Power Antenna -98 Maxima Wiring Troubles

[common763]

Quick Rundown
Broke my power antenna and ended up having to buy an aftermarket. Cut wire harness that ran from the silver box(also controls keyless entry) to the black antenna box in order to accomodate the aftermarket. Lost keyless entry and aftermarket antenna didn't fit anyway. Now I have a used original and I re-connected the wires that I cut to the harness piece that fits into the power antenna. Now I am not getting any POWER at all because I tested the wires that run from the silver box to the power antenna and they are all dead. Two questions
1. Where is the fuse that controls the power antenna?
2. Possibilities why wires are not giving any power?
I am desperate for some info because this is driving me nuts.

[Nahkapohjola]

1. If your user handbook does not tell, then check all, taking out and putting back one by one. Are any other features down?
2. Your spare antenna is dead ? and blows the fuse.
Your aftermarket antenna blew ? the fuse already...
Max-93 has a separate switch, if u have such, check that supply voltage is present there. If not, its fuse.

You have to get wiring diagram.

No need to be desperado for one life nuance, u can still drive... and/or add std antenna.

[common763]

I guess my situation is different than a typical install. My original antenna broke so I bought an aftermarket kit which instructed me to cut the white harness that goes into the original antenna because the aftermarket does not have a harness. In doing this, I blew a fuse and lost my keyless entry and clock. I brought the antenna in for the Nissan Dealership to install, they fixed the fuse problem and could not install the aftermarket. I then purchased a used original antenna and re-wired the white harness to the original wires that run from the silver box in the trunk. They are currently not getting any power and I have no idea where to check for an internal fuse. I checked the fuse box under the driver seat and everything looked alright. I will double check but can anyone pinpoint where the power is coming from (internal fuse or other) for the power antenna? Or how to get power back to those dead wires?
Also, where would my separate antenna switch be that you are talking about?

[Nahkapohjola]

Max-93 has a separate switch near the handbrake, maybe -98 has not?

Wiring harness can be opened and traced only by opening all places where the bundles seem to go. That is, if no wiring diagrams are available. Lot of work. Or you can add a new wire from some place near fuse panel which is hot when u want, say -ign on-.

Btw. Purchase a 5$ tester with a pin that penetrates wires. With that it is easy and fast to troubleshoot and to check which wire is hot.

What you should be getting to that back connector, is +12V always, and another +12V only when ign is on (=antenna up signal) plus gnd.

[common763]

Thanks for the advice...I am going to test the inline fuse box inside my hood and will keep an eye out for the switch. Not sure where that is. I would still like to know what fuse controls the power to the antenna because I can't find any info on that nor where this switch is or what it looks like.

[common763]

I tested the inline fuse box, the box inside the car and nothing is wrong on that end. I cannot find the antenna switch. Any more advice?

[Nahkapohjola]

Maybe no switch.

How to obtain schematics? ...Buying Nissan Repair manual.
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If no schematics, I see two options:

1. The original wires have color codes. They can be followed by opening the bundles in each junction. Its a lot of work and panel opening... trace.

2. You need following supplies:
a. +12V always
b. antenna up signal = +12V only when ign. is on or add new switch from a., whatever you prefer.
c. gnd.

Buy wire and install those that are missing: a. from the fuseblock or piggyback, b. from the fuseblock or piggyback from rear lights (antenna up/down in sync with lights), c. gnd from any screw on metal. Cut and mark the wires.

When you have these, take the aftermarket antenna and cut ist wires, connect under general terminal blocks crews. You should have schema for the aftermarket antenna, if not, ask seller, or test yourself. Test on the floor which wire is keeps the antenna up, which is +12V always on & gnd. You need 12V supply and some wire plus clips... Mark them down and connect to your car with terminal block.

[common763]

I will give this a try...Thanks for the advice.

[Nahkapohjola]

Note: If u have airbags and work around them, there's a danger. Take battery cable off ½hour before u work around the bags wiring (yellow wires) to disarm the system. With battery off [resets also airbag circ], taking chairs and their connectors open is no problem.

(Btw. Any car electronics shop should be able to do that work in two hours, if not, theyre in wrong business. But this job is not too bad to learn if u like to work around.)

[common763]

I noticed that the same wire that handles my keyless entry runs to my power antenna. I then had to ask,"Why is the power antenna not working and my keyless entry is fine?" I clipped off my original wiring job and did a clean one. My power antenna works now. Thanks for all of your help with this...it is nice to know that there is help online with issues like this especially since I am not so good with cars.

[Nahkapohjola]

Originally Posted by common763

I noticed that the same wire that handles my keyless entry runs to my power antenna. I then had to ask,"Why is the power antenna not working and my keyless entry is fine?" I clipped off my original wiring job and did a clean one. My power antenna works now. Thanks for all of your help with this...it is nice to know that there is help online with issues like this especially since I am not so good with cars.

Good News! Bad that I was too late... but check this out:


I checked the -94 wirings diagram as I now had a chance to do it:

Power antenna motor [2wires] goes to power antenna timer box.
Colors 'maybe': PU/G, BY/W

Power to antenna timer box comes from main fusebox:
- right row, 5th from bottom [ACC on], Y/G
- left row, 1st from bottom [IGN on], BR/W
- left row, 4st from bottom [Batt], W

Control wire comes from radio, B/Y

NO manual override SWITCH...

The box seems to be located near the radio, seek the wire colors.

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THERE's a fuse on the radio ctrl wire, on the radio. Maybe this was blown? ...or the antenna timer box.
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So what I told about the original wirings, was bs. Sorry about that. Anyway, the story of installing the aftemarket is true [assuming its wiring diagram agrees...].