05BlueRX8

for starters i'm not sure if this question belongs in this category so if i'm wrong i apologize. I've noticed since i got my car that i do not get good reception for my radio. I read up that our windows have the antenna. Now of course i don't know where or where to look. So i"m assuming this is correct. Is there an antenna booster or something I can do to get better reception?

DeViLbOi

iTrader: (1)

If you have metalic tint on the back window you can have worse radio reception than without. I have seen some people say they were ok, but more often than not things get worse.

05BlueRX8

I don't think it's metallic but it's quite dark, ecspecially at night

DeViLbOi

iTrader: (1)

From what I found online the only way to tell the difference is that metallic tints have a mirror like finish and ceramic do not. Metallic tints supposedly have adjustable levels of mirroring, but ceramic films have no further reflection than would normally be expected from the window.

05BlueRX8

hrm..i'll have to look at it closer. So there is no way to boost the antenna or do something to get better reception?

DeViLbOi

iTrader: (1)

I wouldn't spend too much on anything to try and fix it. I sent you a link to something that is supposed to fix your problem...but I don't have enough faith in it to offer it up here as a "solution".

Georgia8er

In my experience, the antenna amplifiers haven't worked well. It will work a lot better though if you put it closer to the antenna. Most of them are installed near the radio, and you've already lost part of the signal by the 10ft or so of coax running from the antenna to the radio. Crutchfield only lists one amp:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-RWGwuNV...er&i=12044UA60

Could be worth a shot and see how it does.

05BlueRX8

ok i'll look into it. thanks if it can't be fixed it's nothing major.

Georgia8er

Drill a hole and put one of those fishing rod antennas on, right in the center of the trunk lid.

05BlueRX8

drilling scares me lol i's afraid to drill into my car poor thing lol

i got mad earlier some truck didn't cover up the rocks they had in the semi the tarp i guess wasn't down enough and it chipped some of my paint

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

With a jack-in-the-box head on the very tip.

Georgia8er

We don't have jack in the box here, have to be a wal-mart yellow bob.

I was at a car show and some idiot decided to tear out of the parking lot, his tire threw a very small rock and hit my passenger side door. Luckily the touch up paint got it to where it isn't even visible. I still wanted to run him down and do very bad things.

05BlueRX8

ouch!!! jerk!!!

yeah i found a 1/2 oz bottle of matching touch up paint for like $8.95 online is that a good price?

Georgia8er

Dunno, I got mine free from Mazda. They used to send out a bottle in a little plastic steering wheel box about a month or two after your purchase. I don't think it's too expensive from Mazda either. Just read up on the interesting ways people have found to apply it, the toothpick method works very well, even though for me it was slow.

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

Is this the site?:
http://www.automotivetouchup.com/touch_up_paint.asp
If so, I have ordered from there with perfect success.

05BlueRX8

yes that's it.!! great thanks for telling me than i can buy with confidence they are just little knicks. Would i need to buy anything else besides the touch up paint or will that work just fine?

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

I bought the clear coat too. It's like 5 bucks. I past on the primer though. Been a few months since I've applied it and no problems.

05BlueRX8

ok so get the touch up paint and the clearcoat? gotcha thanks for the info

stormyblu8

Got mine from the local Mazda dealer for $6.95.

stormyblu8

Do a search on Langka. They make a kit that uses the Mazda touch-up paint to fix those chips so that you cannot tell the chip was there. Even with a magnifying glass! The kit is like $40.

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

I bought it. Not impressed. And I should have known better. Their system works like this. Apply regular touch-up paint, allow to fully dry, stretch cloth tightly across card, apply small amount of their "blob eliminator" and pass it across the newly filled chip. Its suppose to "skim" across the chip only removing the excess touch-up paint thats just outside the chip. Leaving the chip perfectly filled and the exact depth as the rest of the paint on the car. But that blob eliminator will take everything off on first pass everytime. True, that it does not harm the rest of the vehicle's paint at all. So just takes you back to step 1. No harm no foul. Except lost money. I have tried it several times and am POSITIVE the paint was totally dry before I attempted to use the blob eliminator. Just use a slingle hair brush and slowly fill in the chip layer after layer. Cheaper and it actually works.