Hello all,

My 87 240 has a "dead" antenna, maybe just stuck in place the car had been sitting for about 2 years with no use. So I went to a junk yard and one car there a 89 has one. but before I spend $25 how can I test to see if mine is truly dead? can I test with a jumper wire? and if so to where? Thanks, mike

 

got a volt meter? at the antenna motor in the trunk is a 2-pin connector. one wire (green) should always be powered, even if the car is off. check this with a volt meter. the other wire (black) is powered when your radio is on, thats the control wire from the radio/stereo, check that with the meter too (turn on the radio, measure voltage from ground to black wire). if you jumper the green wire to the black wire, the motor should run 10-15 seconds trying to put the antenna up, and remove the jumper, and it should run 10-15 seconds putting the antenna down. most likely the antenna whip is broken off.

verify the motor runs for 10-15 seconds when you turn the radio on, and again for 10-15 seconds when you shut it off. if its got power and the control signal and it doesn't spin, then the motor is dead, replace.

if the motor is good, usually you can take them apart, there's like a snail shell spiral thing, the telescoping antennas has a long toothed white plastic whip that is wound around this spiral. clean out any bits of old whips, apply a fairly thick spread of fresh grease (I use the green marine/weaterproof bearing stuff for this sort of thing), reassemble it, and reinstall the motor assembly.

get a new whip from a volvo specific supplier like fcpeuro or ipdusa, and follow the instructions to install it.

 

Hey Pierce, thank you I hope to give it a try today! will let you all know the results.

 

I can not believe it...after I got the tire out and the black plastic cover off there was NO antenna motor...So I guess I had the cheap manual version. I pulled out the antenna that had just been pushed all the way down and now I have radio reception.

 

in 1987, even a radio was an option on a DL. our 1987 240 GL came with the antenna, and radio wiring for front door speakers only, but no speakers and no radio.