Relay for Power Antenna

[Loyer]

Hello guys. I have a 1973 E-type coupe 2+2 and want to change the existing manual antenna to an after market power antenna.

I have located the two wires at the right rear (on a LHD car) near the fuel pump that are original wire harness wires. There is not power (using a pwer meter) at either of these wires when key switch is on and radio is on.

Can you tell me (on a coupe):
1) where is the relay for the antenna motor located (undr hood or deep inside the fender)?
2) are the fuses for the power antenna located behind the flip down instrument panel ?
Thanks for any help you can give me.

[vee12eman]

Hi Loyer,

Try this thread:

http://etypeuk.com/forum/viewtopic.php? ... wer+aerial

I fitted a modern aerial with built in relay. The car was bought in pieces, but there was a relay for the aerial, which, from the length of the wires, was located in the rear wing. My new wiring loom, built to original spec had the two wires built in and they came out near the fuel pump as you described. There was no actual fitted fuse for the aerial, but you can see in the thread that I fitted one myself - I think this is as original. The wiring diagram helps, try here for an improved version:

http://www.xkedata.com/resources/read/?id=11

Regards,

Simon

[Loyer]

Thanks for the help Simon. I cannot locate the relay anywhere near the fuel pump. Is it possible judging from the relay and wires you speak of, that the relay was under hood and the wires stretched back to the fuel pump area ?

I see a relay under hood and next to my windscreen wiper motor. Could that be the relay for the antenna ?

Thanks again for your help.

[vee12eman]

Hi again,

I think the most likely thing is that you don't have the power cable connected or the relay fitted. Although the wiring is present, the connection to the fuse box may not be made - I had to make and fit the fused connection shown in the photo. The power will not be present at the rear of the car without this and indeed, if you don't have a power aerial there is no reason why you would have the relay fitted and every reason why you wouldn't, since you don't want a live wire with nothing connected to it.

Try to locate the ends of the wires at the radio end and check continuity - the power and sense leads shown in the photos.These should be the cables which termnate in the boot, which you say you located. The white/pink lead is there to take a small current, normally sensed from the radio, which is then used to operate the relay. This wire will be live only if you have a radio capable of providing this signal. most modern radios can do this and from memory, this cable is often blue; but don't take my word for it - check the radio manual. If the radio can't give this signal, then you can fit a switch for manual operation. connect one side of the switch to the fuse box, the other to the white/pink cable, this switch fulfils the switching/sensing function, whether you fit a manual switch or use the radio'sinternal switching function. The other cable, originally brown/purple, connects to the fusebox with a fuse - this is the inline fuse shown behind the dash and it is likely you don't have this. This actually supplys the power to the aerial. Both these cables actually connect to the aerial relay, so if you have these two cables present near the fuel pump but not connected, then you will almost certainly not have the power relay fitted, unless a PO has fitted aftermarket items. Fitting a modern aerial may mean you do not need a relay,as they are generally included in the aerial and are not normally separate. Whether you fit an aerial with or without separate relay, however, you need to provide an earth for the relay, and the aerial motor. Dependent on the relay design, you may need an earth for both the relay sense line and the aerial motor, or this may be combined in one connection - usually the case if the relay is part of the aerial.

Hope this helps, but note that sometimes cable colours do not match those in the wiring diagram, so check with a multimeter if uncertain.

Regards,

[PeterCrespin]

FWIW the Series XJ6/XJ12 models for many years had an aerial relay with built-in delay of a few seconds, which is quite handy. It is a green one and there must be plenty in scrap yards.

[Loyer]

Thanks all for the help. It is a little frigid this week in southern Ontario so that makes it tough to work on the car in the unheated garage.