C-4 Auto Attenna problem

[vette-dude]

what lube does everyone suggest for the Antenna. Mine goes up fine but is reluctant to go down. I cleaned it and lubed it with a silicone spray but it collects dirt and then sticks in the up position after just a short time. I can push it down and sometimes it will catch and automatically retract. I think all the operating mechanism is ok just need to use the proper lube on the shaft. Any Ideas???

Randy
:confused

 

[Lani's 93]

Mine started doing that and eventually the plastic toothed cable that is internal to the unit broke.

The shop manual states never lubricate the antenna. It says to clean it use a soft cloth and wipe it and if necessary you may use some mineral spirits on the cloth.

Understanding how it works, one then notes that lubricating the shaft really does nothing. It is a plastic toothed cabled that attaches to the tip of the antenna internally and that cable feeds into a motor that unwinds it to send it up and winds it up to retract it.

If the antenna motor is fine and the cable is not broke off any where, there is a replacement kit for just the antenna. It comes with a little socket that removes the retainer and then you just grab and pull the antenna out of the whole unit. You feed the new one's cable in and the motor then grabs the new cable and self feeds itself when the power is applied. I think its like $25. or something.

To replace the whole unit its like anywhere from $165 down to around $110., depending on who you get it from.

Here's what I learned from replacing mine. The manual describe the process to remove it where it directs you to gain access from underneath the car reaching up just behind the rear wheel. I found that extremely difficult since your stretching to the max. After looking over the situation, I found it was much easier to jack up the left rear and remove the tire. Then remove the 8 or so torx screws and two bolts that hold the wheel liner in. From there you can sit on your behind and lean it and presto its right there easy access. The antenna and electrical connections are made just under the trim panel across the rear of the hatch lid (i have a coupe). Only a couple screws on each left and right trim panel need removing and then the rear trim piece removed. There is some carpet that needs to be pulled out some, and then some foam insulation around the cabling there. There are these circular clips that hold the insulation in place I think three of them. Pull the insulation out and there are the cables antenna and electrical. I tied a long string to my old ones before I removed the unit so it would be easy to tie that string to the new one and pull those cables right back through when the new one is installed. Other than that its a couple screws/bolts that hold it up there and some ground wires.

Hope this helps. Lani

 

[vette-dude]

Lani,
Did the new motor complete come with a long enough attenna wire. My Amplifier is in back of the passenger seat and some idiot previous owner cut the attenna wire behind the wheel well. Then he twisted it all together. I have got that temporarily fixed but it looks like heck. I think the attenna motor is an aftermarket ( read auto zone crap) and so am considering replacing the whole mess with the right one. I also think it rattles around back there as it is only held in place with the estucheon nut. That might be the problem with the retract as sometimes it works and sometimes it don't. The bracket that attaches it to the frame of the car is gone also. So is the wire long enough with the new unit to go from the attenna to the amp or did it originally plug together somewhere in between the two?( man, I am long winded today!!)

94 C-4
Randy
:TALK

 

[Lani's 93]

I think it was like 3-4 feet. Wasn't a whole lot of extra but plenty to make the connection where it is intended which is right there near the latch release.

Sounds like you have a mess. For the few bucks it does cost I would just replace it with the correct unit. Its really a piece of cake doing it that way.

Seeing how the unit is totally self contained I doubt the missing screw would cause that. From what I've seen and those I've talked to that's the way they start going bad, extending fully but not retracting consistently.

I thought I could get away with just the antenna replace but when I pulled it there was a couple feet missing off of the toothed cable. So I took back the kit and got the whole unit.

Sorry your having such troubles, be nice it folks wouldn't make these midnight modifications instead of fixing it properly. Then you end up finding you have a mess on your hands.

Good luck. Check with that Ken guy at Superior Chevy I'm sure his price will be very reasonable. Lani

 

[vette-dude]

Thanks for the response. Sounds like a winter project. Guess I know what I want for Christmas!!!!

Randy
:grinsanta :grinsanta :grinsanta :grinsanta

 

[JonM]

Here you go Randy..Marry Christmas

http://www.corvettemagazine.com/2002/february/antenna/ant1.asp

 

[Lani's 93]

Randy, it only takes about 1.5 to 2 hrs to change the unit. Other than some minor wiring issues you may uniquely have from the mods made it's a pretty easy task.

Now for xmas lists, that would depend on how good you were this year! LOL.

Now the previous post with the complete instructions to tear it apart to rebuild it, that looks like a winter project. Neat pictures but looks messy. For a hundred bucks, and an hour or so, I just swapped mine.

... Lani

 

[C6 CRZN]

Lani is right on the mark. That was the way I took care on my antenna problem. Its not that bad of a job.

 

[sothpaw]

If the antenna still goes up a little, but never retracts,
then do I need just the antenna or the whole unit?
I can hear the motor work.

My problems with it began when it wouldn't retract all the way.
This got much worse in cold weather--it's temp. dependent.
Now, it won't retract at all and only goes up a short way.

 

[Lani's 93]

Generally, this is from my experience only... from the two that I've seen when it doesn't go down all the way, on both of those when the antenna mast was pulled there was a section of the toothed cable that was missing. In other words part of it was still wrapped on the spindle inside. Which is why it couldn't go all the way down.

As I mentioned in the first post, you can try the mast replacement kit (make sure you can return it for credit towards the whole antenna unit!!), and with the little nut tool that is provided with the kit loosen the nut and remove it. Then there is this micro tiny compression clip in there that if you touch it with a very tiny flat blade screwdriver - grasp and pull the mast from the unit. This is done on the car.

You can then compare the length of the toothed cable on yours to the new one, if there is a big difference the probability is good that the missing piece is still inside, hence a new unit or like the one post had complete dismantlement.

If you find there is a difference then return it in exchange toward the unit. Then replace the whole antenna unit. It is removed from below, inside the panel.

If they are relatively the same and before you thread the new one in to the shaft as per the instructions included in the kit, examine the old one carefully to see why it failed; did it have damaged or worned teeth?, If it looks fine then it still might be in the unit. The reason I say examine before trying to feed the new one in, you don't want to mess up the new one if your just going to return it. If you spot obvious damage then sure your likely to fix the problem. If not gee, I'd just replace the unit and be done with it. They last probably ten years so you won't be revisiting it soon.

Just my 2-cents... Lani

 

[vette-dude]

Thanks Lani for the info. As for being good this year I did let the wife take the vette to work once!!!!!!!!

JonM,
Thanks for the website. It doesn't look like it is too hard to fix. Do I need to wear those surgical gloves???? I mean I wear a tie and jacket to work on the engine but surgical gloves on the attenna?? Oh well, man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!!!

Randy