Power Antenna Switch

[Izzmo]

I was wanting to create a switch for my power antenna to activate the motor up or down, instead of the EATC doing it. I play a lot of CD's, so it is not necessary to have the antenna go up if it is not even being used. We all know how this power antenna like to rust, so the more it is not up, the better.

What I was wondering is if anyone knew if the wires from the motor came up to the dash somewhere and if so, where they would be?

Thanks.

 

[Eric VerValin]

I think it's part of the body wiring... the more I think about it... I don't remember unhooking it from the under hood harness, or the dash harness and all of that stuff. I would guess that it's somewhere in those 4-5 connectors on the driver side kind of behind the auto light / dimmer deal there.

Can't ssem to find the printout's I had of the interior wiring tho so I can't double check it..


All that crap aside... I would think it would be pretty easy to make a switch for it if you just bypassed the factory wiring. Should be a +12 volt motor that works in reverse if you reverse the leads. Not sure if there is a switch made like that, or if you would have to use a couple of relays, but anything can be done if you can think it up electrically.

 

[Izzmo]

That's what I was thinking. I was going to buy a 3 point switch. The middle would not send any current to the motor, thus it would not do anything, the up would make it go up and then down would make it go down.

Hopefully it will work on the first try!

 

[luigisho]

Post back with results. I'd love to lower that thing when I'm not using the radio.

 

[Izzmo]

Well.. if you want a sure fire way, i already know you can just directly wire in a switch to the power clip that goes into the window motor.. the problem with that is that you have to have wires coming ALL the way back to your front seat in order for it to work good, and well.. that's the last thing I want to do.

 

[LJRuddy]

Why don't you just unplug the power to the motor and leave it in the down position?

 

[Izzmo]

I still want it to function.

But I've been thinking about it and I think the easier solution is this:

Splice the +12V wire and wire a switch into that line. So, when you have a cd playing, you just keep the switch off and the motor will not turn on because it does not have power. But, if you want to switch to the radio, you just simply flip the switch and up she goes!

The only down side of all this is that the radio must be on, and if you accidently turn your car off while the radio is on with the switch off (I know.. it most likely won't happen.. but still), then you antenna will be stuck up (unless you turn your car off and then turn the switch on really fast).

Here's a question:

Once the antenna is fully up or down, what cuts the power? Does it know that there is a given amount of resistance and cut the power to it when that level is it?

If memory serves me right, there are only 2 wires going into the motor.. +/- 12V.. right? If so, those would be hot all the time.

 

[SuperHO]

i did a switch for my 95 and was wondering the same thing about the power. all's i did was splice a normal rocker switch into the hot lead for the antenna. turn the switch on, it goes up...turn it off and down she went. never had a problem with it. don't worry about trying to get all intricate. keep it simple.

 

[Siman]

When it warms up around here Im going to replace my antena with the new dome antena and fill in the hole, when I do the body work to it. The wether gets really nice then truns right back around, I cant wait till summer.

 

[SHOZ123]

I a had a switch in mine. You need to run some twin lead wire down the drivers side door sills into the trunk. Then splice into the antenna trigger wire. I used some cheap speaker wire I had laying around and a simple SPST switch.

 

[Izzmo]

Ah nice, that's really helpful. Thanks Paul.

 

[AREA 91]

I was wanting to create a switch for my power antenna to activate the motor up or down, instead of the EATC doing it. I play a lot of CD's, so it is not necessary to have the antenna go up if it is not even being used. We all know how this power antenna like to rust, so the more it is not up, the better.

What I was wondering is if anyone knew if the wires from the motor came up to the dash somewhere and if so, where they would be?

Thanks.

Buy a gen I SHO. They came that way from the factory.

 

[trainguy1989]

I had to do no extra wiring. My Sony Head unit only puts the antenna up with the radio and is down on AUX and CD. There was a lead of on aftermarket radio harnness that allowed the radio to act as the power source for the antenna. My radio is the switch.

