The power antenna has never worked since I bought the car. When I got a new stereo the installer said it needed to be replaced. Wasn't interested at the time to spend more money something like $300 and just forgot about it. But I've had the positive terminal off a couple times in the last month and when I reattach it I can hear the motor turning.Is this a common problem? Is there a fix besides replacing or a alternative?

 

Go to ANTENNAMASTSRUS.COM or find them on fleabay. A new mast is less than $20. Mine plastic extender rod with teeth broke off inside the motor. I removed both right taillight lenses and unbolted the motor. The mast also held there with the nut and plastic or rubber grommet in the fender. Drilled out the 3 plastic rivets holding the motor housing, carefully removed parts till I located the broken 1 foot or so segment of the mast, relubricated the whole thing and replaced all components. Used 3 small self tapping screws where the original plastic rivets were.
Mounted the motor back in the fender and replaced the grommet and nut and then fed the new mast into the hole from above. Pictures on the site shown above and they will talk to you and explain any questions you have. Don't waste $130+ if your motor is running. Simply needs a new mast.
BIGHANK

 

why do I only hear the motor when disconnect and reconnect the battery?

 

The antenna mast has a plastic strip with a notched slider which engages with teeth in the antenna motor. Those teeth (like the headlight gears) can get damaged. Once that happens they don't engage with the motor so the mast won't raise even though you can hear the motor running.

All you need to do is fit a new mast. Don't spend $$$$ on the whole unit. A $15 mast will work just fine. Here's a How To I posted a while ago.

How To Replace a Defective Telescopic Antenna

Now this is a simple mod and the OEM assembly with motor is $130+. You'll know you have the problem because the antenna won't fully retract



Parts:
Adjustable wrench
GM OEM Power Antenna Replacement ($13 E Bay).




Make sure the antenna is fully retracted and that the radio is off

Remove the antenna mounting nut located on the base of the mast on the outside of the car. If the mast is bent it may be necessary to cut off the old mast). If you can't all of the plastic cable out as one piece, (sometimes the plastic gets really hard and breaks into pieces then falls down into the motor), you can just pull the motor after you have pulled the mast out and get all of the pieces out. To do that you'll need to take out the outer right turn signal housing.




Turn on the radio and pull out the old mast and serrated cable completely out of the antenna motor. (Note which way the serrations on the cable are facing)

Feed the serrated cable of the new mast into the antenna hole and stop when resistance is felt. (about 12”). Make sure the cable is fed in with the teeth the same way the old cable came out.



Turn the radio off to lower the antenna until the serrated cable catches.. You may have to cycle the antenna a few times until the cable catches the gear mechanism and retracts into the antenna motor.



Replace and tighten the antenna nut into the mast base.



Turn on and make sure that the mast fully extends without binding. Clean the surface of the antenna to remove any adhesive etc.

10 minute job.



If you encounter a stuck mast here’s advice from the mast vendor:

You see the new "Retaining Sleeve" (silver, 2 inches or so, with slots) on the shaft of the new antenna mast, the original one is most likely a little corroded/frozen into the shaft of your antenna No problem : You are in need of what I refer to as the "snap and tap" technique of mast removal

Turn radio on and let cycle to as much extension as is currently possible

Take hold of the thickest metal mast section (closest to fender) with you thumb and forefinger about 2-3 inches above the top of the antenna shaft hole

Push the thickest mast section into the shaft (as much as it will go within that 2-3 inches)

Hold tightly with thumb and forefinger and Snap your Wrist upward.....you will here the mast bottom "tap" the bottom of the frozen in place retaining sleeve (what this is all about) Repeat this over and over again In-Snap-Tap-Repeat Short Firm Bursts of Energy Focusing the energy blow to the point of the tap This will free the retaining sleeve little by little till it comes out completely

 

Mine was broken off at the end. When you get the new mast if the new one IS LONGER it means part of the plastic toothed shaft is still inside the motor housing. Then its motor take apart time.

 

DeeGee, This sounds exactly like my problem, except, my car is a 1990 Corvette. Do you happen to know if the same instructions apply? Thanks in advance. Karen

 

Good info - this place is awesome for the tech tips.

 

Yes they do. I'm printing this reply in as many mast threads as I can because it will make doing the mast easier.

Big thanks to DeeGee. You instructions helped me remove a bad mast out of a C4 Coupe. I will note that the snap-and-tap technique is easier to do using a pair of small Vise Grips. You clamp them on the largest section as described (not super tight though!!!) and do basically the same thing. The Vise Grips are allot easier to hold on to than the mast itself. A few jolts and it comes out.

Getting the new one in was more complicated. The point of the new one kept getting caught in a recess just before the hole inside the gear/flywheel housing of the motor. This was because of the bend in the mast cable. I figured out after taking the motor out and removing the gear/flywheel cover that if it gets caught in the recess try twisting the cable side-to-side while pushing down. It will get past the recess and then mate with the gear. You shouldn't have to remove the motor unless the cable breaks.