help eith antennae?
08-27-2009, 04:28 AM
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help eith antennae?
Hey has anyone had to change the power antennae? I have a 95 that I have ordered a replacement for, but need some info on what is involved with taking the old one out and replacing. How big of job am I in for? Any help or d.i,y would be appreciated,Thanks Brent317
08-27-2009, 08:09 AM
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Antenna
Lots of threads on this (search) but here's some info.
Start with removing the license plate, then the left inboard lamp then the outboard lamp. There are 4 (I think) one-ended wires at the base of the unit that don't go anywhere. These are the ground plain and provide improved reception. Don't remove or connect them to anything. Do clean and secure the actual ground that has a connection as well as the power lead.
Good luck and please post of your success.
Start with removing the license plate, then the left inboard lamp then the outboard lamp. There are 4 (I think) one-ended wires at the base of the unit that don't go anywhere. These are the ground plain and provide improved reception. Don't remove or connect them to anything. Do clean and secure the actual ground that has a connection as well as the power lead.
Good luck and please post of your success.
08-27-2009, 09:17 AM
#3
Burning Brakes
An Oldie, But A Goodie From Vette.Net!
This is a response I saved from Vette.Net. It worked for me in the past so it should help you too.
This response was posted by Ed Gooding, Sr. back in 1998:
"First, I would like to thank everyone who responded to my original question about my antenna problem: I could hear the antenna motor running when turning the radio off/on, but the mast would not raise, nor would it fully retract. Special thanks to my buddy Jim "TLF" Mason, who clued me in on doing the job from the wheel-well, instead of from inside of fooling around in the rear hatch area as the shop manual dictates. Contrary to what the shop manual states, you do NOT have to remove anything from inside the rear hatch area to replace the mast and plastic gear strip. Here's the procedure (some text "borrowed" from Jim and expounded on by me here) that applied to my '90 coupe:
Mid-America wanted $40 for their kit. My Chevy dealer charged me $19.22 for part # 12512900. The AC-Delco part included the antenna mast, plastic drive cable, real basic instructions, and a socket which you use to remove the antenna mast retaining nut.
- Jack the car up from the driver's side and remove the rear wheel.
- Remove the inner wheel well panel by removing the (8) T15 screws that attach it to the body panels, and (1) T30 screw (attached to the rear fender brace), and (3) 10mm bolts w/flat washers.
- Use the socket enclosed with the replacement antenna mast to remove the nut that retains the broken antenna mast. Slide it over the top of the antenna mast and downward until it encounters and locks onto the retaining nut, and then remove the nut. You will then be able to extract the mast and whatever amount of cable that is still attached by pulling straight up. If you are lucky and the plastic drive cable has not broken, you can simply insert the replacement, cycle your radio on/off a few times, reattach the antenna mast retaining nut with the special socket and go have a cold one. If the plastic drive cable is broken, you will only remove part of it with the mast and must continue to follow this procedure below in order to remove the remaining drive cable from within the antenna motor housing.
- The antenna motor is found from within the wheel well and is to the inside of the rear fender light housing. It is shrouded with a rubber cover. It is attached to a bracket, from the bottom, with (2) 8mm (wrench size) bolts, one of which also attaches a ground strap to the bracket. The bracket is attached to the body of the car via (2) 10mm nuts. If you stick your head inside the wheel well and look up to the outer-most edge of the rear fascia, you will see these two 10mm nuts.
- I used a deep well 10mm socket on an air ratchet to remove the two bracket nuts. This way, I only had to "find" the nut with the socket and then hit the trigger to remove them. Because of the limited working room, this will be a hassle with a manual ratchet or wrench. Removing these two nuts will allow the antenna motor to drop down (pull on it some to get the antenna housing through the rubber grommet in the rear deck).
- Remove the (2) 8mm bolts that attach the antenna motor to the bracket.
- Pull the rubber shroud up to expose the motor housing. Remove the (4) Philips screws and the (1) 7mm (socket size) nut that retain the motor cover. Remove the motor cover, washer and cable housing cover. Remove the remaining plastic drive cable and discard. Reinstall the cable cover, washer, and housing cover.
- Line up the antenna motor mounting holes with the corresponding bracket slots and reinstall the (2) 8mm bolts. Don't forget to reattach the ground strap.
- Place the antenna motor bracket over the two attaching bolts, guiding the antenna mast housing back up towards the grommeted hole in the rear deck. Reinstall the (2) 10mm nuts that retain the bracket.
- It is nice to have a helper with the rest of this procedure. Turn your radio on so that the antenna gear drive motor is in the "raised" position.
- Feed the replacement antenna mast and cable down into the antenna mast housing, with the gear teeth on the cable facing towards the passenger side rear wheel. It should go down about 12" and then encounter resistance. Hold the antenna mast vertically over the hole and have your helper turn the radio off. The antenna motor should "grab" the gears on the cable and pull the antenna down. Follow it with the antenna mast and insert in the mast housing as you do. Your assistant may have to cycle the radio on/off a few more times to fully synchronize the drive cable length with the antenna drive motor and antenna mast.
