Gen II factory power antenna retrofit

[Joe Dirt]

Ok, I read through about 2 hours of searches, and a few asked the question, and had dead ends, or had answers that didn't get confirmed.

I pulled a power antenna out of a '95 Ex w/ JBL. It had the 2 wire conector in the kick panel, and the extension there also, I would assume coming from the rear.

I want to put it in my truck, a non-power antenna truck. I have an aftermarket deck, so I need to know if I can assume that one wire is a ground and one is for the power signal that I can just hook the blue/white lead on my deck to. (before I hook it up and somehow burn up the motor as someone said might happen due to the load rating in the antenna motor or something- these things are hard to find around here!)

Or, is it a chassis ground, one is power, and the other wire is a signal trigger?

I want to hook it and check the motor to see if it works before I buy a new mast.

I pulled the kick panel today and didn't see an empty conector save one, and it didn't look anything like this one. I did find more cool FBI wiring in there though!

 

[oplitic]

Ok, I read through about 2 hours of searches, and a few asked the question, and had dead ends, or had answers that didn't get confirmed.

I pulled a power antenna out of a '95 Ex w/ JBL. It had the 2 wire conector in the kick panel, and the extension there also, I would assume coming from the rear.

I want to put it in my truck, a non-power antenna truck. I have an aftermarket deck, so I need to know if I can assume that one wire is a ground and one is for the power signal that I can just hook the blue/white lead on my deck to. (before I hook it up and somehow burn up the motor as someone said might happen due to the load rating in the antenna motor or something- these things are hard to find around here!)

Or, is it a chassis ground, one is power, and the other wire is a signal trigger?

I want to hook it and check the motor to see if it works before I buy a new mast.

I pulled the kick panel today and didn't see an empty conector save one, and it didn't look anything like this one. I did find more cool FBI wiring in there though!

According tot he wiring info I get the power antenna wire is orange/lt. blue. That would be the one you hook to the power antenna wire coming out of your deck. I believe it would be chassis ground since it sounds like there's only two wires coming out of the power antenna itself, correct? Cause they always (as far as all the ones I have taken out, replaced, or added) have 3 wires, ground, power, deck turn on. So I'm thinking it's grounded through the mount, and you have the deck turn on and power wire coming out of the antenna module.

 

[Joe Dirt]

So I run the deck signal to the orange/lt. blue, and the accessory power to the other, and then chassis ground?

Thanks for the look!

 

[oplitic]

So I run the deck signal to the orange/lt. blue, and the accessory power to the other, and then chassis ground?

Thanks for the look!

I believe so, it's hard to tell not being there. Do you have any aftermarket deck?

 

[Joe Dirt]

Yes, Pioneer DEH 3900MP... Was the orange/lt. blue on the antenna side, or the radio side? I guess I need the wiring info for the antenna if that o/lb was on the radio harness. I'll look at the antanna when I get home, I should have tossed it in the car this morning so I could have it with me.

 

[oplitic]

Yes, Pioneer DEH 3900MP... Was the orange/lt. blue on the antenna side, or the radio side? I guess I need the wiring info for the antenna if that o/lb was on the radio harness. I'll look at the antanna when I get home, I should have tossed it in the car this morning so I could have it with me.

That wire is supposed to be attached to the antenna (it said on power antenna module, I believe), usually it's the same color all the way up anyways.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Here is what I've got:

One red, one green/yellow, and the signal wire. (Sorry for the crappy cell pic, I'm waiting for a new Fuji S700 to come tomorrow)

And this note on the side:

"Do not apply power directly to motor conector, Do not bypass control something or other..."

 

[JTX]

Wouldnt there have to be some kind of control module? Something would have to reverse the positive and negative to make the antanna go back down. Hope that made sense. Im curios to see what you figure out.

 

[Joe Dirt]

That's what I don't know yet- I don't know if it is internal, or external to the antenna itself.

When I installed a power antenna in my 2004 Taurus, I needed to hook a wire to the RCU in the trunk (radio control unit) which told it to go up or down. I don't know if the power antenna lead from my Pioneer deck is that same thing.

I may have to look at the wiring diagram I have for the Ex...

If there is a missing piece that I need (the control unit) someplace in the Ex at the junkyard, I'll go pull it. I guess if I go back this weekend I can pull the harness I unplugged from, and see where it goes.

 

[oplitic]

Here is what I've got:

One red, one green/yellow, and the signal wire. (Sorry for the crappy cell pic, I'm waiting for a new Fuji S700 to come tomorrow)

And this note on the side:

"Do not apply power directly to motor conector, Do not bypass control something or other..."

Everything on the bottom of the antenna is what makes it go up and down. There is a power wire, and a deck signal wire. When it sees the signal it goes up, when the signal goes away it goes down. What exactly does the sticker say? I can't make it out... Maybe it does do reverse polarity, like some automatic door locks are in older cars.

