Aron Nance

The CCRider has an electrical antenna (automatic raises/lowers) when radio is turned on/off. Was stuck in down position, used silicone spray on the wands, and worked once. Next time I tried it, you could hear (in the radio sound) a clicking, as if it was trying to go up.............then...........nothing. There are two fuses I've found in the schematic for the car, one 10 and one 15 Amp, both good. Is there another? There is also some kind of module showing under the dash (that I can't get to anymore, due to this "getting older thing" going on in my body. I seem to remember the antenna being "fixed" once by the technician raising the hood and replacing something close to the antenna, under the hood. Sure would appreciate some guidance.
THANKS !
Aron

joe_padavano

Aron,

The 1980s-1990s GM power antennas are all basically the same. There's a motor that pushes the mast up and pulls it down using a nylon cable inside the mast. The cable winds up on a spool that eventually causes the end of the cable to break. The clicking you are hearing is the relay, typically mounted near the antenna on the inner fender. You can replace the relay if it is bad, but I strongly suspect the problem is a broken cable inside the antenna. GM used to sell a mast kit, as these units are pretty easy to rebuild, but I don't know if it's available any more. Here are the mast replacement instructions.

Fred Kiehl

Someone on the longroof forum used a piece of string trimmer "cable" to repair his. The repair cables are still available, but they are about 2 inchs too long, and will break again in a year or two. If the mast is bent, you can only get a replacement from a donor car, because they are no longer available. To remove the antenna, loosen the bolts/screws that hold the wheelhouse in place on the fender and body (behind the tire), and you can pull the wheelhouse down far enough to remove the antenna. To remove the antenna, there is a ground screw in the door jam as well as the bezel on the fender. Get the tool for the fender bezel, and you will avoid the chance of scratching your paint.