- Reinstall the antenna mast retaining nut with the special socket included with the replacement mast.
- Reinstall the inner wheel well panel with the (8) T15 and (1) T30 Torx screws.
- Remount your rear wheel.
- Enjoy some tunes.
NOTE: if you notice that your mast is slanted towards the passenger side of the car, instead of being straight up, then you have installed the antenna motor onto the mounting bracket 180 degrees off. You will have to remove the (2) 8mm bolts, turn the antenna motor 180 degrees and then reattach to the bracket. (Wonder how I knew that????? ;>) )
Hope this helps a fellow VN'er...................Ed"
This response was posted by Ed Gooding, Sr. back in 1998:
"First, I would like to thank everyone who responded to my original question about my antenna problem: I could hear the antenna motor running when turning the radio off/on, but the mast would not raise, nor would it fully retract. Special thanks to my buddy Jim "TLF" Mason, who clued me in on doing the job from the wheel-well, instead of from inside of fooling around in the rear hatch area as the shop manual dictates. Contrary to what the shop manual states, you do NOT have to remove anything from inside the rear hatch area to replace the mast and plastic gear strip. Here's the procedure (some text "borrowed" from Jim and expounded on by me here) that applied to my '90 coupe:
Mid-America wanted $40 for their kit. My Chevy dealer charged me $19.22 for part # 12512900. The AC-Delco part included the antenna mast, plastic drive cable, real basic instructions, and a socket which you use to remove the antenna mast retaining nut.
- Jack the car up from the driver's side and remove the rear wheel.
- Remove the inner wheel well panel by removing the (8) T15 screws that attach it to the body panels, and (1) T30 screw (attached to the rear fender brace), and (3) 10mm bolts w/flat washers.
- Use the socket enclosed with the replacement antenna mast to remove the nut that retains the broken antenna mast. Slide it over the top of the antenna mast and downward until it encounters and locks onto the retaining nut, and then remove the nut. You will then be able to extract the mast and whatever amount of cable that is still attached by pulling straight up. If you are lucky and the plastic drive cable has not broken, you can simply insert the replacement, cycle your radio on/off a few times, reattach the antenna mast retaining nut with the special socket and go have a cold one. If the plastic drive cable is broken, you will only remove part of it with the mast and must continue to follow this procedure below in order to remove the remaining drive cable from within the antenna motor housing.
- The antenna motor is found from within the wheel well and is to the inside of the rear fender light housing. It is shrouded with a rubber cover. It is attached to a bracket, from the bottom, with (2) 8mm (wrench size) bolts, one of which also attaches a ground strap to the bracket. The bracket is attached to the body of the car via (2) 10mm nuts. If you stick your head inside the wheel well and look up to the outer-most edge of the rear fascia, you will see these two 10mm nuts.
- I used a deep well 10mm socket on an air ratchet to remove the two bracket nuts. This way, I only had to "find" the nut with the socket and then hit the trigger to remove them. Because of the limited working room, this will be a hassle with a manual ratchet or wrench. Removing these two nuts will allow the antenna motor to drop down (pull on it some to get the antenna housing through the rubber grommet in the rear deck).
- Remove the (2) 8mm bolts that attach the antenna motor to the bracket.
- Pull the rubber shroud up to expose the motor housing. Remove the (4) Philips screws and the (1) 7mm (socket size) nut that retain the motor cover. Remove the motor cover, washer and cable housing cover. Remove the remaining plastic drive cable and discard. Reinstall the cable cover, washer, and housing cover.
- Line up the antenna motor mounting holes with the corresponding bracket slots and reinstall the (2) 8mm bolts. Don't forget to reattach the ground strap.
- Place the antenna motor bracket over the two attaching bolts, guiding the antenna mast housing back up towards the grommeted hole in the rear deck. Reinstall the (2) 10mm nuts that retain the bracket.
- It is nice to have a helper with the rest of this procedure. Turn your radio on so that the antenna gear drive motor is in the "raised" position.
- Feed the replacement antenna mast and cable down into the antenna mast housing, with the gear teeth on the cable facing towards the passenger side rear wheel. It should go down about 12" and then encounter resistance. Hold the antenna mast vertically over the hole and have your helper turn the radio off. The antenna motor should "grab" the gears on the cable and pull the antenna down. Follow it with the antenna mast and insert in the mast housing as you do. Your assistant may have to cycle the radio on/off a few more times to fully synchronize the drive cable length with the antenna drive motor and antenna mast.
- Reinstall the antenna mast retaining nut with the special socket included with the replacement mast.
- Reinstall the inner wheel well panel with the (8) T15 and (1) T30 Torx screws.
- Remount your rear wheel.
- Enjoy some tunes.
NOTE: if you notice that your mast is slanted towards the passenger side of the car, instead of being straight up, then you have installed the antenna motor onto the mounting bracket 180 degrees off. You will have to remove the (2) 8mm bolts, turn the antenna motor 180 degrees and then reattach to the bracket. (Wonder how I knew that????? ;>) )
Hope this helps a fellow VN'er...................Ed"
