Antenna will not go up or down? - 1988 Cadillac Fleetwood

recheck the wiring and connections and check for a proper earth wire on the antenna unit

Decided to buy a whole new antenna as I think the old antenna cannot be fixed

the gears are stripped, the unit needs to be replaced.sry!

Buy replacement antenna mast. Remove old one by unscrewing the retaining cap nut. Turn on the radio & let the antenna cable run all the way up while you pull on it to remove it.
Install the new antenna mast by turning the radio 'off' so the spool inside goes back to its beginning while you feed the cable of the new antenna down into the antenna mast hole.
Once the cable is all the way down, reinstall the retaining nut/cap and turn on the radio to allow the spool to run the antenna 'UP.'... cycle the radio ON and then OFF several times allowing the antenna to move all the way up and all the way down.
That's it!

Have the antenna motor tested re place it if not working if antenna motor is working you will need a new antenna mast and antenna cable to remove this unscrew the washer nut at the base of the antenna and turn radio on antenna should push up and play out he cable to replace insert new cable and turn radio off it will draw cable in and antenna tighten washer nut and your dne

please rate service.

Automatic Electric Antenna
Removal

1. Lower electric antenna (18850) .

1. Remove rear retaining screws of RH front wheel splash shield for access to antenna lower retaining bolt.

1. Remove lower retaining bolt.

1. Remove radio antenna nut (18865) from top of motor tube and remove electric antenna through fender/splash shield access.

1. Disconnect signal cable and motor wire connector(s).

Installation

1. To install, reverse Removal procedure.

1. Tighten top radio antenna nut to 6-8 Nm (54-70 lb-in).

1. Tighten lower electric antenna retaining bolt to 5.8-7.8 Nm (51-69 lb-in).

1. Check operation of electric antenna and radio chassis .
   
   Automatic Electric Antenna
   
   
   

mast
Mast, Power NOTE: A power antenna mast which is bent or broken can be replaced without replacing the motor and tube assembly.
Removal

1. Remove radio antenna nut (18865) and radio antenna stanchion (18919) .
   
   
   
   

1. Loosen retaining nut inside tube using 14 mm (9/16 inch) socket, and slide nut part-way up mast.

1. Raise antenna to run plastic drive wire at bottom of mast out of motor. Note direction of teeth on plastic drive wire.

1. Saw off damaged portion of antenna mast. Remove burrs from mast and slide nut and contact tube off stationary tube.

Installation

1. With the teeth on the plastic drive wire facing toward motor on antenna, push end of plastic drive wire of replacement mast assembly down into tube. Push it around curve at bottom of tube until end enters drive mechanism.

1. Run motor down while pushing on plastic drive wire until about 305 mm (12 inch) of wire has been drawn into the tube. Stop motor and insert bottom of antenna mast into tube. Lower mast.

1. Slide contact tube and radio antenna nut down antenna mast. Tighten nut to 0.45 Nm (4 lb-in).
   
   
2. Raise and lower antenna several times to ensure proper operation.

You need to pull the fuse for the antenna or just unplug it. It has a fairly ridgid plastic wire that pushes the antenna up and down. Works fine until the wire breaks then it rolls up (antenna down) but it never increases resistance because the antenna never comes down , it's like a fishing reel when the lure breaks off, so the motor thinks that the antenna is still coming down and it will run and run and run trying to do it's job. Your lucky it stuck up and not down. If you want your antenna to go up and down again you'll have to buy and install a new one.

Spray the antenna with a spray lubricant (WD40) or similar. and let it sit for an hour.

Then start the car and see what happens.

The antenna is probably full of filth or corrosion..

If that doesn't work take the side cover off the trunk on the side where the antenna is and you will find a plug in electrical connector near the motor that winds the antenna up and down, pull that plug out and the antenna will stop trying to wind itself down..

there is a little white colored track inside antenna that the antenna slides up and down on if this has broken you would have replace the whole unit this would be the cause of the antenna not going up

that's because the mechanism on the inside of the electric antenna in detached from the actual antenna and will run till it manages to read that it has gone down . simple solution is to cap off one of the power wires so it stops as it will need to be replaced to work again any way, the only wire you need to leave is the antenna wire in the middle (or the biggest one there) and it will still work as you do not need a power supply to run the antenna.