How do I get the automatic antenna to work with new head unit on a 3rd gen Maxima?

The 4th gen cars have a seperate wire for the antenna. I don't see one for the 3rd gen cars. Is it incorporated into the antenna lead?

I have an antenna adapter, and it allows the radio to play fine, but the auto antenna doesn't work.

Thanks!

 

I think it depends on the brand of stereo. My old one would raise and lower it depending on the mode, but my new one just raises it when it turns on, regardless, so I disabled it. DOn't listen to the radio much, anyway. But if I recall, sony does have that feature...I think it's a blue wire that controls the antenna.

 

i got the stock bose system, my antenna doesn't move :/ , you can hear it crank though when the radio goes on and off....

 

But, it seems there is no seperate wire in the car's wiring harness for the power antenna.

The stock Nissan antenna has two leads in the center, and a ground on the outside.

It seems the regular aftermarket antenna just has two leads, the one center (inside) one and the outside ground.

The antenna adapter I've got uses one of the inside leads and the outside ground. The other center lead has no metal connector inside. Is this other inside lead for the power antenna?

The car came equipped with the Bose system, if that matters. It's a 1990 model.

What is the trick for getting the stock power antenna to go up and down with an aftermarket stereo????

Thanks!

 

A side note, I have an FM transmitter for my ipod and I am getting bad reception, even with my antenna plugged in. Is there a way to pull the antenna wire out of the metal antenna itself to bring it into the car, closer to the transmitter?

 

theoretically, you should wire the blue nissan wire to the main power wire of the stereo; when the circuit is low (radio off), the antenna should go down. when it is active, it will go up.

i tend to turn my radio on/off a lot, so i didnt even bother with it; dont want to destroy the antenna motor should i ever sell my car or put a stock radio back in it. plus its cold out, and i dont like it when the antenna freezes in either position and that motor keeps turning.

 

I had mine hooked up like my adapter harness showed FWIW

But then again my antenna was broken so I didn't pay much attention to it.

doesn't craig have the wiring diagrams on his page anyhow?

 

i have an eclipse head unit on my 92SE. I haven't finished the installation yet. When I listen to FM radio, am I gonna get as good reception as I did when I had the stock Bose head unit?

 

go to radio shack and get an adaptor for the antenna plug.. the stock plug is round with two prongs... if your antenna dont work, the antenna is probably messed up.. if you can hear the antenna working but not moving, it is your antenna... so yeah go out and get an adaptor

 

that depends on your HU's specs

 

well what i really meant was if i was gonna have reception problems. Cause I've read that some Max owners have had problems listening to radio on their aftermarket head units.

 

every 3rd gen max I've had has had an aftermarket H/U
no problems with the H/Us just the speakers

 

If I know anything its stereo stuff. What you use is the Blue Wire also known for the AMP turn on. All that does is send a 12 volt signal to the antenna to keep it up. Once the antenna loses power it lowers. You Can use any 12 volt source and put a Master Switch on it if you want. I personally just keep it hooked up to my amp turn on. It goes up when the stereo is on. Down when its off.

 

What problems were you having with the speakers? I could help you with that.

 

yep heresmy mind is right look in your trunk where power ant is and just remember the wire color then hook up a power source to it and there u have it, except in my car somebody did some wire splicing so i eneded up using new wire all together

 

no problems now.
MASA has that car now so if they're still not working right it's his problem.