buckwild

hey guys im wanting to do the power antenna mod on my z and however ive heard that you can get the antenna and harness from gm that is like a plugg and play thing without having to take out radio and do splicing on the other hand ive heard that there is no way around the splicing and to get a non gm power antenna from circuit city im just wanting to know any hepful info on this mod and part numbers for the antenna and wiring harness if it exists.
thanks in advance
-buckwild

Xsta Z 28

iTrader: (2)

Power Antenna Install Procedure:

This procedure describes the installation of a GM power antenna as it was installed on a 2002 Camaro, however would most likely apply to any 4th generation F-body.
Page references are made within this procedure to the “2002 Service Manual” for Camaro/Firebird Volume 3 of 3. A copy is not required for the procedure, however is a helpful reference. (PN for this manual is included in the part list.)
We’ll begin with the parts list, …then the procedure and follow that with some helpful hints about the install.

Parts list: (Everything you need to do the job…)
PART DESCRIPTION PART No. Description/Function
Gm Electric Antenna (BLACK) #10482859 Power Antenna assembly with BLACK mast. (This is the Chevrolet PN) Uses SAME quarter panel (rubber) grommet as fixed mast antenna.NOTE: PN# 10482860 is the Pontiac PN.
+ connector/pigtail for antenna #12117322 Connector/pigtail that mates/plugs to connector on antenna assembly.
Radio Shack “25-position Female, D-subminiature, Crimp-type Connector Kit” #276-1430 You’ll only need ONE of the (tiny) little connectors in this kit. This connector will be used to plug onto the unused “remote antenna signal” pin on the back of your radio.

MISC:
18 gauge wire To run radio remote antenna control signal
Tap Splices For power and ground from antenna
Butt Splices For remote relay, green wire on antenna
Tywraps

REFERENCES:
HELM Service manual set (for 2002 Camaro/Firebird) #GMP02F A complete set of (3) books.(Book 3 of 3 was primarily used for this install)

Start of Procedure:
Before you begin, remember to DISCONNECT THE BATTERY NEGATIVE CABLE!!
We will begin by removing the rear interior panels for access to the antenna, and then to the dash for removal of the stereo/radio. Next will be power and ground hook-up for the antenna, followed by antenna signal wire connection at the radio.

Begin by removing the necessary interior panels for access to antenna and stereo: Remove rear interior panels to allow removal of spare tire, thus access to the factory fixed mast antenna. Disconnect the antenna lead (and the fixed mast if you have not done so already). Then remove the mounting screw that holds the antenna assembly in place. Gently slide the antenna downward to remove it from the rubber grommet in the quarter panel. Now install the power antenna assembly utilizing the SAME quarter panel grommet and same mounting hardware. Next, move to the dash area for stereo removal.
The bezel/trim piece around the radio has four spring like clips holding it on (two per side). Start by getting your fingertips under the top and gentle slide them down each side, the bezel will pop free. Disconnect the FogLamp and ASR switches to completely remove the bezel. Next, remove the screws that hold the stereo in. Carefully begin sliding the stereo out. You may need to ‘free’ the wiring harness behind the stereo to allow complete removal from the dash . (There is enough wire length there, but it’s a tight fit to get your hand behind the radio to free it.)
Note: Removal of interior passenger’s side kick panel, etc. will be necessary for final install however can be done after the next two steps. (By temporarily laying the ‘radio on signal’ wire over the seats from the radio to the antenna, you can/should first confirm antenna operation.)


Antenna Power and Ground wire connections:
The power and ground for the antenna can be accessed by tapping into the factory amp which is located near the antenna. There is a big connector full of wires (Re: Helm P.8-444,Connector 1211-0115), …you will notice 2 orange wires side by side (Pins E11 and E12) and 2 black wires side by side (Pins E8 and E9). The orange wires are “Battery Positive Voltage” and the black wires are “Ground”.
The Power Antenna Assembly (PN#10482859) has a connector on it with THREE(3) wires (Re: Helm P.8-446, Connector 1206-4759). The wire colors/functions are: Orange(A- “Battery Positive Voltage”), Green(B- “Radio On Signal”) and Black(C – “Ground”). (NOTE: The “Radio On Signal wire is listed as “Pink” in color from the Helm manual, since Pontiac uses this wire.)
Using the connector/pigtail (PN#12117322) you can wire in the respective antenna connections. Using tap splices, connect the Orange wire from the antenna to the Orange wire from the amp. Connect the Black wire from the antenna to the Black wire on from the amp.

