/C - with the removable facia. It has suddenly lost all radio reception, except for static and very faint stations in background. Cassette works fine.

It seems to me that the aerial connection might have fallen out of the back of the set - it has a aerial mounted on the rear roof.

Can anyone please tell me how to get the unit out of the facia - or do you need a special VW tool. Or any other ideas what the problem might be.

Thanks

Cardew
Radio Removal - cabsmanuk
I had one of these in my 98 sharan. As far as I know it is removed with a couple of bits of metal about the size and thickness of a table knife. These are inserted at each side of the radio and used to unclip it from it's mountings. Takes about 5 seconds. I think i've got a pair at home and if I remember I'll dig them out and post a better description.
Radio Removal - Dave_TD
Unscrew the aerial mast from its base on the roof and check whether the screw thread is corroded, you could also try cleaning up the connection there with a small flat-blade screwdriver or similar. See:

www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=i&t=76...1

for someone who had a similar problem to yours.

As far as removing the head unit from the dashboard, it depends on whether yours has a flip-down front panel or not.
If your front panel has to be hinged downwards in order to insert/remove cassettes, there are metal spring clips either side of the unit which need to be released and pulled towards you.
If you insert/remove cassettes through the front panel as is, but pull the display panel off for security, then you will find two horizontal slots about 1mmx15mm either side of the top front face of the head unit.

Radio Removal - Cardew
Dave TD
Thanks for this and link to previous thread.

No corrosion on screw thread but liberal use of WD40 around aerial base has made some improvement and will now pick up the 2 strongest local FM stations. However nothing at all on MW or LW and will find nothing on FM 'seek'.

Looks like a complex job to replace the base - and that looks like being the culprit.

C
Radio Removal - neil 1
On the sony radio i have there is a special tool which comes with the unit for removal. This is basically a flat piece of metal approx 7mm wide by 2mm. This releases the spring clips. I guess you can by from local car shop for a couple of quid (You can buy ford ones for that!). Alternatively take to your local VW dealer - get someone helpful!! and thay may remove so you can test though it may be time for a new unit. Somewhere like Halfords may also be helpful - especially if they think there may be a sale in it!
Radio Removal - RichieW
I had the same symptoms on my old no-name radio in my escort. Look out for a poor or faulty earth on the aerial. Get the connection back to bare metal.
Radio Removal - AR-CoolC
These radio's also have a booster built into the aerial. Once the radio has been removed from the dash you will find a inline booster in the coax cable, white wire fron the connector block, this may be faulty or dissconnected.