Electric aerial...

[Alfadog]

Who would have thought such a trivial device as this could cause so much stress.

When I got my car the aerial did not work. I boguht a new one and put it in. After about 3 or 4 months it stopped working too. I bought ANOTHER one today and put it in and it all worked and everything was dandy. I turned the radio off to see my beauty go down and it did... a little TOO much. Now this one doesn't work either.

IS there some trick I dont know about?! Is 80 AUS bucks a pop not enough to get a damn aerial that WORKS?! This is REALLY starting to wizz me off.

[bonniec75209]

Sorry, I don't know anything about that radio, but I sure do love your car! Bonnie

[Daniel]

If the antenna works on the bench .Then you have a few choices.If I read it correctly turning your radio on or off powers the antenna.That is done thru an external relay in most cases.It is usually in the area with the antenna or behind the radio.Check connections.Check the ground on the antenna.Some imports use the antenna coax cable shield as the ground for the radio.Kinda silly ,because I've seen people break their antenna and the radio won't even turn on.I doubt someone set yours up that way.Sounds as if you may have gotten into a bad run of antenna's.The workbench test will tell.Remember the 240 had a manual momentary contact switch to power the antenna.Perhaps you could install one as a temp. measure to eliminate any intermit radio issues. Have fun!! Daniel

[Alfadog]

The problem is beyond that. My last one broke because of some computer error where it went up but upon coming down didn't want to stop coming down.

My current one has the problem of not going up or down (it's about 1/20th of the way up). It sounds as if the teeth aren't gripping.

[2ManyZs]

Have you tried taking the bell shaped cover off the bottom on the antenna to see if the mast cable is off the crank? It could be it has wound itself around the pulley shaft and/or is twisted around somehow that it is not in the groove the way it should be. It might be why the motor still is running when the antenna is already down, I'm not sure about how the stop is set up as it's been years since I took one apart...

[peterc]

Alfa

Can't help you with the antenna problem (I'm looking for a replacement mast for mine as we speak), but looking through our galler I noticed oyu don't have any side marker lights.

Is that original or did you remove them during resto? If so did you bondo, or butt weld new metal?

I'm toying with removing mine as I think it's a much cleaner design without them (and the damn things rust like hell anyway).

Peter

[Alfadog]

2MZ I took the last one apart and fiddled with it for DAYS... currently I'm just summoning the patience to deal with it.

Peter I think Australian regulations meant that the 240z didn't need them. They didn't need the rear uglifiers either... The 260z got them however. Japan was similar I think?

[sjcurtis]

Alfadog,

look like a bit of bad luck with the antenna. $80 AUS is not buying QUALITY in the aftermarket world these days, have you managed to sort it out yet.

I fear I may be on the same slide I paid $85 for probably the same thing, is yours the model with the replaceable mast insert

I put mine in to weather proof the car so I could drivr it. I have not wired it up yet.

Good Luck

Steve:classic:

[Alfadog]

I took it back and after they took it apart and said "cor blimey" they replaced it. So far (around 2 weeks) this new one hasn't faulted. Going for a new record!!!

THey're a bit loud though aren't they...

[Daniel]

The "replaceable mast" can be deceiving.My 300z says that also.The problem is if its the nylon driver part that moves the antenna that breaks,you must disassemble and remove the broken part. Believe me they took all the fun out of working on Z cars when they built the 300Z!!! Daniel

[EScanlon]

The Stock antenna on the early years required the user to raise and lower it with a switch. It did not have travel limits / stops so you could essentially push the up or down button all day long and the only thing you would hear is the click click click of the clutch mechanism inside the antenna.

Later year antennas, with the introduction of the later radios that supported automatic antennas did not require the switch, as the relay for operation was internal to the antenna or radio. Simply put, when you powered up the radio, the antenna received the signal to extend, and when you turned off the radio, the signal received by the antenna was stopped and therefore the antenna would retract.

Both types of antennas used different wiring.

Early Z's used the chassis as part of the circuitry to the antenna, which made it very hard to get an aftermarket antenna to work in the Z without wiring for the new antenna.

If you have a newer style radio, with the blue antenna power lead to power the automatic solenoid it will NOT work with the older style antenna. Conversely, a newer style antenna requiring that blue antenna power lead will NOT work with the original radios.

2¢