Antenna motor runs continuously...even when ignition is off!

Hello Everyone,

I have a '89 XJ Laredo. For some reason the antenna motor runs continuously...even when ignition is off!

I don't no if this is the cause but it rained a few days ago. I drove the jeep about six hours after the rain and had no problems. But the next afternoon I got into my Jeep and noticed a humming sound. As it turned out it was the antenna motor.

The wiring for my Alpine head unit goes through my glove compartment so I pulled the connnector pigtail but the antenna motor still ran. I pulled the fuse to get it to stop.

I don't remember if the antenna goes through connector pigtail or directly to the head unit. But most of the wires are labeled and "antenna" is not one of them.

Any ideas? How the heck do I get to the antenna anyway?

Best,

John V.

Antenna motor/transmission is located in the right front fender, behind the plastic splash shield.

Generic replacment power antennas will not work on the XJ, due to the shape of the fender immediately near where the antenna base attaches to the fender.

So.....your only choice is either a specific replacment power antenna for an XJ, or a fixed-mast antenna made specifically for an XJ.

Installation is about the same for either, but cost/durability will be significantly different.

I replaced the power one on my 1992 when it acted up like yours with dealer fixed mast one. I think it cost about $40 for all the pieces to covert. (You need to buy everything but the plastic escutcheon for the base if you want to convert from power to fixed.)

Thanks Jeff!

Is there a way to "rebuild" the antenna or at least extend it and use it, without having to buy a new or fixed-mast one?

Best,

John V.

Johnny V said:

Thanks Jeff!

Is there a way to "rebuild" the antenna or at least extend it and use it, without having to buy a new or fixed-mast one?

Best,

John V.

Click to expand...

The part that breaks is the flexible plastic shaft that winds around a drum to extend/retract the antenna mast. It is crimped to the end of the mast.

If you can get the crimp undone, and find a new source for the plastic shaft, it could theoretically be replaced. The key here is "if".

Jeff...from an old post of yours I found this:
> Yes, you can cut the wires to the relay, but I would tape them up on the then-bare ends, to avoid a short later.

>If you want to fix this more professionally, the bolts that hold the inner fender on are actually studs that are welded to a bolster plates that attach the urethane fender flare on the outside of the metal fender.

>I broke almost all of my studs off when I changed my power antenna to a fixed mast type. I fixed the broken stud problem by drilling out all the broken studs, and pressing in carriage bolts into the bolster plates. The end result was a professional fix that took me about 2 hours on the bolster plates (therre are 3), and about 2 hours on the antenna itself. It was a long afternoon........

End of old post.
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Do I just get a pliers and pull on the "bolster plates" to remove the urethane fender flare?

The bolster plates have the mentioned studs that poke thru the fender and are attached to the fender with nuts and washers. The bolster plates end up sandwiching the urethane fender flare between the bolster and the steel fender proper. (They give the urethane some stiffness where it contacts the fender, and helps it conform to teh body contour.)

When I tried to remove mine, they nuts all twisted off the rusty studs, forcing me to install new studs onto the bolster plate when reinstalling the flare.

I would not install the flare without the bolster plate, as I fear the bolts would pull thru the urethane flair without the added surface area of the bolster plates.