1979-1993 & 94 Conv [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Can you hear the motor buzzing and clicking and whirring and trying to move the antenna? If so, then proceed to (2). If not, then proceed to (1).
(1) It is either an electrical problem with wiring or an internal problem with the motor. Check for voltage at the green (I think it's green) wire when you turn on the radio. It should remain on as long as the radio is on. Also check for voltage at the red wire. This should be always on. Maybe even when the car is off, but I'm not sure. If you have no voltage try the fuse and if this is ok try the wiring especially if your car is an '85. If you have voltage, start taking apart the antenna motor and looking for obvious motor-y signs of trouble.
(2) Often it's a seized/corroded antenna mast. Sometimes you can get your favorite penetrating oil in there and it will free up, but this is probably a long shot. Don't be afraid to yank on it. The worst you can do is ruin the antenna mast, which you will have to replace anyway.
Equally often, especially if you can't remember the last time the antenna mast was changed, the plastic gear rack that the motor pulls and pushes up and down will have broken. If this is the case, you will probably have to take all the little plastic pieces of the plastic gear rack out of the motor housing by unscrewing the round cover on the side of it. Then you will have to install a new antenna mast, which is fairly easy as long as the old one is taken out (pull the nut off the top of the mast socket). Just feed the gear rack in while repeatedly turning on and off the radio (or not, see next thing). There's an over-force ratchet clutch thingy (kind of like a gas cap or torque stick for an air wrench) that keeps the motor from pushing too hard and breaking something. It will make some clicking and clunking but you can actually overcome this and push the antenna gear rack in while the motor is off if you need and if the gear rack is new and supple.
Hope this makes sense. There are probably tutorials online for how to do this but it's easier for me to type this than to find it. If you can't find one you should take pictures and make one!
posted by 86.246.2...
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