Reception on radio not clear after reattaching antenna

Have you or someone pulled out the radio in your vehicle recently it could possibly be the antenna plug isn't pushed back in all the way?

go step by step to find the fault.
check antenna connection behind the radio
check roof aerial and wire connection underneath it.
Take an old radio's antenna and connect it to your car's radio antenna input and check whether your car radio is working properly.

Pull radio and check antenna plug in rear of radio, They'll still pull AM with antenna unplugged

Did you replace the antennea with the EXACT same one,or did you get an aftermarket one ? Did you replace/reinstall the rubber/plasitic gasket that sit's under the base where the antennea mount's on the truck ? If you answered yes to ALL of these question's,then your problem lie's in the cable itself. Be sure that you have the CORRECT one (cable) because where the cable connect's to the antennea there can be no play (looseness) or you WON'T get the proper signal.

The antenna is part of the back glass. The antenna wires to pick the reception up are the same ones that defrost your rear window in the glass. You can check the connections behind the back "C" pillar posts. If the grids are broken this will reduce your reception.

you might want to remove the radio and clean the antenna plug in.or check the ground wire on the radio.

where is the antenna wire located on the 2003 Lincon Town Car?

check the back of the radio, make sure than the antenna, connector is plug into the radio, if it is, then replace the radio.

I would suggest installing what is called a filter capacitor.You can get these at most car audio shops or a electrolytic capacitor rated at 16v or higher and around 30uf (the capacity is not very important) you connect it from the Positive to the Negative on the radio. The idea being a capacitor will allow the A/C current (noise) to pass through to ground without going into the radio and this is usually the cause of poor reception.

Another possible cause could be simple a poor quality antenna, some manufacturers are going cheap on the antennas since most people don't listen to the radio anymore. You could try to screw an antenna off of a different car onto the base on this one and see if that clears up the problem, they are a some-what universal thread.