another update- I did a search last night and read that if AM works and FM does not then it is indeed a tuner issue, if NEITHER works it would be an antenna problem..
I hooked up new antenna and could get get a little bit of AM but no FM. Looks like I will have to replace radio.

 

you have it backwards. The AM tuner is contained within the radio itself, and does not require the external antenna to function. If AM works, and FM does not, it's an antenna issue. If neither work, it's a tuner issue.

 

don't think so- I have a brand new antenna- and AM works FM does not..

 

before the new antenna AM did not work at all

 

new antenna all the way from the outside to the back of the radio?

AM radio is very susceptible to location, direction, weather conditions, interference, etc. Your luck with it working could be just because of the different conditions at the time.

The AM antenna is almost always located within the radio head unit, and is completely separate from the FM antenna. The FM antenna is the visible rod on the outside of the car.

It could be that there is a break in the cable connecting the antenna to the radio, or a short between the antenna and the car body or inside the cable connecting the conductive core with the conductive sheath.

Such problems are easily tested with an ohmmeter. You should get from 0-75 Ohms with a lead connected to the antenna visible from outside the car and the other lead on the center conductor. Too high impedance (including infinite impedance) would mean a break in that center conductor somewhere.

Connecting a lead to the center conductor and the woven conductive sheath should yield infinite impedance.

Connecting a lead to the antenna and the frame of the car should similarly yield infinite impedance.



If the antenna checks out ok, or was replaced the entire length of the cable, you may be looking at a bad FM tuner within the radio, which would mean you need a new radio.