I resent got a used antenna for my 97 SSEi . Before installing it I hook ti up to test it, no luck. Originaly the old one did not have a plug [ some one cut it off] . The existing wires were taped off with 2 of them taped together, don't remember which ones. I taped them individually and was going to work on them later. Now my door lock button will not lock any of my doors just unlock them. I am thinking the 2 wires for the antenna have something to with the lock issue. What do the 3 wires do that go to the antenna. [black, green, ? ] I got a plug with my used antenna and matched the wire colors. Any suggests on my issues,
. Thanks

If memory serves me right, black will be the ground...the other 2 (dont know the colors) are positives...one is a constant hot, the other is a switched, comming from the head unit. If you matched the wires up and still nothing, you might want to take a test light and test the 2 positives I just mentioned...the antenna will not work at all if either wire isnt working. If you get power on one at all times, and the other only when the radio is on, then your power issues are fine, so check the relay next. Easiest way is just swapping them out. Or have an assistant switch the stereo on and off so you can see if the relay works.

If all checks out, motor is bad.

I can't quite figure out your connection with the power locks here, although the lock circuit is the one weird spot on the car where a black wire is not a ground (as of 1996 or thereabouts, the black wire at the power-lock switch was the unlock circuit, I think).

Anyhow, there are three wires going into the power-antenna motor: I think they were black, green and gray. One of those wires (presumably the black one) was a common return; the other two were Antenna Up and Antenna Down. Basically the antenna motor drives the core all the way in one direction or the other, and when it hits the end of its travel, the kickback opens the motor contacts for that direction of travel, but leaves the contacts for the other direction closed. The reverse process works the same way. Between your radio and the power antenna is a relay, usually mounted on or near the shaft of the antenna, that senses a signal voltage from the radio to run the antenna up, and runs it down again when the voltage disappears (i.e. when you turn the radio off). It also has an unswitched power feed (orange wire) to run the antenna down after the car is switched off.

So where are you at in your replacement process and what wires have you got hooked up? I can't tell yet what stage you got stuck at...

Presently Bonne is in the shop till monday, getting a new gas gauge sending unit installed. I'll let you know what happens when I get it back and do some testing.

you blew a fuse, the trunk and power antenna (and maybe the gas cap) are on the same fuse, i did the same thing awhile agounless you accidentally tapped 2 wires u might have an antenna with the wrong draw, i kno mine is wrong becuase it had a different plug i tried wiring it up by color matching, didnt work, blew the fuse, i just keep the antenna up and not hooked up

Hey, whatever works for you...

(*snip* *snip*)

Sorry, but I have to edit this post of mine again because I've been giving out wrong information about the color coding of the three wires to the antenna motor. On older cars (apparently prior to 1995) the motor wiring was white, green and dark gray (no black). Anyway, please read through this thread (below) on antenna wiring colors -- they were changed in the early 1990s so it depends on exactly what year of car you have:

http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...ic.php?t=23792

Well after getting home from painting at my girlfriend'* this weekend, I read my replies and did some research and apparently the green wire is hot from the radio , the orange wire is always hot and the black wire feeds the lock side of the lock / unlock button.
OK after sitting here for 2 hours tearing apart my new used antenna , I have came to this conclusion. If you tie the black wire to neg and orange to pos the antenna will go down. Green only works the relay, so to go up you have to tie both orange and green to positive. Black must be tie in series with lock buttons negative ciruit , possibly ?

I follow most of that, although I don't see what the black (lock) wire has to do with your power antenna.

I really think you need access to a service manual wiring diagram at this point, especially if that antenna came out of a different year of car, because the wiring colors were changed slightly for the power antenna circuits in the early 1990s.

From what I recall of mine (1993), the antenna motor has white, green and dark-gray wires going to the relay, and the car wiring harness provides the orange power lead along with the signal lead from the stereo (whose color I cannot remember now, but apparently it became a green wire by 1995) to the relay.

My antenna is from a 95 SLE mine is a 97 SSEi. I hope I get my Bonne back tomorrow , they broke the strap for the gas tank and have to get a new one. The ground strap on the antenna is only for the antenna not the motor. I'm going to do some testing on my power leads tomorrow , I'll let you know what I find out.

Didn't get to work yet huh? Sorry i can't help ya out.
It looks like your getting close though.