The aerial now goes up and down when I turn on the ignition, or rather it would do if I hadn’t disconnected it - I rarely use the radio (I bought the unit for the Bluetooth facility) and I prefer the look of the car with the aerial retracted.
I’m thinking I ought to exercise the aerial occasionally or eventually it’ll get stuck, so here’s my questions: there’s a blanked-off switch position in the fascia here, beside the headlamp levelling control:
Hi TerryM1,
I had exactly the same problem with the new stereo that is fitted in my 2001 MK2 - and I have also disconnected the aerial.
Strangely, the radio still picks up a signal and works on the odd occasions that I do use it - even without the aerial up anyway?!
However, I would be interested to see how you get on, as the idea of a switch seems like it could be a good plan!
JMK
Thanks. That’s a great idea. I’d still be interested to know how easy it is to pop out the blank next to the headlight levelling control if anyone’s done that.
I used the side blank (in IanC’s picture ,right bellow) extremely easy to fit and almost invisible.
Happy with the Caliber unit? Love the retro look of it but the fact it didn’t match the green NA illumination held off.
Thanks. Yes, I’m happy with the radio. And the price was just ridiculous, around ten pounds when I bought mine off ebay in August last year - although like everything else they’ve gone up quite a bit since. 99% of the time I want to listen to mp3s off my phone and the bluetooth worked out of the box with no hiccups at all. It’s hardly the Bose system I have in my Mazda6, but it has functional bass and treble and balance, sounds as well as you need in a roadster, and I like the look of it too, very retro.
Having said all that I don’t listen to music much in the five. The best sound comes out of the exhaust pipe
The cost me £20 o thereabout, now an almighty £30. Car radios are cheap now. Chosen because if its two knob layout. It works, and gives me an extra (USB) power source.
Did the same on mine a while back, got a switch from maplins I think, which was small enough to fit in blank near headlight adjuster. Will get photo tomorrow but just had to pop out blank , drill a 8mm hole in it and identify arial supply wire. Unless you look really close you would think switch is original
Hi Rutlandsurfer - that’s very interesting and exactly what I’m hoping to do. Could you tell me exactly what ‘popping out’ the blank next to the headlight adjuster involved in terms of panel disassembly please?
Not sure if these photos have loaded properly. Blank just pops out , need very thin screwdriver down sides to ease out. Awkward bit if I remember was feeding wire to back of switch. Honestly can’t remember if I had to take heater controls out , but I think it was obvious once radio was out of the way
Hi Ian,
I’ve now sourced a A/C switch (from Ebay)
which I intend to fit as you have done. A couple of points of clarification;
I intend to fit the switch in the Grey/Black line between the Radio Head Unit and the Aerial?
Once I’ve done this does the Aerial extend and retract at the press on or off of the switch and then stop?
Or do you have to control the extend and retract with the switch??
Many Thanks
Nic
I did a similar thing on my Mk1 some time ago, but using an OEM electric window switch in a blank to power the aerial up and down. Since doing it I seemed to have a noticeable increase in noise/crackle on the radio reception. Could this be a symptom of introducing a switch?
Sorry to jump in on the thread as I’m talking Mk1, but thought the reception issue could be a common thing?
First of all a “thank you” to all the contributers of this thread for giving me the inspiration to do this mod as well. As it was a cold damp Norfolk afternoon I thought I’d spend some time in the garage and install an override switch.
For me, the obvious location of an additional switch was using the blank cover for the non-existant electric door mirror switch on my NB, as it was physically close to the radio just behind the steering wheel and it was a simple cable splicing and routing job.
I had in my spares a miniature paddle switch, but the equivalent sized rocker switches are available at a low price on ebay here: here
Hello All,
Reading your Antenna UP/Down switch posts with interest.
So I’ve bought an Aircon switch to fit in the ready made blanket off hole on my Heater Control Panel on my 99 NB1.
The switch has has three Male blade connections at the rear.After consulting the wiring diagram for the Electric Antenna and the Aircon System and having stripped the switch down these are identified as A ,B & G for ground I assume.
I located the switched 12 V feed wire from the Radio H/U and split it into a Supply (from Radio) attached to terminal A and a Load (connection to the Antenna) attached to terminal B. I grounded terminal G.
Result - with the Radio switched on the Antenna stays down until I operate the A/C switch whereupon it goes up. One problem- the green LED in the switch doesn’t illuminate when on- any ideas from the Car Elecrics/ Electronic wizards?
Thanks
Nic
