My power antenna will not go up or down and I was able to order a replacement mast which I am wanting for delivery on.

Yesterday I pulled the rubber grommet out of the fender and could see that if the cable is broken inside of the mast then I should be able to fix it without going any further than that. How ever I noticed that the antenna motor was able to move about in side the hole. Being a worrier I wanted to check to see if it also was lose in it's mounting brackets.

Off to the trusty Helms manual for inspiration. Today I tackled the job of getting to the antenna motor. I got as far as removing the cargo cover and was stopped cold in my tracks. The helms only added confusion to my frustration so I stopped and put everything back togeter again.

Does someone have any knowledge of how to remove the cargo cover and what is involved with getting to the antenna motor to check it out.

I certainly would appreciate any advice you could give me on how to do this job.

I have been blessed with heart surgery twice and spending another two hours in the rear compartment is not high on my list of things to do.

 

John,

The antenna on my '89 coupe did the exact same thing. I had to access the antenna motor by removing the rear wheel, inner fender cover and then lay on my back and remove the necessary screws. The only thing I could get access to from the upper area was the power connector and the radio antenna connector.

Good luck.
Dino

 

I wrote this but the forum doesn't seem to want to post it:

Tech tip


How to remove the power antenna motor from 1992-96 Vettes Part II

First of all Julian’s write up is excellent. However for those of us that don’t have long slender arms, you may not be able to reach inside the wheel well to get at the antenna motor. This Tech Tip will explain how to improve the access to the motor and add a few other tips. I followed the Helm’s Service manual for “Antenna replacement-Convertible” on page 9A-18 through 9A-19 and added more explanation. Remember, you need to remove the motor assembly to make sure all the antenna cable or ribbon is removed from the gear case of the antenna assembly before installing the new mast assembly. My Vette is a 92 Convertible.

Release the rear deck and prop the top and deck apart from each other by using a stick (1x4x19”). This gives you excellent working space to the area where the antenna relay and coax cable is connected.
As always, disconnect the negative battery cable
Remove the carpet retainer (large one on the driver’s side in the back) This will allow you to peel back the carpet that covers the driver’s side wheel well area.
Under the carpet and insulation, you should find the relay and coax connections. Disconnect the coax and the connector going to the relay from the antenna. These wires run to the plug/grommet that leads to the antenna assembly located in the aft portion of the outside wheel well. Push the plug/grommet out from the inside. I sprayed a little silicone lube to help it slide out.
Pull the wires through the hole.
Jack up the rear of the Vette and remove the driver’s side wheel and the plastic wheel well liner (mostly T-15 torx and 10 mm bolts). This gives you excellent access to the antenna motor assembly. Remember, make sure your Vette is secure from falling as you will be under the Vette.
Remove the two small bolts that hold the motor assembly to the bracket. Notice which one has the ground strap attached to it.
At the top of the antenna there are two wires that are attached to the antenna. These are GROUND PLANE TERMINALS and their orientation is important for good reception so remember how they where before you remove them. The bolt on mine was a 7mm or 5/16. ¼” drive set works well in the tight quarters.
Wiggle the antenna assembly loose from the bracket and rubber grommet up top. Remember that there is still a ground strap connected up top on the antenna assembly. With the antenna assembly in your hand remove the top ground strap from the antenna and now you can remove the whole assembly. On mine the ground strap was held in place with a phillips screw.
If you think you’ll have too much trouble re-attaching the top ground strap during installation of the antenna, you can remove the outside driver’s tail lamp assembly. With the antenna assembly out of the way, you can remove the two screws that hold the tail lamp assembly in. The screws are 10 mm and again, a ¼” drive ratchet works fine. When reinstalling the antenna assembly it may be a little tight putting the tail lamp assembly back in place. If you don’t think you can do it, you can always remove the license plate and backup light assemblies and reach in there to reinstall the tail lamp.
I replaced the entire antenna motor assembly and got mine from the Chevy dealer, list price $184.79, but if you know someone it’s $100.80. The replacement mast and cable runs around $39 from Ecklers plus the Corvette tax (shipping & fondling) $20, so I figured the motor was 13 years old and for $40 bucks more I replaced the whole thing.
Take a look at Julian’s article for replacing the mast and inspecting the inside of the motor assembly for pieces of the antenna cable/ribbon that has broken off.
Just reverse these steps to reinstall the antenna motor assembly.


Hope this helps. It takes a little while to complete. I just don't let time be a factor.

 

Here is another tech tip for removing the antenna from underneath the car. I crawled under my '94 and it looks like there is enough room to do it from underneath without taking things apart.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...D=17&TopicID=2


Sorry Strick i just noticed this was Julian's tech tip.

 

I wrote mine for us guys with larger hands and arms, not that I'm on steroids or anything.