Fiesta Bumper Antenna Issues

My 2001 Ford Fiesta with a gasoline engine has a strange issue. I'm getting an error about the bumper antenna, and the central locking is acting up, sometimes not working. The car won't start unless the key is in the ignition. Could a faulty bumper antenna cause all this? The car has about 58,577 km on it. I've checked the antenna connection visually, and it looks okay.

4 comment(s)

That's odd. I had a similar issue with my old Opel Astra, though not exactly the same symptoms. My problem was a corroded connector in the antenna cable. Check the cable's continuity and inspect the plug for damage or corrosion.

When you say 'continuity,' do you mean checking if the cable is broken inside? Where was the corroded connector on your Astra located? Near the antenna or closer to the radio?

Yes, checking if the cable is broken internally. Use a multimeter if you have one. On my Astra, the corroded connector was closer to the antenna base, inside the bumper. With those symptoms, especially the starting issue, it might be worth having a workshop take a look. Could be more complex than just a simple cable fault.

I took it to a local mechanic, and you were right, it was a defective cable/plug connection to the bumper antenna. It cost me 95€ to repair, but everything is back to normal now!

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