Donna,

You may have more than one problem.  Solid state radios typically don't
wear out like the earlier vacuum tube/vibrator models. More likely some
other problem.

(1)  Check your antenna condition and its cable connections.  If it looks
ok from the outside, pull the grill and see how the cable looks at the
base of the antenna itself.  Broken?  Corroded?  With the radio on a
station, push & tug on the cable wherever you can get your hands on it,
like at the antenna, and see if the reception changes.  I think you can
pull out the ash tray to see the connection to the back of the radio.
Unplug and replug a couple of times to clean the contacts.

(2)  Does your cigarette lighter work ok?  I believe this is on the same
power circuit as the radio (fuse #3, 10A), so if you have a degraded
connection at the fuse block, the cigarette lighter will also not work
properly.

(3) If you are able to get at the back of the radio to check the antenna,
also unplug/replug the power connector(s) to clean those contacts.
There may be a separate connector for the radio lights.  (Need proper
schematic to check this.)  Of course, the lamps internal to the radio may
have failed - if so, that's a specialty job & probably not worth fixing.

//Jack
'85 GL

On 9 Sep 2005 at 8:34, Skarloken, Donna S. wrote:

> I should probably get with the 21st Century and just replace my radio
> (well, I do listen to my iPod most of the time).  Here's the problem - I
> have the original Heidelberg (or whatever it's called) radio in my 87
> Wolfsburg that came with the van (I bought the van brand new in early
> 1988).  All of a sudden I can't receive certain radio stations
> (actually, on AM, I don't get any stations any more).  Long ago the
> night light went out.  I've never encountered this in a radio before -
> does this mean it's simply wearing out?
>
> Donna, 87 Wolfsburg & Syncro
>
>
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