Electric Aerial Problem

[jimed]

We've been in Scotland for a few days in the S and are now back so the cleaning after several days of wet roads has been done this morning ready for Tatton Show tomorrow (anyone else going?). Whilst I was at it I thought I'd lubricate the aerial with some WD40 so put the radio on and sprayed the aerial then wiped it down carefully with a rag and switched the radio off. The usual wirring but - the aerial didn't go down. Hmmm!! If I'm quick I can push the aerial down when I switch the radio off so it is fully retracted but whilst it goes up it doesn't go down although there's some wirring and sometimes some clicking. Any ideas other than a new aerial as I didn't do anything other than wipe it down?
Further thought - if I do need to replace the aerial where does the aerial cable go as no doubt I'd need to get at that to plug the new one in ... (starting to sound like not to use the radio ... but now I've got a cassette adaptor and can plug the MP3 in ... )
Jim

[Wiz]

Electric aerials are available at most motorists shops around £25 - £35.
Had to replace mine when i forgot to turn off the radio before driving out of the garage. Aerial went up whilst backing out and it caught in the up and over door then brought the door down towards my car. Luckily the aerial snapped before any serious damage happened.
Any how it was easy to replace, mine is in the rear quarter opposite the fuel filler and was only held by a couple of screws and the top mounting.
The main wire just plugged in.
The mast is made to go up and down with a toothed plastic cable running round the motor spindle which isn't that strong.

[jimed]

Thanks for that Alan it sou8nds as if my aerial could be the same as your old one as it is an S3C with the aerial at the other side from the filler cap - (ie at the off side) - I've been to Tatton Show today and someone in the know adjusted the clutch on it (the screw in the centre of the body apparently does that) but to no avail - it still goes up but stays up unless I push it down.
Re your new aerial I assume the screws you mention fasten the aerial to the bodywork inside the boot? My aerial has an oblong bit on the wing round where the aerial comes up with what looks like a screw fastening round where the aerial comes up (with a sort of screwdriver slot which is either side of the aerial) - was yours like that?. What did you do about the cable though? Did it just plug in in the boot or did you have to trace it inside the car to re-connect it or put in another connector to save having to trace the cable?
Any info re the above would be appreciated.
Jim

[Wiz]

Re used the existing connectors on mine. the replacement was exactly the same.
The fixing was one of those multi strip bars like you get for fitting radios. One screw into the arch and one into the aerial motor body. The mast is fixed with the top mount. The carpeted box that covered it was held by velcro on mine but i fitted it with a screw to stop it falling off all the time.

[jimed]

Thanks again Alan - I'll have another look in the next couple of days - too hot to fiddle at the moment. I'd assumed the cable from the aerial would be one of the thick ones with the plug to go into the radio but from what you say it isn't like that so should be reasonably easy once I've undone the fixing at the top.
Jim

[Barkychoc]

There should be a relay / control unit somewhere that controls the motor - it applies voltage one way for up and the reverse for down - sounds like the aerial may be OK but its the relay thats got a problem.
The relay may be located behind the stereo not in the boot, or it may be part of the aerial itself or close to it.

Don't push the aerial down with any force - it has a plastic inner rod that runs inside the aerial and is coiled up on a small drum inside the aerial base - once you've forced it and kinked or damaged the plastic inner it never really works properly again. Guess how I know this.

Edited to add - reading your post again it could be that the plastic inner has snapped - so when the inner is wound back onto the drum it isn't pulling the end of the aerial with it.

Edited by Barkychoc on Sunday 31st May 12:37

[jimed]

It is the aerial itself Chris - you can hear lots of clicking from inside the aerial motor box when it should be coming down. I guess its a new one - the current one is black rather than chrome which seems to be the ones available now but I'll see if I can get a black one as it may look a bit better with the car colour. Has anyone a part number/make for one that is know to fit? That could be a useful start when I try and get one.
Jim

[Wiz]

I took the existing one to the local motor accesssory shop (not Halfords)and they had one exactly the same. Simple swap over.

This is the same as mine - link

Edited by Wiz on Sunday 31st May 19:48

[Roy C]

Have you tried using the radio without the aerial? When my original (Italian!) electric aerial died many years ago, I found that it made no difference at all, as the long cable run to the back of the car inside the plastic body acted as an aerial.

[jimed]

You may well be right Roy - the radio reception is poor anyway and I was thinking last night that the radio comes on pretty well as good as it gets as soon as its switched on - ie. before the aerial had a chance to get up. I was going to disconnect the wires to the aerial and see how I got on; I'd be able to play the cassette/adaptor+MP3 without it and that is what I would want to do as radio is so poor anyway. For some reason though I seem to think the earth should be left so I'll just undo the up/down connections.
Amother thought was that maybe I could put sone wire in the boot behind the carpet and connect that to the aerial and see if that was OK as well but if it makes no difference then ...
Jim