 

[Gatorblazer]

Looking at the pic, it doesnt look a whole lot different than the window motors. In that case, both wires need to be connected, no chassis ground. It would be grounded through the bolts holding it in place. The two wires would allow for polarity to be reversed. I would think that the radio would act as a control module. Applying power directly to the unit might mean that you do not want to hook it up directly to the battery. Doing so would make the motor run constantly.

 

[Joe Dirt]

It says:

"Do not apply power directly to motor connector. Do not bypass control module."

So is it possible that one wire goes to accesory power, one to the power antenna lead? If it goes down when it should go up, reverse polarity?

I know there was an issue with the Taurus that I had to have it hooked right to the RCU so that if the car was shut off with the key, the power would keep running to lower the antenna all the way.

 

[oplitic]

Looking at the pic, it doesnt look a whole lot different than the window motors. In that case, both wires need to be connected, no chassis ground. It would be grounded through the bolts holding it in place. The two wires would allow for polarity to be reversed. I would think that the radio would act as a control module. Applying power directly to the unit might mean that you do not want to hook it up directly to the battery. Doing so would make the motor run constantly.

That's what i was talking about when I said chassis ground, probably should have elaborated. Wish I had one to play with just to see. I think it means that one wire shouldn't be connected straight to it, the power antenna wire from the radio is always on when on tuner mode. Which makes it go up, then when you go off tuner mode, or turn off the radio, the power goes away, and the module knows to go down. So, actually, it can't be reversing polarity, cause it would keep trying to go up...

 

[Gatorblazer]

Reversing polarity just means running the motor backwards. The motor will turn a worm one direction or another, but your hookup suggestion still sounds right. Bypassing the control module (radio) would mean hooking it directly to the battery.

I looked in the haynes man, nothing in there about a seperate control module. None of the part stores sells one. They only sell a universal power unit.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Sounds good. I'll mess with it this weekend, and if it works, I'll buy a new mast. I likes me power antennas. If it does work in phase with the radio, and down with CD or AUX input, that would be the cat's booty.

Thanks for the help guys, if it does work I'll do a little writeup start to finish if anyone else wants to do it.

 

[oplitic]

Sounds good. I'll mess with it this weekend, and if it works, I'll buy a new mast. I likes me power antennas. If it does work in phase with the radio, and down with CD or AUX input, that would be the cat's booty.

Thanks for the help guys, if it does work I'll do a little writeup start to finish if anyone else wants to do it.

Good idea on the write up. The only reason I'm not a fan of them is cause theya ren't flexible, and you HAVE tor emember to put the down in most car washes, etc. We've replaced many power antennas due to wifes that were unaware of that, lol. (latest was a mercedes) The other reason is I never listen to radio, cause I love Sirius and my iPod. I'm actually going to be shaving my wiper off soon. just waiting for better weather.

 

[oplitic]

Reversing polarity just means running the motor backwards. The motor will turn a worm one direction or another, but your hookup suggestion still sounds right. Bypassing the control module (radio) would mean hooking it directly to the battery.

I looked in the haynes man, nothing in there about a seperate control module. None of the part stores sells one. They only sell a universal power unit.

I know what it means, but taht would mean the radio would ahve two wires comign out of it to switch back and forth, and obviously they don't, it's all done in the module itself. It needs to constant power and ground (obvious) and then the deck signal tells it what to do. Probably a relay or something inside to switch it back and forth.

 

[Magicland]

So how did this work out? I'm trying to get my power antenna working, but think they might have butchered it when they removed the OEM HU. I figure if I can find the wires in the kick panel, I can splice them in where they need to go, and was hoping someone knew what colors they should be (97 Eddie Bauer with JBL).

 

[Joe Dirt]

Actually, I still need to order a mast, I wasn't messing with it until I had the mast, since I couldn't do much of anything with it until then. I've been working on my SHO lately, (8-Ball, see below) and poor Snowball has been sadly neglected. I even vac'd, and conditioned her leather tonight so I'd stay in good graces with her. I know she deserves better, when I crushed a mis-routed coolant line when changing my front brakes on the SHO and needed an emergency run to Autozone, who rescued me? ...Snowball

8-Ball:

 

[Magicland]

Hopefully 8-ball has had its cams welded or pinned, they tend to provide rather nasty surprises if they aren't.

I'm waiting on a new antenna mast for mine (none of the local places had one), supposedly shipped today from Georgia (strangely enough, I just sent the CD changer from my X down to Georgia today), so it should be here in a couple of days. In the meantime, I'm going to pull the kick panel, and see if I can find any orange/blue wires running in from the front. I just wish I knew what color the other (power?) wire is, as I'm not sure if it's hooked up anymore (maybe I'll get lucky and it'll be running along with the orange/blue). Curse Ford and their ridiculous rear-mounted audio systems!

Just dug out my wiring diagram, shows only the orange/lt. blue coming off of the rear-mounted control unit going to the "power antenna system", so hopefully the other wire is still intact and connected, and the unit is just waiting for the proper trigger to get it running (or else the whole thing is fried, and needs replaced).