[Mk2] [Generic] Deleted the stock aerial

[RST]

Update, I fitted mine yesterday. I never took pictures so going from memory:

I can't remember for sure, you need a DMM -but I seem to remember that if you strip off the small electrical loom off the aerial unit yourself you are left with something plugged into the original loom which looks like:

• top left -yellow is earth, ground your amplified aerial to that
  second one on from top right is a red wire that is switched live -check that out with your DMM
  connect the regular aerial socket as per normal

...it was as easy as that! Reception is much better than with stock aerial also. I used bodyshop never set putty bead and a small amount of ali plate to seal up my original aerial hole before putting the spat back on. No way water is going to get through there.

[Signori]

Possible stupid question but what is a DMM?

And do you know if this from the old aerial loom? This is the only cable i can find thats not plugged into anything

[RST]

DMM is a digital multimeter -used to get cheapo yellow ones from maplins for £2 though the more money you spend one one ther better the benefits if you know how to use one IMO, I got last one one sale at £60 when it should have been £100.

The pic on your left looks like the original plug. The silver thing on the right is an FM band expender -which is only any use if you have an original jap stereo. Trace the wires back from that with a cheapo mltimeter to tell you what's +12v and what's chassis ground and you can't go wrong. The instructions are on the back of the aerial I used on how that's wired up. You need a DMM or otherwise to make life easy -30s job to suss out which is a chassis ground and the other is a switched live to the connector -you need to do it going through the "ACC", and "ign" key switches then go through your head unit on and off in each position to make sure.


EDIT =I can only think for starters if you only have the original cap plug is if you hold it up looking at you then the top left i think is earth and second in from top right is switched live. Not sure about any of that though.

[Harold]

I actually like the standard aerial, maybe its just the novelty of it going up and down

Same here, it wouldn't be the same without the pop up aerial. It makes it look like an R/C car!

[RST]

I actually like the standard aerial, maybe its just the novelty of it going up and down

Same here, it wouldn't be the same without the pop up aerial. It makes it look like an R/C car!

....absolutely NOTHING wrong with the std aerial -I just did this through boredom / fiddling, it makes the car looks no more or no less like it has an aerial ip to me. My aerial didn't retract the last half inch again having relpaced the other year AGAIN so I deciced to try this -I never expected better radio reception though.

[HighwayStar]

Mine is going into the bodyshop tomorrow for a little love and the removal of the aerial. Got a windscreen type one fitted with a new head unit and put it behind the rev 1 rear grill. Reception is only OK after more earthing so I'm thinking of adding a second in the rear window...

R.

[swaggansway]

I realy enjoyed this thread so I got one


I have fitted it on the plastic trim just below the rear window! the red wire on switched live, short braded one earthed on the screw holding the center rear box to fire wall and the main plug straight into head unit. unfortunatly the reception is terrable have I done something wrong? could I have a faulty unit?

[Nev]

I had to get rid of the hole, when I removed the spoiler trim I discovered it had rusted all the way round so stripped it back to clean metal and welded it up. I put on a Mitsi 3000GT spoiler so had to move the aerial, shark fin drilled into the roof for me. Clearest signal I've ever had from an MR!!!

[loudandproud205]

Mines going in place of a bit of duck tape to cover the hole to stop water going in the boot.

Its all about the weight saving

[swaggansway]

WHY IS MINE NOT WORKING

[HighwayStar]

Earthing problem?

R

[swaggansway]

a starting point thank you will fetch multi meter tom. should be getting 12v+?

[RST]

Guys, a bit of feedback after a very expensive few days at the garage last week!

I either got something wrong with my power connections -or the aerial I got had a duff circuit board! I ended up connecting it to the same circuit as the ECU fuse in the engine bay (black wire with yellow stripe). This was causing the ECU fuse to blow each time the ign was turned.

I'm pretty sure there's a fault in the board in the one I got because I've fitted these before and it only drew a few mA's at the most -not enough to overload that circuit anyway.

Just beware what you tap into in there -it looked like my alternator had gone but it hadn't. We only found this out after a brand new alternator was fitted and a full day of wire tracing to look for a short somewhere.

Can't help you any more than that -we just unplugged the power connector (the aerial still worked fine) and I don't have the car anymore.

[raptor95GTS]

i taped mine into a radio switched live so hopefully that should reduce the likelihood of power issues. Reception is no bad either mounted on the rear bulkhead under the locking latch