C5 Antenna Bypass?
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From: Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ
C5 Antenna Bypass?
Hey Guys,
Just wanted to see if any of you guys with Verts have the Mid America Motorworks C5 Antenna Bypass kit?
I recently purchased and installed one and it is a great feature, however, after I did the install, the next morning it drained my battery to the point where the car will not turn on.
Just wondering if any of you guys had any trouble with the install? How did you do the install?
I'm just trying to figure out what I did wrong. I posted a thread for some real tech help in the C5 Tech Section if you would like to check it out.
-Mike
Just wanted to see if any of you guys with Verts have the Mid America Motorworks C5 Antenna Bypass kit?
I recently purchased and installed one and it is a great feature, however, after I did the install, the next morning it drained my battery to the point where the car will not turn on.
Just wondering if any of you guys had any trouble with the install? How did you do the install?
I'm just trying to figure out what I did wrong. I posted a thread for some real tech help in the C5 Tech Section if you would like to check it out.
-Mike
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Joined: Jun 2006
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From: Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ
Well I followed the instructions on the site exactly.
1. Pull out interior panels in rear of trunk.
2. Get the courtesy lamp out of the way.
3. Cut the pink wire for the antenna motor and splice the ends into the wires provided with the switch. I took a skinner, spliced the wires, clamped down the metal on each end to lock in the spliced wire and used electrical tape to secure both ends.
I then ran the wire along the interior panels on the passenger side of the car just pushing the wires lightly under the paneling, using some tie wraps as I went to be neat.
Put the switch in the glove box, tested it, and I was all set.
Came out this morning to a car that wouldn't start....
1. Pull out interior panels in rear of trunk.
2. Get the courtesy lamp out of the way.
3. Cut the pink wire for the antenna motor and splice the ends into the wires provided with the switch. I took a skinner, spliced the wires, clamped down the metal on each end to lock in the spliced wire and used electrical tape to secure both ends.
I then ran the wire along the interior panels on the passenger side of the car just pushing the wires lightly under the paneling, using some tie wraps as I went to be neat.
Put the switch in the glove box, tested it, and I was all set.
Came out this morning to a car that wouldn't start....
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,426
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From: West Barnstable MA
If you are talking about the switch that hold the antenna down, I installed it without any issues. If you put the switch in the console, did you put the lighter wiring back in properly?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Well I followed the instructions on the site exactly.
1. Pull out interior panels in rear of trunk.
2. Get the courtesy lamp out of the way.
3. Cut the pink wire for the antenna motor and splice the ends into the wires provided with the switch. I took a skinner, spliced the wires, clamped down the metal on each end to lock in the spliced wire and used electrical tape to secure both ends.
I then ran the wire along the interior panels on the passenger side of the car just pushing the wires lightly under the paneling, using some tie wraps as I went to be neat.
Put the switch in the glove box, tested it, and I was all set.
Came out this morning to a car that wouldn't start....
1. Pull out interior panels in rear of trunk.
2. Get the courtesy lamp out of the way.
3. Cut the pink wire for the antenna motor and splice the ends into the wires provided with the switch. I took a skinner, spliced the wires, clamped down the metal on each end to lock in the spliced wire and used electrical tape to secure both ends.
I then ran the wire along the interior panels on the passenger side of the car just pushing the wires lightly under the paneling, using some tie wraps as I went to be neat.
Put the switch in the glove box, tested it, and I was all set.
Came out this morning to a car that wouldn't start....
That said, it sounds like you did the right thing
Are you sure you're not grounding from one of the cut ends?
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From: Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ
I put the switch into the glove box, therefore, I did not have to touch and did not mess with any other electrical wires...
The thread to the tech post is here:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1727795
The car was so dead as you can read, I couldn't get the trunk open at first. The DIC came on once to say Low Voltage, then wouldn't come on again. The electrical stuff all works with the exception of the trunk, although you can tell the electricals are very low voltage because they did not work to full power.
Right now I am at the point where I disconnected the switch wires. So I just have a cut "pink" wire in the trunk which is the power antenna motor wire and I am currently charging the car back up.
The thread to the tech post is here:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1727795
The car was so dead as you can read, I couldn't get the trunk open at first. The DIC came on once to say Low Voltage, then wouldn't come on again. The electrical stuff all works with the exception of the trunk, although you can tell the electricals are very low voltage because they did not work to full power.
Right now I am at the point where I disconnected the switch wires. So I just have a cut "pink" wire in the trunk which is the power antenna motor wire and I am currently charging the car back up.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
I put the switch into the glove box, therefore, I did not have to touch and did not mess with any other electrical wires...