Antenna Signal wire connections:
The Green “Radio On Signal” (at the antenna) is the wire that will be coming from the stereo/radio. This will be connected FROM the Radio (pin#8), using 18-gauge wire and run all the way back to the antenna.

To connect to radio pin #8, you will need to use ONE of the tiny little connectors from the Radio Shack “25-position Female, D-subminiature, Crimp-type Connector Kit” (PN# 276-1430). This kit comes with 25 tiny female connectors in it.
You only need ONE of those connectors, …simply break it off the strip of metal and then crimp that connector onto the end of the 18-gauge wire, (soldering is optional, but recommended).
Next, plug this tiny connector/pin into the back of the radio wiring harness where pin#8 is. When looking at the wiring harness connected to the back of the radio, there are two rows of pins/connectors. The top row is a black plastic piece and the bottom row is white. The pin positions in the BLACK plastic piece are numbered 1-10 from RIGHT to LEFT (Re: Helm P.8-448, “Radio Connector C1”,1204-7531). Count from the left side, pin#10, #9, …#8, and you will notice location #8 is blank. Place the tiny (Radio Shack) connector into pin#8 position of the black plastic piece, where it will slide right onto the pin (#8) of the radio. (I noticed a slightly loose fit of this connector over the pin, so I placed a small tywrap near the black connector to keep the wire in place.)
(Note on pin#8: Chevrolet- pin#8 will be blank; Pontiac-pin#8 will have a pink wire there that runs back to the antenna.)

Now you can start taking out the remaining trim panels necessary for final installation. I found it necessary to remove the passenger’s side under dash panel and kick panel to properly run the wire back to the antenna. Once all wires are permanently connected and in place, you could run another test, …and then replace all interior trim panels to complete the installation.

Some notes from the install:
The antenna mounting bracket needed to be bent slightly to conform to the mounting surface behind the spare. This was easy to do and only done to ensure a good fit and that the antenna mast would be straight up and down when raised.
The antenna drain tube was way too short. So I slipped a length of surgical tubing over the end to extend it. There was already a small (approx. ¼”) hole in the base of spare tire well that I ran the tube through. IF a hole must be drilled in the floor of the trunk for the drain tube, be careful not to catch the bumper cover.
If you listen to CD’s more than the radio, the install of a switch to manually-overide the antenna is recommended. Installing a basic toggle/rocker switch would be much simpler to do than using an OEM (“fog lamp”) switch. However if you are concerned with the “stock/factory” appearance, …you might consider using the “fog lamp” switch. In either case, when the switch is off and the radio is turned on, the antenna will not raise. While the radio is on, the antenna can be raised or lowered simply by flipping the switch. No matter which position the switch is in, the antenna will lower when the radio is turned off. (If the wire from the radio is run directly to the antenna, the antenna will raise when the radio is turned on and lower when the radio is turned off).
If your car is a convertible and you opt for a typical toggle switch, you might consider mounting the switch next to the power top switch

Antenna Maintenance:
The mast should be cleaned from time to time. To clean the mast-
1. Turn on radio to raise antenna.
2. Dampen a clean cloth with mineral spirits or equivalent
3. Wipe the mast sections with the cloth removing any dirt.
4. Wipe dry with a clean cloth.
5. Cycle the antenna up/down
6. Repeat as needed.
NOTE: Do NOT lubricate the antenna. Lubrication could damage it! If the antenna does not go down when the radio is turned off, it may be damaged or need to be cleaned. In either case, lower it by hand by carefully pressing the antenna down. If the mast portion of the antenna is damaged, you can easily replace it. See your dealer for a replacement kit.


Acknowledgments:
I was emailed a copy of an install procedure from a friend (Thanks Joey-Red), that was off the web. I’ve edited it, added to it, etc. however I did start with that procedure, hence a Thanks to the names credited within.
Therefore a THANKS to RCowan99SSConv Who I believe started it. Also a THANKS to RoadHazard, Smiley, Sshevy and Warpig, …since their names were listed.

