Mercedes 300SD W126 - Power Antenna Replacement - It's Complicated !
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- #impalamansgarage1
In this video we replace the power antenna with a refurbished one and discuss troubleshooting efforts involved with trying to determine the source of a parasitic current drain. Along the way we found a couple of issues which we addressed and even found time to detail the interior of the trunk!
Notes:
I checked all wiring to and from the radio and I ensured that the blue
wire was NOT hot during troubleshooting. (This is the signal to turn on the antenna) This eliminates the radio wiring as the culprit. (Does it not?)
Refurbished power antenna:
www.beckerauto...
I couldn't get the cover off of mine to repair the mast. The clips started breaking. In the end I bought a replacement URO unit, which does okay, I guess. The rubber grommet for the URO is hard, doesn't seal correctly and pretty much sucks. Thankfully I do not drive this car in the rain. It will certainly leak.
The original is still with me. One of these days I will try to get it apart without breaking it.
Another great video. Sometimes I use flattened zip ties to keep the clips separated.
Great tip!
This guy must be from TEXAS! Luv it man!... Good video, thank you sir...
There’s a Japanese replacement power antenna made specifically for W123 and W126 chassis’ that is, like $100. Cheap but reliable and easy to install.
The Becker Auto Sound people do a good job rebuilding them. That ia the route I took. Can you post a link to the company you mentioned?
Did you check the rear courtesy light for a short. I seem to remember that Kent at Mercedessource found that to be a short in that area. Unplug the bulb and see if you still see a current draw.
Beautiful car !
Yep. Did that. Thanks !
I assume you checked it fuse by fuse since each fuse covers several things it takes a while to run everything down. That's what we did on my e320. Turned out to be the trunk lid switch was broken.
When my antena went bad on my '85 300d I got one from Pep Boys and made it work. Only had 2 positions but I always thought that middle position was kinda dumb.
Good luck on it.
Yeah a varying position antenna doesn't really make a lot of sense. Still, there are some things that I like to keep original. Some things not so much. I did pull each fuse one by one. It was always fuse #15 which had the draw. Plus that is the one that blows if you plugged in the anti-theft box. I found no issues with the trunk light switch. I took it apart and made sure it was functioning correctly.
@@ImpalamansGarage So I guess it's down to the anti-theft module. I guess you just like to take things apart, huh? Lol I just opened the trunk and depressed the switch to see if the trunk light went off. Mine has two lights so with the switch not working it ran the battery down in about 3 days.
Oh ya. I was going to tell you. The only electrical issue I ever had with my 300d was the a/c control module. If I remember right it plugs in on the left fender. The compresseor wouldn't kick on so I found out about that module and I pulled it and hot wired the plug receptacle and got it to work and then got a new module. I know little about electrical stuff so I figure that was very brave of me or very stupid. The luck of the ignorant! Lol
Another thing I just remembered. Since you have the trunk torn apart. The fuel filler pipe goes through the trunk. There is a rubber burp hose hooks on to it in the trunk. Make sure it has a clamp on it. Mine did not and it shrunk and came off. Had a lot of fuel in the trunk till I found that and put a hose clamp on it. I threw away a perfectly good fuel canister thinking it was leaking because I always carried two 2 and a half gallon canisters ever since I had the Peugeot diesel with an unreliable fuel gauge.
@@wernerdanler2742 I have smell what seemed to be a faint diesel smell in the trunk! I will check that clamp! Thanks for the tip Werner ! You have no idea how much stuff I took apart before I edited this video. LOL ! I cut out a lot of video for this one.
the draw is probably from the radio memory! perhaps on same circuit!
I'd expect radio memory to draw a little at first and then drop to nothing. This is typical. Might be different on these cars. Who knows. Ultimately I decided to ignore the draw and I've not had any issues.
Suggestion: you just need to remove the hot wire, then run a new wire out from acc or on position. This shall solve the problem!
Indeed it would, but that would not solve the underlying problem and that would drive me bonkers! LOL.... In the months that have passed since I made this video I now believe that the power antenna needs a good dose of current at first when ever the battery is connected. This is in order for it to figure out that the ignition is not on, nor is the radio and that it should do nothing. Once the antenna circuit is happy, the current draw stops. (in theory) Holding the trouble light on the battery and observing that dim light does not provide this need. Ultimately I reconnected everything and I have not had one problem. If I were to go connect that trouble light in the same way right now, it will dimly illuminate. I know that does not make lot of sense but it is what it is. I went through 2 or 3 refurbished antennas and they all did the same thing. I've had no issues at all.
I actually did what you suggested. I ran a hot wire straight from the battery to the antenna temporarily. Did the same thing for the ground wire. (around the outside of the car) The issue remained.
Faulty seat memory?
Seat memory does work. Not sure there is a connection between those circuits. I will double check the schematics though.
want to buy your old antenna for parts
It was sent to the refurbishment company as a core.
Hey nothing works on my car except for the engine 😅
Well to be fair, that is the hardest thing for any enthusiast to do - to keep things working the way they did when the car was new. Anyone can slap in a modern replacement xyz part and get similar (or better) functionality.
The clock
You raise in interesting point however the clock on this car does not work. LOL