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Re: Broken Electric Antenna
Posted by David Prantl (more from David Prantl) on Tue, 13 Mar 2001 00:29:54
In Reply to: , Kok Chen, Sat, 17 Dec 1988 12:00:00 

>  Antenna is not moving, just hear a grinding  sound when turning the radio 
>on/off.

Your diagnosis is exactly correct.  The white-plastic toothed-tail part of 
the antenna mast is broken, likely in several places, so it can no longer 
push/pull the antenna up and down.

The best way to fix it properly is to remove the antenna assembly (with 
motor) from the car.  It is accessible by pulling back the carpet panel on 
the left side inside the trunk, and removing a couple of bolts/nuts.

Once you have the assembly out, remove the single nut from the 'drum' (round 
part), pull off the cover (don't lose any spacer washers), pull out the 
reel, and remove any chunks of antenna-tail that may be left in the reel.

Buy a new antenna-mast.  According to the Townsend Imports web site 
(http://www.townsendimports.com),
the SAAB part number should be 02 52 957.  

The CS-body antenna mast is not the same as the C900 and '85-'91 9000 
antenna mast, though I have successfully modified our '93 CSE antenna 
assembly so that the earlier mast goes in.  This requires finding exactly 
the right-diameter drill to slightly enlarge the upper part of the antenna 
tube.

Install the end of the new antenna mast-tail into the motor/reel unit, and 
put the cover back on.  Plug the antenna assembly into the car wiring, and 
get a helper to turn the radio off/on until you can get the motor to pull 
most of the new mast in.  The motor will not run unless it's housing is 
grounded to the car's chassis (use a test-wire with crocodile-clip ends).  
Then install the antenna assembly into the car the way it was before you 
took it out, and everything should work like new.

For what it's worth, nearly every old SAAB that I have ever owned needed a 
new antenna mast.  The power-antennas in SAABs are made by a Japanese 
company called Harada.  You can find generic-fit Harada antennas in many 
auto-accessory stores.  In the USA, Radio Shack sells one for under $40, 
which is identical to the C900 and '85-'91 (-92 in USA) 9000 antennas except 
for the outside nut/spacer, and a chrome mast (SAAB had a black mast).

David Prantl
david_prantlno39sdcx6spamx782hotmail.com
'84 900S, 5M, 210kMi, RIP
'86 9000T, 5M, 185kMi
'88 9000S, 5M, 142kMi
'90 9000S, 4A, 133kMi
'93 9000CSET, 5M, 66kMi
'89 900, 3A, 116kMi
'68 97 Sonett V4, 76kMi, #000467

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