Stereo hookup

Deano

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I have an older JVC stereo that I'm installing in the LeBaron. I'd like to still be able to use the power antenna. How would I go about wiring it in? There's the wire on the stereo itself (blue wire with white tracer, tag says "remote power output for amp, EQ, and/or auto antenna"). Yellow wire and brown wire in the car goes to antenna motor, will go down, but only halfway up. Figure that out when I get to it. I'll more than likely have to hard-wire most of it seeing that factory stereo wiring is mostly gone.
 

Mikes5thAve

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That wire should do it. Did it only go partway up before? It's only putting power to a relay so nothing should be making it stop part way.
The other thing you could do is hook the wire up to something the ignition switches so it goes up and down with the ignition or add another switch somewhere for it.
The trunk release is my favorite place to connect to for ignition power since its so easy to get to.
 

Deano

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The antenna motor runs, but the mast only goes halfway up, but it does go all the way down. I haven't started the stereo hookup just yet. I do have the speaker wires soldered to the JVC's harness. You know, one less thing. It'll more than likely be next weekend. Which factory wire should I connect the stereo's blue wire to?
 

Aspen500

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Sounds like the rack teeth on the plastic mast "tape' could be stripped. Ran into that many times back when power antenna's were a thing (1980's).
 

Mikes5thAve

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I'm not sure on wire, its been a while that I've done it.
I agree if it only goes part way up its usually the nylon cable part inside the antenna mast is stripped or broken. You used to be able to get replacement ones, then again whole new antenna used to be affordable too.
 

Hayzoos

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I just put a radio in. My power antenna was doing like yours, then kaput after turning on the radio a few times. I have a temporary one in until I get a replacement (aftermarket).

But the following info should help: (note EIA is "Electronics Industry Association" standard) which all aftermarket radios should follow.

1984 - 2001 MOPAR Radio Wire Harnesses
Description, OEM Wire Color, EIA Wire Color, Comment
Chassis Ground, Silver Braid or rear bracket, Black, bolt|stud|spade at the back of the radio

Grey - Feed - Mono connector - only one on single speaker systems
[start opposite from key notch]
Battery positive, Pink or Pink w/ White (Red), Yellow, BAT clock and memory power
Ignition Accessory, Red w/ White (Red/DkBlu), Red, ACC radio power
Radio Dimmer Wire, Orange [OR], Orange w/ White, ILL dashboard illumination dimmer
Headlight Dimmer Wire, Black w/ Yellow [BK/YL], Orange, PARK headlight on signal (display dims)
Right Front Spkr (-), Blue w/ Red, Gray w/ Black, RF- to single speaker +
Left Front Spkr (-), Brown w/ Red, White w/ Black, LF- to single speaker -
Mute, , Brown, MUTE

Black - Speaker - Stereo connector - not found on single speaker systems
[start from key notch]
Power Antenna/Amp, White, Blue, ANT (also amp)
Left Rear Spkr (+), Brown w/ Blue, Green, LR+
Right Rear Spkr (+), Blue w/ Orange, Purple, RR+
Left Front Spkr (+), Dark Green, White, LF+
Right Front Spkr (+), Purple, Gray, RF+
Left Rear Spkr (-), Brown w/ Yellow, Green w/ Black, LR-
Right Rear Spkr (-), Blue w/ White, Purple w/ Black, RR-


note EIA Orange/Black = Dimmer Ground (neg. trigger circuits)
 
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Deano

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Something else I'm a little confused about- when I connect the ground wire from the antenna "box" under the dash, to the frame, the antenna motor tries to send the mast up. This is the ring connector that is supposed to be connected to the rear of the stereo. When I take it away from ground, the motor brings the mast back down. How is this possible? I don't have the stereo hooked up or anything. It's still in the house waiting it's turn. Shouldn't the motor take the mast up when the radio is turned on and go back down when it is turned off? Sorry for the endless questions, but I'm a power antenna virgin and I don't know what the hell I'm doing.

s-l1600.jpg
 

Mikes5thAve

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Dunno on that one. It looks like that should be a ground wire with the eye on it like that but it's acting like the trigger wire. May be there's another wire not connected to the right spot.
 

Aspen500

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I don't know if this will help you or not but...............It's from a '79 service manual, btw.
DSC00516.JPG
 

Hayzoos

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The Automatic Power Antenna Control Unit identified in the diagram may be malfunctioning. It looks to me like the unit gets it's power on the red/white wire, and powers the antenna from a tap off the cigar lighter the heavier red wire. Did you have all other wires connected in that harness when you tried to connect the ground? (obviously not the brown/black wire since it goes to the radio harness)

You might be further ahead just getting an aftermarket power antenna and ignore the factory controller. Besides the coaxial wire all antennas have they typically have a ground wire (probably black), power wire (probably red), and a radio on signal wire (probably blue).
 

Deano

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I have none of the aftermarket wires hooked up yet. Hell, just a day or two ago, I bought the 3amp fuse for the radio. That's all I've done. I do have the JVCs harness and speaker wires on my desk all soldered up and ready to go in. The only factory wires from the control unit not connected are the ones with the red arrows.

s-l1600 (2).jpg
 
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Deano

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Okay. I think I just now fried the control unit. I used my test light to see if the cigar lighter was getting power and evidently shorted it out. Now the controller only clicks when I ground the black wire. Guess I'm going to a standard antenna.
 

Hayzoos

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I bet you blew the cigar lighter fuse (i guess 20amp). Which you probably want to replace. The unit should then go back to what it was doing with the antenna before. An aftermarket power antenna now incorporates the unit functions into the antenna housing.
 

Hayzoos

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As mentioned above by Mikes5thAve your antenna also may be broken since it only goes up halfway. If that is so, then there is little use trying to diagnose the unit since it only works with a factory power antenna.
 

Deano

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You were right, Hayzoos. The lighter fuse was popped. Hopefully I didn't burn the PACU. Only one I could find (after a very brief Google search) was $145.
 

Hayzoos

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You will not need the unit for an aftermarket power antenna and it sounds like your factory one is broke. I'm planning on getting one, Metra brand keeps popping up in searches. I have seen prices from $40 to a little over $100. I expect to find a decent one around $60. My factory antenna is not working and I don't really expect to fix it. I will probably take it apart to get a look, I'm just that way. For now, I'm just using a short semi-flexible plastic antenna I had laying around. It works but looks out of place.
 

Deano

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Took the unit back out to the car, replaced the fuse, and all is good. The antenna obviously needs to repaired or replaced, but I was thinking I could very well be out $145. Can't really afford that right now.
 

Deano

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O'Reilly's has one for $65. Luckily, my wife got me a gift card for Christmas that has about that much left on it!
 

Deano

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Picked one up yesterday. Too damned cold out in the garage to mess with it today. It's not going anywhere.
 

Mikes5thAve

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Like hayzoos said that control box isn't needed for aftermarket antenna. You only need to use a test light or volt meter to figure out where to hook up the power to (obvious hint- wires for old power antenna).
 
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