…Thanks, Kevin Kolvenbach (aka “RAGSS”)

StoleIt

iTrader: (3)

wow...thats a really good write up

VIP1

Here is another write-up. This one has pictures.

http://www.blackcamaro.com/antenna.htm

zchgla

how much does it cost

VIP1

GM List: $139.16
GM Parts Direct: $69.58

It looks like the price may have gone up (I remeber it being $10 cheaper).

buckwild

thanks alot guys that was a really informative write up

FenixSS

iTrader: (3)

Sweet, now something else to reference besides blackcamaro.com

Rescue Ranger

iTrader: (10)

Thanks Xsta

Luna

iTrader: (6)

I didnt realize camaros didnt have power antennas , learn something new here every day, no matter how relatively useless it may be!

01pewter2001z28

iTrader: (2)

I did mine last week some much nicer when putting the car cover on now

mike s.

iTrader: (2)

Werd. I cannot count how many times I whipped my car with the manual mast antenna while taking it off for my car cover.

Blackcamaro's write up is awsome, use the Kronus crimpers at radio shack, the ones with four or five crimp sizes, the smallest works best, crimp it twice, on the side & top to bottom. I couldnt pull it off even with a good tug. Also blackcamaro sez just plug the pin in, I found that the connection is better if you unplug the connector from the radio, insert the pin, then reconnect to the head unit.

Another thing do not use the 1/4 inch drainage at the bottom, that is for drainage in flooding situations check the other well, there is one there too.. I drilled a 3/8 hole on the side, hogged it a little more with a grinder, and made the short factory hose fit very snug. It sits high in the well, keeping it out of all but a biblical flood.
***Do not be careless witht he drill, you can and will drill thru the plastic paneling under the qtr panel***

I have the fog light pin out if anyone is interested.

Did you mount the switch to preserve the motor? Why? The only use I could see is to listen to cd's while launching . I have four fog light switches across my panel now I use them with nitrous, I originally bought a jimmy jams ashtray switch, but it was so small I dedicated it to all the crap on my car. My favorite is the switch I put in that turns my pillar gauges off at night.

ZeeVert

I've never heard of a direct plug antenna for the Camaros. (which is almost strange considering every Monsoon Camaro has a plug for a CD changer?) Nor have I seen any reference to part number for an OEM cable. You'll need to run the signal wire from the radio to the trunk.

I haven't seen any threads or write-ups for aftermarket installs. It seems that everyone is using a new or used GM antenna. One big advantage to an OEM install is that the fender grommet is the same for fixed or electric.

Instead of the Radio Shack pin, I took and old serial adaptor from my computer and tore it apart and found several pins. They look like this...
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y48...e/P1000085.jpg

Here's a picture of my install...
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y48...werAntenna.jpg

mike s.

iTrader: (2)

Good call, the OEM conversion is still the best, especially fitment, like you said. The pin from radioshack is identical to the one posted on your photo. Radioshack sells serial adapters with the pins out for DIYers for 1.99, saving you time not having to tear the pins out. Blackcamaro suggested the 25 pin connector, you can use the 9 pin, the pins are all the same, I think he suggested the 25 pin connector because the the 9 and 25 pin connectors are the same price, only you get more pins with the larger connector. They are usually in the drawer bins in the back by the electrical supplies in radioshack.

ZEEVERT, I got the same bracket with my antenna, that bracket is not the one that goes for our 02 model cars, it is different. I guess you had to drill a new hole for the sheet metal screw/bolt? I did, only I drilled mine on the left side with a 90 degree angle drill, so the actuator solenoid faces out ward. It was trickier, but it tucks under the fender better. Looking back I think it was over kill, but at the time I was worried that the spare tire would interfere with the antenna assembly. Does yours fit right?

PSiBlackZ

iTrader: (2)

heres another idea....... you could just do what i did and have the antenna shaved!!!! What i did was also relocated my antenna to the inside of the qaurter panel by the spare tire, still get excellent reception, but damn does it look nice and smooth with out it ....


Pics

ohh ya and the front bumper emblem is shaved

patSS/00

iTrader: (6)

I know there's an unused wire in the harness that goes back to the rear speakers, on the driver's side. If you can figure out where that starts in the front, it could be used for the antenna.

MattIROC

iTrader: (19)

probably costed out of the *** to shave that antenna though right?

01pewter2001z28

iTrader: (2)

I followed this site for my install it was pretty easy

http://www.blackcamaro.com/antenna.htm

Sean

ZeeVert

I see what you mean... 90 deg. would have worked, if I had a 90 deg. drill, of course.
I didn't notice any clearance issues to the spare. I drilled new holes in both brackets, so when extended, the antenna is tipped back about 5 degrees. But it's staight side-to-side.

VIP1

I posted that link in Post #4 over a year ago.....