 

[Izzmo]

I had to do no extra wiring. My Sony Head unit only puts the antenna up with the radio and is down on AUX and CD. There was a lead of on aftermarket radio harnness that allowed the radio to act as the power source for the antenna. My radio is the switch.

I don't think yours counts.. you don't have a gen3.


Does anyone have a wiring diagram of the back of the EATC showing what wire is what?

 

[trainguy1989]

GEN III:

Car Radio Battery Constant 12v+ Wire: Green/Yellow
Car Radio Accessory Switched 12v+ Wire: Yellow/Black
Car Radio Ground Wire: Black/Light Green
Car Radio Illumination Wire: Light Blue/Red
Car Stereo Dimmer Wire: N/A
Car Stereo Antenna Trigger: Yellow
Car Stereo Amp Trigger Wire: N/A
Car Stereo Amplifier Location: N/A
Car Audio Front Speakers Size: N/A
Car Audio Front Speakers Location: N/A
Left Front Speaker Positive Wire (+): Orange/Light Green
Left Front Speaker Negative Wire (-): Light Blue/White
Right Front Speaker Positive Wire (+): White/Light Green
Right Front Speaker Negative Wire (-): Dark Green/Orange
Car Audio Rear Speakers Size: N/A
Car Audio Rear Speakers Location: N/A
Left Rear Speaker Positive Wire (+): Gray/Light Blue
Left Rear Speaker Negative Wire (-): Tan/Yellow
Right Rear Speaker Positive Wire (+): Orange/Red
Right Rear Speaker Negative Wire (-): Brown/Pink

 

[Izzmo]

Nice! That is a jackpot right there, thanks man.

 

[Izzmo]

GEN III:

Car Radio Battery Constant 12v+ Wire: Green/Yellow
Car Radio Accessory Switched 12v+ Wire: Yellow/Black
Car Radio Ground Wire: Black/Light Green
Car Radio Illumination Wire: Light Blue/Red
Car Stereo Dimmer Wire: N/A
Car Stereo Antenna Trigger: Yellow
Car Stereo Amp Trigger Wire: N/A
Car Stereo Amplifier Location: N/A
Car Audio Front Speakers Size: N/A
Car Audio Front Speakers Location: N/A
Left Front Speaker Positive Wire (+): Orange/Light Green
Left Front Speaker Negative Wire (-): Light Blue/White
Right Front Speaker Positive Wire (+): White/Light Green
Right Front Speaker Negative Wire (-): Dark Green/Orange
Car Audio Rear Speakers Size: N/A
Car Audio Rear Speakers Location: N/A
Left Rear Speaker Positive Wire (+): Gray/Light Blue
Left Rear Speaker Negative Wire (-): Tan/Yellow
Right Rear Speaker Positive Wire (+): Orange/Red
Right Rear Speaker Negative Wire (-): Brown/Pink

Are you sure those are right? I just checked the aux. input tutorial from v8sho.com, which are the right colors of wires (but it only shows audio wires) and they do not match yours.

I also just looked at the back of the EATC on mine and I do not have a yellow wire.

Where did you get those from?

 

[trainguy1989]

Does the gen 3 SHO have a special sound system? I got these off of http://www.modifiedlife.com/1997-ford-taurus-car-radio-stereo-wiring-diagram/

Maybe this diagram are for regular Tauruses? I wonder if it is because of the electronic climate control. If I recall right the radio itself is in the trunk and EATC houses the controls and display for the radio.

It looks like in Paul's pictures that the antenna trigger wire is in the trunk and not up front. You may have to thread a wire up to the front from the back for your switch.

 

[Izzmo]

Well, I saw that, but a wire still has to come from the EATC to trigger the motor to go up or down.

 

[luigisho]

You sure it doesn't just send power to the receiver in the trunk and that sends the trigger signal to the antenna?