Power antenna question

OK, all you folks with power antennas that still work, please answer me this: Does your antenna extend whenever you turn the car on, or only when the radio is turned on?

Mine used to extend only when the radio was on. Then I had some body work done on the rear (repairing damage from our ill-fated winter rally in Ontario last winter). When I got it back, the antenna now goes up whenever the car is turned on. I'm assuming that when they put the car back together, they reconnected a different wire somewhere, but where? I thought that such a thing could only happen up in the dash behind the radio, not in the trunk, but what do I know?

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Dave
'91 325iX

My radio had a wire connection to control the power antenna, so it goes up whenever the radio is on.
Some radios have not, and one can wire it to raise the antenna when the key is on, like you have.

More info on that:
[en.wikipedia.org]

Perhaps you must check the wiring behind the radio, and next to the antenna.

JP

Quote
Dave_G
OK, all you folks with power antennas that still work, please answer me this: Does your antenna extend whenever you turn the car on, or only when the radio is turned on?

Mine works with the radio, not the ignition switch.

Look up your wiring diagram here: [shark.armchair.mb.ca]

You'll probably find that the body shop switched the red and white wires on your antenna. When you switch them back everything will work right.

John

Well, just today I managed to answer my own question, and it was such a stupid solution that now I feel like an idiot.

I had checked all the wiring in the trunk, and it was all the way it's supposed to be. I checked the wiring behind the radio, and everything was OK there, too. Then today it struck me -- I've done this before! I've had the same problem previously and just managed to forget what caused it. It was just a quirk of the design of my cheap aftermarket radio. If it's set to display the clock when powered off, then it's actually powered on, and sends power to the antenna. All I had to do was change the radio to only display the clock when it's turned on, and now the antenna stays down until I turn on the radio. Sheesh. Stupid radio.

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Dave
'91 325iX

It might be a bit tough on the battery in that display on mode if the car is parked for several days. I have one of those fancy radios and in about 3 weeks, the battery is low.

Bob in Lake Havasu