Complicated TV problem

[barose]

I have an interesting problem with my in-car TV service. The sound comes through for each station but the picture is scrambled, on each channel. Applying the handbrake makes no difference to the picture whatsoever. I took it to an MB main dealer to check it out with Star, along with some other problems. They couldn’t say what was causing it except to replace the antenna/amplifier. They also said there was a fuse blown in the system. I incorrectly thought they had replaced the fuse and it made no difference.

I recently took it to an Indie with Star and he said there was a fuse blown (fuse no. 61, 7.5 amp). We looked for it and the only 7.5 amp fuses in the rear fuse box were fine.

This is where it gets complicated. From the WIS program, the rear fuse box, for my 2001/2002-year, calls for a 15-amp fuse in fuse 61 and no fuse in 60. And the wiring diagram presented in WIS shows a 7.5 amp fuse in each of 60 and 61. Actually in the rear fuse box is a 15-amp fuse in 61 and no fuse at all in 60.

Since the 15-amp fuse in 61 is ok it does ask the question why Star sees a blown 7.5 amp fuse there. Also would it be possible to slip a 7.5 amp fuse into 60 without causing a problem to see if it corrects the TV problem. Any suggestions beyond this and any that I can put to the Indie with the Star program would be appreciated. (AMG S55 2002 model)

 

[television]

There no way that the picture is scrambled, the chances are it is tuned to the wrong system. go to the time and date settings, then country you need to be tuned to PAL I for UK.

If you are tuned to Secam the picture will be all lines, but the sound will be fine

 

[barose]

Thanks Malcolm you sent me in a direction I hadn’t considered. This morning I went into Comand to check the PAL setting. It seems I have 2 choices, UK/Irl PAL 1 or PAL. Didn’t make much difference, UK/Irl slightly better.

However when I went into the Standard TV list editor for a known channel (CP31 and others too) a TV picture appeared in the background, not a great picture but not too bad considering I was in my garage. I saved the setting and tried to view it on the TV and got just the same scrambled picture with sound. The handbrake, which has to be on, I understand, made no difference at all, on or off.

I figure you have sent me in the right direction but where to go from here?

 

[television]

Can you take a photo of what you see when it is tuned in.

I have never heard of the parking brake having to be on

 

[barose]

The picture in non editor mode is virtually non existent, could be because the car is in the garage. You will notice the editor mode is very fuzzy too.

 

[television]

The first picture shows that the signal is very poor, hence the snow, other than that its OK
UK/ire I is the correct setting.

It is possible that the analogue signals have been reduced to allow better digi reception where you live, what eve you only have a limited few months left before the whole system is obsolete, and you will have to add a digi tuner

 

[barose]

Yes you are probably right about the signal and I have already purchased the Bush 12 volt digibox to complete the digi conversion. However The second picture shows what I get in TV mode which is nothing.

I would be more than happy to get the snowy reception from picture 1 in the TV mode then I would be happy to install the digibox. Any suggestions how I can accomplish getting the improved (snowy) picture in TV mode, or at least what I can try next.

 

[television]

Signal strength is a where you live thing, I know every road near me and where the signal comes from and what its like.

I would suggest that you try a portable TV working on its own aerial in the garage along side the car, its the only way to tell if the antenna amp in the car is OK

If you look at the tuning menu on a TV in the house,they often show the ch number, and the same numbers can be entered direct to the car's tuner