Does anyone know how to disconnect power antennas on GM b-bodies? Where is the connector, exactly? I don't know the plastic belt has snapped or if the problem is electrical, like a sticking relay but the motor is running 24/7 and killing the battery [and probably also the motor]. I see the motor is designed to run constantly if the antenna is not all the way down or up, and right now the antenna is partially up. I haven't tried pushing or pulling on it. All I use my radio for is to listen to mp3's anyway so preferably I'd like to just disconnect the power to the antenna w/out having to take apart the fender to get at the actual power antenna assembly. The FSM is... less than helpful on the subject. Any ideas? A picture of where the connector eluded to in the manual is would help tons.
Are you lucky enough that the power antenna may have its own fuse? If not how difficult is it to access the motor from inside of the right fender from under the hood? SCRATCH THAT! just found photo Surely there is access to the wires somewhere near there. Can you see the coaxial cable between the firewall and antenna (under the hood)? I would think the hot wire couldn't be far. now I remember why I don't like new cars...
And it might even be easier to locate the hot wire FROM the back of the radio, assuming you have a tester.
Unfortunately they put the power antenna & radio [and a few other things] on the same fuse. The motor will run as long as it thinks the mast is between "up" and "down" so if I cut the radio switched +12 line @the radio, the motor will still be running since it gets its power through the "power antenna relay" which is located "Behind RH side of I/P" [what does I/P mean!?!?] and not on the power antenna assembly. The switch to determine when the motor shuts off is an internal part on the power antenna assembly. Either the plastic line moving the shaft snapped, or the mast itself is jammed so the internal switch is in the "move the mast" position and keeping power fed to the motor 24/7. So I think I have two options; I can pull the relay [if I can find out where it is] and then there will be no way for the antenna to get power. Or, I can disconnect the wiring harness that goes from the relay to the power antenna assembly. This is a 3 wire harness [relay switched ground, relay switched +12 volts to tell the motor to send the mast up, and relay switched +12 volts to tell the motor to send the mast down, presumably]. This connector is referred to as C464 in the FSM, which does says it is at "RH front of dash, near blower motor."
I bet if you can't see the relay from the passenger floorboard you may be able to access it by removing glove box. I had more specific help.
Found the connector refered to in the FSM. It didn't have the same shape as what the book shows though, it was located in the top corner of the engine compartment underneath some other stuff so it wasn't easily visible. I found it by finding three wires of the right colors [gray, white, and green] and pulled on them until I found the connector. So now the motor isn't running 24/7 and I can put the radio fuse back in. I tried to manually press the antenna down but it will only go down about 4 inches before it jams up. So the whole assembly is going to have to come out & be taken apart somepoint in the future.
I, also, have aproblem with my 1987 custom cruiser electric antenna. My question is: Is this electric antenna assembly the same as what is found on the olds cutlass models? John
When I was googling my antenna problem I found that almost all the search results that were coming up related to GM power antennas [so they must be particularly predisposed to malfunctioning]. What some people seem to be speculating is that most the GM power antenna assemblies were the same, but with different mounting brackets attached to the assembly. Luckily it seems like the power antenna assembly disassembles fairly easily once it is removed, so it shouldn't be too hard to either switch brackets or make new ones. I found this thread that shows how to disassemble the power antenna assembly, http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/cadillac-tech-tips/169176-how-rebuild-power-antenna.html But I have yet to find a thread going over what is involved in removing the power antenna from the car. From looking at my car it looks like I'd have to pull the hood, & then outter fender which means I'm not going to be thinking of touching mine until I redo the paint [which won't be any time soon seeing how i am not supposed to do any lifting anymore]. If you are willing to make your own mounting bracket I don't see why a generic power antenna assembly wouldn't be able to work as a replacement.
Thank you for the reply. It appears that when the car is built at the factory, the electric antenna is the first thing placed on the assembly line, and then the car is built around it. What I was hoping to do is remove the working antenna from my cutlass and put it in the wagon. However, after some research I am not sure that I want to spend quite a bit of time doing this. I also found some other articles on how to repair the antenna, and also how to replace the antenna itself. Both procedures require removing the antenna unit from the car. I guess this is what they call having fun with cars. John
Anyone I know who has had an automatic antenna, no matter the brand of car, has ended up with problems. That is why Ford went to non-automatic power antennas in the 80s. What some of my friends have done is to mount a switch in the power line, so that they motor is not constantly fed power should the mast bend, or in this country, freeze in the winter.
If it weren't so hard to get to the assembly, I wouldn't mind having to take it out & replace the plastic line every so often. This one has lasted 80k miles & nearly 30 years, which isn't bad. Surely they could have made some way to access it from the top w/out pulling hoods & fenders
Good info to know as I have a B-body with a power antenna as well... It still works thus far knock on wood!
power antenna problem sgath92- When you said that you found the connector that is listed in the FSM (under the hood), did you also locate the relay? I tried to find the relay in my car, but had no luck. I found all of the diagrams in the FSM and even removed the glove box. But, no luck. Does anyone else know where this thing is? John
I never did find the relay. But I haven't been well enough to dive into anything I've had planned to get done with the car and it needs to be show-ready come this Sat so I haven't spent any more time on it. I suspect now that the relay on mine, where-ever it is, was not the problem since the antenna shaft is most definitely jammed up between being hidden & fully deployed [in other words it is stuck in a position that requires the motor run, which it was doing].