The thread to the tech post is here:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1727795
The car was so dead as you can read, I couldn't get the trunk open at first. The DIC came on once to say Low Voltage, then wouldn't come on again. The electrical stuff all works with the exception of the trunk, although you can tell the electricals are very low voltage because they did not work to full power.
Right now I am at the point where I disconnected the switch wires. So I just have a cut "pink" wire in the trunk which is the power antenna motor wire and I am currently charging the car back up.
The thread to the tech post is here:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1727795
The car was so dead as you can read, I couldn't get the trunk open at first. The DIC came on once to say Low Voltage, then wouldn't come on again. The electrical stuff all works with the exception of the trunk, although you can tell the electricals are very low voltage because they did not work to full power.
Right now I am at the point where I disconnected the switch wires. So I just have a cut "pink" wire in the trunk which is the power antenna motor wire and I am currently charging the car back up.
Its just an online switch in the circuit.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jun 2006
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From: Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ
Are you sure you're not grounding from one of the cut ends?
If it is a short, this means I did something wrong? Or the wires are defective? How could I fix the short if this was the case?
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
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From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
What the kit should do is place a switch inline. That way you can interupt the circuit and stop the antenna from extending.
If you have the cut end grounding out it will kill the battery. Make sure you have a good amount of insulation tape around the cut ends. The wire back to the switch should be fine unless you've chafed the wire somehwhere and its grounding out.
If you have the cut end grounding out it will kill the battery. Make sure you have a good amount of insulation tape around the cut ends. The wire back to the switch should be fine unless you've chafed the wire somehwhere and its grounding out.
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From: Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ
And I may have drained it during the install, this is what I don't know? How would I drain it during the install though?
And even if there was not enough tape around the ends of the connection, why would that drain the battery? Even if I just left the pink antenna motor wire disconnected this shouldn't affect the battery?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 9,420
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From: Southern New Jersey, The wet part at the bottom
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
I made this mod myself (just two wire and a nice 6amp Shack rocker switch) and don't see what you could have done to draw the battery down pending the pink "signal wire" was all that was used.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
I am charging the battery now, I guess I will find out if it can hold a charge because the switch is disconnected at the moment.
And I may have drained it during the install, this is what I don't know? How would I drain it during the install though?
And even if there was not enough tape around the ends of the connection, why would that drain the battery? Even if I just left the pink antenna motor wire disconnected this shouldn't affect the battery?
And I may have drained it during the install, this is what I don't know? How would I drain it during the install though?
And even if there was not enough tape around the ends of the connection, why would that drain the battery? Even if I just left the pink antenna motor wire disconnected this shouldn't affect the battery?
Is it your original AC Delco????
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From: Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ
No, not the original battery, it was only changed once by the previous owner. I forget the brand in there now.
The radio was on during the install... the whole 30 minutes it took me to do the install
You are saying this could be the problem? If it is, once the battery is recharged I can reinstall the wires, reconnect the battery, and I should be good to go?
How could I fix this? And how did the radio being on discharge the battery so much? I don't get it?
The radio was on during the install... the whole 30 minutes it took me to do the install
You are saying this could be the problem? If it is, once the battery is recharged I can reinstall the wires, reconnect the battery, and I should be good to go?
How could I fix this? And how did the radio being on discharge the battery so much? I don't get it?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
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From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
No, not the original battery, it was only changed once by the previous owner. I forget the brand in there now.
The radio was on during the install... the whole 30 minutes it took me to do the install
You are saying this could be the problem? If it is, once the battery is recharged I can reinstall the wires, reconnect the battery, and I should be good to go?
How could I fix this? And how did the radio being on discharge the battery so much? I don't get it?
The radio was on during the install... the whole 30 minutes it took me to do the install
You are saying this could be the problem? If it is, once the battery is recharged I can reinstall the wires, reconnect the battery, and I should be good to go?
How could I fix this? And how did the radio being on discharge the battery so much? I don't get it?
If your battery is weak it may have been enough to kill it especially if its not a DD
Recharge it and see how you go. It really should be just a straight inline switch. Could be a combination of problems.
Thread Starter
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From: Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ
Why would the radio being on with a spliced wire cause the battery to discharge though?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Probably just a weak battery. When they get low the drain is such that a few miles down the road never gets the battery back up to scratch. An overnight charge should do it but if its getting past it, a new battery may be on the cards. These cars eat batteries even when they're idle.
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Joined: Jun 2006
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From: Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ
Probably just a weak battery. When they get low the drain is such that a few miles down the road never gets the battery back up to scratch. An overnight charge should do it but if its getting past it, a new battery may be on the cards. These cars eat batteries even when they're idle.
Didn't touch it for the rest of the night, but went to wash the car this morning to find out it wouldn't turn on.
It is just odd because it didn't seem weak until this install
