2014 Prius v with weak hd signal

I had problems with the rf preamp that is built into the antenna mount. However I was not using FM HD. Instead it impacted the XM satellite reception dramatically. Toyota revised the part. It is a bit of a job replacing the preamp. There are several mini coaxs coming from that preamp with connections along the way. I will say the FM HD has the best sound by far with improved clarity and bass.

Toyota now has a reception test kit they can use.

 

HD is spotty, period, really only useful in an urban and close-in suburban (<15 miles radius) signal, and more limited by Line Of Sight than vanilla AM/FM. True on my office Sony HDR receiver as well as in the v.

 

I have a 2013 Prius V two, that I upgraded the Head Unit from a junkyard on eBay. The new unit came out of a 2014 (and has 2012 maps). I did this specifically to get HD and Navigation. I use the Navigation while Ubering, since the GPS in the Uber app on my phone gets confused near tall buildings, frequently showing me driving down the alley behind the building. Having the in car Navigation that includes "dead reckoning" means I know with 100% certainty what street I am on!

The HD worked great for several years, and I really appreciate the alternate channels, which tend to have fewer commercials. Shortly before the pandemic, the HD radio would occasionally cut out to silence for a few seconds at a time. I found a menu option to turn off HD completely. I have since turned it back on again. I wish it were easier to enable and disable the HD radio, since it only acts up occasionally. I did notice that it happened after a car wash.